Liebherr India to Expand Business in South India, Targets 100 City Dealer Network Expansion in the Region

After dominating the refrigerator market around the world, Liebherr, the German refrigerator expert, is all set to enter India and has targeted the South Indian market to drive growth. The company, which has plans of opening a manufacturing unit in Aurangabad is currently aiming 40% of its sales from South markets and plans to grow significantly in the coming years. Aspiring to tap the refrigerator market in India, the German refrigerator expert, Liebherr announced its business expansion in the country targeting around 100 cities in South India in the upcoming months. The company has planned to partner with major dealers & retail chains in cities in South India and will be locally manufacturing a mass premium range of refrigerators from its plant in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district where it has already invested around Rs 500 Crore to set up operations.

Liebherr anticipates maximum demand coming from metro areas as well as from tier-I/II cities owing to their developmental infrastructure such as metros and other connectivity. Targeting the premium mass segment, Liebherr Appliances India aims to produce high-quality refrigeration appliances tailored to suit the Indian market, the plant will have initial capacity of manufacturing over 500,000 cooling appliances per year starting 2018.

Liebherr group which achieved a consolidated group turnover of 9.2 billion Euros in the year 2016 ,  plans to produce new line up of refrigerator products in coming months of 2018. It will introduce 19 different models in various colors and feature combinations in refrigerators to cater Indian consumers. In 2019, it will add around 22 models and another 11 technologically advanced models will be introduced additionally in the next 3 years to widen its range in phased manner. Liebherr has been in India since 2008 as a part of the domestic refrigerator and freezer market with presence of built-in refrigerators & freezers, side by appliances with different cooling zones, special wine cabinets, under counter fridges and freezers with a huge HNI clientele.

Commenting on the expansion plan, Mr. Radhakrishna Somayaji, Chief Sales Officer, Liebherr Appliances India Private Limited said, “We are pleased to announce our expansion in South India and our aim to sell the upcoming range of refrigerators in urban and semi - urban parts of the country. We believe, as a market, South India encompasses a huge potential for us and with price capping in almost all the states of south, we are looking at capturing the good market. We have set an objective of entering & growing the business by expanding our refrigerator range. We have now specific plans at some of our plants. We would make sure that we would utilize them to the maximum and invest going forward. This would be for the base capacity and also focusing on new product launches. We aim to continue to leverage our strong brand, differentiated products , great quality, competitive pricing and global networks to continue to increase sales.“

Sophos Introduces Phish Threat Attack Simulation and Training Solution with New Analytics and Multi-Language Support

Sophos , a global leader in network and endpoint security, today announced the expansion of its Sophos Phish Threat phishing attack simulator and training solution to Europe and Asia. With enhanced dashboards and new analytics to track organizational risk and employee performance, Phish Threat simplifies a key part of an organizations security strategy – employee awareness and training. With the capability to choose from hosting locations in Ireland, Germany or the US, organizations worldwide can now access multi-language, interactive security training from within the Sophos Central security management platform.

Phishing remains an easy access route into organizations for today’s ransomware payloads and data breaches. With forty-one percent1 of organizations seeing an attack on a daily basis, employee training remains critical to maintaining effective security. Sophos Phish Threat automates the entire training process and provides visual analytics to identify vulnerable employees.  As the only security awareness training program from a leader in IT security, it can be managed alongside email, endpoint, and network security from one console for improved risk management and incident response.

Sunil Sharma, Managing Director Sales at Sophos India & SAARC said “In 2017, 30 percent of Indian organizations reported email and web malware attacks as per a SophosLabs finding. With businesses challenged by the alarming increase in phishing and compliance threats, they are attempting to tackle the issue themselves by deploying next generation IT security solutions. These attempts mostly fail due to lack of employee awareness to spot a phishing email.”

Sunil further added, "Human behavior is a critical element of cybersecurity yet 62 percent of companies don’t train employees to recognize phishing attempts. SophosLabs sees malware on up to 77 percent of blocked mail. Creating a culture of security and data protection awareness has risen in priority with the greater risk of email born ransomware and the planned introduction of new legislation such as GDPR. Employees have to be responsible for the way they handle data and how to spot a phishing attack should be part of their training. Phish Threat builds greater employee awareness by creating suspicious emails using known techniques, successful spoofs, and contemporary examples. In fact, after just four Phish Threat simulation training emails, the average organization reports a 31 percent2 reduction in employee susceptibility.”

