IGI Airport & Infosys Pune Among India’s Smartest Buildings for 2016

Honeywell has announced Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and Infosys’ SDB 10 and 11 buildings in Pune as India’s smartest buildings at the Network 18 and Honeywell Smart Building Awards for 2016.

Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State in the Ministry of Urban Development and minister of state in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, was Honeywell’s chief guest at the function and felicitated the winners. Addressing the building owners, he said, “I deeply value this effort to drive building smartness in our cities. I encourage all building owners across India to contribute in the 100 Smart Cities initiative by making their buildings smarter.”

Ten other buildings in New Delhi, Mohali, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad and Kancheepuram were named the smartest buildings in their market segments, which included hotels, hospitals, schools, retail, airport, commercial multi-tenant offices, single-tenant offices, residential facilities and public sector buildings. The building applicants were evaluated using the scoring criteria from the Honeywell Smart Building Score, a first-of-its-kind global tool to measure building smartness.

The IGI airport scored a perfect 100 in the safe and productive parameters, as well as a 93 in the green parameter. The Infosys Pune SDB 10 and 11 buildings made it to the winning platform with a score of 97 in the safe parameter. The assets at the Infosys buildings also scored high on elements such as cyber security, data analytics and cloud capability. IGI airport and the Infosys SDB Pune buildings also captured the awards for Smartest Large (>= 10 MMPA) Airport Building and Smartest Single Occupant Private Office Buildings in India, respectively.

“It is encouraging to see the interest and competitive spirit among the builder community and facility managers. The number of applications we received strengthens our commitment to make more and more buildings green, safe, and productive,” said Vikas Chadha, president of Honeywell India.

““It is our privilege to partner with Honeywell in creating a property that awards and showcases the best smart building practices fundamental to Smart Cities that are Safer, Greener and Productive. As a prominent and responsible media group, we remain committed to educating consumers and empowering investors. Our association with this initiative is another step in the direction of growing awareness around Smarter Buildings making Smarter Cities,” said Shereen Bhan, managing editor, CNBC-TV18.

The scores were validated by KPMG and affirmed by an eminent jury composed of India’s leading authorities on energy efficiency, safety, security, and productivity in buildings. Jury members included:

·         Gigo Joseph, former CEO, Smart City Kochi

·         Kamlesh Bajaj, founder and CEO, DSCI and previously  founder and director, CERT-In

·         Sudhir Krishna, former secretary, Ministry of Urban Development

·         Sangeeta Gupta, director, IT and Smart Initiatives, TERI University

·         Sanjiv Mital, CEO, National Institute for Smart Government (NASSCOM affiliated)

·        Pankaj Dharkar, president, Fire & Security Association of India

The national winners across the thirteen building verticals were:

·         Smartest Buildings –Indira Gandhi International Airport and Infosys SDB, Pune (Overall joint winners)

·         4 Star Hotels: Ginger Hotels, Wakad (Pune)

·         5 Star Hotels: ITC Maurya, New Delhi

·         Educational Buildings: Indian School Of Business, Mohali

·         Hospitals: Apollo Hospital, Ahmedabad

·         Industrial Buildings: Hyundai Motor India, Kancheepuram

·         Large Airports: Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi

·         Mid-sized Airports: Chandigarh Airport

·         Multi-Tenant Private Offices: DLF Infinity, Gurgaon

·         Public Services Buildings: Metro Bhawan, New Delhi

·         Residential Buildings: DLF Magnolias, Gurgaon

·         Retail Buildings: DLF Mall Of India, Noida

·         Single Occupant Private Offices: Infosys SDB, Pune

The Honeywell Smart Building Score can help buildings with low scores by pinpointing the solutions that will drive optimal return on investment, making them greener, safer, and more productive for their occupants.

It is well established that green buildings enjoy an edge in terms of incentives. They are cost-effective, and developers enjoy government subsidies while consumers pay less for electricity and water. Buildings scoring low on green can choose the most relevant options for their needs from among a range of solutions available in the market to help become energy efficient, environment friendly, and cost-effective.

On the safety front, it is a myth that installing precautionary fire alarm systems for life-threatening instances is expensive. It is, in fact, less expensive than installing air conditioning. Buildings that score low on safety have a plethora of security solutions available today, to address the unique security requirements of all buildings, be it a small ATM cabin or a sprawling commercial or industrial facility.

