Saturday, August 13, 2022

Godrej Celebrates 75 Years of India’s Independence With #SoundsOfMakingIndia, The Heartbeat of A Free Nation


* #SoundsOfMakingIndia touches upon the Godrej Group’s journey of contributing towards India’s self-reliance  

On the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day, Godrej Group released #SoundsOfMakingIndia, the sequel to its Independence Day campaign from 2019, that beautifully captured all the industrial sounds that signify progress in the manufacturing ecosystem.

YouTube Link :| https://youtu.be/I1spEfbBe5c

The film #SoundsOfMakingIndia narrates the  story of the  Godrej Group’s journey of being an integral part of our Nation’s progress. The film integrates the different businesses of one of India’s most iconic brands and gives consumers an opportunity to listen to the numerous sounds or the heartbeats of progress that truly make India. 

This video will be amplified by digital content creators who will spread the message, by our media  partners  who will put it up on their respective  platforms and by  our business partners who will amplify it on their social media assets.

Commenting on the film, Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group said, “At Godrej, we are extremely proud of being an intrinsic part of our country’s progress and journey over the last 75 years.  The film #SoundsofMakingIndia captures the sounds representing our Group as a whole and strings them together into one of our most popular and relevant patriotic songs 'Sare Jahan Se Accha’.   It  encourages each one of us to believe in this power of progress and contribute to the journey ahead as we celebrate 75 years of Independence.”

Anu Joseph, Co-founder and Creative Vice Chairman, Creativeland Asia, added, “Godrej Group’s history is inextricably linked to India’s journey towards self-reliance and independence. This film is a celebration of all the things - both big and small, that Godrej has been making for India while helping make India.”

About Godrej Group

Established in 1897, the Godrej Group has its roots in India's Independence and Swadeshi movement. Our founder, Ardeshir Godrej, lawyer-turned-serial entrepreneur failed with a few ventures, before he struck gold with a locks business. Today, we enjoy the patronage of 1.1 billion consumers globally across consumer goods, real estate, appliances, agriculture and many other businesses. In fact, our geographical footprint extends beyond Earth, with our engines now powering many of India's space missions. With revenues of over USD 4.5 billion we are growing fast, and have exciting, ambitious aspirations. For us, it is most important that besides our strong financial performance and innovative, much-loved products, we remain a good company. About 23 per cent of the promoters’ holding in the Godrej Group is held in trusts that invest in the environment, health and education. We are also bringing together our passion and purpose to make a difference through our Good & Green strategy of 'shared value' to create a more inclusive and greener India. At the heart of all of this, are our people. We take much pride in fostering an inspiring workplace, with an agile and high performance culture. We are deeply committed to recognizing and valuing diversity across our teams.

For more information on the company, log on to www.godrejindustries.com

YES Bank Enables Its Business Enterprise Customers To Go Live On ONDC


YES Bank today announced its partnership with SellerApp, a seller-centric intelligence platform, to facilitate adoption of Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC) amongst the seller segment of its customer base and help them increase their digital commerce footprint. Aimed at promoting open networks for the exchange of all kinds of goods and services over digital or electronic networks, ONDC is a strategic initiative aimed to democratize the entire digital commerce space.

Speaking on the development, Mr. T Koshy, MD and CEO, ONDC, said, “This innovative initiative from YES BANK to enable their business clients to be part of ONDC through their strategic alliance with SellerApp, which is the one of the first Network Participants, is very encouraging. This is an excellent example of YES BANK creating a diverse business model to embed themselves in an Open Network. I am sure this model will evolve to be a great boon in enhancing market access for their corporate clients, especially small and medium enterprises who will be coming online first time.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Prashant Kumar, MD & CEO, YES BANK said, “We are pleased to create access for our enterprise customers to be part of the strategic ONDC network, which aims to democratize the digital commerce space and entrust more power to businesses. This association will enable us to positively impact the business momentum of our SME, MSME and other enterprise customers across India and Bharat. We believe this partnership model with SellerApp complements our Technology-First A.R.T (Alliances, Relationship & Technology) approach and this synergy will benefit our customers with better data insights and wider access to the market by moving from a platform-centric model to an open-network model." 

Mr. Brij Purohit, Co-founder, SellerApp.com, said, “Just going by the huge diversity and market size we have, any digital revolution in India has been impactful as seen in the case of UPI or Aadhar. The way we see ONDC taking shape, it is going to revolutionize how commerce is done today in India and it is our privilege to partner with YES BANK in this journey.”

ABOUT YES BANK

YES BANK is a 'Full Service Commercial 'Bank' providing a complete range of products, services and technology driven digital offerings, catering to Retail, MSME as well as corporate clients. YES BANK operates its Investment banking, Merchant banking & Brokerage businesses through YES SECURITIES, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank. Headquartered in Mumbai, it has a pan-India presence including an IBU at GIFT City, and a Representative Office in Abu Dhabi.

Reliance General Insurance Launches The “The D-series Project’ To Raise Awareness About Organ Donation


Reliance General Insurance, one of India's leading general insurance companies, has launched "The D-series Project" – an awareness campaign to popularise Organ Donation on the occasion of World Organ Donation Day. The campaign is leveraging catchy lyrics of popular Hindi songs to raise awareness about Organ Donation among the public. Through media and creative contextualisation, messages are thoughtfully plugged in by playing around with words like 'Dil', 'Ankhein', and 'Jigar' in the communication. Using popular Hindi songs in the campaign is aimed to connect with the audience effortlessly and linking Organ Donation with the lyrics is intended to make the awareness enduring.   

To make initiative more impactful, Reliance General Insurance has launched a microsite, www.thedseriesproject.in  where people can learn about Organ Donation and pledge to this cause through Organ India.  

The shortage of organs for transplant is a universal issue; however, the situation is grave in India. With less than one person per million people, the organ donation ratio in India is estimated to be one of the lowest in the world as per WHO report. Experts have estimated that only 2-3% of the overall organ transplant requirement is met in a year in the country. For instance, as per Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation (ORBO), AIIMS, on average, 2 lakh people need kidney transplants every year, whereas only 10,000 get donors. It is important to note that one donor can save up to 8 lives as 8 organs can be harvested from one brain dead person. Lack of knowledge and prejudices about Organ Donation often hold people back from donating their or their family members' organs. There is thus an urgent need to create awareness about organ donation on a monumental scale, such that it becomes a mass movement and people voluntarily pledge to donate their organs.  

Speaking about the campaign, Mr. Anand Singhi, Chief Distribution Officer of Reliance General Insurance, explained, "According to National Organ Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), almost 5 lakh people die every year and 17 people every day in India due to a lack of organ donors. This shows the dire situation in our country, where the act of Organ Donation and awareness about it are both significantly low. Being a responsible corporate citizen, Reliance General Insurance has always been a forerunner in spreading awareness about critical health issues. With “The D-series Project" campaign, we aim to raise awareness and demystify Organ Donation. Thereby putting into motion, a movement that will encourage people to donate their organs." 

Below is the YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0hSqhmkZPo 

Cummins India Limited Results For The Quarter Ended June 30, 2022


Cummins India Limited (NSE: CUMMINSIND) The Board of Directors of Cummins India Limited (CIL) reviewed and approved the financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.  

Performance Highlights (based on standalone financial results) for the quarter ended June 30, 2022: 

Total Sales for the quarter at Rs 1,657 Cr. increased by 42% compared to the same quarter last year and by 13% compared to the previous quarter. 

Domestic sales at Rs 1,172 Cr. increased by 36% compared to the same quarter last year and by 12% compared to the previous quarter. 

Exports Sales at Rs 485 Cr. increased by 58% compared to the same quarter last year and by 14% compared to the previous quarter. 

Profit before exceptional items and tax at Rs 278 Cr. is higher by 63% compared to the same quarter last year and higher by 14% compared to the previous quarter. 

