91Springboard And Google Partner For Startups To Launch “Level Up”

* New virtual programme that will help women entrepreneurs take their startups to the next level

* Unique nationwide accelerator that combines leadership and tech masterclasses, business mentoring and investment readiness

91Springboard, one of India’s leading coworking community, collaborates with Google For Startups (GFS) to launch “Level Up” – a nationwide virtual accelerator program that aims to enable women entrepreneurs in India to elevate their startups to the next level. Combining key elements of business, tech, leadership and investment readiness, this accelerator program offers mentoring, masterclasses, connections and relevant tools for women entrepreneurs to refine their models, enhance their leadership skills and prepare them to get investment ready in order to grow their businesses and gain access to capital.

Level Up aims to address the hurdles women entrepreneurs face by creating opportunities for personal and business growth, providing greater visibility and a national platform, and improving access to capital through investor connections. The program is specially designed to support women entrepreneurs, who are looking for access to reliable mentorship, peer groups and other business related support.

Anand Vemuri, CEO, 91Springboard said, “We are very excited to collaborate with Google for Startups in launching the Level Up program in India. 91Springboard has always believed in nurturing the startup ecosystem and fostering growth through ample learning opportunities. We believe that sharing global experiences and great work practices are fundamental in the growth and innovation for any sector. More women are launching and running startups but do not have the adequate support system to flourish. Through this effort with Google for Startups we hope to support women entrepreneurs in optimizing their businesses and building successful startups."

Mike Kim, Head of Google for Startups APAC said, “At Google for Startups, our constant endeavor is to support diversity in the startup ecosystem. We have already launched an India Women Founders program and with this association, we are looking to scale our efforts to support more women founders. We are excited to be a part of the journey and bring Google’s international support, connections and network to this program.”

While the Covid-19 pandemic hit startups hard - with 35% of women-led startups experiencing a significant decline in revenues - things are starting to turn around. While fundraising continues being an uphill task for women entrepreneurs in India, despite reports of investors’ focus and growing interest in empowering women entrepreneurs, YourStory Research data* reveal that in Q1 2022, of the 482 funding deals in the Indian startup ecosystem, only 78 were raised by women-founded and co-founded startups, i.e. 16.18 percent.  Access to expert mentorship, connections, and opportunity can create a level playing field for women entrepreneurs to flourish and grow.

Launch Date: 17 August 2022

Entry: Early stage, women-led, tech and/or tech enabled enterprises operating in India

Startups will need to fill the detailed application form. Once the initial criteria have been met, an expert panel will evaluate the applications based on a robust scoring system,

For more details visit: https://www.91springboard.com/level-up/

Adidas Reveals Its Lineup Of Federation Kits For National Teams For The FIFA World Cup 2022

 
·         The stories of six nations are captured and expressed through adidas’ innovative Home and Away federation kit designs for the world’s biggest sporting stage

·         With performance and sustainability the top priority, a consistent design approach has been taken across the kits that showcases both creativity and iconic simplicity, enabling players to be the best versions of themselves on the pitch

·         Both Home and Away jerseys aim to connect players and fans through shared identity, to create a sense of belonging and confidence throughout the tournament

·         Ahead of the tournament, the kits will be debuted on the pitch by the respective women’s and men’s national teams in the upcoming match windows

·         All the kits are available to purchase exclusively via https://www.adidas.co.in/federations-football and in adidas retail stores until September 12th

Today, adidas reveals the Home and Away federation kits created for the national teams of Argentina, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Wales, which will be worn on the world’s biggest sporting stage: the FIFA World Cup 2022™.

Adidas saw each federation kit as a canvas for creativity, and an opportunity to capture and express the spirit of each nation with design features influencedby key cultural touchpoints ranging fromthe ancient civilisations and Mixtec art of Mexico celebrated in the nation’s away jersey to the origami crow inspiring Japan’s home kit. Dynamic color spectrums represent each unique national identity, with progressive graphics inspired by the future.

