TreasuryTech Major IBSFINtech Launches 'VNDZY®', AI-Powered SaaS Solution For Supply Chain Finance

IBSFINtech, India's leading TreasuryTech solutions provider for corporates, has extended its product offerings with the launch of VNDZY®- an integrated SaaS solution for Supply Chain Finance. IBSFINtech is a globally renowned treasury, risk, and trade finance management enterprise that provides digitised solutions for end-to-end automation of the corporates' cash flow, liquidity, treasury, risk and trade finance functions. 

Powered by AI, SaaS platform VNDZY® offers a connected ecosystem for Corporations, Suppliers and Financial Institutions, creating a win-win solution backed by cutting-edge technologies. 

Corporations struggle with multiple challenges, including onboarding multiple vendors, validating vendor credibility, managing multiple banks, manual payment processes, and integrating ERP & Financial Institutions. On the other side, suppliers struggle with manual communication and multiple follow-ups to get their payments released, with no visibility on the payment dates, sending out invoices manually and so on. This amplifies into struggles in maintaining liquidity to ensure business sustainability and affects scalability opportunities.

VNDZY® (stands for Vendor Management made Easy) addresses all the challenges of the supply chain ecosystem and enables a mutually beneficial platform for all the stakeholders. For Corporates (Anchors), it facilitates centralised management of vendor payments, optimising the company's working capital while helping to improve the financial health of their suppliers. It helps CFOs and treasurers add tremendous value to the business. 

The platform also strengthens the Suppliers, with benefits such as the clearance of payments duration is shorter, which helps improve financial discipline. Furthermore, suppliers get dynamic discounts, and VNDZY® also enables direct negotiations with the corporates. 

IBSFINtech MD and CEO CM Grover said, "Supply Chain Finance is a cumbersome process and pandemic has accelerated the need for technology adoption to augment the SCF ecosystem. With our holistic understanding and cross-industry experience of corporate treasury and trade finance digitisation, automating the supply chain function has always been part of our strategic vision. Therefore, we are delighted to launch our new cutting-edge technology product, VNDZY®, a SaaS-based solution for Supply Chain Finance. We are continuously enhancing our established product portfolio in Treasury, Risk and Trade Finance management with the latest in technology. This year will witness the expansion of our portfolio with the launch of multiple products catering to the core Corporate Finance function as well as the peripheral areas." 

Through this solution, IBSFINtech integrates multiple disparate teams within the organisation, connects the vendors, gets the Financial Institutions on board, brings them all onto one platform, and ensures the entire supply chain process becomes completely digitised. The company plans to launch more products in the segment, catering to Dealer Finance and PO Finance, to facilitate the end-to-end digitisation of the SCF ecosystem. 

Vodafone Idea Foundation Unveils ‘Women Of Wonder’ - A Compilation Of Stories Of Inspiring Women

Vodafone Idea Foundation (VIF) celebrated International Women’s Day by unveiling ‘Women of Wonder’ – a book that chronicles the inspiring stories of 17 women who courageously braved all odds to achieve personal independence, and found their own standing in the society.

The book was unveiled by Vrinda Sarup, IAS, Former Secretary School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and Former Secretary Food and Public Distribution Government of India; Aruna Sharma, IAS, Former IT Secretary; Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18; Mr. P Balaji, Chief Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, VIL and Director, Vodafone Idea Foundation; and Dr. Nilay Ranjan, Head, Vodafone Idea Foundation at a virtual event.

These inspiring women leaders also addressed women beneficiaries of VIF’s various social programs across domains such as agriculture, education, livelihood creation, etc.

On this special occasion, VIF also felicitated women beneficiaries from their social programs who have broken through personal, social, and financial barriers to reach the pinnacle of success in their field of work, thereby setting a shining example for others to follow.* 

At the event, P Balaji, Chief Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, VIL and Director, Vodafone Idea Foundation said, “As a leading telco, we at Vodafone Idea Foundation leverage our technology strengths to create social impact through sustainable solutions, particularly in the area of women empowerment, safety and livelihood creation. We recognize that women empowerment is a critical catalyst for positive change. We strongly believe that when you educate, empower or support a woman in any ecosystem, you impact her entire family, her immediate ecosystem in the community, which in turn brings in a strong multiplier effect on the overall social and economic development of the country.”

The five women who were identified and recognized for their inspiring work include:

·         Bhawana Paliwal from Rajasthan goes from village to village and preaches digital literacy. She says, “I believe digital literacy is indispensable to empowering women and making them independent. I am grateful to the Vodafone India Foundation whose support has helped me spread my message to many more women across villages.”