Profit before tax at Rs 264 Cr. is lower by 13% compared to the same quarter last year and higher by 8% compared to the previous quarter. 

Ashwath Ram, Managing Director, Cummins India Limited, said: The new fiscal year started positively with strong demand from most end markets. GST monthly collections, higher highway construction annual targets, and increased consumption of petroleum products reaffirms the strength of underlying trade activities. Geopolitical risk, high inflation, and supply chain disruptions continue to pose challenges. Cummins India can effectively meet demand despite these issues due to its integrated supply chain management with a global network. While we effectively deal with challenges and closely monitor any potential impact of rising interest rates on the demand, we remain optimistic about the short to medium-term demand outlook.  

Future Outlook: 

The company believes that the strong demand from various end markets may likely sustain. At the same time, high inflation and supply chain issues will, in all probability, continue to impact the industry. The company, being part of the globally integrated supply chain, is well positioned to manage parts supplies to mitigate the impact on revenue and profitability. We are closely monitoring the result of the geopolitical events unfolding in different parts of the world and their impact on global demand and supply chain. Considering the uncertainty, the company will not provide any guidance for FY 23. 

About Cummins India Limited  

Cummins India Limited, part of the Cummins Group in India, is headquartered in Pune since 1962 and is the country's leading manufacturer of diesel and natural gas engines for power generation, industrial and automotive markets. Cummins India Limited has a country-wide network of 20 dealerships with over 450 service points that provides products, services, and after-market solutions for uptime of Cummins equipment and engines to customers in India, Nepal, and Bhutan.  

Friday, August 12, 2022

Housekeeping Staff, Visually Impaired Alumnus To Hoist National Flag At IIIT-B’s Independence Day


A member of the housekeeping staff, Madhavi and Nibin Mathew a visually impaired alumnus of IIIT-B will be hoisting the National Flag to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day at IIIT-B campus on Aug 15, 2022.

Madhavi and Nibin will be hoisting the flag jointly with Professor Debabrata Das, Director- IIIT Bangalore, and a student from the institute, Ms. Arpitha Malavalli.

Madhavi a group D housekeeping staff who has been with IIIT Bangalore for 6 years is thrilled with the honour.  

“I am grateful to be a part of this institute where we are appreciated and feel included. We have only seen special and big people hoisting the National Flag to date. It is my honour to be able to hoist it. Our respected Director and the rest of the management team have made it a memorable day for us by selecting me and I am very thankful for this utmost respect. I truly feel that the National Flag belongs to me”, says Madhavi who according to her colleagues is one of the most affable and supportive housekeeping staff.

Nibin who is visually impaired and unable to see the Flag and its colour, said that, “Today is the happiest day of my life and hoisting the National Flag for me means a positive affirmation of my loyalty and commitment to our nation.”

The institute is setting an example by following the campaign "Har Ghar Tiranga" initiated by our Honurable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to celebrate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and commemorate 75 years of India's independence.

The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the people's hearts and metaphorically proclaim that the Flag belongs to every citizen including the underprivileged.  Speaking about this, Professor Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT Bangalore, says, “Under the aegis of the campaign Har Ghar Tiranga, we would like to involve people from all walks of life to celebrate and commemorate the historic courage and efforts of those freedom fighters who dreamt of a flag for free India. It is truly a sense of pride for every citizen to hoist the flag to mark the 75th year of India's independence. This will allow the new generation to discover the many threads of our freedom struggle and work hard to take India to the next height while older generations and communities reconnect to the events that led to a free India.”

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/

Happiest Minds Technologies Launches Identity Vigil 2.0 Powered By OneLogin


Happiest Minds Technologies Limited (NSE: HAPPSTMNDS), a ‘Born Digital. Born Agile’ company today announced the launch of Identity Vigil 2.0 – a next-gen signature IDaaS MSSP solution powered by OneLogin, a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) provider that designs and develops secure and unified access management (UAM) platforms.

Identity Vigil is a trademarked Identity Management Managed services Platform of Happiest Minds Technologies. The highly scalable, innovative 360-degree platform provides secure access to SaaS and enterprise apps across roles and privileges. In joining forces with OneLogin, a Global leader in Access Management 2.0, Identity Vigil now has truly hosted & managed IDaaS credentials.

Priya Kanduri, VP & CTO, Infrastructure and Security Services, Happiest Minds Technologies said, “Identity Vigil has found an innovative partner in OneLogin’s Cloud-Based IAM for modern enterprises. We are pleased to re-launch Identity Vigil 2.0, which provides bundled subscription services for SSO, MFA, and IAM. Our Identity Vigil solution will now offer AD-synchronization, role-based access control (RBAC), and mapping of any custom connector development and 24/7 support with scalable and flexible pricing.? What makes the integration of OneLogin's AD connector unique is that it is the only tool in the space that allows real-time syncs (within seconds of a change) vs. a batch sync process and restricted access to all through the customer's Active Directory.” 

Suhail Ismail, APJ Regional Director, OneLogin said,?“OneLogin is a Gartner leader in the Access Management space and is a proven Identity platform trusted by many Enterprise organizations across the Asia Pacific, especially in India. After winning every engagement, we invest a lot of time talking to these customers, their key decision makers, and product champions to get their feedback on what drove them to select our solution. We found that we're super trusted across the board by these organizations.”

Here is the feedback received from OneLogin customers

·         Strong product innovation, with a roadmap they can believe in 

·         Integration with existing and future applications 

·         Speed-to-business value 

·         Ease of implementation 

Happiest Minds Technologies’ Identity Vigil 2.0 is a user-friendly, cloud-based IAM for the modern enterprise with secure access for every user, every application, and every device. This will allow everything to be hosted on and managed from the cloud. The aim of the platform is to support and strengthen the identity landscape of small and mid-sized customers in a cost-effective manner by eliminating the constraints on procurement of and hosting an IMA tool and dependencies of hiring and talent management. It is in line with our vision to strengthen the management of everything from the cloud and minimize security issues while improving customer experience.

About Happiest Minds Technologies: 

Happiest Minds’ Technologies Limited (NSE: HAPPSTMNDS), a Mindful IT Company, enables digital transformation for enterprises and technology providers by delivering seamless customer experiences, business efficiency and actionable insights. We do this by leveraging a spectrum of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud, digital process automation, internet of things, robotics/drones, security, virtual/augmented reality, and more. Positioned as ‘Born Digital. Born Agile’, our capabilities span digital solutions, infrastructure, product engineering and security. We deliver these services across industry sectors such as automotive, BFSI, consumer packaged goods, e-commerce, edutech, engineering R&D, hi-tech, manufacturing, retail, and travel/transportation/hospitality. 

A Great Place to Work-Certified™ company, Happiest Minds is headquartered in Bangalore, India, with operations in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East. 

About OneLogin: 

OneLogin is the number one value-leader in Identity and Access Management (IAM). Our Trusted Experience Platform™ provides everything you need to secure your workforce, customers, and partners at a price that works with your budget. OneLogin is a subsidiary of One Identity. When combined, the organization brings together best-in-class IAM, Identity Governance & Administration (IGA), Privileged Access Management (PAM), and Active Directory and Active Directory Management & Security (ADMS) capabilities to enable customers to unify their approach to identity security and to mitigate their overall cybersecurity exposure. 

Beej Bandhan - ‘Plantable’ Seed Rakhi From East-West Seed India


East-West Seed India has conceptualized a unique plantable seed rakhi to celebrate the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan in August. This exclusive campaign is called ‘Beej Bandhan,’ which presents rakhis designed with seeds of Butternut (Cucurbita moschata) -  an all-new crop category from East-West Seed India. The tastefully designed gift hamper presents biodegradable rakhis, Cocopeat disc, Coir Pot, a customized message, and a specially designed butternut recipe book.

