Godrej Professional, Hansika Motwani Partner To Create Awareness Of Formaldehyde-Free Kerasmooth Treatment – Kerasmooth

Godrej Professional, a professional hair brand with products in hair care, colour, styling and keratin from Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), and actress Hansika Motwani, has collaborated for Kerasmooth, an intense protein reconstruction keratin treatment. The Godrej Professional Kerasmooth Keratin Treatment is an advanced formaldehyde-free formula that helps replenish the keratin in the hair. This ultimately transform wavy, curly or frizzy hair into shiny and smooth locks with long-lasting smoothened result.

While Keratin is made with natural ingredients, most of the products use a chemical called formaldehyde. There has been concerns around the health risks for both users as well as salonists when engaging in formaldehyde-based keratin treatments. To address these concerns of customers and salon professionals, Godrej Professional’s Kerasmooth is a unique formulation which is free of Formaldehyde and provides smooth and relaxed hair without any health risks or damage.

As part of this collaboration, Hansika worked with Godrej Professional to release a reel video on her Instagram profile that featured her experiencing Godrej Professional Kerasmooth Keratin Treatment herself. The video she highlighted how one can get relaxed hair for upto 6 months and do not show any demarcation line as hair grows.  It shows how the treatment offers 98 % frizz control for upto 6 months*. It also helps with 100% retention of easily manageable hair**. Significantly reduces blow-dry time by making it fairly easy to maintain healthy hair. (*Based on expert panel study conducted on Damaged hair by external laboratory considering 10 washes per month ** Comb ability)

Commenting on the Godrej Professional Kerasmooth Protein Reconstruction Treatment, Neeraj Senguttuvan, Business Head, Godrej Professional, said, “Keratin hair treatments should not mean one should compromise on their health, which is why we have come up with Godrej Professional Kerasmooth Protein Reconstruction Treatment. We are proud to collaborate with Actress Hansika Motwani as she is an individual revered for her fashion and lifestyle statement. Through our collaboration with Hansika, we aim to spread awareness across geographies of our formaldehyde free keratin treatment developed with key ingredients and moisturizing agents. Godrej Professional Kerasmooth to revive hair, smoothen curls, and reduce volume with a brilliant healthy shine.”

Speaking on the association, actress Hansika Motwani, said, “I am very conscious about choosing products for hair care and treatment products. Just like how I care for my hair, my collaboration with Godrej Professional is to inspire people to use the rights products while opting for keratin hair treatment. Kerasmooth by Godrej Professional with its formaldehyde-free formula stands out in the beauty space. It reduces frizz and smoothens hair. Using Formaldehyde-free products is best to keep hair smooth, shiny and manageable for a long time”

Godrej Professional Kerasmooth formulation is enriched with moisturizing complex with ingredients like Panthenol, Shea Butter, Wheat Germ Oil and Hydrolyzed Keratin. All these moisturizing agents will help in adding moisture & lustre to hair while reconstructing hair fibres and retain moisture to prevent further hair destruction.

About Godrej Consumer Products Ltd:

Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. As part of the 125-year young Godrej Group, we are fortunate to have a proud legacy built on the strong values of trust, integrity, and respect for others. At the same time, we are growing fast and have exciting, ambitious aspirations.

Today, our Group enjoys the patronage of 1.15 billion consumers globally, across different businesses. We rank among the largest Household Insecticide and Hair Care players in emerging markets. In Household Insecticides, we are the leader in India, the second largest player in Indonesia and are expanding our footprint in Africa. We are the leader in serving the Hair Care needs of women of African descent, the number one player in Hair Colour in India and Sub-Saharan Africa, and among the leading players in Latin America. We rank number two in Soaps in India and are the number one player in Air Fresheners and Wet Tissues in Indonesia.

But for us, it is very important that besides our strong financial performance and innovative, much-loved products, we remain a good company. Approximately 23 per cent of the promoter holding in our 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' approach to create a more inclusive and greener India.

At the heart of all of this, is our talented team. We take much pride in fostering an inspiring workplace, with an agile and high-performance culture. We are also deeply committed to recognising and valuing diversity across our teams.

Barbeque Nation Launches New Outlet With Contemporary Interiors In Bengaluru

* Barbeque Nation marks its 14th outlet launch in Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru

Barbeque Nation has launched a new outlet in Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru. This is the casual dining chain’s 14th unit in the State capital. The spacious 4,700-square-feet outlet can accommodate 143 people. It is a perfect place for hosting corporate lunches and family gatherings. The interior of the outlet is vibrant and trendy. It is in line with the aesthetic taste of millennials and Bengaluru’s gastronomes. 

On the occasion, Mr. Faiz Azim, Chief Operating Officer, Barbeque Nation Hospitality Limited, said, “I am happy to launch yet another outlet in Bangalore. The merry ambience of the outlet is sure to cheer up the guests. We are well-known for our hospitality and I am sure our guests will not be disappointed.”

The eat-all-you-can buffet at Barbeque Nation offers a plethora of dishes in vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads. For starters, non-vegetarians can indulge in the famous MEXICAN CHILLI GARLIC FISH, HOT GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS, TANDOORI TANGDI, CAJUN SEEKH KEBAB, COASTAL BARBEQUE PRAWNS and much more, while vegetarians can feast on the mouth-watering KUTI MIRCH KA PANEER TIKKA, WOK TOSSED SEEKH KEBAB, SHABNAM KE MOTI MUSHROOM, POORI KEBAB, and HONEY SESAME CINAMON PINEAPPLE, among others. The main course section for non-vegetarians includes CHICKEN DUM BIRYANI, RAJASTHANI LAAL MAAS, and DUM KA MURGH, while vegetarians can indulge in PANEER BUTTER MASALA, METHI MATAR MALAI, DAL-E-DUM, and VEG DUM BIRYANI. The live counters offer a variety of non-veg/veg options like CHILLI CRISPY PURI, PALAK CHAAT, MARGARITA PIZZA, KEEMA PAV and CHICKEN SHEEK. The dessert section comprises CHOCOLATE BROWNIE, RED VELVET PASTRIES, ANGOORI GULAB JAMUN, KERSARI PHIRNEE, and more. The wide range of Kulfis at the restaurant will leave the guests salivating. These kulfis can be twisted by mixing various flavours into one and creating diverse combinations of the much-loved dessert.

About Barbeque Nation:

Barbeque Nation is a pioneer in India to promote ‘DIY’ (do-it-yourself) cuisine with the concept of the live on-the-table grill since its first store in Mumbai in 2006. Barbeque Nation was founded with a simple vision – offering a complete dining experience to customers at attractive prices. The philosophy extended to all aspects of service and caused the chain to expand rapidly. Over the last 15+ years, Barbeque Nation has expanded to over 83 cities with 178 outlets in India. During this period, the brand innovated with interactive live counters, multiple Kulfi varieties and a unique delivery product portfolio of ‘Barbeque-in-a-box’.

Neeyamo Launches “Genesis”, Aims To Build An Industry-Academia Connect

* Planning to partner with colleges across Madurai, Nagpur, Chennai and Pune

Neeyamo, a leading Global Payroll and EOR solution provider, has launched an exclusive program “Genesis” for placement committees. Aiming to create more job opportunities, the company has established this program and their mission is to build a long-term relationship with the placement committee, conduct periodic activities and events in which students can learn and participate, and make the recruitment process as simple and seamless for the placement committee and students as possible.

Genesis will also include partnering with educational bodies to create customized collaboration programs such as the student ambassador program and periodic newsletters to establish strong communication channels. The program will plan regular engagement programs and events such as Talanton, guest lectures, placement connect, fresher's meet, and so on to create a stronger connection with the students.

The phase 1 of the program was successfully completed in Madurai and Nagpur. Genesis was hosted with universities in Madurai such as Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, National Engineering college and Thiagarajar School of Management. Likewise, in Nagpur, universities such as Ambedkar College, Raisoni Group of Institutions and Cummins College of Engineering For Women participated.

In the second phase, Neeyamo saw active engagement from all top colleges in Pune, including Symbiosis Skill & Professional University, Dr.DY. Patil Educational Complex, Amity Global Business School , Indira Institute of Management. In Chennai, tier-I institutes such as SRM Group of Institutions, Women’s Christian College, St Joseph's College of Engineering, Saveetha University, SSN School of Management, and Sathyabama University, amongst others, participated in the program and event.  