The Honeywell Smart Building Score can similarly point out specific productivity gaps. As important as uninterrupted connectivity is to the productivity of the building occupants, so is indoor air and water quality. Knowing what technology asset group has scored low can provide clear insight to facility managers to improve building and people productivity.

Honeywell launched the Honeywell Smart Building Score in India in June 2015, and the tool was subsequently launched in the United States, China and the Middle East. Among the tool’s measures:

·         The Green asset group measures the environmentally sustainable components of a building. It includes a building’s use of energy sources, utility sources, temperature control, energy control, and utility control, all of which impact carbon emissions, a facility’s environmental footprint, and utility costs for the building occupant or user.

·         The Safe asset group measures the safeguards for the building, its occupants, users and owners. It includes people, vehicle and material security, fire safety, gas safety, worker safety, and disaster response systems

·         The Productive asset group measures enhanced comfort and productivity for users and owners. It includes technologies that help boost productivity include indoor air and water quality sensors, people, vehicle and material circulation, personalization, connectivity, and energy quality.

Honeywell is positioned with the broadest technology solutions portfolio that serve buildings to support India’s 100 Smart Cities vision, and is already working on several significant projects, including Bhubaneshwar in Odisha, Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, and an 11-city project in a large central state.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor & Uber Join to Offer Vehicle Buying Solutions

Toyota Kirloskar Motor announced a partnership with Uber, the ride-hailing app to offer end-to-end vehicle buying solutions for driver partners operating on the Uber platform. Through this partnership Toyota’s Financial arm, Toyota Financial Services India Ltd. (TFSIN) will provide 90% on-road funding on Etios and Livamodels for first time drivers, further reinforcing its association with Uber ensuring best-in-class products are easily affordable to first time buyers.  The 90% on-road funding scheme encompasses a complete package of vehicle cost, accessories, service packages, registration road tax and insurance. The scheme will be applicable till the end of this year till December 2016.  With this initiative the world class product of Toyota will easily be affordable for the Uber Driver Partners which will further add to the growth of the mobility business.

The unique scheme, which has been rolled out across all dealerships across the country, will provide best-in-class service standards with priority processing for Uber drivers. Etios has been very successful in the people mover segment where vehicles are preferred only for their quality, durability and reliability, a testimony to its build quality and strength.  The excellent overall ownership cost value proposition compared to other vehicles makes it most economical and well appreciated by customers.

The Indian ride-hailing market is burgeoning with growth in smartphone and internet users using ride-sharing services for daily commute. As per reports, India’s ride-sharing market is expected to be around $7 billion by 2020.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has collaborated with Uber offering major support to first time drivers on the Uber Platform through this scheme. This initiative will further boost this market in India with the best on road funding scheme which will ensure that customers can easily buy Toyota products which have set a safety benchmark in the industry.

Speaking on the tie-up, N. Raja, Director & Senior Vice President (Sales and Marketing), Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd said, “Toyota Kirloskar Motor is pleased to announce this tie up with Uber, we believe the 90% on road funding scheme will lead to a positive growth in the ride-sharing market. This initiative is another step closer to changing the dynamics of mobility needs of an average Indian and we are glad to be part of it. Fleet operators across India today have understood the value proposition of Etios. Etios and Liva have set a safety benchmark in the industry standardizing dual airbags and Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) across all grades.”

Tomohei Matsushita, MD and CEO, Toyota Financial Services India Ltd. “TFSIN is committed to support Toyota customers in India. Uber being an important partner, we are delighted to support the tie-up and are willing to deliver best-in-class products and services to Uber.”

Speaking on this partnership, Uber India President, Amit Jain said, “ Toyota vehicles are among the most popular cars on the Uber platform worldwide. We are proud to partner with Toyota India to boost grassroots entrepreneurship.”

The scheme will be applicable till December 2016, across India.

Abof Brings SKULT India’s Athleisure Fashion Brand By Shahid Kapoor

abof has announced the launch of India’s first athleisure fashion brand, SKULT, exclusively on its portal. This brand is in partnership with actor Shahid Kapoor, who has built an iconic reputation amongst India’s youth through movies such as Udta Punjab, Haider, and Jab We Met. SKULT, built on the principle of ‘Fashion meets functionality and Design meets Innovation’, is an evolvedstyle of athleisure which draws inspiration from all around the world but adapted for Indian sensibilities and body types.

