IKEA Redefines Equality with its New Parental Policy in India

IKEA has announced a unique parental leave and HR policy in India under which the co-workers, including the men, will be able to avail six months leave on a child’s birth alongside other benefits. The co-workers will be able to avail the leaves with full salary they are entitled to. The policy has been announced on Women’s Day, to extend support for women and men in their role as parents and as professionals.

IKEA, through its many policies, is empowering the co-workers with many unique initiatives to create a great place to work for men and women both.

1.     Equal and balanced working environment with 50/50 men women at all levels in all functions.

2.     Day care centers in connection to each IKEA store.

3.     Transportation to and from work to ensure that everyone arrives to work and home again in a safe and secure way.

IKEA wants to create an inclusive environment for its co-workers that fits both men and women. Policies are defined to create an inclusive environment for all co-workers in different areas of the business and in different levels of the organization. IKEA believes in a culture where the value added by each individual is recognized.

Announcing the new set of initiatives along with other HR policies, Anna-Carin Månsson, Country HR Manager, IKEA India said, “I am delighted to share this piece of news with all our co- workers in India who have been working towards building the IKEA brand in India. For us the co-workers are no less than a family and it becomes imperative for us help them through important phase like this of their lives. What makes it all the more special is announcing this on Women’s Day. We remain committed towards empowering our co-workers at the workplace and ensure equal opportunities.”

Under the parental policy, it’s mandatory for male co-workers to submit a letter/proof of return to work from their partner’s employer and has resumed work post maternity leave to avail all the benefits under this policy. Similar benefits will also be extended to co-workers planning surrogacy or adoption.

The female co-workers will also have an option of reduced working hours in the nursing period; additional 2 weeks of leave with full pay in case of tubectomy operation; leave with full pay and benefits for a maximum period of 1 month in case of illness arising out of pregnancy, delivery, premature birth of child.

Tata Elxsi Partners with DiSTI to Produce e-Cockpit Demonstrator

The DiSTI Corporation, a leading provider of graphical user interface software and customized 3D virtual maintenance training solutions, announces a strategic partnership with Tata Elxsi to deliver DiSTI’s GL Studio UI products with Tata Elxsi software services. Tata Elxsi developed their e-Cockpit demonstrator using DiSTI’s GL Studio UI Designer.

Tata Elxsi has joined DiSTI’s partner program as a seasoned global development group of UI content creation and implementation professionals. Showcased during CES 2017 in January, Tata Elxsi adopted GL Studio for their e-Cockpit demonstrator for the development of the Infotainment, Cluster and HUD. Throughout the development process, DiSTI provided UI support for the GL Studio UI Designer. The hardware used for the demonstrator is the Renesas R-Car H3 Salvatore-X board. The demonstrator highlights both how GL Studio can seamlessly handle high performance graphics across multiple displays on a single embedded target, as well as the quality design and software implementation capabilities of Tata Elxsi.

“This partnership highlights the versatility of the GL Studio software suite and our commitment to our partners’ and customers’ success,” said Chris Giordano, DiSTI Vice President, Automotive Division. “DiSTI is honored to collaborate with Tata Elxsi on this project, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them.”

DiSTI’s GL Studio UI tools are a comprehensive development suite for seamlessly creating cross platform 2D and 3D user interface content. GL Studio streamlines UI asset creation to implementation readiness in one platform without compromise. By consuming industry standard file formats such as Photoshop and 3ds Max into the GL Studio Designer, the graphics artist’s content directly drives the user experience and the UI designer workflow significantly reduces the time to market.

“With more and more driver assistance happening in automobiles through multiple displays, HMI and Graphics are going to play a major role and Tata Elxsi along with DiSTI are investigating futeristic ways of UX and UI implemenations in vehicles”, says Tony K John, Global Head of Marketing, Partnerships & Alliances, Automotive Business Unit, Tata Elxsi

DiSTI and TATA ELXSI will showcase the e-Cockpit demonstration at Embedded World 2017 in Germany on March 14-16. For a full demonstration, visit them in Hall 4, booth 4-131.

Radisson Blu Atria Opens 167 Rooms Upscale Hotel in Bengaluru

Brussels-headquartered hospitality major Carlson Rezidor launched its third property in the city, when it opened the doors of Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru on Saturday.

The upper up-scale hotel has been set up in partnership with Bengaluru-based A.S.K. Brothers, which has invested a sum of around Rs 100 crore in renovating the earlier Atria Hotel into its present form. 