Rupinder Kaur, Head of HR and Talent Acquisition, Neeyamo, said, “After the pandemic, the need for a connect between the educational bodies and industries increased significantly. While universities can teach in abundance theoretically, industry exposure through programs such as Talanton, lectures, and even networking events are beneficial for students. We, at Neeyamo, would like to bridge the gap between industry and academia and bring out a program that is useful for students; and that is what Genesis stands for.”

Formed in 2009, Neeyamo presently has over 3,000+ employees worldwide. The company recently launched their All-women global delivery center in Nagpur. Through such initiatives, Neeyamo is working towards being inclusive and taking job opportunities for all cities and towns.

About Neeyamo

Neeyamo is a leading technology-enabled global payroll and EOR solutions provider for multinational and micro-multinational corporations worldwide. With an extensive team of professionals serving clients across 190+ countries, Neeyamo leverages its unique service-based model and functionality-rich, next-generation portfolio of HR & payroll products to help organizations enable agile and scalable business. To know more, visit www.neeyamo.com

Cultural Connect Between The Local And Global Forms Essential Foundation Of Universities: Dr Ranjan Pai

Higher Education finds its meaning in establishing a cultural connect between the local and the global. Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) has been consistently working with the community around alongside its global outlook. The online course on the culture of Tulunadu, is one such attempt at providing a new impetus to the study and research at the intersection of local and global cultures”, said Dr Ranjan Pai, President MAHE and Chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), Bengaluru. He was speaking after inaugurating the online course Discerning India: Living Cultures of Tulunadu offered by the Centre for Intercultural Studies and Dialogue (CISD).

Flagging off the event - Tiger Dance at the time of inauguration, Pro Chancellor of MAHE Dr H S Ballal said, “MAHE has maintained a close and cordial relation with the local art forms, literature and culture. MAHE has thus set new models for education institutions for their engagement with the communities around, he added”. This course ensures the culture of the land is not only nurtured but is handed over to next generations, he maintained.

Speaking about the relevance of the course, the Vice Chancellor MAHE, Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh mentioned, “MAHE is committed to the idea of National Education Policy (NEP) 2022 and is making earnest efforts towards realising its objectives. This online course is aligned with that commitment. It focuses on local knowledge systems and cultural practices of the region and presents it within an academic context. The documentaries and lectures covered in the course will be useful for academic research and understanding the ethos of Tulunadu.  As an online course, it has the potential to reach the audiences across disciplines and space.”  

The Registrar of MAHE, Dr Narayana Sabhahit said "MAHE has been engaging with the study and documentation of the local cultural practices in several ways.  Regional Resource Centre (RRC), Yakshagana Kendra, Dvaita Philosophy Resource Centre, Hebbar Art Gallery are some of the examples. This online course on cultures of Tulunadu, by the Centre for Intercultural Studies and Dialogue (CISD) is a significant addition to our engagement with the region where MAHE is located.”

The launch of the teaser was accompanied by the performance of Tiger Dance (Pili Vesha) by Ashok Raj Kadabettu and Team – a well-known Tiger dance performance troupe of Udupi. Dr. Praveen Shetty, Coordinator - Discerning India project, introduced the course.

Discerning India: Living Cultures of Tulunadu – Level 1 is a self-paced online course offered by the Centre for Intercultural Studies and Dialogue (CISD), MAHE that introduces participants to the essence of the region. The Course comprises the following Units: Theatre and Performance: Yakshagana; Community and Sports: Kambala; Worship Traditions: Bhutaradhane; Nagaradhane.

Honeywell Cybersecurity Research Reveals 52% Of Cyber Threats Targeted At Removable Media

* 2022 Honeywell Industrial Cybersecurity USB Threat Report finds industrial control systems are increasingly in the sights of cyber attackers

According to a report released by Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON), the threat of USB-borne malware continues to be a serious concern. Data from the 2022 Honeywell Industrial Cybersecurity USB Threat Report indicates that 52% of threats were specifically designed to utilize removable media, up from 32% the previous year and more than double the 19% reported in the 2020 study, clearly indicating that the threats designed to use removable media have reached a dangerously high level.

Now in its fourth year, the Honeywell Industrial Cybersecurity USB Threat Report shows a clear trend: cybersecurity threats continue to be more prominent and more potent. According to the report, threats designed to establish remote access capabilities remained steady at 51%, while the number of threats designed specifically to target industrial control systems increased slightly year over year, up from 30% to 32%. At the same time, the malware was more capable of causing a disruption to industrial control systems, climbing to 81% compared to 79% the previous year.

The current report was based on aggregated cybersecurity threat data from hundreds of industrial facilities globally during a 12-month period. Along with USB attacks, the research highlights that Trojans remain a top concern because of their potential to cause severe disruption to industrial infrastructure, comprising 76% of the malware detected.

“This year’s report indicates that adversaries are deliberately leveraging removable media as an initial attack vector to establish remote connectivity, exfiltrate data, and establish command and control,” said Jeff Zindel, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Connected Enterprise Cybersecurity. “It’s now painfully clear that USB removable media are being used to penetrate industrial/OT environments, and that organizations must adopt formal programs to defend against this type of threat to avoid costly disruptions.”

For the fourth year in a row, the threats attempting to enter industrial/OT environments have continued to increase in sophistication and frequency with USB-borne malware clearly being leveraged as part of larger cyberattack campaigns. Hackers are taking advantage of USB removable media to circumvent network defences and bypass the air gaps upon which many of these facilities depend upon for protection. Continued diligence is necessary to defend against the growing USB threat and strong USB security controls are highly recommended.

Honeywell's Secure Media Exchange (SMX) is designed to provide advanced threat detection for critical infrastructure by monitoring, better protecting and logging use of removable media throughout industrial facilities. The Honeywell Forge Cybersecurity Suite is designed to monitor for vulnerabilities such as open ports and the presence of USB security controls to strengthen endpoint and network security, while also providing better cybersecurity compliance.

Read the full report here and visit www.becybersecure.com for more information on Honeywell products and services that can help improve cybersecurity.

About Honeywell:

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Roadmap To Revolutionize Retail In The World's Sixth Largest Economy

*  Phygital Retail Convention to explore mega retail opportunities in the India/Bharat growth story

* Convention set to take place on Aug.24-25 at The Westin, Powai, Mumbai

Focusing on the evolution of the retail sector in India and understanding the changes the sector is expected to witness in the coming years, Phygital Retail Convention 2022, India’s largest retail intelligence event, aims to unveil and decode the mega retail opportunities across India + Bharat — a mega, but dual and complex consumption landscape. 

Phygital Retail Convention (PRC) 2022 is all set to take place on the 24th and 25th of August at The Westin, Powai Lake, Mumbai focusing on the dramatic transformations occurring in the Indian consumer landscape and consequently, retail models. The event theme — India/Bharat: The World’s Biggest Consumer Story reflects the promise and opportunity of the ongoing transformation.

India is considered one of the world’s most lucrative and scalable markets and as a leading contributor to the world’s sixth largest economy, the Indian retail sector has undergone significant transformation and tremendous growth in the last decade, and is expected to touch approximately $2 trillion in value by 2032, up from $690 billion in 2021. A large portion of India's heartland is growing quickly as massive consumer marketplaces and future retail hubs, even as consumption and retail growth in urban and semi-urban areas of the country continue to soar. 

Headlining the event will be two of India’s most recognised retail icons designated as ‘PRC 2022 Patrons’ — Shailesh Chaturvedi (MD & CEO, Arvind Fashions Ltd) and Damodar Mall (CEO -Grocery, Reliance Retail).

Bhavesh Pitroda, Director and CEO, IMAGES Group says, “Despite the remarkable volume and pace of retail evolution over the past two decades, India still remains a largely underserved market vis-a-vis growth in consumption. The opportunities are far larger than what modern retailers have achieved so far. The scope of taking the experience and pluses of modern retail to the country’s heartlands — Bharat — is immense, and PRC 2022 will be dedicated to optimising this.”

“Retail real estate is the essential infrastructure that will facilitate the spread of modern retail across small-town India. With consumer aspirations and expenditure fast expanding in these locations, real estate majors are also investing heavily in the promise of ‘Bharat’. With PRC 2022 hosting all of India’s real estate majors, the event will highlight the plans of these organisations in taking Bharat’s retail revolution forward,” adds Vineet Chadha, COO — Retail, IMAGES Group.

Reflecting on the crucial role of digital transformation in the country’s consumption universe, Shaurya Somani, VP-Technology, IMAGES Group, notes, “Technology will continue to be the biggest influencer of consumer behaviour across India. Smartphone and internet penetration have transformed into India’s one of the world’s most digital-savvy consumer markets, and attendees can expect to hear some unique insights and analyses on the future of a digital Bharat at PRC 2022.”