Athleisure is a huge trend globally. It is a completely new genre of fashion being introduced by abof to Indian millennials in its continued efforts to be a differentiated player in a market cluttered with discounts. In athleisure, clothes are designed to be sturdy to withstand vigorous routines, yet they are trendy and versatile to be worn everywhere. The fashion needs of millennials have changed in last one decade where comfort wear has permeated in routine life. Youth in India today wants to dress down in everyday wear which is casual yet chic. Identifying the void in Indian wardrobes and taking the idea forward, abof.com has taken this street-wear hybrid trend to next level with the launch of SKULT which stands for Shahid + Cult. SKULT’s athleisure collection is unconventional, highly voguish, yet easy to carry and more importantly reminds consumer something about Shahid’s personality in each of its piece.

The atypical ‘Athleisure’ collection by Skult has been designed in-house by abof and has taken more than a year to work on this brand and its products. Commenting on his idea of SKULT, Shahid said, “Skult is about free styling. Skult is about fashion and functionality. Skult is about being yourself wherever you are. It's about apparel that's an extension of your body. That allows you to express yourself with no restrictions or rules. Sometimes clothes that are cool feel too restricting. This line sets you free. Own style. Don't let style restrict you”.

The collection of SKULT is absolutely enthralling with never before seen silhouettes and designs. SKULT is crafted to suit all occasions - work, casual or social.  There is no other brand in India that offers anything even remotely close to the range of SKULT. The collection has strong emphasis on black, grey, nude and monochromatic tones. The offbeat, yet trendy brand has a wide variety of merchandise for men in its launch season with over 250 options, which includes internationally trending categories like meggings and shackets. Apart from bringing these never-heard-before categories in India, even the regular categories have intricate detailing - like thumb holes, drop shoulder jackets, scoop hem tees, long line tees with drawcord - which makes the collection really stand out. SKULT has used high-performance yet very lightweight fabrics - cotton viscose, slub jersey, grindles, melanges, snow heather, terry, lycra denim, cotton satin, and popcorn knit – with the single-minded objective to make it really comfortable. The line also consists of 50 key pieces under ‘SKULT SIGNATURE’ where each piece has been crafted by the actor himself.

“Shahid is a youth icon who is admired for his style. We are extremely excited to partner with him in creating India’s first athleisure fashion brand which combines the actor’s love for ‘fun and comfortable’ dressing", said Kedar Apshankar, Deputy CEO,abof.com. “Athleisure is the new age clothing and we believe that comfort twined with hi-class fashion will take SKULT to great heights. The collection is exceptionally promising and refreshingly on-point. I am confident that this brand and its collection will be embraced by millennials and replace a large part of regular clothes in their wardrobes”, he added.

Heavy Duty Concreel HD Cement Now From JSW Cement

With its unceasing efforts in expanding its horizons and giving something new and beneficial to the society, JSW Cement, one of India’s leading cement has added to its foray, a superior quality product called as Concreel HD -One Cement Six Strengths. It is an environmental friendly green product. JSW Cement launched this cement earlier in Cochin City

 ‘Concreel HD’, a unique cement specially designed for all your concrete based construction requirements. Concreel HD provides exceptional early and final strength along with quick setting thus making it ideal for strength bearing applications such as beams, columns, slabs and foundations.

Speaking on the occasion Parth Jindal, MD- JSW Cement Ltd said,”JSW Cement has come a long way right from its inception till date. Exploring opportunities and expanding its market size, today, we are proud to be introducing this product to the south market which is a highly opportunistic region for us to step up our growth. With this investment, we hope to achieve another milestone to the progress of JSW Cement in the cement industry.”

A result of world class manufacturing process, Concreel HD is an environmentally friendly product with improved chemical resistance and superior cohesion, thereby providing more durability and increased safety to your structure. Therefore, Concreel HD is the perfect solution to all your concrete based construction needs.

JSW Cement has been doing very well in the South and to add to its excellence JSW Cement has launched the Concreel HD cement which will help the company to add more to its turnover which will in turn help the company to grow leading to its expansion and diversification.

Few advantages of Concreel HD are-

ü  High early strength

ü  Most Durable

ü  Quick Setting

ü  Resistant to chemical attack

ü  Superior cohesion
ü  Green product

Aston Martin DB11 Priced in India at Rs 4.2 Crore; Showcased in Bengaluru

The Aston Martin DB11 has launched in India at Rs 4.2 crores (ex-showroom Delhi). After the display of the car initially in Mumbai earlier this month, Bengaluru was the second stop for the luxury car at the ITC Gardenia this week.

