International Innovation Corps, University of Chicago Aims to Accelerate Social Development by Bringing Together Private Public Enterprises

The University of Chicago’s International Innovation Corps (IIC) organized a three-day conference at their center in Delhi. The event featured panel discussions on creating participatory spaces in public policy, innovations in development finance, filling data gaps and fuelling data governance. The emerging theme from the deliberations was the role of public private partnerships in scaling and accelerating social development initiatives and creating an ecosystem which would help enable this.

Stalwarts from the NITI Aayog, the Rajasthan Education Department, organizations such as Michael and Susan Dell Foundation,  Dasra, Villgro India, SEWA, Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence, IDInsight, Data{Meet}, SocialCops, X Billion Labs, Saajha, Aranya Agricultural Alternatives came together to discuss their learnings and observations on the need to involve communities in the creation and delivery of policy initiatives; the significance of participation of private funding, philanthropic giving and impact investing to accelerate the development process; and overcoming gaps in data collection, management and analytics. 

A keynote lecture by Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary of Education, Government of Rajasthan, on systemic transformations in education, was also able to bring these different themes together.  The Secretary’s lecture highlighted how Rajasthan’s School Education Department has been able to combine data systems, community engagement, and partnerships with NGOs and foundations, to bring about large-scale change in education governance. While learning outcomes will take many years to improve, putting in place the right governance structures is a critical first step.

Panel discussions highlighted that lack of ownership is a challenge when it comes to scaling social initiatives. Creating communitarian organizations with participation from all sectors could help build holistic programs and address challenges with existing initiatives. Information sharing and building capacity at the official level, as well as community level, would help accelerate this.  

Prachi Jain Windlass, India Education Director, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, shared “When it comes to achieving scale and making social development initiatives sustainable, it cannot be achieved in isolation by education technology companies, or NGOs. Working closely with the government and facilitating community involvement is what will make these initiatives a success.”

IIC’s education programs in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are helping build formal and informal channels to encourage community participation, designing tools to collect data at the village level, and building capacity to scale such interventions, by ensuring that local governance structures in each state are kept in mind and proper feedback mechanisms are developed. All of this is being enabled through collaborations with state governments.

Throwing light on the recently launched Gyan Sankalp Education Funding Portal designed by the Government of Rajasthan and the IIC, Tullika Saini, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education, Rajasthan shared “There is a 5000+crore infrastructure financing gap in Rajasthan schools. A larger vision is required to connect potential funders with on-ground projects which have been identified after careful observation of needs of people on the ground, which the Gyan Sankalp portal aims at enabling. There is an opportunity for every organization to be a part of education initiatives in the country and the portal is a tool to connect the two.”

Avik Sarkar, Incharge, Data Analytics Cell, Energy Modeling Unit, NITI Aayog, who engaged with an IIC team to work on data systems, said “Gaps in data analysis and effective utilization of data, to implement impactful initiatives, exist because of lack of digitization of data. Data needs to be seen as a tool that empowers people and proper governance mechanisms need to be put in place to collect and digitize relevant data. Partnerships with private organizations for capacity building to impart necessary skills to accelerate digitization of data can help take this forward.”

Avik Sarkar, Incharge, Data Analytics Cell, Energy Modeling Unit, NITI Aayog; Tullika Saini, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education, Rajasthan; Prachi Jain Windlass, Director, India Education, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation; Megha Jain, Associate Director, Strategic Philanthropy, Dasra, leaders of NGOs and social enterprises, and government officials attended the conference.

SOC Gaining Focus & IOT Set to Play a Big Role in Next 10 Years: Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions had their global executive Kevin Simzer, EVP, Sales & Marketing in India recently, stressing on how APAC tends to be a lead adopter around next generation projects focused on Cloud, Virtualization and Container related technologies. In a total addressable market size of $15 billion, he opined that IOT is here to stay for the next decade, and Hybrid Cloud security was seen as one of the strongest growth areas in India and around the APAC region. Another area which is increasingly come into the fore is SOC (Security Operations Centre), and what customers are doing from an incident response standpoint.

“India market in particular is very technology savvy. We are going to take big initiatives largely driven in India partnering with big system integrators (SI’s) who happen to be champions. We want to be part of the next wave of opportunity by investing in companies, through our $100 million VC arm on IOT and next generation landscape of applications that are there. We are very excited about developments around Blockchain, IOT, and other applications that might shake the future,” said Kevin.