Regarded as India’s most authoritative retail intelligence and networking event, the conference will host a powerful blend of panel discussions, solo talks, masterclasses and fireside chats featuring the C-Suite of Indian retail, technology, retail real estate, D2C brands, retail support, infrastructure and allied sectors. The platform presents an opportunity to network with knowledgeable and passionate speakers, giving the attendees a chance to gain new insights about the retail industry and learning about the success stories of countless businesses.

Key multiple highlights at the event are the launch of India Phygital Index 2022 report, an exclusive D2C Retail zone for D2C brands, Ignite Up — a startup-enablement platform, IMAGES Retail Tech Icons felicitation ceremony, and the IMAGES Retail Awards 2022 gala recognising retailing excellence in India.

The 2-day convention will see a host of riveting panel discussions and sessions by experts on diverse range of topics such as brand architecture, reimagining customer experience to drive loyalty, omni-channel retailing, customer engagement, supply chain management, art of designing, marketing and advertising, data-driven experiences, expansion and scaling up, business growth and many more.

Among the 150+ retailing icons and leaders speaking at the 2-day forum are a mix of established names and young, exciting change-makers: Arvind Singhal (Chairman, Technopak), Almona Bhatia (Chief Strategy Officer, Tata CliQ Luxury), Ankit Desai (CMO, Hershey’s), Anuj Puri (Chairman, Anarock), Arzan Singpurwalla (Channel Partner Lead, WhatsApp for business, India), Astha Almast (Founder, The NEW Shop), Bharat Kalia (CEO, Thrasio India), Damodar Mall (CEO, Grocery, Reliance Retail), Devarajan Iyer (CEO, Lifestyle International), Preeti Gupta (Chief Business Officer, Nykaa Fashion), Rajesh Jain (MD and CEO, Lacoste), Shriti Malhotra (CEO, The Body Shop, India) among many others.

About Phygital Retail Convention:

Phygital Retail Convention (PRC) is India's go-to retail intelligence event. It aims to bring together multiple stakeholders in global retail businesses to hack the most critical disruption-ready strategies around consumer behaviors, technology and innovation. Phygital Retail Convention (PRC) 2022 aims to power the transformation of Retail in the dual and complex market of India/Bharat.

About IMAGES Group:

IMAGES Group is the largest retail intelligence organisation in South Asia and the Middle East, whose numerous items and administrations work as impetus for the productive development of present day retail through information stage initiative. The Group's knowledge platforms incorporate print and online reportage, research review, and significant yearly business occasions with Conferences, Master-Classes and Workshops serving multiple verticals/fragments/tasks of retail and D2C organizations.

Godrej Interio Unveils A New Kitchen Campaign Ahead Of The Festive Season Across Indian Market

~ The campaign conceptualized by Contract Advertising communicates how Godrej Interio Kitchens are designed to meet the unique needs of the modern Indian kitchen 

Link - https://youtu.be/q6nCYH9rPcI

Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, announced that its business Godrej Interio, India’s leading furniture solutions brand, in home and institutional segments, today unveiled a DVC as part of its new Kitchen campaign. The DVC, conceptualized by Contract Advertising, highlights how Godrej Interio’s Modular Kitchens are made for the Great Indian Family.

Aesthetically shot, the film shows how design innovations from Godrej Interio are driven by a deep understanding of the Indian consumers, their homes, lives, and aspirations. Godrej Interio Kitchens are beautifully designed and built keeping in mind the unique demands faced by kitchens in Indian homes.

Commenting on the campaign, Sumeet Bhojani, Head of Marketing Communications, Godrej Interio said, “Kitchens play a significant role in our homes. It is a place where food goes beyond being just nourishment and becomes a vehicle of love and family bonding. We Indians are very passionate about our food and how it is prepared. And this naturally places very unique demands on the Indian kitchen. Godrej Interio Kitchens are well equipped to meet these demands with our deep understanding of the Indian consumer and a relentless focus on quality, thoughtful design, and innovation. This film takes us through a day in the life of a typical Indian family and highlights the myriad roles played by the kitchen in making the cooking experience easy and enjoyable.”

Sumeet further commented, “The modular kitchens category continues to be a key focus area for us. It is a fast-growing category, and our goal is to spread our network to over 200+ channel partners in FY22-23 year and grow the revenue in this business by at least 25-30%.”

Ayan Chakraborty, EVP & GM, Contract Mumbai said “Indian cuisine is diverse. And therefore, when it comes to cooking, the needs are also quite different across India. Our strategy was based on this insight. And Godrej Interio Kitchens with its multiple customization options delivers to the needs of the diverse Indian families across India” -

The 45-second ad opens with a beautiful shot of a modern Indian kitchen and progresses with highlighting the role that the kitchen plays throughout the day in the lives if a typical Indian family. The film highlights the uniqueness of a Godrej Interio Kitchen as it takes you on a journey of cooking from pounding of masalas on the kitchen counter to the splashing of oil while cooking typical Indian cuisine. These adverse conditions are expertly handled by galvanized steel cabinets and boiling waterproof marine ply shutters. The film also showcases exciting innovations such as the” Active Sink with Auto Hot soak” feature that helps pre-soak the dishes thus make cleaning them easier and the “Neo Smart chimney with cool draft” that along with efficiently sucking up smoke also generates a cool air draft thus providing a pleasant cooking experience even while roasting or frying. The DVC ends with showing an example of optimized storage accessories that make the best use of the space available for storage, dovetailing to the closing message that “Godrej Interio Kitchens” are made “For the Great Indian family.”

The film will be broadcasted on YouTube, and multiple OTT platforms ahead of the festive season.

Credits:

Client: Godrej Interio

Creative agency: Contract Advertising 

Agency Team: Ayan Chakraborty, Rohit Srivastava, Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, Rahul Ghosh, Sagar Chabbria, Sabina Singh, Ashupreet Khullar, Daxsh Kaicker

Production house: Small Fry Productions

Director: Alok Kulkarni

About Godrej Interio:

Godrej Interio is India’s leading premium furniture brand in both home and institutional segments with a strong commitment to sustainability and centers of excellence in design, manufacturing and retail.

Led by the largest in-house design team in the country in the furniture category and awarded with 34 India Design Mark Awards till date, GODREJ INTERIO aims to transform spaces with its thoughtfully designed furniture to create brighter homes and offices with products that have the highest design quotient in aesthetics, functionality and technology. With consistent pursuit of excellence and a special focus on health and ergonomics, GODREJ INTERIO’s product portfolio comprises of a wide range of solutions

Today, we design and manufacture furniture for office spaces, homes, educational institutes, healthcare facilities, laboratories and more. Along with furniture we offer Audio Visual and 360 Degree Turnkey solutions. Each of our product range revolves around comfort and aesthetics while delivering well-designed, long lasting and functional furniture solutions. In short, Godrej Interio helps the consumers to make every space the perfect setting for their myriad moods and moments.

Currently present in over 450 cities with 450 exclusive showrooms and 520 dealer outlets, is one of the largest divisions of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., part of the Godrej Group, one of India's largest engineering and customer product groups.

Godrej Interio has 7 manufacturing facilities situated at Mumbai, Khalapur, Haridwar, Shirwal, and Bhagwanpur. GODREJ INTERIO’s Shirwal Plant is Green Co Platinum Certified, and Mumbai Plants are Green Co Gold Certified. GODREJ INTERIO is widely known for its comprehensive sustainability certifications for its products in furniture category.

GODREJ INTERIO commitment to the environment has resulted in manufacturing products with lesser environment footprint. Our pioneering efforts include designing less environment burdening products, usage of eco-friendly materials and setting up less polluting and consuming processes, ensuring eco-friendly packaging and transportation and finally the extended responsibility of recycling/reuse of used furniture and scrap, thus ensuring a lifecycle approach to green. GODREJ INTERIO has the widest range of green choices for our customers which not only includes products but also services such as green interiors and recycling.

The brand boasts of noteworthy awards received so far- CII Exim Bank Award for Business Excellence 2016, Superbrands 2017-18, Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brand 2018 Gold (Home Furniture and Modular Kitchen), TRA’s India’s Most Consumer focused brand 2019, GreenCo Star Performer Award 2019, National Energy Leader Award at CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2018.