“Beej Bandhan - seed rakhis is our way of contributing our commitment to sustainability and green causes. Rakhi is a much-loved cultural tradition that symbolizes the affection between siblings. Our seed rakhi with butternut seed presents an eco-friendly means to plant it in a garden or a pot. Our tagline for the campaign is ‘Why throw it when you can grow it?” said Sanjay Gahilot, Director, Marketing of East-West Seed India.

About East-West Seed India:

East-West Seed is a global leader in the tropical vegetable seeds market with three and a half decades of experience in breeding, producing, and delivering high-quality vegetable seeds. Founded by Dr. Simon Groot, winner of the World Food Prize 2019, East-West Seed is ranked #1 in the 2021 Global Access to Seed Index, South and Southeast Asia. which recognizes the commitment and performance in providing the World's smallholder farmers access to quality seeds. In 2020, it ranked #28 in Fortune’s Change the World list of companies that are doing well by doing good.  East-West Seed has its headquarters in Nonthaburi, Thailand. The company employs over 3,500 people and has 17 R&D establishments in 7 countries. With exports to over 60 countries in tropical areas, East-West Seed serves nearly 20 million farmers around the world.

Axis Bank Signs MOU With Food Corporation of India To Provide “Ultima Salary Package”


Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, has signed an MOU with Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide “Ultima Salary package”, a best in class salary account with exclusive benefits & features to all its employees. With this MOU, the Bank has reinstated its commitement towards offering holistic banking services to the employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) sector.

A signing ceremony was held at FCI Headquarters, New Delhi where FCI was represented by Shri G. N Raju, GM HQ and Axis Bank was represented by Shri Anil Agarwal, President, Financial Institutions Group & Lt Col M.K Sharma, National Accounts Head.

Through this exclusive Ultima Salary package, the Bank will offer numerous benefits such as –

·         Personal Accidental cover of upto Rs. 20 lakhs

·         Additional Education Grant upto Rs. 8 lakhs

·         Total Permanent Disability Cover benefit upto  Rs. 20 lakhs

·         Permanent Partial disability cover of upto Rs. 20 lakhs

·         Air Accident cover of Rs. 1 Crore

·         Free additional debit card for a family member

·         12 EMI waiver on Home loan

·         3 zero balance accounts for family member

·         Universal account number wherein all Axis Bank branches will function as a “Home branch”

This MOU is a reflection of Axis Bank’s constant endeavour to address the banking requirements of different customer segments, helping them meet their financial aspirations & milestones.

About Axis Bank:   

Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India. Axis Bank offers the entire spectrum of services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, SME, Agriculture and Retail Businesses. With its 4,759 domestic branches (including extension counters) and 10,161 ATMs across the country as on 30th June 2022, the network of Axis Bank spreads across 2,702 cities and towns, enabling the Bank to reach out to a large cross-section of customers with an array of products and services. The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge and Axis Bank Foundation.

For further information on Axis Bank, please refer to the website: https://www.axisbank.com

Shah Rukh Khan Scholarship Returns To The La Trobe University


In partnership with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, La Trobe University today announced a new life-changing opportunity for an aspiring female researcher from India to make a meaningful impact in the world.

The inaugural Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship was awarded in 2020 to Indian student Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi, who was able to travel to Australia to begin her PhD in early 2022.

As part of the prestigious four-year scholarship, Gopika is researching new techniques to protect the world’s honeybee population from viruses, pollutants and declining diversity in flora.

La Trobe University Chancellor, The Hon John Brumby AO, said he was thrilled Shah Rukh Khan had endorsed the University offering another scholarship to an aspiring female researcher from India.

“Gopika is already making a valuable contribution to La Trobe’s world-class research in agricultural sciences – a rapidly growing area at the University that aims to help address global food insecurity,” Mr Brumby said.

“We’re excited to announce another life-changing opportunity for an Indian woman to help us find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, in research areas such as environmental sustainability, health or agriculture.”

Mr Brumby said Shah Rukh Khan’s philanthropic leadership drove the decision to create a PhD scholarship in his name.

“The Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship recognises Mr Khan’s extraordinary altruism, demonstrated in his work to advocate for women’s empowerment – including through his Meer Foundation,” Mr Brumby said.

“It also reflects La Trobe’s values of inclusivity, equity and social justice.”

Gopika said when she finally arrived in Melbourne, after waiting two years to travel due to the pandemic, it was the happiest moment of her life.

“I love this country – especially the people, who are all are very warm and welcoming. My colleagues, supervisor and friends are very supportive and caring,” Gopika said.

“I encourage other women from India to apply; come out of your comfort zone, explore the beautiful world, and you might be able to take up this amazing opportunity.”

Registrations opened today for research candidates to submit an Expression of Interest for the scholarship by Friday 23 September. The successful candidate will be a female Indian national who resides in India and has completed a Masters by Research degree (or equivalent) within the past 10 years.

The candidate will be supported with a four-year research scholarship valued in excess of $225,000 (AUD) to be completed at La Trobe’s state-of-the-art facilities in Melbourne, Australia. They will undertake research supervised by the University’s leading experts in a project aligned to La Trobe’s priority research themes, which are linked to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals..

Appropriately, the announcement coincided with the launch of the 2022 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. La Trobe was the first Australian university to award Shah Rukh Khan with an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in 2019, in recognition of his wide-ranging humanitarian work, including establishing the Meer Foundation to support and empower women who have survived acid attacks in India.

The Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship recipient will receive benefits including: a four-year La Trobe University Full-Fee Research Scholarship

a La Trobe Graduate Research Scholarship for three and a half years, with a value of $32,500 (AUD) per annum (2022 rate) to support living costs.

visa length Overseas Student Health Cover with Medibank for a single candidate access to La Trobe’s world-class research facilities, suite of professional development programs and supervision by award-winning researchers visa application costs for a single person a $3,000 AUD travel allowance to cover travel costs from India to Melbourne

Interested candidates must submit an online Expression of Interest for the Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship by Friday 23 September 2022. For more information about scholarship eligibility criteria, please refer to www.latrobe.edu.au/srk-scholarship

Background

·         La Trobe University is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide

(Times Higher Education, 2021)

·         Dignitaries that La Trobe University has hosted from the Indian subcontinent include Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi, Kapil Dev, Malaika Arora Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi

·         In 2005, La Trobe’s Melbourne campus in Bundoora was featured in the first major Bollywood blockbuster film to be made entirely in Australia. Salaam Namaste, the film, collected close to $10million US at the box office.

·         La Trobe University alumni now hold senior positions on boards across the globe with more than 19,000 graduates with Indian and Chinese heritage.

·         The La Trobe Library collection houses more than 38,000 volumes of monographs, journals, magazines and government publications from India, one of the largest collections in Australia.

IOL Chemicals And Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Q1 FY23 Results


·   Net profit of the Company at Rs 34.9 Cr against Rs. 27.8 Cr QoQ and Rs. 67 Cr YoY

·   Total Income stood at Rs 570.2 Cr against Rs. 579.4 Cr QoQ and Rs 524.2 Cr YoY

·   EBITDA at Rs. 61.2 Cr as compared to Rs. 50.1 Cr QoQ and Rs 115.9 Cr YoY

IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited, a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical (APIs) and specialty chemicals reported results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2022 as highlighted indicate:

Commenting on the performance of the Company during the quarter, Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi, Executive Director & CEO said, “Over the next few years, our focus will be on diversifying into other speciality chemical products and increase the share of non-Ibuprofen business. The investment planned in setting up a new plant will aid the Company in strengthening its position in both, Domestic and Export markets, thereby helping in improving our market share. Over the course of next few quarters, the Company’s plan to explore new geographies and de-risk the business with continuous backward integration model will play out leading to improvement in revenue as well as profitability.”

“Various business challenges of softening demand, rising inputs costs and volatility in chemical prices are slowly getting normalised as can be seen from recovery in EBITDA margins. However, we believe that the challenges are a temporary phenomenon. The robust global demand on specialty chemicals fronts owing to shift in market share from China would benefit the sector over next few years”, Dr Chaturvedi said.