“When we design national team kits for tournaments as big as the FIFA World Cup, we always keep in mind that these designs will become a part of legendary footballing history. For us it’s crucial first and foremost to create kits that equip the world’s greatest footballing athletes with performance-led apparel that helps them unlock their highest level of play, while at the same time always featuring unique and unforgettably iconic designs that are bold, eye-catching and create a true sense of excitement amongst fans all across the globe.””said Jürgen Rank, Senior Design Director Football at adidas.

With performance and sustainability the top priority, a consistent design approach has been taken across the kits that showcases both creativity and iconic simplicity, enabling players to be the best versions of themselves on the pitch, with each jersey coming in a slim fit.

Allour kits are made using 100% recycled polyester, continuing adidas’ ongoing commitment to help end plastic waste. The Authentic breathable kits for Argentina, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Spain contain 50% Parley Ocean Plastic.Parley Ocean Plastic is intercepted on remote islands, beaches, coastal communities, and shorelines preventing it from polluting our oceans.

Each shirt features the latest in adidas fabric innovations, including lightweight, heat-applied details. The kits for Argentina, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Spain are constructed using materials and textures to help keep playersfeeling cool with HEAT.RDY technology, optimized to keep players feeling comfortable. On the other handAEROREADY technology in the Welsh kit uses sweat wicking materials to keep players feeling dry.

Argentina

Argentina’s away jersey is inspired by the pride of the nation and its quest for a more equitable world. Its vibrant purple hues, representing gender equality, combine with fiery graphics in reference to the national flag’s iconic Sun of May.

Germany

Placed over the heart and detailed in gold, a heat-applied team badge takes centre stage on Germany’s home jersey, whilst a bold vertical stripe inspired by the very first Germany shirt, elevates the classic clean aesthetic to new levels. Detailing on the collar and shirt bindings display the iconic colors of the nation’s flag. The away jersey captures the spirit of the team, using the colors of the national flag and blurring the ‘D’ of ‘Deutschland’ to reflect the dynamic football played by the squad.

Japan

Representing self-expression, Japan’s home jersey features a bold origami three-legged-crow-inspired design, whilst its away jersey is crafted to reflect the flowing style of Japan’s play: the blurred graphics are also inspired by origami, brought to life through a design that illustrates speed.

Mexico

Paying homage to its ancient civilisations, adidas infuses Mexico’s away jersey with Mixtec art to summon the fighting spirit of the nation. Amidst the eye-catching all-over design, a sign off on the inside collar displays Quetzalcoat’s serpent body – a representation of humankind’s physical abilities.

Spain

Constructed from its unique footballing DNA, Spain’s home jersey makes a timeless statement as it’s dominated by the team’s famous deep red color, with color references to the flag across the collar and shirt bindings. The away jersey features an undulating graphic taking dynamic inspiration from the country’s 1982 logo, when Spain last hosted the world’s biggest football tournament.

Wales

Created to ignite passionate performances, Wales’s home jersey stays true to its heritage with a vibrant red design inspired by the nation’s fire-breathing symbol, whilst a daffodil under the back collar further instils the pride of the nation. Meanwhile, its away jersey is one for the fans, steeped in the colors of the national flag.

All the kits are available to purchase exclusively via https://www.adidas.co.in/federations-football and in adidas retail stores until September 1, 2022.

Read-A-Thon: A Flagship Reading Event By Room To Read India Across 12 States Across India

* “Books, to the reading child, are so much more than books- they are dreams and knowledge, they are a future  and a past.”- Esther Meynell

Room to Read India, as part of its India Gets Reading  flagship reading campaign, is organizing and running the  "Read-a-thon" event today. The event aims to reach far and wide across the country with enhanced participation by all stakeholders, including children, parents, communities, government, donors, multilateral partners like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other supporters. This year’s Read-a-thon is an ambitious record-setting attempt by Room to Read India, where they aim to bring in a record number of participants in an in-person setting. The participants will be organized to read at multiple locations across the country including 12 states where it has active intervention.