On World Entrepreneurs’ Day, Wadhwani Foundation Calls For Supporting Entrepreneurship In India

·         With a rapidly emerging startup ecosystem, lots of mini-Silicon Valleys in India can emerge with the potential of spurring job and economic growth

·         The Indian startup ecosystem now has close to 700 incubators nurturing entrepreneurial journeys, and with help from mentors, investors, service providers, and consultants, the entrepreneurial ecosystem will further accelerate

·         Wadhwani Foundation, through its entrepreneurship-led initiative, Wadhwani Entrepreneur, inspires, educates, and enables startup entrepreneurs with knowledge and skills to grow and become investable

Celebrated on the 21st of August every year, World Entrepreneurs’ Day recognizes innovation and global advancement of entrepreneurship and leadership. It is well established that high-potential entrepreneurship that drives jobs at scale is born out of a culture of innovation and risk-taking. Entrepreneurship also breeds job creators as against job seekers, a crucial and fundamental aspect of India’s economic growth.

Commenting on World Entrepreneurs’ Day, Dr Ajay Kela, President and CEO, Wadhwani Foundation, said, “Entrepreneurs are like Olympians; they go through a harrowing journey, bringing glory to their teams and country by creating wealth and jobs. On this World Entrepreneurs’ Day, we salute the entrepreneurs of the world. With digitization and globalization, entrepreneurial ecosystems are rapidly evolving. In less than a decade, India has become the leading nation for startups and entrepreneurs, having crossed the mark of 100 unicorns, with 100 more expected in the next three years. Total established and recognized startups in India stand at ~73K today. Besides India, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, and others are creating thriving startup ecosystems. We are living in unprecedented times for startups. Let the force be with them to produce the jobs the world needs for its growing youth population.”

The Indian startup ecosystem skyrocketed in 2021 to become the third largest globally, with a 3x increase in total funding over 2020. However, despite a stellar show, two challenges remain predominant in the Indian startup space:

(1) Many unicorns in India lack a compelling revenue base and require an infusion of cash flow for survival.

(2) The need to accelerate their digital transformation with technology and platforms through policies and support mechanisms towards domestic capital participation, favourable investment climate in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, incentives to set up incubators in every state, tax exemptions in foreign direct investments, and a high focus on startup infrastructure.

Says Sanjay Shah, Chief Operating Officer – India/SE Asia, Wadhwani Foundation, “At Wadhwani Foundation, we strive to support entrepreneurs as they are job creators making a significant and positive impact in emerging economies. They are true game changers who constantly innovate and rise by lifting others. On the occasion of World Entrepreneurs’ Day, I urge entrepreneurs to look at emerging fields like green technology (Electric Vehicles, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Recycling and Waste Management etc.) because apart from the obvious benefits related to sustainability, India has the potential to create 50 million jobs by 2070 by enabling a green economy.”

India, no doubt, has a rich, vibrant ecosystem of startups, both in terms of entrepreneurs and the best and brightest in the country wanting to pursue entrepreneurship. However, to mitigate the startup failure rate, Wadhwani Foundation’s advice to startups, especially in the early stages, is to spend with caution, focus on the customer and the problem that they are striving to solve, and have clear answers to these questions:

A.      How does the unit economics of the solution work?

B.      What does it take to produce the solution?

C.      What is the customer willing to pay for that pain?

D.      How large is the addressable market?

The YoY annual growth in the Indian startup ecosystem is projected at 12-15%. However, to consistently achieve this growth, the startup growth needs to be concurrent with the growth of ecosystem enablers and market catalysts like accelerators, incubators, venture capitalists, angel investors, support groups, technology corporations and mentors.

Tata Motors Wins Order Of 921 Electric Buses From Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation

Key Highlights:

* Wins orders for over 3,600 electric buses in under 30 days

* Order is a part of the larger tender by Convergence Energy Services Limited

* Tata Motors will be responsible to supply, operate and maintain 921 low-floor, 12-metre electric buses

Company has already received orders for 1,500 e-buses from Delhi Transport Corporation and 1,180 e-buses from West Bengal Transport Corporation, respectively in the last 30 days

* Tata Starbus offers superior design and best-in-class features for comfortable travel

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, today announced that the company has won an order of 921 electric buses from Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). Under the larger tender by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), Tata Motors will supply, operate and maintain 12-metre electric buses for a period 12 years, as per the contract. Tata Starbus is an indigenously developed vehicle with superior design and best-in-class features designed for sustainable and comfortable travel.

Commenting on the announcement, Ms. G Sathyavathi, IAS, Managing Director, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation said, “We are delighted to confirm the order of 921 electric buses to Tata Motors. This order is paramount for Bengaluru’s growing need for clean, sustainable urban mass mobility. BMTC is happy to induct modern electric buses that will attract maximum ridership for eco-friendly public transport.”

Ms. Mahua Acharya, MD & CEO Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) said, “We are extremely pleased that BMTC has placed its order for electric buses under the Grand Challenge of CESL. This is a yet another significant milestone in the electric bus journey we are on. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Government of Karnataka and BMTC for their commitment and to Tata Motors for their collaboration.”

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Rohit Srivastava, Vice President, Product Line – Buses, Tata Motors said, “We are delighted that Tata Motors’ commitment towards modernising public transportation in India is further strengthened by receiving the prestigious order of electric buses from BMTC. Tata Motors has been at the forefront of developing smart, modern and energy efficient passenger commercial vehicles, catering to the needs of future mobility. We are confident that these environment-friendly electric buses will be beneficial for the residents of Bengaluru.”

Tata Motors has already received orders for 1,500 electric buses from Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and 1,180 electric buses from West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), respectively in the last 30 days. Tata Motors’ state-of-the-art research and development facilities have steadily worked to engineer innovative mobility solutions powered by alternate fuel technology, including battery-electric, hybrid, CNG, LNG and Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology. Till date, Tata Motors has supplied more than 715 electric buses across multiple cities in India, which have cumulatively clocked more than 40 million kilometres.

B.C. Canada’s Western Hemlock And Yellow Cedar Making Their Mark In The Indian Hospitality Sector

Forestry Innovation Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (FII India), also known as Canadian Wood, is a crown corporation of British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada, with a mandate to promote certified wood from sustainable managed forests of B.C. Canada. Its main objective is to encourage the use of five distinct wood species from B.C. Canada in the Indian market, mainly known as: - S-P-F (Spruce-Pine-Fir), Western hemlock, Douglas-fir, Yellow cedar, and Western Red Cedar. These wood species have unique properties, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. Through a network of 41 stockists in major cities, ready-to-use Canadian Wood lumber is available across the nation seasoned, sized, and graded.

The corporation joined hands with Indian designers, architects, and manufacturers to include Canadian wood species in hospitality projects as part of FII's strategy to increase awareness of these wood species in the Indian market.

A while ago, FII collaborated with an architecture firm, Wings the Design Studio and an interior design company, Minimal Stroke for a restaurant project in Pune called Celesto Bar & Restaurant.

An Overview of The Collaborators:

Wings the Design Studio is an internationally recognized architecture and interior design firm based in Pune. Since its establishment in 2001, Wings the Design Studio has served a range of clients, each with unique and difficult demands.

Minimal Stroke is regarded as a brand delivering high-quality “Made In India” lifestyle items ranging, from specifically designed outdoor solutions to custom interior furniture collection, art, and accessories. The company has 18 years of expertise and love for product design.

Celesto Bar & Restaurant has a seating capacity of 300 guests including both outdoor and indoor dynamic seating arrangements. The Architects and designers decided to give a cosy and inviting look to the restaurant by using Yellow Cedar for the outdoor table, chairs, and ceiling as the wood is very easy to work with and has a high moisture absorption ratio as long as the surface is fully polished. Western Hemlock was used for the indoor dining table, chairs, and panelling because of its sublime grainy texture.

Building partnerships and showcasing the benefits of using B.C. wood are two goals of FII India's ongoing collaboration with architects and designers. Both Wings the Design Studio and Minimal Stroke decided to band together with FII India on this project based on their previous experience with the company, which were considerable feats of architecture and design. Because they were already acquainted with Canadian wood from earlier projects and had been familiarized with B.C. wood species, the architects and designers decided to use Western hemlock and yellow cedar wood to achieve their goal of creating a warm and welcoming ambience within the space. A local Canadian wood stockist introduced to the designers by FII India team, FII India team who also offered technical assistance throughout the project. FII India has previously partaken in many such collaborations with designers and architects to spread the word about sustainable wood from B.C. Canada.

The application of BC. Wood species in Celesto Bar & Restaurant was a grand success. The design team was satisfied by the overall quality of the wood, both yellow cedar and Western hemlock, which gave the restaurant a unique and modern ambience. Showcasing wood design and products in busy establishments like Celesto Bar & Restaurant, Pune builds on ongoing market development activities in India and spreads the knowledge of the variety of uses for B.C wood species. FII India plans on increasing such number of collaborations with designers and architects to further highlight the benefits of using Canadian wood in the Indian space and expand on its commitment and engagement in the market.