The Aston Martin DB11 is the first series production Aston to be powered by a twin-turbo engine. The Aston Martin DB11 was previewed with the Aston Martin DB10 that was created for the James Bond film ‘Spectre’ and is the first model of the company’s ‘second century’ expansion plan. The Marek Reichman-led design team has made the new flagship sports car more swanky and athletic compared to the DB9.

The Aston Martin DB11 is 50 mm longer and 28 mm wider compared to the DB9. The wheelbase has been elongated by 65 mm to mount the new 5.2-litre V12 engine. The DB11 is the first series production Aston Martin to feature a twin-turbo engine. Developing 608 PS and 700 Nm of torque, this unit makes the DB11 capable of doing 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 3.9 seconds and onward to a top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h). There’s an 8-speed automatic transmission handling the delivery duties.

The Aston Martin DB11 can reach 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h).

Key features of the Aston Martin DB11 are, fully-digital instrument cluster with all-LED headlights with daytime running lights and low-speed cornering lights, 20-inch wheels, LED tail lights, 12-inch full-colour TFT LCD display, 8-inch TFT screen for the infotainment system, Bang and Olufsen audio system, parallel and bay park assistance and a 360-degree birds-eye camera.

Diageo’s New Business Service Centre in Karle Town Goes Live From October 17, 2016

Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, is extending its shared services operations into India by opening a new Business Services Centre in Bangalore which will start operations on 17 October 2017. To be known as Diageo Business Services India (DBSI), it will initially build a global (Diageo) Finance & Accounting footprint. Situated at the Karle Town Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bangalore, this centre promises to create great career opportunities for business professionals, particularly in the fields of Finance and Accounting, and plans to move fast into other areas such as Business Intelligence, Analytics and Data Services amongst others. The centre is expected to employ around 1000 people by the end of 2017.

DBSI, a new entrant to India’s global in-house centre (GIC) community, is looking to create a distinctive identity in the market. “The essence of our culture rests on two fundamental pillars,” commented Tracey Barnes, Managing Director, DBSI. “ These are ‘how we work’ – in an open, exciting and dynamic culture, where our employees care about doing the right things, the right way and know they can make a difference and second, ‘what we offer’ - opportunities to grow in an environment where the best of Diageo globally meets the best of India. At Diageo culture, diversity and inclusion are integral to our ways of working. We believe that our organisation should fully reflect the communities we work in and serve. This is particularly important in Bangalore where we are creating so many opportunities for great talent and we are aiming for an equal balance of female and male employees.”

Set against this cultural identity, DBSI has already made its presence felt in the market. Testimony to this is the fact that the centre has already marked its first hiring landmark – reaching 100 employees. “We believe in hiring the very best talent who we know can be successful for themselves and in turn drive our business forward. We also want to hire people who identify with the Diageo culture and spirit, with real potential to grow as the business grows. We are creating an open and inclusive culture that values diversity and inspires us to win together.” added Samarpita Banerjee, Head of HR, DBSI.

Currently, DBSI is operating from an incubation centre at Karle Town ahead of moving to a purpose built, state of the art permanent facility, in the same centre, before the end of the calendar year.

USF Launches Second Dr APJ Kalam Postgraduate Fellowship

In celebration of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary, the University of South Florida (USF) announced the second Kalam Postgraduate Fellowship today. The Fellowship is for exemplary Indian students seeking to pursue a PhD in specified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes at USF.

A popular and respected icon for India’s youth, President Kalam was a strong advocate for education and a passionate supporter of clean energy and energy independence. He visited USF in 2012 and is remembered affectionately by the university and the vibrant Indian heritage community in Tampa Bay, Florida.

The Kalam Fellow will receive $18,000 tuition per year. The Provost's Office will pay a nine-month stipend for the first year with the department/college contributing a teaching/research assistantship for up to an additional three years.

The Fellowship was launched in 2015 during the visit of USF Provost Ralph Wilcox to India. USF named Avijit Sengupta, a graduate from IIT-Bombay, as the first Kalam Fellow for the 2016-17 academic year. He is currently pursuing his research at USF’s Muma College of Business. A design researcher from Kolkata, Sengupta has worked at the Center of Social Media Innovation for Communities at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He has conference publications in the United States (twice with the American conference on Information Systems), South Korea and New Zealand.

The deadline for applications for the 2017-18 Kalam Postgraduate Fellowship is January 15, 2017. Full details, eligibility criteria, and application form will be available on www.usf.edu/world by Friday, October 21, 2016. The Fellowship decision will be announced mid-April 2017.