Phish Threat enables IT managers to identify susceptible employees and manage relevant real-world phishing email simulations to deliver more effective training sessions from within Sophos Central. Attack templates and training are available in nine languages and constantly updated based on Sophos’s global awareness of current threats. When errors are made, individuals are automatically given corrective training to learn from their mistakes. Phish Threat also provides the analytics and reporting metrics to allow tracking and measurement of overall business risk and security posture at an organization or individual level. With benchmark data available on employee phishing susceptibility against global norms, training can be fully tailored, and data can be used to enhance security policy across Sophos Central to deliver a multi-layered security strategy against phishing and social engineering attacks.

MAHE Leapfrogs Seven Places to Achieve Best Ever Rank, KMC Manipal is Fourth Best in India

Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal has vaulted seven places in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Rankings for Universities in India, announced by the Union HRD Ministry in New Delhi on Tuesday. From 18, MAHE moved to the 11th rank which is the best yet for the University. In the overall ranking too, MAHE has jumped 12 places, from 30 to 18.

Indeed a remarkable achievement for the University celebrating its silver jubilee this year. And that’s not all, there was a lot more to cheer about with five of its constituent units doing extremely well in the rankings and making their presence felt in the education world.

Kasturba Medical College, Manipal was ranked fourth in India and the Medical College at Mangaluru was 16th. Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences retained its rank of being the seventh best in the country. As for Faculty of Architecture, the college got the 10th rank. FOA needs a pat on the back for being the only private college to figure among the first ten. Manipal Institute of Technology ranked 43 the last time, also saw an improvement and was ranked 39th.

Vice Chancellor, Dr H. Vinod Bhat broke the news to thousands of students and faculty assembled at the inauguration of Silver Utsav 2018 at KMC Greens on Tuesday. The announcement was received by a thunderous applause from the huge crowd gathered to witness the popular events at Utsav.

There was excitement all over the University. This is what Vice Chancellor, Dr H. Vinod Bhat had to say about the achievements; “I am happy with MAHE’s ranking in NIRF this time. We have reached an all-time high of 11th position in the country, up from position number 18 last year. In addition to the University’s own ranking, individual institutions like KMC, Manipal; KMC Mangalore; Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Architecture have done us proud by their own demonstration of strength in national rankings. And it is my belief that in the coming years we will do even better and see MAHE in the top 10 in the NIRF 2019 rankings.”

“We are thrilled by the recognition of MHRD for our constant endeavor towards excellence in medical education. It has been a team effort of the college faculty and the top University management which has steered the college forward amidst the rapidly changing scenario of global medical education,” said Dr Pragna Rao, Dean KMC, Manipal. “At KMC, Manipal, we are acutely aware of the global context and changing standards of excellence in medical school curricula and are constantly striving to maintain those standards by implementing newer pedagogies,” she added.

“KMC Mangalore has broken into the Big League,” said Dean Dr Venkatraya Prabhu. “KMC Mangalore has always been in the forefront of providing learner-centric quality medical education. The NIRF rankings provide external verification and validation of this. Students of KMC, Mangalore have the unique advantage of being trained in both public (government) and private hospitals.It is matter of immense pride that we are ranked among the top colleges in the country and we are confident that in the years to come we will improve our rankings,” Dr Prabhu said.

MCOPS continues to maintain its position in the rankings. But what’s encouraging is that there is an increase of 6.67 points in the total score from the 60 last year,” said Principal of MCOPS Dr C. Mallikarjuna Rao. “We scored a 100 in Teaching Learning Resources and Public Perception and have shown remarkable improvement in Research Promotion and Consultancy and also in Outreach and Inclusivity,” he added.

We are excited about the recognition we have received from the most valuable ranking system in India,” said Nishant H Manapure, Director Faculty of Architecture. “Our students, faculty and staff have always put in their best efforts to make FOA an excellent centre for architectural education. This achievement has given us a tremendous boost to raise the bar in the coming years,” he added.  

Bausch and Lomb Launches New Digital Campaign for Bausch+Lomb Ultra

Bausch and Lomb, the market leader in contact lenses and lens care solutions in India, launched a new digital campaign for its product –Bausch + Lomb Ultra, which provides 16 hours of comfortable wear. The campaign includes a series of six digital ads – 3 renditions each of 15 seconds and 6 seconds. The ads are humorous in tonality and frown upon the awkward situations that arise due to the discomfort from wearing contact lenses for long hours. Bausch+Lomb Ultra has been introduced as the perfect solution to these problems.