Over 30% Of Employees Are Likely To Switch Jobs And 71% Are Concerned About Being Overlooked For Career Growth: PwC India

* Over 80% believe that their jobs can be done remotely.

* 71% of employees are concerned about being overlooked for career advancement.

* 54% of employees strongly/moderately agree that India faces a shortage of their skill sets.

* 75% of employees have had conversations on topics of social and political significance at work.

Workplaces in India have changed significantly over the past couple of years, with considerable mindset shifts for both employers and employees. While employers have been more focused on building a resilient workforce strategy, employees on their part are driven by opportunities for fulfilment, creativity, innovation and authenticity, apart from financial rewards. They have also been placing a premium on organisational trust, innovation and hybrid ways of working, according to PwC’s India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022, which provides important insights into employee drivers, aspirations and specific outcomes employees expect in the next 12 months, along with employee perspectives on transparency and implications of technology.

According to the survey, the shift to hybrid work is expected to continue, with 81% of employees in India believing that their jobs can be done remotely and with 31% of those who can work remotely already working in a hybrid way.

An important finding is that a significantly higher proportion of Indian employees (71%) are concerned about being overlooked for career advancement as compared to their global peers (21%). This points to the need for deploying more transparent and data-driven processes to define career pathways.

Chaitali Mukherjee, Partner and Leader, People and Organisation, PwC India said: “The disruptive landscape of social, environmental, economic and geopolitical changes has had profound consequences on organisations and their workforce strategies. Leaders need to consider these disruptions while drawing up their short- and long-term plans for the organisation as well as their people. The themes emerging from our survey throw light on how organisational strategy is experienced at the grassroots level. For an organisation to be fit for future, it is imperative that employee perspective dovetails with the employer’s perspective to accelerate transformation keeping in mind the workforce dynamics, with well-defined tangible measures to bring about greater alignment between both these aspects.”

India is one of the countries with a huge perceived gap in skills, with 54% of employees strongly/moderately agreeing that India faces a shortage of their skill sets and 67% believing that their job requires specialist training. At present, employers are seen as addressing skill shortages through wage increases, recruitment and automation, with fewer using upskilling as a strategic lever.

The survey finds that 34% of respondents in India believe they are extremely/very likely to switch to a new employer as compared to 19% globally. Further, 32% say they plan to leave the workforce. Millennials are the most likely to seek new employment, with 37% indicating that they are likely to switch employers in the next 12 months. While Gen Z employees are less likely to quit, 33% of them are extremely or very likely to ask for a reduction in work hours.

Also, more than half of the respondents in the survey are concerned about the lack of opportunities to work with or learn technological skills from their colleagues. This learning gap begins at the top, with more than 50% of CEOs perceiving a lack of opportunities for learning technological skills.

Sensitive social and political topics are occupying an increasingly important place in workplace conversations, with 75% of employees having had conversations of this nature, highlighting the need for employers to actively create safe spaces for such conversations.

The survey also highlights that employees expect more transparency and support in incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their work.

“Balancing business considerations with employee aspirations is easier said than done. However, given the fact that the future of work is undergoing a massive overhaul, it is important to prioritise leadership and employee capabilities to drive change and move the needle in business,” Chaitali added.

PwC recommends that organisations adopt a data-driven approach to broaden their understanding of what drives employees. It is also critical to enable the shift to hybrid working through empowerment with equity by developing clarity in criteria and guardrails. Organisations should also prioritise investing in upskilling as a strategic lever to proactively address talent shortage, and use technology to augment human potential and reinvent the employee value proposition, while thinking creatively to navigate constraints and balance business considerations with individual aspirations.

About the survey:

The India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022 report is based on the findings of PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022. The survey included 2,608 participants from India, and 93% of them were full-time employees. Of the total number of employees surveyed, 78% were men, 16% were women and 5% were others, while 1% did not answer the question on gender. Further, 85% were employed in professional or administrative jobs, 10% did skilled manual work, and the remaining 5% did semi-skilled or unskilled manual work. The survey covered people across generations: 54% of those surveyed were millennials (26–41 years), 26% were Gen X (42–57 years), 15% were Gen Z (18–25 years of age) and 5% were baby boomers (58–76 years).

This report is an extension of PwC’s earlier ‘People and culture first: Transformation journey in the future of work’ report which provided insights into the challenges and impediments that often prevent organisations from becoming future ready, but perceived from the business leader’s lens.

Aster Medcity Introduces NeuroNav MER System In Partnership With Medtronic For Parkinson’s Disease Patients

* The partnership with Medtronic aims to spread awareness about Parkinson’s disease, the role of DBS as a standard of care in the disease and increase patients’ access to advanced DBS therapy through the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Program.

* Having completed 50 DBS procedures in the last 15 months, Aster Medcity is the most active DBS Centre in Kerala.

Aster Medcity and India Medtronic Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), have partnered to build a comprehensive and advanced Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) program for Parkinson’s patients in India. The partnership supports the Aster Centre for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder by bringing together Aster's teams with their medical and surgical expertise in DBS therapy and Medtronic’s complete suite of DBS technologies along with technical expertise and support. Today we are happy to announce the introduction of the latest version of Microelectrode recording system for DBS surgeries – NeuroNav MER system (Alpha Omega) from Medtronic at Aster Medcity Kochi, making it the first centre in South Asia to bring in this technology.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that in the more advanced stages causes severe disability due to the increasing severity of movement related problems, balance and cognitive functions symptoms. Overall, movement disorders constitute 3-8% of neurological disorders in India with a crude prevalence rate (CPR) varying from 31 to 45/100,000 above 60 years of age.1 In 2016, it was estimated that 6.1 million people worldwide had Parkinson’s disease. The prevalence in India was estimated to be 10% of the global burden, that is, 5.8 lakhs.2 DBS is a therapy in which a small pacemaker-like device sends electrical signals through very thin wires, known as ‘leads’, to a targeted area in the brain related to the symptoms.

The aim of the partnership is to increase the outreach of the program to all the Parkinson’s and movement disorder patients who need the treatment, especially to those with relatively early onset (under 45 years) or young- onset of Parkinson’s disease so that they get back their mobility and functional capacity in the most productive years of their lives.

50 patients with Parkinson’s have benefitted from the partnership program in the last 15 months, making Aster Medcity the most active DBS Centre in Kerala. This was possible under the highly experienced clinical team comprising of Dr. Asha Kishore who has 20 years of experience in DBS treatment and Dr. Dilip Panikar, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon. Together, they performed the first DBS procedure in India in 1998. Aster’s expert team also comprises of Dr. Shejoy Joshua, Consultant Neurosurgery, Dr. Anup Nair, Consultant Neurosurgery and Dr. Kanchana Pillai, Consultant Neurologist.

“DBS procedure requires high level of skill and training for both the medical and surgical team members. Even with the current technologies, DBS is a challenging procedure for the DBS team worldwide. Accuracy of electrode placement in the very deep and small regions of brain is most critical in getting the best clinical outcome for the patients even if all other requirements are met.  DBS is superior to medical treatment in improving the quality of life and in reducing the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease if performed before the disease progresses to a very advanced stage. We are thrilled to collaborate with Medtronic, as partnerships like this can help to introduce the most advanced technologies such as NeuroNav MER system in DBS procedures. It will help the Movement Disorder specialist to provide accurate information to the Neurosurgeon on accuracy of targeting during DBS procedure,” explained Dr. Asha Kishore, Senior Neurologist and Movement Disorder Specialist, Parkinson and Movement Disorder Centre at Aster Medcity.

Madan Krishnan, Vice President & Managing Director, Medtronic India said, “The aim of the partnership with Aster is to take Parkinson’s management to the next level by empowering surgeons to make faster and more accurate treatment decisions using DBS therapy. Clinicians can deliver truly data-driven, personalized therapy that fits the needs of today's patients. With the advanced NeuroNav MER systems, target localization, that used to take 40 to 45 minutes can now be done in 10 to 11 minutes. It serves as evidence of our dedication to the Medtronic Mission and Parkinson’s patients in India”

“Through our partnership with Medtronic, we are able to provide the latest advancements in Parkinson’s management.  The technology will enhance the quality of patients’ lives and further improve clinical outcomes. We are delighted to introduce and offer such advanced healthcare technologies and therapies to patients in Kerala and rest of India,” said Farhan Yasin, Regional Director, Aster Hospitals-Kerala & Oman.