On the sidelines of the upcoming CLOUDSEC event in India, he further added, “Hybrid Cloud would be the hottest of the hot topics of discussion during this years’ industry-wide consortium, with Ransomware too being one of the other hot topics. I think the event will allow the participants to get a good view of the world, and of what security ecosystem looks like.”   

From a growth perspective, both globally and in APAC region, all three of Trend Micro’s major solution areas are witnessing significant growth: Endpoint, Hybrid Cloud security and Network. 50% of the business comes from Endpoint, and that is growing in mid- single digit. Hybrid Cloud security offering is growing at 45% plus, a quarter of their business; and the Network defense that forms quarter of our business is growing at 25%.

“India is completely a true reflection of what is happening globally. Today, the most interesting part in India is Azure and AWS, both of which have made significant investments in India. We have a dedicated team to address Azure and AWS business. Our focus is to be present whenever customers are opting for Azure and AWS”, said Nilesh Jain, Country Manager (India & SAARC), Trend Micro.

To cater to the massive shortage of skills, and cyber security professionals in the industry, with reports suggesting 1 million cyber security positions open across the globe; Trend Micro has also setup a cybersecurity training centre in Cairo, Egypt with plans to introduce in Brazil, Canada including India.

MarketSmith India & 5Paisa.com Tieup for World Class Research Info

For the first time in India, an independent equity research firm and a broking house have come together to give a world class research information to investors.

5Paisa.com, the discount broking arm of IIFL, is going to integrate MarketSmith India in their app to give access to an independent and world class research to its customers. This will benefit the customers of 5Paisa.com in a big way from next week as they will now get access to all the research content of MarketSmith India, helping them to take informed investment decisions.

'It is indeed going to be a first of its kind of integration and tie-up. As of now, none of the discount broking houses are offering research in any form to their customers, and 5Paisa.com will lead the way by giving world class research to its customers', says Anupam Singhi, CEO, MarketSmith India (part of William O'Neil India).

The tie-up is an extension of its customer acquisition exercise for MarketSmith India to help people take informed trading / investment decisions at a very affordable price. With an aim to make larger investor community in India about William O Neil's empirical research of growth investing, 5Paisa.com will bring in their customers and its deep geographical reach to MSI's customer acquisition activity. In near future, MarketSmith India's customers might directly be able to place their trades on MSI's research using 5Paisa.com's trading platform.

"We are happy to associate with MarketSmith India as we believe that our customers will greatly benefit from the world class research that will be offered by MarketSmith India," said Prakarsh Gagdani, CEO, 5Paisa.com.

Benefitting from the tie-up, 5Paisa.com customers will get access to world class independent research which has proven its merits in different market conditions across different geographies across the world. 5Paisa.com customers will have to pay Rs 12499 per annum (less 10% inaugural discount) to access the premium features of MarketSmith India. However, each and every customer of 5Paisa.com will have access to Free Content of MSI without paying any subscription fees. 

Godrej Appliances Unveils Eon Front Load Washing Machines with New Allergy Protect Health Features

Godrej Appliances, one of India’s leading players in the Home Appliances industry, has unveiled its range of front load fully automatic washing machines under its sub brand Godrej Eon.

This range of machines comes equipped with a new feature called Allergy Protect, a superior wash programme, certified by Allergy UK that is effective in getting rid of seven common allergens and bacteria. Allergy Protect focuses not only on removing visible stains from clothes but also invisible allergens and bacteria allowing for a truly pristine wash. It also consumes less energy and water as it features another ground-breaking innovation - Eco-Balance technology, which optimizes water and electricity consumption depending on the size of the load.

The new range of washing machines is designed with various other distinctive in-built features that together redefine the concept of cleaning. It has 15 unique wash programmes to cater to the diverse laundry needs of the consumers, an anti-crease function to ease ironing and a rapid 15-minute wash programme that offers a short and convenient solution for less soiled clothes. It also packs a powerful wash with 3 levels of stain selection and foam protection system for better detergent removal.

Godrej’s new front load washing machines places convenience at the heart of its human-centric design philosophy, making them easy-to-use whilst also standing out from the competition. 

