World’s Premier Database Management Forum VLDB Back in India

The 42nd International Conference on Very Large Databases (VLDB) made its return to India nearly twenty years later at The Leela Ambience Hotel. The five day-long conference saw attendance from academicians, industry experts, and entrepreneurs. Persistent Systems was the key organizing sponsor for this event.

First VLDB conference was held in 1975 and brought to India over two decades later in 1996, where it had a great impact on the database community of the country.

The conference comprised of two keynotes by renowned academicians- Professor Ion Stoica and Dr. Anand Rajaraman. Professor Ion Stoica from University of California, Berkeley shared his insights on the Big Data revolution, while Dr. Anand Rajaraman, a well-known serial entrepreneur from Silicon Valley, spoke on data-driven disruption.

Besides these, the event included an array of research paper presentations, tutorials, workshops and demos.

In conjunction with the VLDB conference, Persistent Systems also hosted a day long Digital India event on 5^th September, 2016. The event aimed at addressing large-scale data problems of India due to its population and size and highlighting how technology can be instrumental in solving them.

The event was graced by Union Minister for Law and Justice and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad as the chief guest. He said, “The Prime Minister’s vision is for all the citizens of the country to be connected and have easy access to information. For this vision to be a reality, there are many India specific challenges that need to be tackled as discussed by representatives from both the academia and industry here at the Digital India and VLDB conference.  These challenges offer a unique opportunity to both the start-up community and more established players in the industry to innovate and find solutions that will disrupt the status quo while tapping the USD 350 billion opportunity Digital India holds for the technology sector.”

The Digital India event comprised of a keynote by Padma Prof. D.B Phatak from the Department of CSE, IIT-B followed by a panel discussion about India’s journey from data poor to data rich. A pan-India data-centric hackathon was organized by Persistent Systems and ACM at the Digital India event. The hackathon, which saw participation from about 9065 teams, consisted of online and offline participation revolving around 5 key themes including healthcare, employment, citizen services, social media and government and agriculture. Participants came together to build data driven applications and bring in big data and analytics expertise around the mentioned themes. In the concluding ceremony of the Digital India Hackathon, the first prize of two lakh fifty thousand rupees was won by a sensor and augmented reality based smart healthcare solution developed by Team Healthcare123.

The second prize of one lakh rupees went to Team StringIt, who developed a block-chain based election voting system.

Commenting on the success of VLDB 2016, Anand Deshpande, Chairman and Managing Director, Persistent Systems said, “We are delighted to bring VLDB back in India again after twenty years and are proud to showcase an outstanding program. VLDB conferences have always been a testament to the importance of researchers exchanging ideas with practitioners. The ideas that have been exchanged during the course of the conference underline the fact that data and data driven solutions will play a pivotal role in the years ahead, including in the success of the Digital India initiative.”

Innovative Solutions for Smart Cities in India from Mastercard India

Mastercard has showcased innovative technology solutions for building a sustainable payment ecosystem towards government’s smart city initiative. Mastercard has partnered with the Skoch Group, a think tank dealing with socio-economic issues to organise the 45^th Skoch Summit. The Summit focused on ‘Smart India, Shrestha Bharat - From Promises to Delivery’ and was held at HICC, Hyderabad on 8^th and 9^th September, 2016. 

Porush Singh, Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President, South Asia, MasterCard said, “As a global payments technology company, Mastercard has been enabling cities to become livable, sustainable and more inclusive. Mastercard is keen to partner with the Indian government for the Smart Cities vision. We can develop innovative solutions that make the lives of people and businesses easier – and that help India further strengthen its competitive position in the world economy.”