As one of largest manufacturers of Ethyl Acetate, the Company will strengthen its position in the ‘green solvent’ market by increasing its capacity by 20% to 120,000 MTPA from 100,000 MTPA before the end of current fiscal. The investment of Rs 15 Crore for this capex is being funded through internal accruals only. Ethyl Acetate is widely used in Printing & Packing Industry, Adhesives, Agrochemicals & Pesticides industry, pharmaceuticals industry and cosmetics industry. The Company will also be making further in-roads into western markets of India through a new plant for specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals intermediates. This project, which is expected to be completed in 18 months, will require investment of Rs 300 crore. Through this plant, the Company’s objective is to increase its market share in the domestic market as well as cater to international customers.

About IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IOLCP)

Company was established in 1986, listed on National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (Code: IOLCP) and BSE Ltd (Code: 524164) is one of the leading pharmaceutical (APIs) Company and is significant player in the specialty chemicals space with world class facilities. IOLCP has wide presence across major therapeutic categories like, Pain Management, anti-convulsants, antidiabetes, anti- cholesterol and anti-platelets.

The Company’s product portfolio includes APIs; Ibuprofen, Metformin, Fenofibrate, Clopidogrel, Lamotrigine, Pantoprazole, Paracetamol and specialty chemicals such as Ethyl Acetate, Iso Butyl Benzene, Mono Chloro Acetic Acid and Acetyl Chloride.

Company is World’s largest producer of the Ibuprofen with an installed capacity of 12,000 TPA and having backward integrated manufacturing facility. The Company has DSIR approved R&D which is fully equipped to validate existing processes.

The Central and State Government approved Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) had been set up with Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system along with 17 MW captive Co-Generation plant for self -reliance. The Company is ISO 9001:2015, 14001:2015 and BS OHSAS 18001:2007 certified.

IOLCP's overseas customers are spread out across several countries including UK, Belgium, Hungry, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Ireland, USA, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, Turkey, U.A.E., China, Hong Kong, Egypt etc. Products are sold primarily to Branded Generic formulators both in India & Overseas.

Tata Motors, State Bank of India Join Hands, Offer Electronic Dealer Finance Program To Authorized Tata Passenger Electric Vehicle Dealers


Key Highlights:

* First-of-its kind Electric Vehicle Inventory Financing program by a Public Sector Bank for Tata Motors’ EV dealers

* Dealer finance limits towards Electric Vehicles for Tata Motors authorised Passenger Electric Vehicle dealers

In a bid to make this festive season special, Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive manufacturer has joined hands with State Bank of India, India’s largest bank, to offer Electronic Dealer Finance solution (e-DFS) to its authorized passenger EV dealers.

Commenting on the rollout of this finance scheme offer, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. said, “To ensure we have faster EV adoption in the country, it is very important to have a strong network and empowered channel partners. By partnering with State Bank of India, we have taken another step in this direction. They are India’s largest public sector bank with an extensive network and we are delighted to partner with them. We want to provide an exclusive financing program to our authorized electric passenger vehicle dealers, who will play an important role in driving the green mobility mission, bolstering sustainability in the country.”

Speaking of this partnership, Mr. Dinesh Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India said, “We are delighted to enter into this agreement with Tata Motors, as this gives us an opportunity to deepen our longstanding partnership in Dealer Finance program. This also offers us the satisfaction of being able to contribute towards a greener tomorrow, as these lines of credit will be available for financing authorised dealers of Tata Motors’ Passenger Electric Vehicles. We are confident that this would go a long way towards promoting EV culture and adoption in the country.”

Tata Motors has been revolutionizing the Indian automotive market with its pioneering efforts and is leading the e-mobility wave in India with a commanding market share of 89% in Q1 FY23. India currently has and over 30,000 Tata EVs on road in personal and fleet segments. 

Celebrate India’s Journey On The 75 Years Of Independence On Netflix



75 years since India rose as an Independent republic- we have been strengthened by our diverse cultures, languages, and customs, and indomitable stories that have held our heads high!  This year, rekindle the joyous emotions of victory, valour, and variety with some of the most loved and unique stories on Netflix that honor the joy, pride and freedom of India - from popular cult-films, family classics, slice-of-life stories to biopics.

’83

Firsts are always special right? Picture a first that just didn’t break shackles, but heralded the arrival of World Champions India!. Relive the historic 1983 World Cup campaign, led by Kapil Dev and team. Directed by Kabir Khan, this rousing sports drama takes you through the thrilling underdog journey of the Indian cricket team to win India’s first ever World Cup, starring Ranveer Singh in a show-stealing performance.

Major (Telugu)

Major is a soul-stirring biopic based on the life of the late Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was martyred in action during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Uncover the story of the real-life hero with writer-actor Adivi Sesh who delivers a magnetic performance, supported by an outstanding cast including Revathi, Prakash Raj and Sobhita Dhulipala.

Mighty Little Bheem: I Love Taj Mahal

This charming animated special follows the adventures of Bheem, as he visits one of the seven wonders of the world and India’s iconic landmark, Taj Mahal, with his family. Explore the world of Indian culture, brought to life by lots of colors, great animation and melodious music as Bheem makes a new friend and helps her find her lost teddy bear before someone steals it.

Minnal Murali (Malayalam)

This Malayalam superhero movie is sure to take you on a delightful ride through the heartlands of Kerala. Starring the very talented Tovino Thomas, Minnal Murali is an origin story of an ordinary man-turned-superhero Murali, who is struck by a bolt of lightning, which bestows him with special powers.

Navarasa (Tamil)

A nine-part anthology film, helmed by veteran filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan, brings nine short films about nine human emotions to life. Navarasa, immersed in the nine rasas (emotions) brought together by many leading icons of the industry is a must watch this Independence Day.

Shabaash Mithu

Taapsee Pannu displays her acting prowess in the biopic of Mithali Raj, the former captain of the India women’s national cricket team. Based on her struggles to pursue her dream of becoming a cricketer, this film, directed by Srijit Mukherji, is a matter of pride and an inspiration for all.Shabaash Mithu will be available on Netflix on August 15th.

The Disciple (Marathi)

Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane and starring Aditya Moda, the story follows the character of  Sharad Nerulkar as he finds himself questioning his traditions and discipline in his quest to become the best Indian classical music vocalist. From the award-winning screenplay to the mind-blowing cast performances and impeccable direction, there is nothing that you won’t love about this one.

Lagaan


Considered to be one of the greatest Indian films ever made, this Academy Award nominated sports drama starring Aamir Khan has all the ingredients of a timeless entertainer. It has a melodious soundtrack, stunning visuals and is filled with rousing drama that will keep you hooked every time you watch!

Lakshya

There are movies that entertain you and then there are movies that inspire you. Lakshya does both so well. This Hrithik Roshan starrer is the story of an aimless boy who finds his true purpose after enlisting in the Indian Army as a soldier still resonates with viewers.

AU Small Finance Bank Raises Total Capital Of Rs 2,500 Crore By Issuing 10-Year Subordinated Bonds


* Largest capital raise in the Bank’s history was oversubscribed multiple times – Equity by 4x and Tier-II capital by 2x 

* The fresh capital will be used to support the Bank’s growth plans over the medium term and takes the Bank’s capital adequacy ratio (CRAR) to over 25% 

AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU Bank), India’s largest small finance bank by assets announced the successful completion of a total capital raise of Rs 2,500 Cr comprising of Tier I capital of Rs 2,000 Cr and Tier II capital of Rs 500 Cr. This takes the Bank’s overall capital adequacy ratio (CRAR) from 19.4% to 25.7% (as on 30th Jun 2022 on pro-forma basis). The fresh capital will be used to support the Bank’s growth plans over the medium term and will help maintain sufficient headroom over and above the regulatory capital adequacy requirements. 

