Samsung Opens 10 New Brandshops to Strengthens Retail Network in Bengaluru

Samsung India, the country’s most trusted Consumer Electronics brand, announced the expansion of brandshops in Bengaluru to further increase its retail presence in the city. These outlets will enable the brand to create more touch-points for customers while tapping into the huge demand for Samsung’s innovative products in the region.

The brandshops spread across 1,750 sq. ft. to 3,000 sq. ft. have been set up in high footfall areas such as Whitefield, Hebbagodi, Peenya, Banashankari, Ramamurthy Nagar, Jaya Nagar and Marathalli. All 10 outlets will be functional by end - December, making it the largest number of stores opened within three months. The stores will display the entire range of Samsung offerings – QLED TV, The Frame and other Televisions, FlexWash and other Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Microwave Ovens, Galaxy Note8 and other mobiles phone and wearables – thereby creating a one-stop shopping experience while reinforcing Samsung’s commitment to consumers.

 

“Samsung has always been at the forefront of driving innovation that aims at creating products catering to the evolving needs of consumers. The reception for Samsung products has been overwhelming and we have witnessed tremendous demand from Bengaluru which is one of the top markets for Samsung. The opening of 10 new brandshops will help us in reaching out to our customers at their convenience and also enable us to serve them better,” said Rajeev Bhutani, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.

Samsung products are sold via retail outlets across the country, built through 22 years of strong partnership. A robust distribution network and healthy relationship with retail partners has enabled Samsung to sustain its market leadership in various product categories. 

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s #DreamDifferent – An Ode to Young, Aspiring, Less-Cash, Digital, 811 Generation of Indians

On the first anniversary of 8/11 -  the day India changed, Kotak Mahindra Bank today announced the launch of #DreamDifferent – an ode to the young, aspiring, less-cash, digital, 811 generation of Indians who choose to pursue the road less taken. The Bank introduced a limited edition, specially designed 811 #DreamDifferent Debit Card to celebrate the dreamers and doers. 

The 811 #DreamDifferent physical debit card is designed for those who prefer to do everything cashfree from banking and payments to shopping.This special edition physical debit card depicts an aesthetic celebration of the 811 generation. The virtual debit card that comes free upon opening an 811 account will also embody the same design.

Ambuj Chandna, Sr. EVP & Head – Retail Liabilities, Investment & Payment Products, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said, “The idea behind 811 was to challenge conventional banking. #DreamDifferent is a desire to challenge the conventional ways of doing things. As we approach the first anniversary of 8th November 2016, we are launching a campaign to celebrate a generation of Indians across various walks of life who aspire to #DreamDifferent, live fearlessly and expand their horizons beyond the conventional and established norms. 

811 changed the way Indians bank by making the process to open a bank account seamless and simple. The #Dream Different debit card is another step to galvanise the 811 community and enable them to take better control of their finances.”

“811 has revolutionised the process of opening a bank account by reducing the time taken to under 5 minutes. We are seeing 811 accounts being opened across all hours of the day, including past midnight. What’s more, customers earn up to 6% p.a. interest rate on their savings account balances, which is 2.5% p.a. more than what most other banks offer,” added Chandna.

811 is a unique full-service digital savings account that has been designed around the idea of simplicity and ease of use, enabling customers with Aadhaar and PAN numbers to open an account from anywhere, at any time, in under 5 minutes. Kotak is the first bank in India to integrate the Aadhaar-based OTP authentication process for account opening on mobile. 811 offers a zero-balance savings account with zero charges on all digital transactions, where customers can earn up to 6% p.a. on their savings account balances.  

Indian LegalTechStartup, SpotDraft Tops 3rd at 'Tech In Asia Arena Pitch Battle'

Indian Startup, SpotDraft​, ​stands amongst the Top ​3​rd​​ at 'Tech In Asia Arena Pitch Battle'. SpotDraft ​, the legal technology platform, becomes the first Indian ​startup​, to​ make it to the finals. Held in Jakarta, TIA is one of the largest startup conferences in Asia.