The Mastercard pavilion at the summit showcased videos and demo apps, highlighting Mastercard’s initiatives to partner with Governments and private bodies to support and complement smarter cities. Highlights of key technologies showcased were:

• Masterpass (with any bank wallet app) – An omni-channel, all-digital payment service for consumers, issuers and merchants from Mastercard. It makes life easier for the consumers, allowing them to use their mobile banking app and purchase items at physical stores using a merchant specific QR-code.
• Mastercab – Mastercab, an in-app checkout service to book and pay for cabs, enabled by Masterpass.
• Identity Check "Selfie Pay" – This new and unique mobile payment verification service from Mastercard aims to simplify the online shopping experience for consumers. All consumers need to do is use the phone camera to click a selfie as part of a two-step authentication process when shopping on the mobile
• Retail location insight - A unique tool that offers reliable insights into the sales-based performance of a retail location with mapping and reporting functionalities. Powered by MasterCard Retail Location Scores, the tool uses a fact-based approach unique to the industry, leveraging anonymous and aggregated transaction data from more than two billion cards

Commenting on the Summit, Sameer Kochhar from Skoch Group said “We are privileged to have partnered with Mastercard in organizing the two day discourse deliberating on the need and evolution of smart cities. Smart cities indeed are the future settlement hubs and possess the potential to complement socio-economic growth in a major way”

The summit witnessed participation from key dignitaries including. T. S. Vijayan, Chairman, IRDA; Gulshan Rai (National Security Advisory Board); RS Sharma, Chairman, TRAI; Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO, UIDAI and many more.  

Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development Announces New Sales Management Programme

The Oberoi Group has commenced the selection process for its two year ‘Post Graduate Management Programme’ at The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD). Now in its 50^th year, The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development has also announced the introduction of a new programme on Sales Management.

The 18-month long Sales Management programme is designed to train graduates through a combination of academic study and comprehensive on-the-job training, for a long term career in hospitality sales with The Oberoi Group. As for the Guest Service programme, it is not just a stepping stone to a job in hospitality, but the foundation of a distinguished career with The Oberoi Group.

Selection for the programme will start in September this year through campus visits to colleges and Open Access Days at our hotels. The programme has been developed to create the next generation of managers and is the foundation of a career with the group. The Sales Management programme focuses on practical training in hotels and will consist of 9 months of academic and practical inputs at The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development campus in Delhi and 9 months of on-the-job training in the hotels of The Oberoi Group.

Commenting on the Management Training programme, Huvida Marshall, Dean, The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development, said, “The Sales Management programme has been launched with the aim to provide young aspirants wishing to make a career in hospitality sales and gives the opportunity to train at some of the best hotels in the world under the guidance of professional hoteliers. The two-year Guest Service Management Programme is a testament of The Oberoi Group’s commitment to selecting and training the best talent to be the next torch bearers of the organisation’s legacy. We have instituted robust systems for the continued development, management and delivery of a globally benchmarked curriculum. The focus is not just on developing the technical competence of associates.  The curriculum also develops their personal attributes, leadership style and above all inculcates in them the service values that ensure that we continually endeavour to surpass our guests’ expectations”.

Today, the Management Programmes at The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development is considered amongst the best in Asia and is a benchmark for excellence within the hospitality industry.

The Oberoi Group has also commenced the selection process for its two year ‘Post Graduate Management Programme’ at The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD). Now in its 50^th year, The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development offers students the opportunity to acquire all round and specialised skills and knowledge in all departments of a hotel. The programmes at OCLD are designed to provide an opportunity for associates to grow personally and professionally.

GrowthStory Backed Health-Tech Startup Grow Fit Acquires Drink King

Mobile health company Grow Fit, which is committed to helping more than 300 million Indians at risk of contracting lifestyle diseases achieve peak wellness, has announced its expansion into Functional Beverages with the acquisition of Drink King. The acquisition, which was made for an undisclosed consideration of cash and stock, makes Grow Fit a one-stop solution for those seeking a companion on their preventive health and wellness journey.

Post the acquisition, Grow Fit’s offerings will span areas including expert health advice, customised diet plans, therapeutic and functional foods, and nutritional beverages.  

Following the trend in the West, meal replacements are gaining popularity in India - especially among the younger generation interested in adopting a healthy lifestyle.  Analysts forecast the global meal replacement market to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% between 2016 -2020. According to a recent PWC report, India ranks among the top 10 global growth markets for nutrition F&B. With the fast paced lives of today’s generation and increasing focus on preventive healthcare, the category is expected to expand.

A nutritional beverage platform started in early 2015, Drink King provides millennials and busy professionals with wholesome beverages that could serve as a quick meal while also fulfilling daily nutritional requirements. Catering to committed gym-goers, Drink King offers customised options for special regimes like detox, muscle gain and weight loss.