The new hotel features 167 guest rooms and suites which boast of modern amenities, apart from four food and beverage outlets — One Atria Café, Tijouri. The Whiskey Bar and Tea and Wine Lounge.

The hotel has over 1,250 sq metres of flexible room configurations with its six meeting spaces and two boardrooms, capable of accommodating large gatherings. Other facilities available at the hotel include the Business Class Lounge, business centre, swimming pool, spa, and a fully-equipped fitness centre.

Explaining travel trends in Bengaluru, A.S.K. Brothers Executive Director Sunder Raju said, “The city is a marketplace for corporate and business travelers. However, the stay of corporate travelers has reduced from four days to one-and-half days per trip, meaning more, frequent travel but for lesser durations.”

“Travellers don’t want in-the-face opulence, but a place to comfortable place for some good rest,” he added.

Referring to the erstwhile Atria property getting a new identity, Raju said, “The market has changed, so have customers’ needs. Sometimes we need to reinvent ourselves.”

“The opening of Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru is a testament of our footprint in the region and a reflection of the unique brand identity that we bring to the city,” said Raj Rana, CEO (South Asia) at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

Spirit of Ideation Leads to Innovation and Investment: Priyank Kharge

Young Indians (Yi) an integral part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the 5^th National Entrepreneurship Summit in the city Themed ‘Disruption - Challenging Traditions, Transforming World’, the summit was inaugurated by Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT, BT and Tourism Government of Karnataka in the presence of  Ajith Mathew George, Chair, Entrepreneurship Summit 2017,  R K Misra Serial Entrepreneur, and Subramanyam Putrevu, CIO Mindtree Ltd and  Arya Rajesh Kumar, Chair, Yi Bengaluru.

Delivering the inaugural address, Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT, BT and Tourism Government of Karnataka said that, the Government of Karnataka has always pursued disruption and transformative governance. It strives to be bolder and better, with the most advanced digital ecosystem for its citizens. The various e-governance schemes of the government have been path breaking and disruptive whether it be Sakala Scheme, which guarantees services to citizens in the State within a stipulated time limit or the Bhoomi Project for land record management or the ‘Karnataka Valuation & e-Registration’ program to simplify the process of registration of documents. Today the government of Karnataka is acting as a consultant for other states in the implementation of e-governance. The state is has moved on from being the leader in e-governance to being a pioneer in mobile governance. ‘Karnataka One’ an award-winning application that integrates multiple government services into one app is an example of the forward-thinking policies of the government of Karnataka.

Karnataka is the only State in India to have a start-up policy and a start-up cell to encourage and facilitate young entrepreneurs. The government is committed to provide financial, and policy support and mentorship to start-ups and this is the reason why start-ups have flourished in the state. Karnataka is the first state to have a grand startup challenge to promote and foster the spirit of ideation and innovation. The State is not worried about investments, as the government strongly believes that if adequate importance is given to ideation, innovation and invention will follow leading to investment.

While stressing on the need to bridge the gap between academia and Industry, he said that New Age Incubation Network (NAIN) covering academic institutions have been setup by the government to encourage student projects through mentoring and monetary support of Rs. 3 lakhs per project for students in the rural areas. Already 180 student groups have been funded and there has been 70 company incorporations.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, addressing the conference via video chat, said that innovation and disruption has flourished in the private sector but the government has lagged way behind. He called on the youth of the country to play and active role in the democratic process through an informed aware engagement and not just add to the common din. According to him innovation and disruption is the new normal and the internet and the technology the internet represents has created a level playing field. He said that, we have all the pieces to make India a great economic powerhouse but we first need to clean up our governance and make it more transparent.

R K Misra, Serial Entrepreneur and winner of Lead India Campaign said that, disrupted industries typically suffer from a perfect storm of two forces. First, low barriers to entry into these sectors lead to more agile competition. Secondly, they have large legacy business models which often generate the majority of their revenue. These organizations, therefore, have embedded cultural and organizational challenges when it comes to changing at the pace required. Today’s fast paced techno driven business eco-system is fast evolving where mere innovation is not good enough for a business to survive, leave aside success. The new mantra is “Disruption”. In last decade where the focus was on innovation the next decade would be dedicated to disruption. Disruptive technologies are changing the game for businesses by creating entirely new products and services.