The QIP Issue of ?2,000 Cr (~USD 253mn) was launched on 3rd August 2022 at a price band of Rs 570 - Rs 590 per share and witnessed strong demand from both Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) & Domestic Institutional Investors (DII), and the QIP issue was oversubscribed 4x with bids crossing USD 1.01Bn and strong interest from marquee investors like sovereign wealth funds, large foreign portfolio investors, global asset managers, domestic insurance companies and mutual funds. The Capital Raising Committee (CRC) of the Bank fixed the issue price at Rs 580 per share and approved allotment of 3,44,82,758 (Three Crores Forty-Four Lakh Eighty-Two Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Eight) Equity Shares of face value Rs 10 each to 67 (sixty seven) allotted bidders.   

Post converting into a Small Finance Bank in April 2017, this is the third and the largest primary equity capital raise by the Bank after raising Rs 1,000 Cr from Temasek in 2018 and 2019 via preferential issuance and Rs 625.5 Cr through Bank’s first QIP in March 2021.   

AU Bank also raised Tier II capital via private placement of unsecured, subordinated, rated, listed, redeemable, non-convertible lower Tier II bonds in the form of Non-Convertible Debentures (NCD). The issue opened on 2nd August 2022 at a base size of Rs 400 Cr with a Greenshoe option of Rs 200 Cr and the issue witnessed strong reception from Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) like mutual funds, insurance companies, banks, etc. resulting in 2x oversubscription with final bids of Rs 1,110 Cr The bank eventually issued bonds for Rs 500 Cr retaining a Greenshoe option of Rs 100 Cr. The issue was rated ‘AA/Stable’ by CRISIL & CARE Ratings.   

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank said, “I am overwhelmed and humbled by the response of investors to the successful completion of Rs 2,500 Cr of capital raise with a mix of Rs 2,000 Cr Tier I capital and Rs 500 Cr of Tier II capital issuance amid the volatile market conditions. I am deeply grateful to all our existing shareholders for their participation in this issue and also welcome all the incoming newer investors – both FIIs and domestic investors, for their confidence in us and in supporting our growth plans. Our objective remains to build a best-in-class tech-led retail bank in India with a very sustainable business model and the fresh capital will significantly help us in that journey. With a post-issue CRAR of over 25% (pro-forma basis) coupled with sustained demand from the segments we cater to, and stable asset quality, we are well positioned to grow and take advantage of the tremendous opportunity that market provides us with. I remain a strong believer that this decade will be India’s and hope that the success of our QIP and Tier II issue and the overwhelming demand from FIIs will augur well for the overall sector”. 

About AU Small Finance Bank:  

AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU Bank) is a scheduled commercial bank, a Fortune India 500 Company, and the largest Small Finance Bank in the country. Starting its journey from the hinterlands of Rajasthan, today AU Bank is the largest Small Finance Bank with a deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban markets that has enabled it build robust business model facilitating inclusive growth. With 27+ years legacy of being a retail focused and customer-centric institution, AU started its banking operations in April 2017 and as on 30th June 2022, it has established operations across 953 banking touchpoints while serving 30.7 Lakh customers in 20 States & 2 Union Territories with an employee base of 29,883 employees. The Bank has a net worth of Rs 7,789 Cr, deposit base of Rs 54,631 Cr and Assets Under Management (AUM) of Rs 50,161 Cr as on 30th June 2022. AU Bank enjoys the trust of marquee investors and is listed on both the leading stock exchanges viz. NSE and BSE. It has consistently maintained a high external credit rating from all major rating agencies like CRISIL, CARE Ratings and India Ratings. 

Nucleus Software Sees Returns On Focus On Operational Excellence In Global Projects While Announcing Its Q1 Results (2022-23)


* Revenue in Q1 2022-23 at Rs.128.84 Crore on a consolidated basis

*  PAT in Q1 2022-23 at Rs.10.77 Crore on a consolidated basis

*  EPS at Rs. 4.92 on a standalone basis and Rs. 4.02 on a consolidated basis

Nucleus Software, the BSE & NSE listed, leading provider of lending and transaction banking solutions to the global financial services industry, has taken some extremely bold steps to ensure long term growth while announcing its financial results for the Quarter ended June 30, 2022.

The revenues on a consolidated basis are at Rs.128.84 Crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, as against Rs.108.44 Crore in Q1 of 2021-22.

PAT in Q1 of 2022-23 stood at Rs.13.17 Crore on a standalone basis as against Rs. 6.05 Crore in 2021-22. The PAT on consolidated basis was at Rs.10.77 Crore, as against Rs. 6.00 Crore in Q1 of 2021-22. 

The basic EPS on standalone basis during this period was Rs. 4.92 as against Rs. 2.08 in 2021-22. The EPS on consolidated basis stood at Rs. 4.02 in Q1 of 2022-23 as against Rs. 2.07 in Q1 of 2021-22.

“Due to the IP centricity of our business model, we will ride the wave that approaches with the global economic ripples. In addition, the measures taken by our company on the personnel front are leading to a reduced attrition. The freshers we had hired in the previous years have already started contributing to our revenue generating projects. We plan to continue strengthening our company’s culture by inducting an equally large number of freshers this year as well”, says Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, MD, Nucleus Software.

“In addition to the deep domain expertise our colleagues have in the field of Banking and Financial Services, as well as the cutting-edge technological platforms we have built, our company’s focus on operational excellence has helped us go live with some of the most complex implementations at a global scale in the last quarter. We continue to add various feathers to our cap of implementations of FinnOne Neo as well as FinnAxia, our flagship products. This success is reflected in our quarterly results”, says Mr. Parag Bhise, CEO, Nucleus Software.

About Nucleus Software

Nucleus Software Exports Ltd. is a, publicly traded (BSE: 531209NSE: NUCLEUS), software product company that provides lending and transaction banking products to global financial leaders. 

Nucleus Software powers the operations of more than 200 Financial Institutions in over 50 countries, supporting retail lending, corporate banking, cash management, mobile and internet banking, automotive finance and other business areas. Its products facilitate more than 26 million transactions each day, managing over US $ 200 billion of loans and enabling more than 200,000 users logging in daily.

Nucleus Software’s flagship products, built on the latest technology are:

·         FinnOne NEOTM: The next-generation digital lending solution that is built on an advanced technology platform, designed to shape the future of lending across Retail, Corporate and Islamic sectors for banks and other financial service companies. The 10-time winner of ‘World’s Best Selling Lending Solution’, helps digitize the complete loan lifecycle.

·         FinnAxiaTM: An integrated global transaction banking solution used by banks worldwide to offer efficient and Innovative global payments and receivables, liquidity management and business internet banking services.

·         PaySeTM: The world's first online & offline digital payment solution designed and created with an aim to democratize money by making banking services available to the unbanked in remote geographies.

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Air India Strengthens Domestic Connectivity With 24 Additional Flights


* Network expansion to boost metro to metro connectivity

Air India, India’s leading airline, today announced an increase of 24 new flights on its domestic network with effect from August 20, 2022. The expansion in its domestic connectivity will cater to growing traffic between India’s major metros and facilitate convenient travel over the upcoming festive season. The strengthening of domestic connectivity has been enabled as more aircraft return to service.

The additional 24 flights include two new frequencies from Delhi to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, and from Mumbai to Chennai and Hyderabad, as well as one new frequency on the Mumbai - Bengaluru route and Ahmedabad - Pune route.

These additions will provide flyers more travel options between key metros in the late afternoon and evening, and take Air India’s daily frequencies to 10 flights each way between Delhi – Mumbai, 7 flights each way between Delhi - Bengaluru,  4 flights each way  between Mumbai - Bengaluru, and Mumbai - Chennai and 3 flights each way on Mumbai - Hyderabad and Delhi - Ahmedabad routes.

Commenting on the network expansion, Mr. Campbell Wilson, MD and CEO, Air India, said, “This expansion bolsters connectivity between key metros, and improves connectivity between Air India’s domestic and international networks. Over the past six months, Air India has been working closely with our partners to return aircraft to service, and we are delighted that this effort is now bearing fruit.”