·         Reeta Mondal’s outcome-based teaching practices have sparked an education revolution among young girls in Chattisgarh. She says, “I have been passionate about educating the young girls of our country. Education has the power to equip young girls to question and break stereotypes. It has the power to raise self-belief that nothing is out of reach for anyone.” 

·         Kiran Gupta trained self-employed women on practical aspects like communication, leadership, the use of the internet and online payments. She says, “I learned the hard way that financial independence is key to empowering women. When a woman is financially independent, she isn’t beholden to anyone and is free to explore the full extent of her potential.” 

·         Mamta Thakur, forced to pawn her jewelry so her family could afford fertilizer, embraced organic farming and now advocates its practice in her village. She says, “There is no occupation that is solely the preserve of men. I feel a great deal of pride that my pioneering work with organic farming has set an example for my community to follow.

·         Zeba Khan through her work as a teacher is influencing the next generation so as to make India a safer, more equal society for women. She says, “There should be no reason why women anywhere in the world should fear for their safety. I’ve made it my life’s goal to ensure a more equal and therefore safer society for women.”

IIM Lucknow Launches Executive Programme In Data Science With Eruditus

Leading B-School IIM Lucknow has announced the launch of Executive Programme in Data Science with Eruditus, the global leader in making high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies, and governments worldwide. The Executive Programme is an intensive nine-month programme designed to help learners build a robust foundation in practical business decision-making using statistics, in-demand data science tools, techniques using Excel and R.

Delivered through a blend of engaging live online sessions and a three-day on-campus immersion at the IIM Lucknow campus, this programme enhances the managerial understanding of the tools & techniques used in Data Science and Machine Learning; helps professionals develop skills to strategically take data-driven and real-time organisational decisions. The programme curriculum is also delves to make learners familiar with the concepts of statistics required to make strategic and effective business decisions and helps attain in-depth understanding of data structure and data analysis. This programme is ideal for early stage professionals, business and data analysts, senior management professionals and entrepreneurs and business owners who want to upskill themselves with increasing business demands.

Commenting on the programme, Mohan Kannegal, CEO, India and APAC, Eruditus said, “Data is constantly changing across the businesses and data crunching plays a significant role in the effective working of organizations by helping in implementing effective business strategies. Data science has established itself as a pre-requisite for taking effective data-driven decisions and insightful business strategies. The programme would enable learners gain skills to match the current industry demands and to take enhanced business decisions. The programme curriculum is designed to help learners effectively manage data science and analytical projects thereby attaining competitive edge”.

Prof. Gaurav Garg, Associate Professor, IIM Lucknow said, “Data Science has evolved as a significant career choice in recent times with many fresh graduates as well as experienced professionals switching to data related roles. The programme from IIM Lucknow has been specifically designed for executives looking for upskilling in the field of data science. The curriculum helps learners acquaint with the concepts of data analysis and the advanced tools and techniques to implement in different businesses scenarios”.

All the enrolled executives, on successful completion of all the evaluation components and attendance criteria, would receive a certificate of completion and would be eligible for the prestigious IIM Lucknow Executive Education Alumni Status.

About Eruditus:

Eruditus Executive Education offers customised and open programmes in India, Singapore, Dubai and other global locations in collaboration with MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, INSEAD, Harvard Business School (HBS), Kellogg Executive Education, Berkeley Executive Education, Wharton Executive Education, IIM Lucknow Executive Education, IIM Calcutta Executive Education and Emeritus. Our world-class executive education programmes, supported by eminent programme experts, provide an immersive learning experience integrated with actionable insights and practical business applications. The meticulously curated programmes are delivered in a different range of formats; in-class, online, as well as blended programmes. Our extensive portfolio also includes short 2-4 day in-class workshops, online courses of 2-3 months duration as well as comprehensive learning journeys that run over 6-9 months, customised to an organisation’s requirement. The Eruditus Group has more than 1,400 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. Following its $650 million Series E funding round in August 2021, the company is valued at $3.2 billion, and is backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Leeds Illuminate, Prosus Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Bertelsmann, Accel and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Learn more at Eruditus.com

About IIM Lucknow:

IIM Lucknow is the fourth IIM founded by the Government of India in 1984 and now holds the status of “Institution of Excellence” by the Ministry of HRD. The bschool featured on 7th spot in NIRF Management College Rankings in 2021, released by Ministry of Education, Government of India. The most sought after program of IIM Lucknow is MBA. The college also offers other degree courses like PGP-Agribusiness Management (ABM), PGP-Sustainable Management (SM), and PhD Courses. IIM Lucknow has released the Admission Policy 2022 for upcoming MBA Admissions. IIM Lucknow has released the MBA Stage1 shortlist on January 19, 2022. For shortlisting, the college will consider CAT Score and Academics. Final merit list will be released after the completion of the Personal Interview Round. IIM Lucknow conducts Interviews for PGP ABM and PGP-SM along with the MBA interviews. Further, IIM Lucknow also boasts of being the first IIM to have a satellite campus at Noida. IIM Lucknow, Noida Campus offers Executive MBA, International Program in Management for Working Executives (IPMX) and EFPM courses. IPMX Admissions are based on a GMAT/ GRE score with 5 years of work experience after graduation.

LTI Borderless Innovation And Experience Theatre For Oracle Cloud Inaugurated In Mumbai

* To offer connected experience across Oracle SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS products

Larsen & Toubro Infotech (BSE: 540005, NSE: LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, has inaugurated the ‘LTI Borderless Innovation and Experience Theatre for Oracle Cloud’ at LTI’s campus in Mumbai, India. The state-of-the-art experience theatre will assist enterprises in reimagining their business models by modernizing operations and accelerating their Oracle Cloud transformation journeys.

The facility is set to provide a connected and immersive experience across four key themes: Journey to Cloud (J2C), Business re-imagination stacks (Modern Finance, GenX HR, Resilient Supply Chain, and Direct to Customer), Digitize the Core, and Industry Cloud solutions. The Experience Theatre will be a one-stop-shop for customers to engage with LTI and Oracle experts for in-depth briefings, product/POCs demos, and workshops to visualize and scale future business processes. The facility will amplify LTI’s ability to simulate live project experiences, map-user journeys, provide connected experiences across Oracle’s product portfolio (SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS), and expedite clients’ digital transformation journey.

Nachiket Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Board Member, LTI, said: “The ‘LTI Borderless Innovation and Experience Theatre for Oracle Cloud’ will help customers envision future business models and accelerate their digital journeys. With Oracle, enterprises can optimize business workflows, boost customer and employee satisfaction, while reducing operational costs. The products and offerings demonstrated at the experience theatre are developed using Oracle Cloud Application Suite and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure products.”

Lalit Malik, Group Vice President of Alliances & Channels, Oracle Asia Pacific, said, “LTI has developed and demonstrated deep capabilities and track record working on Oracle Cloud. The ‘LTI Borderless Innovation and Experience Theatre for Oracle Cloud’ is an excellent asset to showcase their comprehensive Oracle Cloud capabilities. We are confident our clients will benefit from the ease of access to this experience theatre and be able to witness the type of modernization and transformation that many organizations have taken through simulation provided at the theatre”.

As a Global System Integrator (GSI) and a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork, LTI has achieved specialization across multiple Oracle Cloud products and service areas. LTI’s Oracle Cloud Applications practice is empowered with the right set of resources, tools, and assets, and leverages unique Oracle Cloud implementation methodology to power enterprise cloud projects. By leveraging its global experience in delivering leading Oracle Cloud solutions and Oracle’s product innovation capabilities, LTI along with Oracle will continue to invest in creating joint solutions and product extensions.

About LTI

LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions Company helping more than 475 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 33 countries, we go the extra mile to assist our clients and accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivalled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 40,000 LTItes enable our clients to improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers, employees, and shareholders. Learn more at http://www.Lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global.

BharatMatrimony Launches “Equal For Both”, A Campaign Encourages Women To Take A Stand For Equality

When it comes to matchmaking, for ages women have been asked multiple questions before marriage, some equal, some not. To address that, on Women’s Day, BharatMatrimony has launched “Equal For Both”, a campaign that pushes for equality in the relationship by encouraging women to take a stand for equality.  

BharatMatrimony believes that a happy marriage is between equals, so the questions should also be equal. 

Talking about the campaign, Arjun Bhatia, Chief Marketing Officer, Matrimony.com, says, “As a progressive platform that seeks to empower women, BharatMatrimony has always tried to understand the concerns of women of marriageable age and attempt to resolve them. So, this women's day, we wanted to voice the dilemma women face with these pre-marriage questions. We hope to nudge women and encourage them to take a stand for equality in the relationship and also inspire both men and women to ask the questions that matter to make a happy marriage.” 

