GE to Set Up Digital Technology Centre in Bangalore; Plans to Hire 1,000 Over Next 3 Years

By Manu Sharma

General Electric (GE), the American multinational conglomerate corporation has announced the launch of their Digital Technology Centre in Bangalore. Jim Fowler, Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) will launch the new centre on November 30, 2016 and will be located at the Prestige Shantiniketan at Whitefield.

In a Fireside Chat on ‘Industrial Digital Transformation’ session in association with Nasscom, conducted by C.P. Gurnani Chairman, Nasscom and MD and CEO, Tech Mahindra. Fowler says, “Despite being a global company, GE opted for Bangalore looking at the high quality of talent in offers. We short listed Bangalore over San Francisco, Paris and several other locations in Asia.”

The on-going BengaluruITE.biz is currently happening at the Bangalore Palace grounds and has attracted a large number of global corporates.

The new centre will be GE's game plan to invest $1 billion globally in digital technologies, as the company is gearing up for digital transformation with Predix Platform. "The next industrial revolution is about the connection of enterprise data and machine data and models that predict future outcomes," he said.

GE is expected to hire over 1,000 techies over the next three years. “We will focus our operations on Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial internet,” he adds.  

GE has made this city its second home with the John F. Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC), named after the former CEO of GE, located at in Whitefield, Bangalore.  The JFWTC is General Electric's (GE) first and largest integrated, multidisciplinary research and development center outside the US. The team has more than 5,000 engineers and scientists working at the JFWTC Bangalore.

Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT, BT and Tourism, earlier speaking to the media highlighted the fact that this year’s ITE.biz is expected to be of a bigger scale and scope compared to the past with more global players taking part actively.

He stressed that our endeavour is to bring all stakeholders-policy makers, Industry and academia together to celebrate the wonderful technology ecosystem that Karnataka has, and to strive to retain our position of leadership through strategic investment of resources on people, places and technologies.

Karnataka Owned Keonics Unveils Rural Wi-Fi in 11 Gram Panchayats

Karnataka government today launched rural Wi-Fi services in 11 gram panchayats, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying such a digital inclusion will give village-level entrepreneurs ready access to online market place for their products and services.

The gram panchayats benefitting from the Wi-Fi initiative include two each in Mysuru, Tumkuru, Gadag, Ballari and Kalburgi and one in Bagalkot district. The rural population in these gram panchayats can make use of the services by buying concessional Wi-Fi vouchers.

At the inauguration of Bengaluru ITE.Biz 2016, an annual IT event, Siddaramaiah said with "digital inclusion becoming the most important parameter of growth and economic development", it is the intention of the government to see that the last mile connectivity is provided in all villages.

People can access the wi-fi by buying concessional vouchers. The state-owned Keonics is implementing the project. "For this we will be banking on the availability of National Optic Fibre Network up to the Gram Panchayat level," he added.

The gram panchayats benefitting from the Wi-Fi initiative include two each in Mysuru, Tumkuru, Gadag, Ballari and Kalburgi and one in Bagalkot district. The rural population in these gram panchayats can make use of the services by buying concessional Wi-Fi vouchers.

The impact of digital inclusion will be manifold which would enable village-level entrepreneurs ready access to online market place and have opportunity to explore new markets for their products and services, he said.

In Conversation with Legends Akhtar & Mahadevan in Bengaluru

At an event organized by Royal Stag Music and lyrics engaged Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Akhtar in a conversation on Saturday in Bengaluru.

The two greats - one a lyricist, another a musician - interacted with reporters before engaging in a conversation on how to create the perfect cinematic experience.

"When you are in the mainstream film industry, you have to deal with producers, directors and so many others. In all this, Akhtar sir has always stood by me," Mahadevan said about his mentor and guide.

On whom he considers the best music director, Akhtar said, "If you had asked me in the past, I would have said R D Burman. In today's time, I think Shankar is the best. They both have a certain class about them."

Akhtar said his experience as a Rajya Sabha member was enriching. "I went in with the intention to improve our copyright laws to protect the interests of Indian writers and lyricists. Though it took two years, I am happy to say that leaders in both the Houses were sympathetic and now we have one of the best copyright laws in the world."

Mahadevan and Akhtar talked about their new and upcoming projects. Akhtar has written scripts for two movies which will be announced in a few months. "Movies these days require different kind of writing. The drama is understated. The pace and structure is different from movies of the past."

Mahadevan has big plans for his online Indian music academy. "We started with just 15 students and now we have people from 67 countries learning our music. I want to extend it to teach Urdu poetry and composing music. I want to make it the Harvard for music," he said.

Philips Showcases ICCC Solutions at the Healthcare Conclave in India

Philips innovation Campus, showcased their IntelliSpace Consultative Critical Care (ICCC) solution service at the Healthcare Conclave in Bengaluru recently. The state of the art hardware and software products that are provided as part of the solution enables clinicians connect to and monitor multiple intensive care units from a central location. 