This Read-a-thon will create an opportunity for all stakeholders to come together in spaces such as school premises, communities, government offices, donor offices, etc., and pledge their support towards children’s reading and learning. Ms. Poornima Garg, Deputy Country Director, Room to Read says, “This year’s reading campaign is themed on ‘Reading Equals’. It is an  opportunity for all stakeholders to drop all other activities, come together and just  READ for 30 minutes at a stretch at a predetermined time. Through this record setting event, we also want to reaffirm our commitment to ensure that children everywhere read, learn, and thrive”.

It is the goal of Room to Read India, to mobilize as many people as possible to support the promotion of reading habits through this Read-a-thon. In addition, the event is expected to set an official record for the number of participants reading multiple literature pieces at the same time. India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records will incorporate the record-setting gathering into their books.

About Room to Read?:

Room to Read India was established in 2003 and presently has programs in twelve states – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi NCR, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

Room to Read is a global organization transforming the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, our innovative model focuses on deep, systemic transformation within schools during two time periods that are most critical in a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. By focusing on the quality of education provided within the communi­ties and ensuring these outcomes are measured, we have created a model that can be replicated, localized, and sustained by governments. With its global headquarters in San Francisco, Room to Read has benefited 32 million children across 21 low-income countries.

Is Malnutrition and Muscle Loss Interlinked?

By Prof. Dr. Salil Bendre, Head, Pulmonary Medicine, Nanavati Max SuperSpeciality Hospital

While many adults around the world are living longer, they are not necessarily living healthier. This results in them being unable to live their fuller lives. There are multiple factors that contribute to this lower than optimal health chart. One of the key and most obvious factors is nutrition or the lack of it. After all, it's food that fuels every cell in the body and supports muscular strength.

One would think that optimizing your diet to maximize your health isn’t too difficult. Ensure you eat balanced meals – have a colourful plate featuring all the essential food groups. But the surprising fact is that malnutrition in adults has recently come into focus as an often-hidden health condition experienced by many adults.

Understanding adult malnutrition and its effect on muscle strength

A common misconception is that malnutrition means a person isn't getting enough calories. But malnutrition can be more than a deficiency in nutrient intake: it can also refer to nutrient excesses or vitamin or mineral imbalances.

“Today, a lot of people in India come under the category of being ‘skinny fat’ – a term that refers to having a relatively high percentage of body fat and a low amount of muscle mass. It occurs when the body doesn’t get the appropriate amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) or micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that it needs, to function,” says Prof. Dr. Salil Bendre, Head, Pulmonary Medicine, Nanavati Max SuperSpeciality Hospital.

As we age, muscle mass plays an increasingly important role in not just body mobility and strength but also supporting our overall immunity shield. Studies have however shown that starting at age 40, adults can lose up to 8 percent of their muscle mass per decade. After 70 years old, that rate may double. [i][ii] This shines the spotlight stronger on why muscle matters & the need to prioritize nutrition early on.

How to avoid muscle loss & protect muscle health

Safeguarding muscle mass can be done with a few simple strategies – mainly focusing on physical activity and proper nutrition. This is especially important as we age.

To preserve muscles:

Engage in regular exercise & test your muscle age: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week and include resistance training to also help maintain muscles and strength. You can test your locomotive ability and find out how good your muscle strength is & know what to do earlier to help prevent and delay muscle loss & overall strength. The good news is that grip strength is an easy way to assess your overall muscular strength - just by squeezing an orange or noticing the firmness of your handshake you can determine your muscle strength. A chair challenge test is also an easy way to test your muscle strength. The time taken to do 5 sit ups on a chair of approx. height of 43cm [1.4ft] in height can tell you about your muscle age.

Consume enough micronutrients: Not only reduced intake of proteins but also micronutrients like selenium, carotenoid, vitamin C, E, calcium, vitamin D etc have been associated with lower muscle strength[iii]. Currently, 1 in 3 adults over the age of 50 don't get enough protein in their diet[iv], that is problematic because protein is a nutrient that supports strong muscles and helps keep cells healthy, fuelled and working at their best, which is important to keeping energy levels up. To amp up protein intake further, add in protein snacks, like one before bed or supplement your diet with nutrition supplements, if needed.