Founded early this year, Gurgaon based SpotDraft, is headed by the young duo Shashank Bijapur, A Harvard Law School Graduate and Madhav Bhagat, Carnegie Mellon Alumni who had previously worked with Google, New York, as a senior software developer.

​ 

They have put together their individual knowledge and expertise in Legal & Technology providing an automated solution for contract and documentation management, to the largely scattered startup and SME market.

​​

Excited about their accomplishment, Madhav & Shashank added "This was a really big opportunity for us. We overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm we received from businesses in Indonesia”. 

​

SpotDraft generates documents like contracts and invoices. It also tracks payments using artificial intelligence. Users can also upload existing documents on the website, where the software analyzes them and helps manage them online. Till so far, the platform has managed more than 3500 contracts. It is eyeing the $80 Billion Global Contract Automation market.

David Chang, Global Sales Director, Gionee to Spearhead India Operations

Gionee India, the ace smartphone manufacturer, announced that David Chang, Global Sales Director, Gionee Communication Equipment Co., Ltd will now lead the India operations for the brand.

The strategic announcement comes at a time when Gionee with a loyal customer base of 1.25 crore in the country is bullish on strengthening its regional penetration. With its retail presence in over 42,000 stores and with 600 exclusive service centers, the brand targets to be in the top five smartphones of the country.

Speaking on his appointment,  David Chang, Global Sales Director, Gionee Communication Equipment Co., Ltd said, “India as a nation, has been exhibiting a great deal of potential for the smartphone business. As part of our global marketing strategy, India ranks number one and the success witnessed in a span of last five years has given us immense optimism to further invest and expand our presence in the market. I am profoundly honoured to be a part of the India growth story and maximise Gionee’s impeccable trajectory advancing our customer base as well as being among the top 5 phone brands by the next fiscal.”

Gionee India has already established its leadership in the Indian smartphone market and with Chang’s skilled management the company aims to further consolidate its ranking amongst the top-selling brand in the country. Ranked at No. 10 globally, Chang has been instrumental in taking the brand to this position.

He has 13 years of robust industrial experience, and has been associated with Gionee Communication Equipment Co., Ltd for over a decade. In his earlier capacity he has been responsible for driving global sales of the organization. With his strong experience, Chang has led his team through several significant accomplishments.

In his new role, Chang will lead Gionee India’s next phase of growth in the country, wherein he will drive the overall operations and reinforce the brand positioning in the country, with emphasis on retail expansion, sales volumes and after sales establishing the connect with customers.

GIT Team with ICAS Alumnus in Guinness World Records for Ceramic Based Mech Pump

Malavika Vasishta Bagepalli and her research team from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA made it into the Guinness World Record by designing a ceramic-based mechanical pump capable of containing & circulating liquid tin at a temperature range between 1,200 °C and 1,400 °C tested for over 72 hours. Malavika is an alumnus of Manipal University’s unique engineering programme offered by International Center of Applied Sciences (ICAS). She belongs to the 2010-12 Mechanical Engineering Batch.

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA is ranked 71 in QS World University Rankings 2017. Director, Dr Radhakrishna S Aithal said that Malavika was a top performing student at ICAS with a CGPA of 3.29 out of 4. After completion of two years in Manipal she got transferred to the prestigious Ohio State University, USA under the Twinning Engineering Programme. Later, she joined Georgia Institute of Technology, USA as Research Assistant. She is the daughter of B N Mohan, a businessman and Malathi Mohan from Hyderabad.

The extremely happy director of ICAS said, “The whole ICAS family is glad and proud of its alumnus, Malavika, for her outstanding research accomplishment. While wishing her more such laurels to follow, I am sure it would give a lot of motivation and inspiration to all ICAS students pursuing the International Transfer Programme in Engineering”

The extremely happy director of ICAS said, “The whole ICAS family is glad and proud of its alumnus, Malavika, for her outstanding research accomplishment. While wishing her more such laurels to follow, I am sure it would give a lot of motivation and inspiration to all ICAS students pursuing the International Transfer Programme in Engineering”

The Guide for the project is Prof. Dr. Asegun Henry and the others in the team include; Caleb Amy, Diane England and Daniel Budenstein. The demonstration for the record was held on January 23, 2017 at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The time taken to complete the project is two years and five months. The research group's pump is unique as they use ceramic instead of metal, an inorganic, non-metallic material that has a brittle nature. The research group overcame this challenge with careful engineering. The ceramic pump is directly exposed to the heated liquid tin, thus is able to operate at extremely high temperature, unlike other pumps which often require a cooling system to perform.