Talking to media, Srinivas Prasad M R, Managing Director of Philips Innovation Centre, Bengaluru says, “Tele medicine is the way forward. We have already made tremendous progress on this front with the hub and spokes model. Recently have tied up with several hospitals both in the government and private sectors. Today we have about 1,500 beds in India and did a pilot in In Karnataka, at Jadgir with partnership with Narayana Healthcare. Following this also have a joint venture with Manipal Hospitals in several places across India”

IntelliSpace CCC is a solution where connectivity is absolutely essential. Therefore the biggest challenge that needs to be overcome especially in the case of rural areas is lack of electricity and low broadband internet penetration, he said.

Trained healthcare providers and intensive care nurses stationed at the command center can monitor the patients in the peripheral ICUs on a 24/7 basis. This saves costs for the patients and gets best care to them, even at remote locations.

The conclave was graced by industry stalwarts like Rajesh Batra, CIO of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, and government officials like Rajendra Pratap, advisor to Union Minister of Health, healthcare providers and a few ambitious start-ups. These stalwarts highlighted how can we leverage digital India for providing better healthcare solutions and that IoT and AI are a powerful combination in redefining healthcare. This comes as an addition to the breakthrough of big data in healthcare sector, where the healthcare providers have access to better and relevant data, in turn rendering them capable to offer better care to the healthcare seekers.

As on date our country needs additional 1.5million beds and 3 million doctors by 2034, to be able to render effective healthcare to the ones in need. However, according to a survey conducted by McKinsey, India has only 1.3 hospital beds per 1,000 people-significantly lower than the guideline of 3.5 beds defined by WHO (World Health Organization). The sector needs to focus on the quality, affordability and the reach of healthcare. The only answer to bridge the gap between the problem and the solution is innovative technology.

PIC now plans to make a significant reduction in the maternal mortality rate, with their latest innovation-Mobile Obstetrical Monitoring (MoM). High fetal and maternal mortality rates continue to remain one of the major concerns in the healthcare space. The project will monitor pregnant women for early high risk identification via a new telehealth solution. This will enhance the performance of India’s Frontline Health Workersas they are the first point of contact with the healthcare system in the developing areas, allowing them to save many lives. The project will be a great step towards improved healthcare for the newborn and the mothers.

While cardiovascular diseases have quadrupled in the last 40 years, 50% of the affected patients arrive too late for appropriate treatment. If the patient receives treatment within one hour of the attack- called ‘the golden hour’, possibilities of saving his/her life increase manifold. Philips Innovation Campus has developed the chest pain clinics to answer the problem. The Chest Pain Clinics are aimed at enabling small hospitals and nursing homes to provide timely and quality, ”Emergency Cardiac Care” and thus save lives.Each Chest Pain Clinic will be a clinic or a small healthcare facility equipped with Philips Efficia ECG-100 systems which will wirelessly transmit ECGs of patients in real time from the spokes(Chest Pain Clinics) to the hub. Once a patient is confirmed as suffering from a Myocardial Infarction, known as a Heart Attack, he/she is immediately transported via an ambulance from the Chest Pain Clinic, for primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) within the golden hour.

Apart from addressing the healthcare gaps though technology, Philips Innovation Campus also organized a Start-up Alley, where they chose the best Start-Up, who addressed the common healthcare gaps with utmost precision. The Start-up was chosen in association with NASSCOM and Philips innovation Campus would be mentoring them to better their chosen project.

Amul Products Available in US Via Amazon’s Global Selling Program

Amazon has announced Amul’s foray into online selling in the US through its Global Selling Program. In line with Amazon’s vision to transform the way India buys and sells, this exclusive association will enable consumers in the US to enjoy Amul’s high-quality products. At launch, Amul is offering Amul Ghee to global customers through Amazon.com. Amul’s Ghee and Gulab Jamun are amongst the best-selling products in the US market with Amul’s Ghee currently being ranked as one of the top SKUs on Amazon in the ‘Butter and Margarine’ category. Going forward, Amul plans to add additional products from its wide product portfolio on Amazon.com 

Amazon’s Global Selling Program was launched in India in May last year. It facilitates easy, simple and convenient access for all Indian sellers - including entrepreneurs, SMEs, manufacturers as well as large brands – to sell their ‘Make in India’ products to consumers across the globe. The program has witnessed a 70% increase in seller base as compared to last year with a total of over 18,000 Indian sellers on the platform selling globally across Amazon’s 9 global marketplaces. The program offers a comprehensive end-to-end solution that includes assisting sellers with imaging, logistics, tax advisory and remittance. With over millions of Indian products listed on Amazon’s global marketplaces, Global Sales has expanded selection of popular Indian products into several categories. Currently over 25 million products are listed by Indian sellers.

Amul is one of India’s largest, most loved and trusted food brand which enjoys worldwide recognition and global demand. Through Amazon’s Global Selling Program, ‘The Taste of India’ will transcend geographical boundaries and take its high-quality food products overseas to delight international customers.

“Amul has been exporting its products to the USA since last 20 years and has been selling through the traditional retail channel there. We are pleased to partner with Amazon as we mark our entry in the online space in the US and scale our business internationally through Amazon’s Global Selling Program. With this association we are looking to expand our reach to a wider audience in the US and open new doors for our business with online selling. We are positive that our mainstream online US consumers can be seamlessly satiated through our partnership with Amazon.” said R S Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF (Amul).  