Follow a nutrition-forward diet: Choose a balanced diet full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins, healthy fats and key vitamins and minerals like calcium and Vitamin D. The key is to choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods across all food groups. Developing healthy eating patterns not only give you energy, they can also help prevent obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes[v].

Tackling the issue of malnutrition & muscle loss in adults requires prioritizing good nutrition. Being mindful of overall health can help adults and incorporating balanced nutrition right from early stages of life helps us live actively and independently as we age.

OPPO Explores New Technology Breakthroughs With Developers And Partners At OPPO Developer Conference 2022

OPPO kicked off its 2022 OPPO Developer Conference (ODC 2022), unveiling its Pantanal cross-platform smart system, OPPO Carlink solution for enhanced smartphone-car integration, and the OPPO Sense® health algorithm along with an INR 23 billion plan to support developers and creators working with OPPO.

"We will live in a world where smart devices are everywhere. These smart devices should not be simply connected but integrated to serve users and help realize the future of the Internet of Experience," said Pete Lau, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer at OPPO. "As we continue to transform into a company with its technology ecosystem, we look forward to joining hands with global developers and partners to build an open, symbiotic, and thriving ecosystem for all."

OPPO's Pantanal cross-platform smart system provides fully open integration for everyone

During ODC 2022, OPPO introduced Pantanal — its first cross-platform system designed to break boundaries between different devices and systems to let them truly connect and collaborate. With cross-device sensing and computing capabilities, Pantanal can better understand and anticipate users' needs and provide services at the right time in the right way.

As a cross-platform system, Pantanal will make it easier for developers to develop and deploy services across multiple platforms, lowering cost while increasing efficiency.

OPPO Carlink solution provides integration for smartphones and automobiles

With more and more people relying on their smart devices for in-car services and entertainment, OPPO has developed OPPO Carlink to enhance collaboration and integration between smartphones and automobiles. OPPO Carlink provides a new model for smartphone and car companies to work together. Users can access a smartphone's computing power and app ecosystem without changing existing in-vehicle infotainment systems, while smartphones can provide services through the car via software pushes.

At ODC 2022, OPPO announced a partnership with SAIC Motor to work together on integrating smart devices and automobiles. This follows OPPO's agreement with Tesla China earlier this year to use OPPO smartphones as digital keys for the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in China.

Joint R&D leads to seamless, intelligent IoT experiences

OPPO has continued to expand its hardware portfolio as it builds up a rich ecosystem around its products and services. OPPO has introduced its broader portfolio of IoT products to over 50 countries and regions worldwide, achieving over 120% growth across all categories over the past three years.

Empowering global developers to build an open and integrated ecosystem

More than 300,000 developers and 700,000 creators have joined with OPPO to distribute their products and services to users across multiple platforms. The OPPO Open Platform supports developers in areas such as app services, graphics processing, and interconnectivity.

OPPO also announced that it will allocate INR 23 billion worth of resources towards its Gravity Plan in 2023 to support developers in building an ecosystem together.

Improving the quality of life through preventive health

With advances in sensor technology, algorithms, and data science, OPPO is working to improve the health of its users through preventive health approaches.

At ODC 2022, OPPO announced the debut of its self-developed OPPO Sense® algorithm, which features breakthroughs in cardiovascular health, fitness, and sleep tracking. OPPO will also further its collaboration with global partners to improve connectivity between IoT products and develop health management apps, hardware, and services designed to help detect the onset of certain chronic diseases.

OPPO announced the debut of its self-developed OPPO Sense® at ODC 2022

During the event, OPPO also shared updates from its first OPPO Research Institute Innovation Accelerator, which recently ended on August 29. The program was launched earlier this year to empower technology professionals and entrepreneurs to bring their innovative solutions to life and create a better future together with OPPO. Among 536 submissions from 39 countries and regions, ten winning proposals were selected, with each proposal exploring innovative solutions to challenges in Accessible Technology and Digital Health. In addition to receiving $46,000 in grants, the ten winners will receive support from OPPO and its partners to help them further develop and implement their ideas.