Air India’s narrowbody fleet currently stands at 70 aircraft, of which 54 are currently serviceable.  The remaining 16 aircraft will progressively return to service by early 2023.

Tata Punch Achieves A New Milestone In The Indian Market


* Becomes the fastest SUV to reach 1,00,000 sales mark  

Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive brand, today rolled out the 1,00,000th unit of Tata Punch, India’s first sub-compact SUV, from its manufacturing facility in Pune. The Tata Punch has set a new benchmark in the industry, by becoming the first SUV to achieve this milestone in a span of 10 months, since its launch in October 2021. It has received a phenomenal response from customers for its stunning design, robust performance and best-in-class 5 star safety.

Tata Punch is the youngest member of the ‘New Forever’ range and comes with remarkable features such as a 7-inch touchscreen system, digital instrument cluster, auto AC, automatic headlights, connected car tech, and cruise control. Offering the agility of a hatch with the DNA of an SUV, Tata Punch has been a part of top 10 highest-selling cars in India consistently.

Commenting on this milestone, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. said, “We are delighted to share that Punch has achieved the 1 Lakh sales mark within a short span of 10 months. It is one of the highest selling SUV from our ‘New Forever’ portfolio. This achievement speaks highly of the strong response from customers and we are very thankful to them for their continued trust. The Punch is our second product based on the ALFA architecture and has successfully established its popularity by creating a new segment and thereby reinforcing the four core pillars of a true SUV - Stunning Design, Versatile and Engaging Performance, Roomy and Spacious Interiors and Absolute Safety. We are confident that the Punch will continue to receive love from customers and will keep redefining the SUV experience through its performance.”

Since its launch in 2021, Tata Punch is known for its distinctive personas that embrace diversity while remaining committed to its vibe. The Punch offers a wide array of options at different price points to choose from, catering to a wide spectrum of consumer needs. Punch sales were the highest ever in July’22 at 11,007 units.

Powered by a 1.2-liter petrol engine, it delivers an outstanding fuel efficiency of 18.82 kmpl in Manual and 18.97 in AMT. Offered in both MT and AMT transmission options, the Punch is India’s safest sub-compact SUV with 5 Star GNCAP rating. The car is available in 8 colors, as well as in dual tone options. With features such as projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED tail lamps, rain-sensing wipers, auto-fold ORVMs, 16-inch diamond-cut alloys, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic temperature control, semi-digital instrument cluster amongst other features, the Punch aims at providing the utmost comfort. Furthermore, it also includes the iRA connected car technology, which offers over 25 features, making the car a complete package for its customers.

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

HDFC ERGO Launches ‘Pay As You Drive – Kilometre Benefit’ Add-On Cover Empowering Customers


* Claim up to 25% of own damage premium based upon the number of kilometers driven during the year

* At the time of purchase, no commitment pressure of maximum kilometers one intends to drive during the year

* During the year, policy cover continues with no extra charge for driving extra kilometers and no hassle of updating kilometers

* Benefit opted will be applied at the end of the policy year on submission of distance traveled, even if you decide not to renew the policy with us

* At the end of the policy period, the customer is eligible to take a refund at the applicable rate based on the distance covered and will get an additional 5% discount if the policy is renewed with HDFC ERGO with no claims history 

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a leading private sector general insurance company, has launched the ‘Pay As You Drive – Kilometre Benefit’ add-on cover for all its private car owners. Anyone driving less than 10,000 km in a year can benefit up to 25% of their own damage premium, subject to the odometer reading.

Speaking about the launch of the ‘Pay As You Drive – Kilometre Benefit’, Mr. Parthanil Ghosh, President – Retail Business, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company said, “The disruption of technology in the insurance sector has acted as a stimulus for the insurance players who want to keep pace with the evolving needs of customers. The innovative solution we have launched today will not only do away with ‘one-size-fits-all car insurance premium’ but will also empower customers to customize their own damage policy with better control over the premium, keeping intact the simplicity of the traditional motor insurance policy. The company has meticulously designed the customer onboarding journey to avoid any commitment pressure of maximum kilometers and stress of disclosure. During the policy period, we want our customers to enjoy their drive rather than tracking their usage and get bothered with some time intruding top-up reminders. Even if customers drive beyond a certain limit, they will not be penalized for it and they will stay covered under their private car insurance policy. In addition, at the expiry of the policy period, the customer subject to providing distance traveled, has the flexibility to claim the benefit irrespective of their decision to renew or not to renew their policy with us. In case the customer renews the policy with us, the company will provide an additional 5% discount, for all claim-free policies.”

In the aftermath of the pandemic, many people do not drive frequently, however, they still have to pay the same premium as a person with high vehicle usage. The ‘Pay As You Drive – Kilometre Benefit’ feature will help those insured customers who prefer not to drive as much or own multiple cars, some of which are used less frequently than others.

About HDFC ERGO:

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd. and ERGO International AG; the primary insurance entity of the Munich RE Group of Germany. HDFC ERGO is one of India’s largest non-life insurance companies in the private sector. A digital-first company, transforming into an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leader in implementing technology to offer consumers the best-in-class service experience. The company has created a stream of innovative & new products as well as services using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Processing Language (NLP), Robotics, and IBM Watson. HDFC ERGO offers a range of general insurance products and has a completely digital sales process with ~93% of retail policies issued digitally. The self-help tech platform developed by HDFC ERGO has empowered the customers to avail 58% of the services virtually in a self-help mode on a 24x7 basis with ~40% of the customer requesting services digitally.

The Company offers a complete range of General Insurance products including Health, Motor, Two-wheeler, Home, Travel, Cyber, Agriculture, Credit, and Personal Accident in the retail space along with Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group Health, and Liability Insurance in the corporate space. Be it unique insurance products, integrated customer service models, top-in-class claim processes, or a host of technologically innovative solutions, HDFC ERGO has been able to delight its customers at every touch-point and milestone to ensure consumers are serviced in real-time.

Meru Launches FREEDOM DRIVE And Salutes The War Veterans Pn Independence Day

 


~ Commits to contribute 10% of its 15th August Ride revenue to Veterans India under #FREEDOM DRIVE ~

Meru, a pioneering airport brand in Indian mobility space, announced that it will be contributing 10% of its ride revenue generated on August 15th to Veterans India, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works with the veterans and their families.  This will be done under the latest campaign titled ‘#FEEDOM DRIVE’ which salutes war veterans on the occasion of this Independence Day. 

Mr. Kannan Chakravarthy, CEO, MERU says “The war veterans have been contributing to building stronger India for the last so many decades. On the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day, Meru would like to appreciate the invaluable contributions of the war veterans and their families. As a small contribution, I would like to announce that we will be donating 10% of ride revenue to Veterans India which supports Veterans families and disabled veterans. We are extremely proud to be associated with these warriors who had devoted their entire lives to serving the nation. We request our customers to contribute to this cause”

Speaking on the association, Colonel HV Sharma (Retd) National Vice President of Veterans India said, “The fund generated by this drive would enable Veterans India to carry on with its patriotic activities. With help of organisations like Mahindra Logistics Veterans India strives to continue its activities for spreading and inculcating nationalism and patriotism across the country, especially the youth of the country”, he adds. 

Commenting on the association, Mr Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, Tweeted “A small step can go a long way. Well done @MeruCabs, for leading a cause for our army veterans, who guard our freedom, and their families for whom duty for the nation is above everything. We’re proud you are a @MahindraRise company.”

About Veterans India Foundation

Veterans India utilises the experience of its Veteran Members into nation building. The organisation in last seven has helped large number of ex-servicemen, Veer Naris (defence widows) and specially abled soldiers with the help of its state, district and block units. Especially in natural calamities and during corona pandemic the organisation distributed food and clothes to needy people.