Subramanyam Putrevu, Chief Information Officer, Mindtree ltd said that Entrepreneurs and policy makers must not only know what’s on the horizon but also start preparing for its impact. It is estimated that these new emerging technologies could have a potential economic impact between $14 trillion and $33 trillion a year by 2025. This estimate is neither predictive nor comprehensive but based on an in-depth analysis of key potential applications and the value they could create in a number of ways, including the consumer surplus that arises from better products, lower prices, a cleaner environment, and better health.

Ajith Mathew George, Chair, Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 said that today’s fast paced techno driven business eco-system is evolving where mere innovation is not good enough for a business to survive leave aside success. The new mantra is “Disruption”. In last decade where the focus was on innovation the next decade would be dedicated to disruption. Disruptive ideas are changing the game for businesses by creating entirely new products and services. Entrepreneurs have to keep their organizational strategies updated in the face of continually evolving technologies. They not only have to look for disruptive business models but also use technologies to improve internal performance. Digital India stands for transforming India into a digitally empowered knowledge economy. The summit will discuss about “Digital India” initiative of Govt. of India and the challenges & opportunities arising therefrom for Indian Entrepreneurs. It will also look at various schemes launched by Central and State Govt. for the start-ups and young entrepreneurs.  

Fishchain Leverages on Ecommerce Tech to Expand Presence in India

Fish Chain, Bangalore-based startup and a for-profit, social venture has launched Fishchaincat and Chatbot aimed to make seafood available in Bengaluru and expand in a phased manner across India.

After having done its pilot operations over a year ago in Coimbatore, the company has now rolled out operations in the city with new technology innovations.  Now technology and innovation power Fishchaincat every level, but the two key innovations that emphasize the brand’s focus on quality are its Chatbot led ordering process and its first of its kind van delivery model.

The bot commerce has been hosted on IBM Watson platform and comes with smart Artificial Intelligent (AI) self learning bot . So from March 15, 2017 customers can order sea food of any variety on chat. Roy Nathan, CEO and Co-founder of Fishchain said, “Our Fishchaincat and Chatbox are future of e-commerce in India and have invested extensively on it.  Customers can order in their natural language and also track, schedule the order according to their convenience. Using technology we shall reach out to the customers in a shorter time.”

The FishChain chatbot, codeveloped with tech partner PnP Labs, enables consumers to order seafood straight from their smartphones with a few simple texts. The chatbot is one of the few in the country to be enabled by IBM’s Watson Platform as a result of IBM’s association with FishChain’s technology partner.

Multiple rounds of quality checks ensure that the only the best of the day’s catch makes its way to Fish Chain’s order fulfilment centers, where highly trained Fish Chain staff cut, clean, weigh and pack a range of seafood into hygienic, odour-free packaging for delivery. Every FishChain package comes with an innovative code QR code, which when scanned, lets consumers trace where and when their seafood was caught, showcasing the brand’s commitment to quality & transparency.”

Fishchain seeks to address the underserved seafood space, with a brand new seafood shopping experience on a fully integrated supply chain that is built on community, technology and consumer convenience

Nathan explained Fishchain’s focus on community, “At the heart of the Fishchain family are small, independent fishermen from whom we source directly and ethically. We’ve cut out the middlemen from the industry, allowing us to give fishermen their fair due, and consumers fresher fish faster.”  

Committed to working with the marginalized community of independent fisher folk, Fish Chain has not only introduced a first of its kind cashless payment system to ensure that the fishermen are paid promptly and transparently, but is also plowing back 10% of their annual profits into the general welfare of the community.

Naveen Chander, COO and CO-founder elaborated “We pride ourselves on placing quality over cost, not only within the Fishchain system, but also with our community of fishermen. Our fishermen understand the benefits of the long term relationship we’re building and are showing strong interest to adopt better quality control systems including handling of fishes, which helps us to ensure the quality of seafood.”  

Technology and innovation power Fishchaincat every level, but the two key innovations that emphasize the brand’s focus on quality are its chatbot led ordering process and its first of its kind van delivery model.

Fishchain’s fleet of custom designed, temperature controlled FishVans are the first of their kind in India.  Driving up to consumer’s doorsteps with a display that showcases the day’s catch in a refrigerated, completely hygienic, odour free manner, the Fishvans offer unparalleled consumer convenience.

Envisioned as a for profit enterprise with social development at its heart, the founders of Fish Chain are committed to ensuring the benefits of seafood are enjoyed, even by those who may not have access to them traditionally.

With the belief that healthy, happy children are the foundation for a better tomorrow, Fish Chain not only offers a range of kid friendly options for retail consumers, but is working with orphanages, schools and NGOs to providing the same health benefits to kids from disadvantaged backgrounds atleast twice a week. In addition, the brand is working with Amritha University’s “Fish for Food” program to develop ways to help the healthy protein in seafood reach disadvantaged urban communities.