“DBS is a minimally invasive procedure for accurately placing an electrode into a small target in the brain through a 14mm hole in the skull. Stimulation delivered through this electrode is used to modulate functioning in the brain and produce beneficial effects in various conditions like Parkinson's disease and others. The identification of the target is done with high-resolution CT and MRI scans and the placement of the electrode is done using stereotactic surgery. Advancements in technology have made it possible to map cellular activity and functioning, thus improving the accuracy of placement and obtaining better functional results,” said Dr. Anup P Nair, Consultant Neurosurgery, Aster Medcity.

Microelectrode recording (MER) has been considered the gold standard in ensuring accuracy for the deep brain stimulation procedure. The NeuroNav MER system, developed by Israel-based Medtech company Alpha Omega Engineering, has been defining the new standard in neural navigation for the past three decades and received international recognition from numerous global leaders in the field of neurosurgery. It is a compact, field-proven MER system, used clinically in the localization of surgical targets for the implantation of DBS electrodes for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. NeuroNav allows safe, simple and accurate insertion of electrodes into the brain, while recording neural activity and stimulating neural tissue.

About Aster Medcity

Aster Medcity, set in a soothingly beautiful 40-acre waterfront campus, is a 670-bed quaternary care facility located in Kochi, Kerala. Fulfilling the vision and dream of Dr Azad Moopen, our beloved chairman, the centre has been delivering quality healthcare at affordable cost through its Centres of Excellence and a multi-speciality hospital since 2013. Ours is the first JCI accredited quaternary care hospital in the state and combines the best of talent and technology to provide holistic treatment with a multidisciplinary approach.

Over the years, Aster Medcity has evolved itself into a medical destination - one that attracts not just thousands of patients across the world; but also attracts and nurtures the best talents, keep on upgrading technology as well as fostering research, education and a distinctive work culture that is ethically and socially relevant. Kerala’s first quaternary care hospital, Aster Medcity, has also been accredited by NABH. We have received NABH award for Nursing Excellence, Green OT (Green Operation Theatres), Certification by Bureau Veritas, all within a year of opening its door to the world.

About Medtronic

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

MlT And CII Mangalore Chapter To Organize Academia- Industry Conclave 1.0 In September

* The conclave will be held on September 10, 2022 in Manipal

* In the run up to the event a Hackathon on smart roads, transports and logistics will be held on September 9th, 2022

* Registrations for the conclave and the hackathon are now open

Manipal Institute of Technology in association with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Mangalore chapter is organizing Academy and Industry Conclave 1.0 at Manipal on September 10, 2022. The conclave is designed to host experts from industry and academia to deliberate on possible innovative projects through mutual support. The conclave is expected to facilitate institute collaborations with industries for academic, research projects, start-ups, and related activities.

As a part of the conclave, a Hackathon is being organized at MIT, Manipal on 9th September 2022.  The theme for the hackathon is Smart roads, transport and logistics and participants will be solving problem statements around various aspects of the theme.

The conclave will also include panel discussions between industry and academia and will provide students opportunities for networking and exploring projects/internships and collaboration with industries.

Speaking about the event Cdr (Dr) Anil Rana, Director, MIT, MAHE, Manipal said “The Industry-Institute conclave is being organized by MIT and CII Mangalore Chapter to provide a platform for close interaction between the industries and the academic institutes in the region.

In the run up to the event, teams of students from MIT and other institutes in the region will work on the problem statements provided by the industries and devise solutions showcasing their technical prowess and reach. At the same time, the platform will allow the local and regional industries and associations to apprise the academic institutes of their expectations from the graduates and the institutions themselves. The entire event is being generously supported by MAHE” said Dr Rana.

Jaro Education Collaborates With India’s Leading Technical University E&ICT Academy IIT Guwahati

Jaro Education, India’s most trusted online higher education company, has collaborated with India’s leading Electronics & Information, Communication Technology (E&ICT) Academy, IIT Guwahati, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, to help professionals grow in the tech industry with the offering of technical courses & programmes. E&ICT Academy has already conducted 320+ courses and trained 18000+ learners across India, and 1200+ students and working professionals joined Advanced Certification Programme.

The technical courses and interdisciplinary programmes are carefully curated for mid and senior professionals to boost and upgrade their professional careers to improve the employability of graduates/diploma holders, including those in the Electronics and ICT streams.

As per a recent report, employment in computer and information technology occupations is 

poised to grow 13% by 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.

Adhering to the demand, Jaro Education, focusing on online higher education in association with E&ICT Academy, brings programmes that will include Data Science, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, EV, and many more. The programmes will be backed by Jaro Education’s exclusive Placement Assistance and Career Guidance services.

The aim is to create a pool of skilled human resources in emerging areas in consonance with the Digital India and Electronic Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) initiatives of the Government of India (GoI).

Dr Gaurav Trivedi, the Principal Investigator of E&ICT Academy IIT Guwahati, said, “This association will aid the Students / working Professionals industry to upgrade their skill sets in this ever-changing technological world. The program will be guided through the rich pool of Experts provided by E&ICT Academy IIT Guwahati and Jaro Education.”

Ms Ranjita Raman, CEO of Jaro Education, said, “We are glad to be collaborating with E & ICT Academy on this project. This mutually beneficial initiative will result in a rich exchange of knowledge and will enable students to stay current with industry practices. This programme will assist us in developing a talent pool with a competitive advantage, advanced knowledge, and a shrinking skills gap.”

Further, to enrich the competencies of the cohort, Jaro Education continues to open new avenues by offering high-quality education for working professionals to bridge them with relevant industry know-how.

Earlier, Jaro Education confederated with the world’s leading institutes such as Imperial College Business School London, Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto), and Deakin University (Australia), to name a few – increasing its global footprints. This Edtech pioneer continues to expand its one-of-its-kind and new-age program portfolios by joining hands with leading top-ranked universities.

*Note* - Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), Government of India (GoI) has set up an Electronics and ICT (E&ICT) Academy at IIT Guwahati along with 06 other such academies.

About E&ICT Academy

Electronics & ICT Academy Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati). As an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), the Academy was set up at IIT Guwahati under the “Financial Assistance for setting up Electronics and ICT Academies” scheme. On 26 March 2015, the project started at IIT Guwahati and the Academy was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 19 January 2016. The objective of the Academy is to provide skill training to the Faculty Members (Engineering & Non-engineering) in the area of recent trends in engineering & ICT application. The Academy is designing specialized modules for imparting quality training for enhancing employability and capacity building in Electronics & ICT. In the past 7 years, the Academy has successfully conducted 300+ Faculty Development Programme through conventional classroom teaching and NKN virtual classroom mode in different Institutes/ Universities of North Eastern States in particular and a few in other states of India. To date, the Academy has successful trained 18000+ participants. The Academy has also signed MoU with Institutes/Universities to host the programmes and conduct hands-on sessions. The Academy collaborated with Industries as Training/Industry Partners. The Academy also offers online Advance Certification Courses in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Full Stack and VLSI Design and trained 1000+ graduates and working professionals. The Academy has also delivered training to Assam Police officials on cybercrime concepts and trained 90+ officials. The project has been extended to 30 September 2022. The Academy has been given a goal to train 13019+ faculty members by 30 September 2022, and the Academy has achieved the same by 31 March 2022.

About Jaro Education

Jaro Education is India’s most trusted online higher education company. The Edtech firm, a pioneer in the executive education industry, was founded in 2009 by Dr Sanjay Salunkhe and has been profit-making since its inception and is self-funded. The company has been awarded the Edtech leadership award and the National best employer accolade by World HRD Congress in March 2022. The company aims to nurture entrepreneurs & working professionals from entry-level to C-Suite level in every field and industry by offering executive education programs that cater to their requirements. Having been recognized for changing the online education landscape in India, Jaro Education provides more than 45+ management, technology and techno-functional programs in collaboration with top reputed institutes. They facilitate the development of management and technology-based online programs for many leading Indian and global institutes like Imperial College Business School London, Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto), IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Tiruchirappalli, IMT Ghaziabad, IIT Palakkad and others. With its strong domain expertise and insight into executive education, Jaro Education has transformed the careers of over 3 lakh professionals in the last 13+ years throughout its 20+ learning centres across India.