Sanjeev Jain, National Sales Head - Godrej Appliances, said, “We have always been at the forefront when it comes to providing differentiated solutions in washing machines. We were the first to introduce toughened glass lids, colour options in washing machines, steel drum in semi-automatic washing machines, water and power sensing DAC technology and ultra-sonic wash technology. With our new technologies, Allergy Protect and Eco Balance in our front load washing machines, we have raised the bar on innovation even higher. We are already among the fastest growing brands in the washing machine category and with this new range, we intend to consolidate our position in the category.”

Rakesh Sial, Product Group Head - Godrej Appliances, said, “Prevalence of bacteria and allergens in clothes can lead to severe skin diseases especially amongst kids as they are more prone to infections. For a thorough wash, we need to focus on the visible as well as the non-visible contaminations on the clothes. Furthermore, water conservation has become a global need. Hence to combat these critical issues while focusing on the health of the consumers, we have enhanced our washing machine range with our foray into the front load fully automatic category. Godrej Eon Front load washing machine promises to make washing clothes a delightful and healthy experience and provide complete convenience to the consumers.”

The new range is available in capacities of 7Kg and 6Kg. It will be priced at between Rs 27,000-Rs 34,500.

CASHe, Paisabazaar.com Ink Partnership Deal, Aim To Collectively Disburse 35,000 Loans by Dec 2017

Aeries Financial Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a fin-tech company promoted by serial entrepreneur and private equity investor Mr. V. Raman Kumar, today announced that CASHe, India’s fastest loan-giving app for young salaried professionals, has entered a strategic partnership with Paisabazaar.com, India’s No. 1 in loans & credit cards marketplace, to offer short-term personal loans to consumers who otherwise get rejected from traditional lending institutions. Paisabazaar.com will now feature a new category under short-term loans which will exclusively feature CASHe’s loan products. This tie-up will enable CASHe to reach out to a sizable online customer base of Paisabazaar.com.

Speaking about the partnership, V. Raman Kumar, Chairman, Aeries Financial Technologies said, “Paisabazaar is the market place leader in online financial products and has a loyal and growing customer base across India. By Introducing CASHe’s app-based short-term loan products on its platform, we look forward to leveraging the platform’s wide distribution network and its strong customer portfolio, especially in the short-term lending space. We are confident that this partnership will create a win-win situation for those customers who would have never qualified for any loan from traditional lending institutions. They will now have access to CASHe’s short-term loan products on a single platform. I am truly thrilled by this partnership,” he added

Paisabazaar.com and CASHe are together targeting to disburse 35,000 loans by the end of 2017. Paisabazaar.com in 2016-17 was the only online financial player to disburse loans worth Rs 2500 crore. By the end of this financial year, it aims to hit an annualized disbursal of Rs 6000 crore.

Commenting on the collaboration, Naveen Kukreja, CEO & Co-founder, Paisabazaar.com said, “As a market leader in the lending space, we get customers from across the spectrum on our platform - HNIs, entrepreneurs, young salaried professionals, low income profiles etc. These customers have varied credit profiles, with credit scores ranging from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Poor’. In line with this, we are delighted to partner with CASHe to help improve access to credit for young salaried professionals with below par credit scores. Not only is it a great platform to access credit for short term, it’s also an excellent medium for consumers to behave responsibly on this loan and build their credit profile. We look forward to providing credit to thousands of customers over the next few months through this partnership.”

CASHe provides hassle-free loans with its app enabled documentation and loan disbursal/repayment process. Powered by its industry-first algorithm driven credit scoring platform, The Social Loan Quotient (SLQ), CASHe quickly determines a user’s credit worthiness by using multiple unique data points to arrive at a distinct credit profile of the customer. SLQ is transforming the traditional credit rating measurements thereby providing immediate loans to the under-served young professionals who are kept out by traditional credit rating and banking systems. CASHe is completely automated and requires no personal intervention and no physical documentation. The average time taken for a loan to be disbursed is about 8 minutes, subject to proper submission of all documents.

GOK, Amazon India Partner to Help Local Start-Ups Sell Online Under its Launchpad Program

In line with its vision to transform the way India buys & sells, Amazon India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) at ‘ELEVATE100’ event held today in Bangalore. As part of the alliance, Amazon India will work with KBITS to educate, train & enable select start-ups to sell their products to Amazon customers across the country under its Launchpad program. Amazon Launchpad, the company’s flagship program dedicated to promote innovative products backed by technological excellence, makes it easy for Indian startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to millions of Amazon customers across India and around the world through a dedicated store.