With the launch happening on International Women’s Day, Nathan  added “Women make up nearly 40% of fisher folk, but are themselves highly marginalized in what is a male dominated industry. Fish Chain is honoured to work with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation to find ways to support fisherwomen package and market their produce, with 100% profits going back to support and build the fisherwoman community.”

Idea Money’ s New App Comes with Unique Features for a faster Customer Experience

With a focus on catalysing digital transactions in line with the government’s vision of a cashless economy, to enable mobile users transact securely and conveniently, Idea Cellular has redesigned the Idea Money* app for both Android and iOS users. The new app now comes loaded with a host of unique and exciting features.

The new app can be used by both, Idea users as well as non-users, on their smartphones. The retailer interface of the app enables retailers to pull payments from feature phone users through a USSD based transaction.

Based on research and user feedback the new and improved Idea Money app comes with a visually appealing interface and added benefits that provide a smoother and friction free navigation experience, giving users easier discoverability and navigation access. The app also features exciting and innovative iconography, theme, and design, along with the following unique features:

Request Money and Split Bill Features: This unique feature enables users to share money or expenses with friends and family in a more convenient and effortless manner. Users can now add their friends and family amongst whom the bill is to be split, and request money thereon.

Standing Instructions Feature: This unique feature for bill payments will also allow Idea users to conduct cyclical payments such as payments of Idea postpaid bills or prepaid recharges without any hassle. This can be done by setting a one-time instruction for conducting the transaction in the required cycle.

The Idea Money app also offers users the benefit of donating money to their favourite charities with a single click. Currently 10 charitable organizations can be reached out through the app, including Concern India Foundation, CRY, Give India, HelpAge India, PETA and Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Trust. Some of the other useful offerings that the app now features include app notification, offers section, a transactions history section and customer personalization.

According to Sudhakar Ramasubramanian, CEO (Designate), Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd said,“Our new and improved Idea Money App features a vibrant interface which caters to the digitally savvy users, who have in the wake of the demonetization drive, started using payment wallets more frequently. Based on our research and user feedback, we have redesigned the app to be more visually appealing, as well as added a number of new and useful features that will make cashless transactions more secure, accessible and convenient for users. We are committed towards continuously innovating and building new product propositions that work for our partner's and customer's benefit.”

Idea Money has witnessed a huge upsurge both in volumes and usage values, post demonetisation and has almost reached 1 million downloads on the Android platform. There has also been an increase in load money on the wallet through Debit card, Credit card and Internet Banking.

Idea Money is redefining cashless transactions through its unique features that include the recently announced Retailer Assisted Model (RAM) and the availability of USSD based transactions. RAM enables retailers to pull payments and conduct transactions via Idea Money while the USSD feature enables customers without a smartphone to conduct cashless transactions, via an SMS based platform for feature phones.

*Idea Money is a digital wallet offered by Idea Cellular Ltd. through its subsidiary Idea Mobile Commerce Services ltd.

Atos Delivers First Applications for Siemens MindSphere IoT OS

Atos, a leader in digital transformation, is the first partner to deliver mobile applications for MindSphere, the open, cloud-based IoT (Internet of Things) operating system from Siemens. These applications enable manufacturers to access and analyze production data via their mobile devices, enabling them to efficiently manage production, resolve conflict and optimize resources to improve plant productivity. The first six MindSphere applications from Atos include the Manufacturing Sustainability App and the Production Confirmation App.

The apps integrate the production data with that from the various management systems, such as Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Using Big Data Analytics, the apps enable users to receive role-specific and position-specific data about the current and future status of production. With these apps users are able to respond to and manage emerging problems in the production process in a timely manner, streamlining production processes. These Atos apps will be available to end-users in MindSphere version 2.0.

"Our IoT operating system MindSphere coupled with these new applications create concrete added value for customers," says Dr. Ralf Wagner, COO MindSphere at Siemens. "We are delighted that Atos is committed to this open ecosystem and is creating specific solutions on this basis."

“Atos is one of the first partners of MindSphere. We bring integration, infrastructure, consulting and security services as well as expertise in the development of ready-to-use applications, in order to seamlessly connect MindSphere customers with their existing IT systems” said Philippe Miltin, senior vice president of Manufacturing, Retail and Transportation, Atos. "Our objective is to provide more applications over the coming year."