Guided by its brand mission of "Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World" OPPO continues to work towards building an open platform that facilitates collaboration with developers and other partners. By joining forces with more developers and partners, OPPO will continue to enrich and expand its ecosystem, bringing seamless connectivity and smart experiences to more users worldwide.

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone - "Smiley Face" - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find X and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 60 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.

AICTE Partners With Adobe To Advance Digital Literacy Across India

*            Over 75,000 educators across 10,000 higher education institutions to be empowered with essential digital creativity skills by 2024

*            Agreement signed in commemoration of 75th anniversary of Indian Independence

The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) today signed a partnership agreement with Adobe to accelerate digital creativity skills across the country. The partnership will empower over 75,000 faculty in 10,000 higher education institutions over the next 2 years with access to Adobe Express. Under the agreement, Adobe will offer courses and expertise for upskilling educators, and integrate digital creativity into the curriculum, to better prepare students with the essential creative and digital literacy skills needed to thrive in today’s digital-first world.

Students are learning and expressing themselves in incredibly creative ways. Adobe Express is a new web and mobile-based app that makes it easy for everyone, independent of skill level, to create and communicate their ideas through great design. With thousands of templates customized for education, Adobe Express helps teachers facilitate more engaging instruction, while giving students helpful starting points to create and share everything from science fair posters to infographics, presentations, videos and much more.

The agreement was signed in commemoration of 75 years of an independent and progressive India, in the presence of Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE and Ms. Prativa Mohapatra, Vice President & Managing Director, Adobe India.

Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE, Ministry of Education, Government of India, said, “In a world that’s increasingly running on digital, there is a growing need for skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling across the entire educational spectrum. The government has been focused on spreading digital literacy and creating a future ready workforce, and is pleased to announce AICTE’s partnership with Adobe to help educators and students across the country learn and use the latest digital creative tools for long term success.”

Prativa Mohapatra, Vice President & Managing Director, Adobe India, said, “To make India the skill capital of the world, fostering digital and creativity skills is key. Adobe is the leader in creativity - a critical skill for the future workforce. Through our collaboration with AICTE, we intend to double down on building a strong skilling ecosystem in the country and empower educators and students with new age skills to thrive in the post pandemic digital first world.”

Adobe enables Creativity for All, allowing anyone to express themselves on their terms, whenever and wherever they are inspired. The company also aims to upskill 1 million educators and skill 10 million students in India across K-12 and higher education segments by enabling learning experiences using Adobe Express and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

About Adobe

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

Now, Make Your Investments Easy With DCB Eazybee Globally

~ New online platform allows mutual fund investment anytime, anywhere ~

While technology has made it convenient to invest in various asset classes, it is not always easy to keep track of finances in today’s fast-paced world.

This is where DCB Bank’s Eazybee – an online mutual fund platform – helps investors monitor and control their mutual fund investment anytime and anywhere. It makes investing in diverse mutual funds quick and seamless, facilitates automatic payments, and provides the option to invest, redeem or switch instantly, all without visiting the bank branch.

DCB EazyBee is a paperless and user-friendly platform that is accessible via desktop and mobile devices. This means one can invest from anywhere in the world.

The online platform comes with several attractive features. These include no registration fees and transaction charges; easy mutual funds selection option to invest in well-known AMCs; access to risk ratings and factsheets of all the funds; online uploading of KYC documents; and facility to download NSDL consolidated account statement, among others.

Besides, investors can add up to five savings accounts including DCB Bank to DCB Eazybee, and invest through these. They will also have access to information on Morningstar© rated funds and indicative capital gains on their mutual fund investments.

About DCB Bank

DCB Bank is a new generation private sector bank with 405 branches (as on 30th June 2022) across India. It is a scheduled commercial bank regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. It is professionally managed and governed. DCB Bank has contemporary technology and infrastructure including state of the art internet banking for personal as well as business banking customers. DCB Bank's business segments are Retail, micro-SME, SME, mid-Corporate, Agriculture, Commodities, Government, Public Sector, Indian Banks, Co-operative Banks and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFC). DCB Bank has approximately one million  customers.

For more details,  visit www.dcbbank.com