About MERU

Meru, a pioneering brand in the shared mobility space in India, is now a part of Mahindra Logistics Limited (MLL). MLL is a leading logistics and mobility solutions provider with over a decade of experience in offering integrated, customized, scalable, innovative and technology-enabled solutions to its customers across diverse industries. Leveraging on the strong foundation provided by MLL's capabilities and resources, Meru now aims to take its service offerings to newer heights, delivering on its promise of customer excellence, safety and sustainability.

For more information, visit www.meru.in

Yellow.ai Announces The Launch Of Its Proprietary DynamicNLP - A First In The Enterprise Conversational AI Space


* Powered by zero-shot learning, Yellow.ai’s DynamicNLP™ enables zero training of NLP 

* models, go-live within minutes; while delivering over 97% intent accuracy

Yellow.ai, a leading enterprise-grade Conversational AI platform trusted by 1000+ enterprises globally, today announced the launch of its proprietary DynamicNLP™, a first in the enterprise Conversational AI space to enable enterprises to go-live within minutes with lower operational costs and an intent accuracy of over 97%.

According to the future of conversational AI from Deloitte, training AI agents with manual methods can take as long as six to nine months, making it one of the most common setup challenges faced by enterprises. Yellow.ai DynamicNLP™ eliminates the tedious process of training and labeling Natural Language Processing (NLP) models manually. This enables Dynamic AI agents to learn on the fly, helping enterprises to set up Conversational AI flows within minutes, and reduce training data-related costs and efforts. Yellow.ai DynamicNLP™ comes with a pre-trained model built using billions of anonymized conversations, which helps in the reduction of unidentified utterances by up to 60%, making the AI agents more human-like and scalable across industries with wider use-cases.

Commenting on the launch, Raghu Ravinutala, co-founder and CEO, Yellow.ai said, “Yellow.ai DynamicNLP™ is a first of its kind proprietary technology in the global enterprise Conversational AI industry; a breakthrough innovation that can help enterprises save time, effort, and operational cost while accelerating their go-live strategy. It enables our pre-trained Dynamic AI agents to deliver superlative moments of truth across the entirety of customers' and employees' life cycles. As global tech innovators, we see our DynamicNLP™ as a significant step forward in realizing the true potential of NLP as a game-changing technology.”

Eric Hansen, CIO, Waste Connections, said “Yellow.ai has helped us accelerate our AI automation journey for some of the most important use cases, and with the launch of DynamicNLP™ which enables zero training for NLP models, would elevate customer and employee experiences from day one. We firmly believe that Yellow.ai DynamicNLP™ will open new avenues to scale up additional use cases of customer support and agent productivity.”

With DynamicNLP™, Yellow.ai’s platform is capable of improving the accuracy of seen and unseen intents in utterances right from day one. The elimination of manual labeling also helps remove the errors propagated, leading to a stronger, more robust NLP with better intent coverage for all types of conversations. With the agility offered by Yellow.ai DynamicNLP™, enterprises can successfully maximize efficiency and effectiveness across a wider gamut of use cases, including Customer Support, Customer Engagement, Conversational Commerce, HR and ITSM Automation.  

About Yellow.ai 

Yellow.ai is a leading enterprise-grade Conversational AI Platform, enabling enterprises to unlock business potential at scale. The platform is trusted across 85+ countries by 1000+ enterprises, including Domino’s, Sephora, Hyundai, MG Motors, Biogen International, Edelweiss Broking, Siemens Limited, Food Panda, Carrefour, Kuwait Food Company (Americana), Choithrams, Amouage Oman, Arabian Radio Network,  Bharat Petroleum, Waste Connections US and Tata. Powered by Dynamic AI agents for enterprises, the company aims to deliver human-like interactions that boost customer satisfaction and increase employee engagement at scale, through its no-code platform. Recognized by Frost & Sullivan, Gartner, Forrester, IDC, and G2 as a leader, the company has raised more than $102M from blue-chip investors and has offices across six countries.

Majority Of Ivanti’s India 2022 Internship Program Cohorts Are Now Ivanti Employees


* 90% of 39 Indian interns transition to full-time employees at Ivanti in July and join development centres in Bangalore and Hyderabad

Ivanti, the provider of the Ivanti Neurons automation platform that discovers, manages, secures, and services IT assets from cloud to edge, today announced that 35 (90%) of its recent 39 Interns in India have transitioned to fulltime employees at Ivanti. They joined the Bangalore and Hyderabad development centres in July.

“The number of our intern cohorts who are now full-time Ivanti employees speaks not only to the caliber of education Indian engineer students are receiving but also to the success of Ivanti’s internship program at preparing these students for the workplace,” said Chaithanya Rao, Director of Human Resources at Ivanti. “Our internship program provides hands-on work experience that helps students put their education into practice while developing their technical and interpersonal skills, giving them a competitive advantage in the marketplace. We look forward to repeating and expanding this internship program and the success we have seen on an annual basis.”

As part of its partnership with engineering colleges in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai, Ivanti offers six-month internships beginning each January. The rigorous selection process includes a pre-placement discussion followed by an online coding test. From there, a shortlist of applicants are then interviewed by Ivanti technology and management panels.

Ivanti’s Internship Program features bootcamp-style training that includes valuable real-time performance feedback from colleagues, managers, and department heads, allowing interns to maximize their experience. Every intern is assigned a mentor to help guide them through the program.

“Our internships are designed to help shape the next wave of engineers,” said Nagesh Ayyagari, Vice President of Engineering and India country lead at Ivanti. “Ivanti provides avenues for students to gain valuable real-world experience by participating in on-the-job technical training, as well as being exposed to real-world product development and encouraged to be proactive in their self-learning.  As a result of their success in our internship program, I’m excited to see future contributions these new employees will bring to Ivanti.”

About Ivanti

Ivanti makes the Everywhere Workplace possible. In the Everywhere Workplace, employees use myriad devices to access IT applications and data over various networks to stay productive as they work from anywhere. The Ivanti Neurons automation platform connects the company’s industry-leading unified endpoint management, cybersecurity, and enterprise service management solutions, providing a unified IT platform that enables devices to self-heal and self-secure and empowers users to self-service. Over 40,000 customers, including 96 of the Fortune 100, have chosen Ivanti to discover, manage, secure, and service their IT assets from cloud to edge, and deliver excellent end-user experiences for employees, wherever and however they work. For more information, visit www.ivanti.com and follow @GoIvanti.

Over 14000 Unacademy Learners Crack JEE Mains Exams In 2022


* 1500+ Learners have secured 99 percentile and above

* 5 Learners have secured Top 10 All Category Ranks

Unacademy, India’s largest learning platform*, today announced that over 14,000 of its Learners have secured top ranks in the JEE Mains 2022 Exam, thereby qualifying for JEE Advanced 2022. Among the top rankers from Unacademy are Palli Jalajakshi (AIR 9 | Vijayawada), Shrenik Sakala (AIR 11 | Amravati), Koyyana Suhas (AIR 22 | Vijayawada). 

1500+ Learners have secured 99 percentile and above, and over 500 Learners have scored exceptionally in All Category Ranks. 

Key highlights of the results: 

In All India Open Category Rank

·         1 Learner in Top 10

·         7 Learners in the Top 100

·         105 Learners in the Top 1000

In All Category Ranks

·         5 Learners in the Top 10

·         42 Learners in the Top 100

·         562 Learners in the top 1000

Unacademy is the leading online learning platform for the JEE exam preparation. Through Top Educators like Piyush Maheshwari, Brijesh Jindal, Mohammad Kashif Alam and others, Learners are now able to excel in their educational journey. Further with the recent launch of Unacademy Centres in Kota and Lucknow for IIT-JEE and NEET UG, JEE Learners have access to a premium learning experience with high-tech infrastructure. 

About Unacademy Group:?