Commenting on the acquisition, Jyotsna Pattabiraman, CEO at Grow Fit said: “Grow Fit combines data science, medical science and behavioural insights to guide people to a healthier, happier version of themselves. We are the only mobile health solution that goes beyond giving advice to actual implementation. Our acquisition of Drink King augments our commitment to providing our 100,000 customers comprehensive and easy solutions for all their everyday health and wellness needs”.

Ritvik Sharma and Arpit Goyal, Co-Founders, Drink King, said: “Our alignment with Grow Fit helps us expand our service offering and meet the growing demand for healthy meal replacement options in India. We started Drink King after finding a lack of healthy options available both online and on-ground. What is available today is mostly either too high in sugar, or does not have enough protein, fat, or fiber. Drink King allows customers to order custom smoothies that are prepared fresh from organic fruits, green vegetables and vital supplements.”

There are around 3 million active gym goers/ health club members in India. The key to capturing this segment is customizing the health shakes to individuals that appeal to their needs and also providing them consultations round the clock. While there are plenty of options available in the market, each body reacts differently to foods and supplements. Understanding what works well for their body is of utmost importance and this is why a scientifically engineered diet is a must. The integration of Drink King into Grow Fit’s operations is a step forward in this direction.

Benefits of using meal replacement shakes and nutrition bars in weight management include:

·  Individuals are provided with a pre-measured amount of food with a known calorie level, thus negating the need to measure or weigh meals or to estimate portion sizes;

·  Food is easy to transport and prepare and requires no clean-up. Individuals can these simple, convenient preparations instead of devoting time and energy to planning, preparing, and cleaning up after a meal;

·  Dieters have reduced contact with calorie-dense foods and the consumption of shakes ad bars involves less decision-making (e.g., consuming a shake or bar during a lunch break at work is easier than going to a restaurant and making a healthy food choice in the recommended portion size to meet weight loss goals);

·  Interestingly, such shakes may further support weight loss via sensory-specific satiety. Sensory-specific satiety refers to the decreasing pleasure of tasting, smelling, or eating the same food or beverage until full or satisfied. Using monotonous meals or snacks (such as shakes or bars) triggers sensory-specific satiety, which may help individuals further decrease their caloric intake

Madan Krishnan Named VP for Meditronic India Sub-Continent

Medtronic plc, the global leader in medical technology, today announced the appointment of Madan Krishnan as vice president, Indian Sub-continent (ISC). In this role, Krishnan will lead the Medtronic ISC business, which includes India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, as the company further demonstrates its commitment to meaningful innovation, global access, aligning value, and partnerships.

“Madan’s demonstrated leadership and roots in this market enable us to take healthcare further, together. He will shape our business and take it into the future by cutting through complexity, building trust and credibility, championing innovation, and setting high standards. We see tremendous growth potential in ISC and I have full confidence in Madan’s ability to be an engaged and collaborative industry leader while caring for our employees,” said Bob White, president, Asia Pacific at Medtronic.

Krishnan brings outstanding leadership credentials to the role, with nearly 20 years of healthcare experience. He has a deep understanding of the healthcare industry with experience in emerging markets, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and sales and marketing excellence. He also led the post-acquisition integration of Medtronic and Covidien across Asia Pacific.

Krishnan joined Medtronic in 2011. Prior to this appointment, Krishnan was vice president of finance, Asia Pacific (APAC). A key part of the market leader role will be to develop strategic partnerships with hospitals, payers, and government to help establish aligned, value-based healthcare models that can deliver better patient outcomes.

Krishnan earned an MBA from the Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow and was an elected member of the MIT Senate. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calicut. Krishnan is a qualified Chartered Accountant, and is fluent in English, Turkish, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam and has basic competency in Spanish and Korean. 

Medtronic began its operations in India in 1979. Headquartered at Solitaire Corporate Park in Mumbai, it has offices at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Dhaka, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune and Vadodara.

Over 1 Million Travel Tickets Booked on Paytm’s Marketplace in Aug ‘16

Paytm, India’s largest mobile payment and commerce platform, has registered over 1 million flight and bus ticket bookings on its Travel Marketplace in August. The company expects 2x growth in the travel business over the next 6 months. 