The Government of Karnataka has operationalized a dedicated ‘Karnataka Startup Cell’ as a one-stop shop to provide assistance to startups with respect to information on regulatory environment, networking with industry bodies and academic institutions. The Start-up Cell, operated by KBITS, provides the ‘Startup Karnataka Booster Kit’ – a collection of software tools and services provided by a ‘Booster Kit Service Provider’ which enables start-ups to avail enhanced marketing support and showcase their innovative products to the customers.

As part of this alliance, Amazon Launchpad as a ‘Booster Kit Service Provider’, shall provide a dedicated storefront on www.amazon.in and other services to all the shortlisted product start-ups including periodic support and services in improving their presence on the marketplace, generating demand for their products, and guiding them towards sustainable business growth under the program.  KBITS will share a database of product start-ups registered with the Karnataka Start-up Cell with the Launchpad team on a monthly and quarterly basis to help start-ups leverage Amazon’s world-class e-commerce expertise, global infrastructure, and powerful marketing tools to help them deliver their products to millions of Amazon customers.

Sharing his views on the MoU, Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT, BT and Tourism, Government of Karnataka said “We are extremely glad to partner with Amazon India for providing a platform for start-ups to enter the booming space of e-commerce. With their rich experience and deep understanding of consumers, Amazon Launchpad program can really make a difference in facilitating these talented start-ups take advantage of the growing digital economy and e-commerce. This initiative will help the start-ups in showcasing their product which will be available to the massive Amazon customer base across the country. We expect Amazon’s Launchpad program to greatly boost the morale of young entrepreneurs and make them successful.”

Manish Tiwary, Vice-President, Category Management, Amazon India, added, “Amazon Launchpad is an exceptional opportunity for Indian Startups to get access to a nationwide customer base. Through this program individual entrepreneurs, innovators and creators from across Karnataka can leverage the Amazon marketplace to increase the scale of their business and even get easy access to global markets. We are excited to partner with the Government of Karnataka to encourage innovation from the Indian start-up community and guide start-ups towards sustainable business growth”.

In the past, Amazon Launchpad has tied up with various partners operating in the ecosystem, such as DIPP’s Start Up India initiative to offer Startups a streamlined on-boarding experience, access to custom product pages with unique content, marketing support to aid product discovery, and access to Amazon’s customer base & fulfilment network, all geared toward helping Startups scale up their businesses and successfully launch their innovative products.

Under this program, Amazon offers services of inventory management, order fulfilment, customer service and more for start-ups, allowing them to focus their efforts on the innovation that results in more products that customers will love. Startups that have developed a unique and innovative consumer products qualify for Amazon Launchpad. The products have to be from a category Amazon.in currently operates in (except for books & media) and they should be ready for shipping on the day of the application, or the following 30 days.

Edtech Startup Kings Learning Raises US$2.5 Million from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Kings Learning, a technology-driven spoken English learning startup, has raised US$ 2.5 million in funding from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, together with other US based tech investors. The organization aims to address the employability issue in India amongst underserved youth owing to poor English language and communication skills, through offline, online and blended delivery channels.

Enguru, Kings Learning’s mobile-based spoken English app, allows users to self-learn both general spoken English and employability-focused conversational English.  It also allows users to learn English in their native language and currently supports 28 different languages. The app has been downloaded about 2 million times till date, and is currently being used to improve spoken English skills by more than 120,000 active users monthly. The app’s platform is adaptive and gamified with real time assessments, which makes it easier for not just individuals but also corporates to use it for their employee training modules.

Arshan Vakil, Co-Founder and CEO, Kings Learning, said, “Our goal is to leverage innovative technology and creative content to deliver high quality and engaging English education to all. We are excited to partner with our investors as we move into the next phase of our growth which will primarily be focused on scaling up our offerings like Enguru, strengthening our technology and analytics engine and expanding the Kings Learning team.”

Prachi Windlass, Education Director, India, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, said, “English has become a ticket to enter the booming knowledge-driven job economy of India, however, few have access to quality English language training. Almost half of the graduates in India, primarily from underprivileged backgrounds, are considered unemployable in most of the sectors due to lack of spoken English skills. Thankfully, mobile internet explosion, supplemented by exemplary work undertaken by technology-driven organizations like Kings Learning, is helping address this problem. We are excited to support Kings Learning’s efforts in their journey ahead.”