“We are thrilled to have Amul, India’s most loved food brand, onboard and are excited to help fuel the brand’s growth in the US market by offering unprecedented reach to consumers. Through this program, we will offer Amul an end-to-end solution and help the brand cater to the growing appetite for quality Indian food products amongst global consumers” said Mr. Gopal Pillai, Director and GM, Seller Services, Amazon India. 

Jointly owned by over 3.6 million milk producers in Gujarat with a turnover of over 23,000 crore, Amul will venture into the online space in the US by leveraging Amazon’s expertise of more than 20 years. The brand will launch through Amazon’s gold-standard Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) offering and gradually expand its online business in the US. Fulfilment by Amazon will allow Amul tostore its products in Amazon’s warehouses and have Amazon pack &deliver the orders to customers apart from providing customer service and managing returns. As an extension to its existing offline business in the US, Amul is all set to cater to a growing online consumer base through this association.

“We are delighted that the Amazon Global Selling program will provide -iconic Indian brands as well as emerging companies- the opportunity to leverage this platform for a larger market access. We have been witnessing an increasing demand for ‘Made in India’ products amongst global consumers across ethnicities. Since its inception last year, our Global Selling Program has grown multifold and now enables over 18,000 merchants to sell their products to millions of consumers across 9 international markets. We are happy to partner the ‘Make in India’ initiatives to create an ecosystem of globally scaling Indian companies,” adds Gopal.

Ola’s World’s First Connected Car Platform for Ride-Sharing in India

In a global first, Ola, India’s most popular mobile app for transportation has launched ‘Ola Play’, a connected car platform for ride sharing that will transform the in-car experience for users on the go like never before. Ola Play is powered by proprietary in-car and cloud technologies from Ola, by bringing advance car controls, choice of personalized content and a fully connected interactive experience for the user. The platform hardware is a first of its kind solution built by Ola in partnership with Qualcomm. With this, Ola raises the bar globally, on a connected in-car experience.

Beyond offering a highly personal, experience for users during their rides, Ola Play also allows various partners like Apple Music, Sony LIV, Audio Compass and Fynd to build a high quality interactive experience for users. Mahindra and Mahindra, as part of its strategic partnership with Ola, is deeply integrating this technology in its vehicles, enabling both companies to build holistic solutions for the ridesharing world.

               

Speaking at the launch, Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO at Ola said “The entire Ola team is proud to launch Ola Play, the world’s first connected car platform for ridesharing. I believe this will completely transform the consumer’s ride experience, giving the user the power to control the interactions within the car, and usher in a new era in the ridesharing industry. With over 60 million minutes spent in Ola rides every day, the impact on consumer comfort, convenience and productivity can be transformative. This will further propel ride-sharing as the first choice of mobility for many more millions.”

He added, “As a young Indian company, we’re proud to be at the forefront of the Startup India movement. Ola Play is a world first, built in India by an Indian team, which showcases that we can do better than the best in the world, and be global leaders in technology and innovation.”

Simplilearn & Microsoft to Train Over 1 Lakh Professionals on Microsoft Cloud by 2020

Simplilearn, the global professional training company announced a collaboration with Microsoft to build a talent pool of over one lakh next generation cloud professionals by 2020. Simplilearn has been appointed as Microsoft’s silver learning partner for its suite of Microsoft Azure certification courses and will train IT professionals on Azure as cloud based applications are becoming more prevalent in today’s digital workplace.

As per forecast by Goldman Sachs, the cloud platform and infrastructure market roughly generates $21 billion in revenues and is expected to grow by 20 percent year after year to $43 billion by 2018. This rapid growth is paving tremendous demand globally for IT professionals with specialized cloud skills. The certification courses on Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions, Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure and Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions are intended to equip learners with relevant skills through Simplilearn’s flexible online instructor-led training, e-learning and industry projects.

“In today’s digitally driven economy, there is a need for talent to own relevant and most updated skill-sets to be relevant in the work space. By partnering with Simplilearn, we are assured of talent in India that is skilled and up to date on cloud capabilities. Through this partnership, going forward, we will also implement similar upskilling programs for other Microsoft technology products in India”, said Manohar Hotchandani, Director – Business Development, Microsoft India.

Speaking on the partnership with Microsoft, Krishna Kumar, Founder and CEO, Simplilearn said, “We want to be instrumental in empowering professionals adapt to the changing digital technologies.  We are excited about providing our learners with the best of training through comprehensive learning paths recommended by Microsoft.  Together, we are confident about setting an ambitious mission of creating a large talent pool of 1 lakh Microsoft cloud professionals by 2020.”

With renowned cloud expert Bernard Golden as the course advisor and experienced Microsoft certified trainers onboard, course participants will gain in-depth understanding of Azure’s features for effective practical applications. On getting certified, professionals can explore possible career opportunities in the growing cloud domain as .NET Developers, Solution Architects, Enterprise Architects, DevOps Engineers, QA Engineers, Security Administrators, Network Engineers,  Server Engineers and Virtualization Engineers.