Conceptualised by Wondrlab India, the campaign features women asking the audience the very same awkward questions posed to them before marriage. In effect, they’re posing them to the society at large. 

Link to Equal for Both video: https://youtu.be/MQySsZlezmI  

About Matrimony.com limited 

Matrimony.com is India’s leading consumer Internet Company. It is a signature consumer internet conglomerate, managing marquee brands such as BharatMatrimony, CommunityMatrimony and EliteMatrimony.  BharatMatrimony is considered the largest and most trusted matrimony brand which has also established a considerable retail presence with over 110 self-owned retail outlets across India.  Matrimony.com has also recently launched Jodii - a vernacular matchmaking service for common people. The Company delivers matchmaking and marriage related services to users in India and the Indian diaspora.  The Company has pioneered several new business models such as WeddingBazaar.com, Mandap.com and CommunityMatrimony.com, a consortium of over 300 community matrimony websites and now Jodii. 

Bank Of Baroda Announces The 2022 Edition Of #SaluteHerShakti “Contest With Ace Brand Ambassadors BV Sindhu And Shafali Verma”

* The contest runs from March 8 to 13 and entries can be submitted on the Bank’s social media handles 

On International Women’s Day, Bank of Baroda, one of India’s leading public sector banks, announced the 2nd edition of the #SaluteHerShakti contest to recognise and celebrate the inspiring women amongst us. 

The contest requires people to share the stories of extraordinary women who have inspired them. It could be one’s mother, sister, daughter, friend, neighbour, teacher, colleague – any woman who in her own way has broken barriers and changed the perception of women being the weaker sex. 

The chosen women will get to virtually interact with Bank of Baroda’s brand endorsers, sporting icons and role models to millions of Indians – Olympian PV Sindhu & Team India cricketer Shafali Verma – and also receive some exciting prizes.  

Shri Vikramaditya Singh Khichi, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda said, “Women are now playing increasingly important roles in all walks of life and it is imperative that we give them a platform that recognises and showcases their capabilities and achievements. #SaluteHerShakti is a step in this direction. Women achievers inspire everyone, especially other women to overcome all barriers on their path towards success. On International Women’s Day, we are pleased to launch the 2nd edition of #SaluteHerShakti, to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable journeys of some incredible women amidst us, who in turn will empower the next generation of women.”  

PV Sindhu, Olympian and Bank of Baroda’s brand endorser said, “Bank of Baroda has always been a staunch supporter of women’s causes. And the #SaluteHerShakti campaign is such an amazing way to shed light on extraordinary stories of women in our daily lives and to inspire other women to follow their dreams. I am really excited to virtually meet and talk to these wonderful women.” 

Shafali Verma, Youth icon, cricketer and Bank of Baroda’s brand endorser said, “I have grown up hearing about inspiring stories of women. The #SaluteHerShakti campaign by Bank of Baroda is the perfect way to honour and encourage such women. I am thrilled to be a part of this beautiful campaign and can’t wait to talk to some incredible women and share our experiences with each other.” 

The contest runs from March 08, 2022 till March 13, 2022 and entries can be submitted on any of the Bank’s official social media handles using the hashtag #SaluteHerShakti in the comment: Facebook handle: @bankofbaroda, Instagram handle: @officialbankofbaroda, Twitter handle: @bankofbaroda and LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bankofbaroda/.   

The top three chosen entries across all platforms will get the opportunity to virtually interact with two of India’s biggest sporting sensations - PV Sindhu and Shafali Verma. 

In 2021, the 1st edition of #SaluteHerShakti had received an overwhelming response with three women achievers being felicitated by PV Sindhu. This year, the Bank aims to make it bigger and reach a broader spectrum of Indians.  

About Bank of Baroda:  

Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial banks in India. At 63.97% stake, it is majorly owned by the Government of India. The Bank serves its global customer base of over 140 million through over 46,000 touchpoints spread across 19 countries in five continents. Through Its state-of-the-art digital banking platforms, it provides all banking products and services in a seamless and hassle-free manner. The recently launched bob World mobile app provides customers with a saving, investing, borrowing and shopping experience, all under one single app. The app also serves non-customers by enabling account opening through video KYC. The Bank’s vision matches its diverse clientele base and instills a sense of trust and security. It is moving well in that direction and bob World is a testimony of its roadmap towards Digital Transformation. 