ManageEngine Integrates With Sectigo To Automate Certificate Lifecycle Management

* Key Manager Plus Now Streamlines The Management Of SSL/TLS Certificates Issued By The Certificate Authority

ManageEngine, the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation, today announced the integration between its key and certificate lifecycle management solution, Key Manager Plus, and Sectigo, an industry-leading identity-first security Certificate Authority. A testament to Sectigo’s push for openness and interoperability in the identity, public key infrastructure (PKI), cryptography space, this integration enables IT admins using Sectigo certificates to confidently automate the entire certificate lifecycle from a secure, central platform.

Customers can leverage this integration to:

Accelerate the procurement of Sectigo certificates with automated domain validation from Key Manager Plus.

Maintain the acquired certificates in a consolidated, up-to-date inventory.

Prevent unforeseen outages with automated renewal of Sectigo certificates.

Plan renewals proactively with timely notifications on certificate and domain expiration.

Gain visibility with exclusive reports for certificates issued by Sectigo.

"With work environments going perimeter-less and integrity issues at play in increasingly complex and untrusted IT environments, organizations are looking to step up their certificate lifecycle management (CLM) programs," said Rajesh Ganesan, President of ManageEngine. "The integration of Key Manager Plus with Sectigo is an important step in helping security teams protect applications and infrastructures, improve their overall CLM maturity, and reduce risks to their reputation."

David Mahdi, Chief Strategy Officer and CISO Advisor, Sectigo added, "We are delighted to partner with ManageEngine to further progress the mission of openness and interoperability in the identity, PKI, and cryptography space. Increasingly, we are seeing CISOs needing a robust CLM solution to enable them to cope with the growing number of human and machine identities, which need to be authenticated and secured. The future of identity-first security which includes, CLM, PKI, and machine identity management, will be underpinned by openness and interoperability, and so integrations like this are vital to enable CISOs and their teams to overcome traditional operational challenges with certificate and machine identity management."

Pricing and Availability

The Standard Edition of Key Manager Plus starts at $475 per year for 25 keys and is available for download at https://mnge.it/Tli. A fully functional, free, 30-day trial version, the Evaluation Edition, is also available to download, which automatically turns into the Free Edition at the end of the trial period. Find detailed pricing information here: https://mnge.it/vrW.

About Key Manager Plus

ManageEngine Key Manager Plus is a machine identity management software that monitors, manages, and automates the entire lifecycle of SSH keys and SSL/TLS certificates. It provides complete visibility into SSH and SSL/TLS environments and helps administrators take total control of their PKI management. For more information about Key Manager Plus, visit manageengine.com/key-manager.

About Sectigo

As an identity-first security-focused provider, Sectigo, is a leading provider of digital certificates and automated CLM solutions - trusted by the world’s largest brands. Its cloud-native universal certificate and CLM platform issues and manages the lifecycle of digital certificates issued by Sectigo and other Certificate Authorities (CAs) to secure every human and machine identity across the enterprise. With openness and interoperability at the core, Sectigo leverages open industry standards and prioritizes partner integrations to help customers enable secure business outcomes. With over 20 years of experience establishing digital trust, Sectigo is one of the longest-standing and largest CAs with more than 700,000 customers, including 36% of the Fortune 1000. For more information, visit www.sectigo.com.

About ManageEngine

ManageEngine is the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation. Established and emerging enterprises—including 9 of every 10 Fortune 100 organizations—rely on ManageEngine's real-time IT management tools to ensure optimal performance of their IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, applications, desktops and more. ManageEngine has offices worldwide, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, India, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, China and Australia, as well as 200+ global partners to help organizations tightly align their business and IT. For more information, please visit manageengine.com; follow the company blog and on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Bodycraft Salon & Spa Outlets Offers Discounts To Celebrate Its 25th Anniversary

As part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations, Bodycraft Salon & Spa invites you to come spin-the-wheel at any of their 13 outlets across Bengaluru for exclusive offers. You stand a chance to win a free chemical peel, foot massage, haircuts and other exciting freebies. Additionally, Bodycraft Clinic is also offering 20% discount on a wide range of their signature services including, PRP- Platelet Rich Plasma, GFC- Growth Factor Concentrate and QR678. The offer ends on 31 Aug 2022. 

Dabur Honey Takes Sonu Sood On Its Purity Trail Across Indian Market

What started off as a genuine health query on social media from renowned Bollywood actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood ended in an informative Honey Trail. During his journey to the foothills of Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Sood personally experienced the process of sourcing, collection, testing and packaging of India’s purest and World’s No. 1 branded Honey, Dabur Honey.

It all started on 1st August, when fitness and health-conscious Sonu Sood tweeted about planning to replace sugar with honey in his daily diet and wanted to be sure about choosing the best quality honey available in market. “Being the market leader and committed to health and well-being of consumers, Dabur Honey decided to take Mr. Sonu Sood on a Honey purity Trail to showcase the 100% purity and quality commitment of Dabur Honey. He experienced the unique journey of Dabur Honey from sourcing, filtration, testing and packaging from exclusive bee farms to our USFDA approved honey plant which only Dabur has setup with decades of domain expertise”. Mr. Byas Anand, Head-Corporate Communications, Dabur India Ltd said.

During the visit, Sonu Sood also interacted with the experienced beekeepers from Dabur’s selective bee farms, besides taking a tour of Dabur Honey’s world class manufacturing unit. He visited state-of-the-art testing laboratories where every batch of Dabur Honey undergoes 100+ stringent quality tests as mandated by FSSAI and then packed in fully automated facility, untouched by hand, before reaching millions of households. “We are sure that through his personal experience of Dabur Honey’s journey from hive to home, Sonu Sood who champions the voice of crores of Indian consumers, would now be 100% confident on the superior product quality of Dabur Honey,” Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Marketing Head- Health Supplements, Dabur India Ltd said.

Sharing his views, actor Sonu Sood said: “I was always inquisitive about the sourcing of pure honey from nature, how it is collected and packaged. I would like to thank Dabur India for inviting me to visit their beefarm and honey plant to help me experience the complete process of honey collection, filtration, testing and packaging. This not just strengthens my belief in Dabur Honey as a brand that has been part of my household since years but also showcases how this world class brand has been built on the pillars of trust and transparency. Now I can vouch that when it comes to purity of Honey, nothing beats Dabur Honey. Without any hesitation, I can replace sugar with Dabur Honey in my journey of staying Fit & Healthy.”

“Dabur Honey has constantly nudged consumers to adopt Honey in their daily diet and fitness regimen, be it by way of having Dabur Honey with warm water every morning or as a replacement of sugar in tea, coffee, beverages or as an additive in breakfast cereals. Dabur Honey not only has lower calories than sugar but also helps in boosting immunity”, Mr. Agarwal added.

About Dabur India Ltd: Dabur India Ltd is one of India’s leading FMCG Companies. Building on a legacy of quality and experience for 138 years, Dabur is today India’s most trusted name and the world’s largest Ayurvedic and Natural Health Care Company. Dabur India's FMCG portfolio includes nine Power Brands –Dabur Chyawanprash, Dabur Honey, Dabur Honitus, Dabur PudinHaraandDabur Lal Tailin the Healthcare space; Dabur Amla, Dabur Red Paste and Vatika for Personal Care; and Réalin the Foods category.

CollegeDekho Onboards “two Independent Directors” To Its Advisory Board

* Rajeev Chaba, President and MD at MG Motor India and Ivan Kolomoetz, CEO and Co-Founder of UCHi.RU will work closely with Ruchir Arora to further drive CollegeDekho’s growth in India and global markets 

CollegeDekho, India’s largest college admissions and education services platform has appointed Rajeev Chaba, President and MD at MG Motor India and Ivan Kolomoetz, President and Co-Founder of Russia-based company UCHi.RU and U.S based company Happynumbers.com as Independent Directors to its Advisory Board. They will work closely with Ruchir Arora, CEO and Co-Founder of CollegeDekho to play a key role in shaping the company’s future strategies and aid in the company’s governance.  

Coming from varied backgrounds both Rajeev and Ivan are known to have played an instrumental role in disrupting their respective industries and achieving exponential growth for their companies. Rajeev has an enriching experience of three decades in the auto segment where he has held senior leadership positions at top global automotive brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, Opel & Buick across multiple international markets. Ivan is a young entrepreneur and co-founder of Russia’s biggest edtech company with more than 8 million students.  

On the appointment, Ruchir Arora, CEO & Co-Founder, CollegeDekho, said, “I am excited to work with Rajeev and Ivan to help CollegeDekho enter its next phase of growth. Rajeev and Ivan’s experience across global markets and ability to build a strong product portfolio will play a key role in helping us in our commitments to transform India’s higher education space with ingenious offerings.” 