Canon is Back with its 8th Edition of Photo Marathon in India

Fostering photography talent worldwide, Canon, leader in the digital imaging space, is back with its largest live photography competition, the Canon Photo Marathon 2017. The first leg of the Canon Photo Marathon in India took place at Bhaidas Auditorium, Ville Parle West, in Mumbai. The one-of-its-kind, theme based day-long photo contest witnessed photo enthusiasts put their photography skills to test in a bid to win name, fame and exciting prizes.

The Mumbai edition of 8^th Canon Photo Marathon in India was flagged off by Kazutada Kobayashi, President  & CEO, Canon India and attracted over 800 entries. The eminent jury of judges included Dharma Chandru – Indian sport photographer, renowned wildlife photographer – Sagar Gosavi and award winning photographer, researcher and educator – Abin Alex.

Canon Photo Marathon is an annual event and is being organized across 12 Asian regions apart from India. Deemed as one of the largest photo competitions, the event brings photography enthusiasts closer, while challenging them to push their boundaries and showcase their photographic creativity through their own perspective. The day-long photo competition offers a memorable experience and attractive prizes for various category winners. The grand winner wins Canon Photo Marathon Asia Championship which is an all-expenses paid photography tour specially organized for the grand winners of respective regions. The winners of the Photo Marathon from each region will travel to Japan to participate in the Canon Photo Marathon Asia Championship 2018.

Elaborating on the evolving photography culture in India and commenting on the event, Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO Canon India, said, “We at Canon India, believe that each picture captured is a work of art that deserves to be celebrated and appreciated. Photography culture is significantly progressing in India, as we grow further, we are focused on nurturing and enhancing this culture.  Backed with the same objective, we bring Canon Photo Marathon, which is a recognized platform for photography enthusiasts, who, consistently contend to win the coveted winner title and get rewarded for their exemplary skills. Just like our 20 years of remarkable journey in the country, the Canon Photo Marathon has also been receiving the appreciation of customers for several years. As we commence the eighth edition of the Photo Marathon in India, we would encourage the photographers to unleash the artists and story tellers within them and create lifetime memories with the powerful and magical medium of photography”.

Commenting on the Canon Photo Marathon, Eddie Udagawa Vice President, Consumer Imaging and Information centre, Canon India, said, “Canon Photo Marathon is one of the most awaited events of the year for photography enthusiasts and our endeavour is to make it more exciting each year. As Canon Photo Marathon enters its glorious eighth edition, we are overwhelmed with the responses of photography enthusiasts with respect to the day long live photography contest. We see the number of participants grow year on year and have also seen a lot of change, since we first started Photo Marathon in India. Initially it was more of professional photographers who participated in this live photo contest, gradually over the years we have seen beginners, hobbyists, youngsters and females who have started participating in Photo Marathon. Looking at the young talent, we have also introduced student’s category last year where students from various schools participate in this event. We are working towards bringing out extraordinary talent through this platform and give an opportunity to cultivate every participant’s interest into their passion. We look forward to a great edition of Photo Marathon where participants play their tricks and techniques with cameras to present exemplary imagery”.

Sharing winning experience at the 8^th Canon Photo Marathon and expressing the delight, Niyati Vaghela said, “Unlike various other photography contests that require participants to simply submit pre-shot photographs, ‘Canon Photo Marathon’ is a live experience, compelling you to get out of comfort-photography-zone. It truly tests your photography skills while offering an adrenaline rush of an adventure sport. I congratulate Canon India for organising this one of a kind contest and relentlessly encouraging photography culture in India. I would also like to express my gratitude to the digital imaging leader for bestowing upon me the once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the Canon Photo Marathon Asia Championship 2018 in Japan. It is a dream come true for me as a photographer to be a part of this thrilling contest and be recognised amongst my talented peers by Canon.”