BAFTA Awards Unveils Its Breakthrough India Participants For 2022

* Bengaluru’s Saumyananda Sahi And Sumukhi Suresh Also On The List This Year

* bIntroducing 10 ‘must watch’ creatives from regions across the country

* The new cohort will benefit from professional development and international networking opportunities provided by BAFTA and supported by Netflix

* Breakthrough participants selected by cross-industry global jury of industry experts including Apurva Asrani, Anupam Kher, AR Rahman Ratna Pathak Shah and Shonali Bose

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today unveiled ten emerging talents from across the Indian film, games and television industries that will participate in the ‘BAFTA Breakthrough India’ initiative supported by Netflix. The ten names were selected by an eminent jury consisting of industry experts including AR Rahman, Apurva Asrani, Anupam Kher, Ratna Pathak Shah and Shonali Bose.

The talented list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2022 is below:

* Ajitpal Singh, Director/Writer (Tabbar)

* Alokananda Dasgupta, Music Composer/Director (Sacred Games - Music Composer)

* Arati Kadav, Director/Writer (Cargo)

* Leena Manimekalai, Director/Writer (Maadathy, an Unfairy Tale)

* Mathivanan Rajendran, Producer (Nirvana Inn)

* Nakul Verma, Game Director (In My Shadow)

* Prateek Vats, Director/Writer (Eeb Allay Ooo!)

* Saumyananda Sahi, Cinematographer (Eeb Allay Ooo!)

* Shubham, Writer (Eeb Allay Ooo!)

* Sumukhi Suresh, Performer (Pushpavalli)

BAFTA Breakthrough India’s list of jurors for 2022 includes AR Rahman, Anupam Kher, Apurva Asrani, Charu Desodt, Gaurav Gandhi, Guneet Monga, Krishnendu Majumdar, Monika Shergill, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shonali Bose, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vishal Gondal. Furthermore, this year’s programme has also seen an additional collaboration with Guneet Monga, Vishal Gondal and Ratna Pathak Shah as ‘Supporters’ from the Indian film, games and television industries, respectively, to enable easy navigation of the country’s robust talent network.

During the programme, the participants will be provided with an opportunity to connect with and learn from the best British and Indian creatives, as well as share their expertise with peers from around the world. Moreover, the participants will receive one-to-one meetings, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full BAFTA voting  membership. They will be promoted as BAFTA Breakthrough artists globally, gaining access to international opportunities.

Tim Hunter, Executive Director of Learning and New Talent, BAFTA said: “Breakthrough is BAFTA’s flagship talent initiative, which has been recognising and celebrating talent for nine years, nurturing and supporting them to flourish in their chosen careers. Through our successful first cycle in India, we were delighted to introduce such a broad and diverse group of creative voices to our industry networks in the UK and beyond, helping to recognise their talent on the global stage. With our second cycle we see that this was just the tip of the iceberg and we’re so excited to be working with another crop of such world-class talent. We’re grateful to Netflix—who share our vision of inspiring, supporting and celebrating new creative talent. Congratulations to our new cohort, and welcome to the BAFTA Breakthrough family.”

AR Rahman, BAFTA Breakthrough India Ambassador and Jury Chair, said: “Selecting just 10 participants out of the incredible applications we received was a challenging task. After a lively discussion and careful consideration, the chosen 10 Breakthroughs are a diverse mix of individuals from across various regions, professions and languages, reflecting India’s creative diversity. With BAFTA Breakthrough India providing a doorway to significant opportunities at the national and international level, I am looking forward to the 2022 cohort of ten Indian talents making the most of their experience.”

Monika Shergill, Vice President of Content, Netflix India said: "India is a vibrant hub of storytellers and creatives. Through BAFTA Breakthrough India we are excited to do our part to identify and empower fresh, new voices and talent that deserves a platform like this. We received many incredible applications this year. Congratulations to the ten selected Breakthroughs! We cannot wait to see how they shape and contribute to the creative wave in their industries.”

Since its launch in 2013, BAFTA Breakthrough has supported over 160 rising talents, including Florence Pugh, Letitia Wright, Tom Holland, Josh O’Connor, Gemma Langford, Jim LeBrecht, amongst many others, and aimed to facilitate a creative and cultural exchange across the film, games and television circuits. Having launched in India in 2020, the participants of its debut Indian cohort include Akshay Singh, Arun Karthick, Jay Pinak Oza, Karthikeya Murthy, Palomi Ghosh, Renu Savant, Shruti Ghosh, Sumit Purohit, Tanya Maniktala and Vikram Singh. Several of BAFTA’s previous Breakthrough alumni have gone on to thrive in their careers, many of them even becoming BAFTA winners and nominees.