Rajeev Chaba, President, and MD at MG Motor India said, “It is inspiring to see CollegeDekho’s phenomenal journey, and I am delighted to now be a part of it. I truly believe in its mission of simplifying students’ higher education journey and am hopeful, the company will be able to expand its product offerings and markets to make it a truly globally competitive company. I am looking forward to working with the incredible team of CollegeDekho and its investors.” 

Ivan Kolomoetz, CEO and Co-Founder of Russia-based company UCHi.RU and U.S based company Happynumbers.com added, “India has a huge untapped potential in the education space offering companies like CollegeDekho an immense potential to grow and replicate a similar growth model in other global markets. I am eager to help CollegeDekho in further strengthening its product offerings and scale better.” 

CollegeDekho is one of India’s fastest-growing ed-tech companies in the higher education space. Earlier this year it acquired two ed-tech companies Prepbytes and GetMyUni to expand its product portfolio. It raised $35mn in its Series B funding round and is backed by investors including Winter Capital, ETS Strategic Capital, Disrupt ADQ, QIC, Calega and Man Capital. 

About CollegeDekho (www.collegedekho.com) 

Founded in 2015, CollegeDekho is on a mission to institutionalise students’ counselling in India in the higher education space. It connects prospective students with colleges using its proprietary technology and AI-based chat conversation bot. Its Common Application Form platform, which enables students to apply to multiple colleges with a single click, is India’s largest of its kind. Since its inception, CollegeDekho has counselled more than 44 lakh students and has helped more than 1500 colleges with their student recruitments. For study abroad students, CollegeDekho provides a full stack of services from profile building, test preparation, university selection and visa assistance. The company recently announced a Fintech vertical that offers students with end-to-end financial assistance and CollegeDekho Learn, an online learning platform that helps students prepare for their future course of studies and placements. The company is backed by investors like ETS, an organisation responsible for conducting GRE and TOEFL exams globally. (www.collegedekho.com)  

Meta And National Commission For Women Partner With Farhan Akhtar’s MARD To Launch A Reporting Campaign For Women Safety

* Campaign “Don’t Hesitate, Do Report, Stay Safe” will be launched in 5 Indian languages

Meta and the National Commission for Women, in partnership with Farhan Akhtar’s MARD, today announced the launch of a reporting campaign “Don’t Hesitate, Do Report, Stay Safe” to improve the online safety of women. The campaign will focus on increasing awareness and knowledge around tools and resources available to users to report online abuse, inappropriate content, or behaviour. 

Launched in English and five Indian languages - Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada and Tamil - ‘Don’t Hesitate, Do Report, Stay Safe’ will raise awareness amongst users on reporting the content that they find objectionable rather than sharing it further. 

Highlighting the efforts and initiatives to create a safer internet for users, Madhu Singh Sirohi, Head of Policy Programs and Outreach, Facebook India (Meta) said, “As per research, women contribute more to economic development when they are digitally empowered and that requires building an internet that is safe and spurs growth and impact. At Meta, we have always strived to build tools and resources that enable a safer and inclusive internet for women. With ‘Don't Hesitate, Do Report, Stay Safe’ we are confident we will be able to encourage more people to report online harms they see against women and partner with us in creating an empowering experience for women across Facebook and Instagram.”  

Built in consultation with various leading CSOs in India, the ‘Don't Hesitate, Do Report, Stay Safe’ campaign also aims to bust existing myths such as “If I report nothing will happen” or “If I report, it will not stay anonymous”. Further, the campaign will help users understand that when they report content they are in control of their experience on our apps - Facebook and Instagram.

Sharing her views on the partnership with Meta and the launch of the campaign, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson, Rekha Sharma, said, “Meta has been a long-standing partner for the National Commission for Women (NCW) on driving digital literacy initiatives that have encouraged more women to be part of the online journey while staying safe on the internet. These include an online resource center to deal with topics like cyberbullying, cyberstalking and financial frauds and training to effectively use online resources and grievance redressal mechanisms available to women. To ensure greater safety of women on online platforms, users need to be sensitized  on how to safely report problematic content. We are furthering our efforts today with the launch of this campaign to encourage more and more users to come forward and help stop online abuse faced by women each day.”

Speaking on the collaboration with the campaign, Farhan Akhtar, Actor, Director, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador South Asia, & Founder MARD Initiative (Men against Rape & Discrimination) said, “At MARD we believe in ensuring gender parity and democratization of the internet, whereby dignity of all users is maintained. It is important to raise your voice against online abuse and reporting such content, which will help combat different forms of harassment. We are proud to join hands with Meta and NCW to build a safer online experience for more people. ”

Meta has always made efforts in creating an internet which is safer and inclusive for women. Last year, Meta launched StopNCII.org that empowers women across the world to combat and prevent the spread of non-consensual intimate images (NCII). Meta also launched a Safety Hub for Women in English and 12 Indian languages that hosts all the safety resources women need when navigating the platform. It includes specific resources for women leaders, journalists and survivors of abuse. Additionally, it also contains video-on-demand safety trainings and allows visitors to register for live safety training hosted in multiple languages.

About Meta Platforms Inc.

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

About National Commission for Women

The National Commission for Women is a central, statutory body, whose mandate includes the reviewing of constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommending remedial legislative measures, facilitating the redressal of grievances and advising the government on all policy matters affecting women.  

About MARD

MARD was founded by Farhan Akhtar in 2013. The MARD initiative was designed to instill gender equality values amongst younger boys and men. The campaigns led by MARD, in association with various NGOs such as the PFI, focus on equality, empowerment, ending violence against women and girls and fighting online abuse. MARD aims to work with content creators, artists and musicians around the world in a pledge to engage hearts and minds for a more gender equal world. Anurag Rao is co- Founder of the initiative.

JoulestoWatts Expands With New Office In Bengaluru; Plans To Ramp Up Hiring To 15,000 Employees This Year

-          The office is located at Novel MSR Park, Marathahalli, Bengaluru

-          Forecasts growth momentum of 70% in the coming year

JoulestoWatts, a leading talent solutioning company, opened its new office in Bengaluru today, in the presence of Hon’ble Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Minister of Higher Education, Information Technology & Biotechnology and Science & Technology in the Government of Karnataka. The company is planning to hire 15,000 employees this year, as the organisation enters India’s top 03 IT staffing service provider.

The new corporate headquarters to further strengthen its footprint, providing adequate capacity as the firm looks to future proof itself. Given the war for talent, great resignation, momentum of the global IT industry and allied factors assuring rising demand for talent architecture, JoulestoWatts intends to double its consultant’s base. The new expansion will open up avenues for niche talent, gig experts, specialized talent in advanced tech skills and management practitioners providing all-encompassing leadership, leveraging best practices and delivering enhanced value to customers. This will cater to our aspiration to have 30 per cent of tech hiring by captives.

According to a recent report by Nasscom-Zinnov, by 2026, India is estimated to have 75-78 lakh tech professionals, however the requirement may be of 93-96 lakh techies, reflecting a gap of 14-19 lakh tech workforce. India has the potential to become the world's second-largest cloud talent hub but faces the challenge to serve an estimated demand for over 2 million professionals by 2025 professionals by 2026.

Speaking on the office opening, Priti Sawant, Founder & CEO, JoulestoWatts said “In the global race for premium tech talent, India and Bengaluru have always been at the epicentre. As India continues to gallop towards its vision of USD 5 trillion economy and the goal of housing 1000 start-ups, our new corporate headquarters will serve as a talent hub for our talent architects, providing tech-driven solutions for the furture of work, thriving on innovation and entrepreneurship. Through this expansion, we believe in our ability to positively impact our clients’ businesses across industry verticals with customized solutions, technology-driven services and rigorous analytics. ”

The opening of this new space will provide jobs and career growth for talented locals, while also contributing to the region's burgeoning reputation as a tech centre of excellence, supporting its sister offices across 08 countries like Dubai, Singapore and US.

About JoulestoWatts

JoulesToWatts a talent solutioning company that delivers a full spectrum of technology-driven solutions for the modern day workforce. It was founded in 2015 by Priti Sawant, a Gig Tech Visionary and a Talent Architecture Strategist, who has over two decades of experience in defining path-breaking talent management models for Fortune 500 technology companies. The firms approach to engineering organisational architecture by design and not as an afterthought ensures the workforce matches the firm’s vision at every stage. J2W is a leader in staff augmentation across six industry verticals, across 850 skills, amassing 400+ clients and a presence in 8 countries as it helps organisations find its right fit for purpose. For further details, please visit https://joulestowatts.com/