As part of this challenging contest, each contestant had to shoot pictures within a limited timeframe and on given themes. Canon also encouraged students to participate, under a special ‘student category’, in order to nourish their photography skills. Students from more than 15 schools participated in this event. Two unique themes – ‘Enlightenment’ & ‘Shadows and Light’ were announced for the general category. For the student category only a single theme was given, which was ‘Peace’. First prize winner for the student category was Tushar D’Souza, from St. Mary’s School, Mazgaon. St. Mary’s School also bagged most of the awards in the student category and was felicitated as the top school in the competition. The pictures were judged by well-known photographers based on their creative, technical and narrative sense.

Commenting on his win, Tushar D’ Souza, winner in the student category, said, “This is an extremely exciting opportunity for me. Having won the first prize at the prestigious Canon Photo Marathon surely gives a boost to my interest in photography. I am very thankful to Canon for this unique platform and also for adding a special category for students. I would also like to acknowledge the support of my school, St.Mary’s Mazgaon, for the regular training in photography through our ‘Photography Club’. Our school and photography club teachers continuously encourage us to attend these classes and hones our skills in the space. I am thrilled to have won this grand recognition. Taking home a bunch of prizes, like the Canon EOS 1300D is definitely going to support my love for photography and further build my confidence”.

Every year, Canon India associates with selected brands to deliver maximum value to the participants. This year was no different with 6 partners for the Mumbai leg of the Photo Marathon, including Adobe India, Make My Trip, Western Digital, JTB, Huion & OLX. Besides showcasing some of their products, these brands also offered some lucrative prizes to the winning participants.

The highlight of the event was not only the Grand prize but exquisite prizes awarded to the second and the third winners with EOS 6D Mark II and EOS 80D respectively. Additionally, there were exciting prizes for theme based winners and students category.

To inspire photo enthusiasts and offer them a hands-on experience, Canon cameras and printers were on display at the event. Living its commitment to the community, Canon had set up a free camera health check-up camp for the participants.

The second leg of the India edition of Canon Photo Marathon 2017 is set to take place in Delhi on Saturday, November 18 at Jawahar Lal Nehru Indoor Auditorium, Lodhi Road, Delhi.

ONGC Adds 10-15 Years Life to Existing Offshore Assets with Bentley SACS

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) started its hunt for “Black Gold” in Indian waters in 1976 and is currently operating more than 265 offshore fixed jacket platforms in water depths ranging from 25 to 90 meters. Most of these platforms had a 25-year design life, with many of them having already outlived this milestone and many more approaching it. Additionally, modifications on many of the platforms have been made due to updated design criteria or because of revamping projects executed for enhanced oil recovery. As a result, the requalification of these structures was highly important to ensure continued oil production, thus sustaining the energy supply needed for the national growth. ONGC also wanted to avoid installing new platforms at a net cost of US$25 million per platform.

ONGC invested US$150 million to assess its jacketed platforms for extended “fit for use” and strengthen the platforms as required to meet industry safety requirements. ONGC used SACS for design-level analysis to carry out detailed structural analyses and SACS Collapse for ultimate strength analysis. This technology became part of ONGC’s methodology for platform life extension/requalification, which added 10-15 years to the average life of each structure

The analysis included dent modeling, member/joint component strengthening, additional pile modeling, and soil convergence, as well as extensive load modeling to recommend equipment removal if necessary. SACS and SACS Collapse, with the efficient multi-run option, allowed multiple analyses with parametric variations to be carried out simultaneously and enabled ONGC to optimize the strengthening/mitigation measures, saving at least 12 resource-hours per platform.

Dinesh Kumar-GGM, head structures, IEOT-ONGC, India, said, “The wide range of applications offered under the umbrella of Bentley technology has resulted in ONGC being able to manage our offshore assets much more efficiently.”