Unacademy was founded by Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh, and Roman Saini in 2015. Started as a YouTube channel by Gaurav Munjal in 2010, Unacademy is India’s largest learning platform with a growing network of 91,000+ registered Educators and over 92 million Learners. With education being imparted in over 14 Indian languages to Learners across 10,000 cities, Unacademy is changing the way India learns. Unacademy Group comprises Unacademy, Graphy, Relevel, and CodeChef.

Aakash BYJU’S Launches ‘Education For All’ Towards Inclusivity And Empowerment Of The Girl Child


Highlights

* To Offer Free NEET & JEE Coaching and Scholarships to nearly 2,000 Underprivileged and Girl Students as part of ANTHE 2022 – its Flagship National

Scholarship Exam 

Initiative set to benefit students, especially girls, economically weaker families and families with one girl child or a single parent (mother) 

As per the project, all identified students will appear for Aakash BYJU’S National Talent Hunt Exam - 2022 (ANTHE 2022), the institute’s flagship scholarship exam, scheduled to be held between November 5 -  13, 2022 across the country both in online and offline mode. 

The scholarships from Education for All initiative are in addition to the regular ANTHE scholarships. As in the past, ANTHE 2022, the 13th edition, will offer upto 100% scholarships to meritorious students as well as cash prizes to top performers. 

Besides the scholarships, 5 students will also win a free trip to NASA along with a parent.  

Since its launch, ANTHE has offered scholarships to over 33 lakh students.  

For more information, log on to anthe.aakash.ac.in 

To celebrate the Government of India’s Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative, Aakash BYJU’S, the national leader in test preparatory services, is organizing a major drive towards inclusivity and empowerment of girl students in the arena of private coaching for higher education through ‘Education for All’, a nationwide project to offer free NEET and JEE coaching and scholarships to nearly 2,000 Class VII-XII students from underprivileged families, especially girls.  

The launch took place today across India simultaneously at 45 locations with the main event taking place at the JW Marriott Hotel, Aerocity in Delhi that was graced by Mr JC Chaudhry, Chairman; Mr Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director and Mr Abhishek Maheshwari, CEO, Aakash BYJU’S along with other company officials.  The event was also attended by alumni of Aakash BYJU’S who became a part of the institute through ANTHE. The alumni were felicitated for their academic achievements with trophies and bouquets.  

As per the project, all identified students will appear for Aakash BYJU’S National Talent Hunt Exam - 2022 (ANTHE 2022), the institute’s flagship scholarship exam, scheduled to be held between November 5—13, 2022 across the country both in online and offline mode. The top 2,000 students would be given free coaching to Aakash BYJU’s most sought after NEET and IIT-JEE coaching programs, based on special considerations.  

For identifying the beneficiary students, Aakash will partner with select NGOs, who can nominate students from economically weaker section, only girl child, and single parent (mother). Aakash BYJU’S has a pan India network boasting nearly 285+ centres, the highest for any coaching institute in the country. Each centre conducts 9 classes on an average.  

Commenting on ‘Education for All’ initiative, Mr. Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash BYJU’S, said, “Being in the industry for so long, we see that the aspirations for medical and engineering education are only growing in our country. Our young minds are in awe of these two fields and the opportunities they afford for self-development and social contributions. However, there are millions of students who cannot afford private coaching that can hugely further their chances of cracking the entrance exams. What compounds the issue of affordability is gender disparity, where families do not come forward to spend on educating girl students beyond a certain grade. These contexts lower the morale of the students from underprivileged communities and girls in general. Through ‘Education for All’ we are doing our bit to lift the scope and expand the opportunities of coaching for professional courses for these students.” 

He pointed out that there will be no compromise on the quality of coaching offered to the beneficiary students. “The idea is to convert each of our centre in Aakash BYJU’S fast expanding network as a centre of excellence not only in coaching but also in inclusivity and women empowerment. We are confident that this initiative will get an overwhelming response from poor families and the ones with a single girl child or a single parent or both.”  

The scholarships from Education for All initiative are in addition to the regular ANTHE scholarships. As in the past, ANTHE 2022, the 13th edition, will offer upto 100% scholarships to meritorious students - it will also offer cash prizes to top performers. Besides, 5 students will also win a free trip to NASA along with a parent. Since its launch, ANTHE has offered scholarships to over 33 lakh students.  

ANTHE is a one-hour exam. ANTHE online will be held between 10:00 AM – 07:00 PM during all exam days, while the offline exam will be conducted on November 6 and 13, 2022 in two shifts: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM and 04:00 PM–05:00 PM at all 285+ centres of Aakash BYJU’S across the country. Students can choose a one-hour slot convenient to them.  

ANTHE carries a total of 90 marks. It comprises 35 multiple-choice questions that are based on grade and streams the students aspire. For class VII-IX students, the questions will be from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Mental Ability. For class X students aspiring medical education, the exam covers Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mental Ability, while for the engineering aspirants of the same class, it covers Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Mental Ability. And, for class XI-XII students who aim for NEET, questions will be from Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology, and for engineering aspirants, from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.  

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 BYJU’S” 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 285+ Aakash BYJU’S Centers (including franchisee), and an annual student count of more than 3,30,000. 

The Aakash BYJU’S 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 

IRCON Q1FY23 Revenue Up By 76% YoY At Rs. 2068 Crore; PAT Jumps 62% YoY At Rs.145 Crore


Key Financial Highlights for Quarter ended 30th June 2022 (Consolidated): 

Total Income increased to Rs.2,068 Crore as against Rs.1,176 Crore in Q1FY22. 

Revenue from operations increased to Rs.2,002 Crore as against Rs.1,142 Crore in Q1FY22. 

Core EBITDA increased to Rs.173 Crore as compared to Rs.119 Crore in Q1FY22. 

PAT stands at Rs.145 Crore as compared to Rs.89 Crore in Q1FY22. 

EPS stands at Rs.1.54 per Equity share of the Face Value Rs.2 per share. 

Order Book: 

As of 30th June 2022, the total order book stands at Rs.42,066 Crore. The break-up is which is as follows: 

Railways        : Rs.32,700 Crore 

Highways      : Rs.  7,395 Crore 

Others                        : Rs.  1,971 Crore 

Financial Performance: 

The Board of Directorsof Ircon International Limited (NSE: IRCON | BSE: 541956), at its meetingtoday, approved the results for the quarter ended 30th June 2022.  

Industry Outlook/Way forward: 

India is a major market with a growing need for more sophisticated and more sustainable structures. Significant growth in infrastructure is likely, thanks to the policy-driven focus on the sector.  The government's continued impetus on infrastructure development has been beneficial for the whole industry though headwinds arising out of rising cost pressure and inflationary impacts could have some volatilities. 

However, the scope for development across the sector is huge, given the substantial number of ongoing and proposed projects. The current scenario, therefore, presents a competitive landscape for the company to buckle up and take the opportunities to grow the business and continue to create value for its stakeholders. 

The global Infrastructure sector has grown from strength to strength throughout the disruption and uncertainty in the last year. As we move into 2022 and beyond, it is evident that infrastructure is consistently innovating and developing. Hence, FY23 will be another rewarding but challenging year, and the industry looks to be poised to capture growth opportunities. 

About Ircon International Limited (https://www.ircon.org/; BSE: 541956; NSE: IRCON): 

Ircon International Limited is a Miniratna (Category - I) Schedule A, Public Sector Enterprise and a leading turnkey Construction Company in the public sector known for quality, commitment, and consistency in terms of performance. 

The core competence of IRCON is in Railways, Highways & Extra High Tension substation engineering and Construction. The company has executed projects operated in the areas of Railway construction including ballast less track, electrification, tunneling,  

signal & telecommunication as well as leasing of locos, construction of roads, highways, commercial, industrial & residential buildings and complexes, airport runway and hangars, metro and mass rapid transit system, etc.  

IRCON has widespread operations in several states in India and other countries (Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, South Africa, Algeria, Myanmar and Sri Lanka). Company has completed more than 128 projects in 25 countries across the globe and 395 projects in various states in India.