Paytm’s bus tickets business recently turned break-even. The Hotels category is expected to turn break even very soon and the Flights bookings has been organically scaling at a 4x month-on-month growth since its launch in May. In its drive towards creating the country’s best cashless travel ecosystem, Paytm will soon launch new categories and ancillaries. To fuel this growth, the company will further invest Rs 300Cr on its travel business.

Being modeled as a marketplace, Paytm has multiple sellers providing various travel services to customers. This allows the platform to offer a diverse selection at the most competitive prices. Paytm offers a unique opportunity for travel service providers to gain access to its 130 million strong and growing user base.

Abhishek Rajan, Vice President, Paytm, said, “At Paytm, we are building India’s largest travel marketplace with the mission to solve every need of a traveller – be it transport, accommodation, activities or ancillaries. We have seen exponential growth in all categories and will soon offer new services to our customers. Leveraging Paytm’s significant market penetration and strong brand proposition, we hope to grow India’s online travel booking pie by introducing new customers from tier II, III towns and cities to this category.”

The company has set up a 100+ member team in its Bengaluru office to drive innovation in the category. This move is an important step in the vision of making cashless transactions a way of life across all consumer segments and demographic profiles in India.

UL & NDTV Partner for Annual National Safety Science Quiz 2016

UL, the global safety science organization is back with its annual National Safety Science Quiz (NSSQ) that aims to inspire school students to be ‘safety aware’ and learn how the youth can contribute towards a safer India. With the theme of “Safety Science in Everyday Life”, the national level quiz competition offers a platform for young minds to challenge themselves while showcasing their ideas to prove that they are ‘Safety Smart’. Produced and telecast by NDTV, the program will be organized by Xpress Minds Edutainment, a part of the NDTV media group.

Students from Class IX - Class XII from five metro zones across India - Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata - will be eligible to participate in the quiz. The preliminary or the ‘Qualifier’ Rounds will be conducted in the form of an online test between August 15-25,  2016. Top two students from each school will then go on to participate in a ‘City Finale’ between the last week of September and first week of October 2016. Two winners from each City Finale will then qualify for the ‘Grand Finale’ to be held at the NDTV Studio in New Delhi in October 2016.

As a part of the NSSQ, UL will simultaneously hold a Safety Parliament in which the winners of the City Finale will represent themselves as the Members of the Safety Parliament and interact with a panel of Experts on safety concerns. On conclusion, recommendations/ resolutions will be passed and they in turn will be brought to the notice of the concerned authorities for possible implementation. The participants will be declared as Safety Ambassadors and are expected to act as ‘change agents’, bringing awareness on safety issues in their cities and surroundings.

R.A. Venkitachalam Vice President – Public Safety Mission, UL said, “Awareness about Public Safety in everyday life is essential in making our lives healthy and safe in any society – and the involvement and engagement of the youth is of utmost importance.  For over a century now, we at UL have been committed to a safe living and working environment for people by the application of safety science and hazard-based safety engineering. As India grows economically and technologically, we have the responsibility to help ensure a ‘Safe Society’, safe for its children, safe for its citizens in their daily lives, safe while consuming products and services available in the market. This comes from use of Safety Science at all levels and in ensuring Education and Awareness, especially with children, the future of every society. We at UL believe that the NSSQ will be an important step towards generating interest in Safety Science with children, parents and families, schools and the government. We are delighted to be joining hands with NDTV in this effort.”

Commenting on their association with UL and NSSQ,  Pankaj Chandra, Sr. Vice President, NDTV Limited said, “Any occurrence in incidents and fatalities is largely because safety is compromised and this issue needs immediate attention. At NDTV, we have always encouraged the need to address safety-related issues in public life and find suitable solutions. With our association with UL, we aim to sensitize the youth and the public at large and hope to create a safer living environment for all.” 

NSSQ is an educational platform on safety practices while spreading the message of safety science through safety education across the country. Winners of the Quiz will be entitled to exclusive prizes. The winning team of two students + one guardian will have the opportunity to visit the Safety Labs of UL in Taiwan.