Speaking about the campaign, Sanjay Bhutani, Managing Director, Bausch and Lomb India commented, ‘We at Bausch+Lomb have been thriving to make products that are consumer friendly, since decades. As times have changed and things are becoming digital, a chunk of the population is exposed to some or the other form of Digital screen. As a matter of fact, a spectacle wearing millennial typically spends 10-12 hours a day on multiple screens. This tends to dry out the eyes and thus making contact lens usage uncomfortable. To overcome this, we have launched Ultra-16 hour comfort lenses which could be worn up to 16 hours without any discomfort.’

The product has MoistureSeal technology which helps prevent dryness and retains moisture in eyes throughout the day. Bausch+Lomb Ultra-16 hour lenses are monthly disposable and priced at Rs.3700 for a pack of 6 lenses.

Techno Mobil Partners with Kings XI Punjab for IPL Season 11

TECNO Mobile, the premium smartphone brand from TRANSSION India, today announced its first big ticket association with Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. Under this strategic partnership, TECNO is officiated as the Smartphone partner of Kings XI Punjab. 

The team is scheduled to play its first match against Delhi Daredevils on the 8th of April 2018 on their home ground PCA Mohali.   Riding on the competitive spirit of the team, the primary aim of this association is to further amplify TECNO’s overall brand awareness and establish a strong brand recall amongst the youth of India. The association comes immediately after the launch of TECNO’s Global “Camera-centric” Camon series smartphones in India. The “Best in any light “proposition of TECNO Camon resonates well with the Indian youth looking for a great smartphone camera that can help them shoot at any time of the day, in any light condition.

Gaurav Tikoo, Sr. Vice President Marketing TRANSSION India was equally enthused by the new association and said: “Cricket in its entirety is the most celebrated sport in India and within that IPL has always proven to be the most impactful media property for consumer connect.  IPL is all about Superlative Performance, which is also the mantra for TECNO Camon smartphones. 

Hence, this is an ideal platform for us to strengthen our brand prominence and visibility. We, at TECNO, are extremely delighted to be the Official Smartphone partner for Kings XI Punjab team and we sincerely wish them to win this year.  Adhering to TECNO’s brand philosophy of ‘Experience More’, through this synergic partnership we intend to engage with sports enthusiasts of India by launching a slew of new products during IPL period.”

Speaking on the occasion, Satish Menon, CEO, Kings XI Punjab said, “We at Kings XI Punjab are thrilled to have TECNO come on board as the Official Smartphone Partner for this season if the IPL. The reach and penetration that both brands offer when combined is immense. This is the start of something big.”

TECNO is ambitious about capturing audience attention in a big way and drive value from this association using the most prevalent digital platforms and a 360-Degree marketing approach. Under the association, all Kings XI Punjab players would be seen sporting TECNO logo on their caps.

The TECNO Camon portfolio currently includes two models Camon i & Camon i Air priced at  8,999 & 7,999 respectively. The standout feature of the Camon smartphones is Full View display with its photographic prowess that allows users to capture crisp & clear pictures in any light conditions.

L&T Technology Services Bags Multi-Million Dollar Digitalization Contract from ExxonMobil Exploration Company

L&T Technology Services Limited, a leading global pure-play engineering R&D services company, today announced that it has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil Exploration Company, valued at more than $20 million in the first year.

LTTS’ geospatial and digital expertise will enable rapid conversion of historical Geoscience content into the digital domain by leveraging sophisticated automation utilities. This will provide geoscientists with improved data availability, enhancing the speed and efficiency of analysis and evaluation. LTTS will work in collaboration with group company Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) on this engagement.

This deal re-affirms LTTS’ technology investment strategy for its flagship customers and ensures its position as a leading partner among top ER&D service providers by capitalizing on the rapidly changing digital shifts in the Oil and Gas industry.

“Combining our Hydrocarbon heritage, geospatial domain understanding and our digital engineering expertise, we are ideally positioned to help ExxonMobil in this initiative. Our solutions will provide geoscientists accelerated insights into their subsurface data. This in turn maximizes asset utilization, minimizes data preparation time and reduces total cost of ownership,” said Dr Keshab Panda, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services Limited.

India’s First Android Oreo (Go edition) - LAVA Z50 Smartphone Now Priced of Rs. 2400

LAVA International Limited, a leading Indian multi-national company in the mobile handset industry, today announced that Z50, India’s first Android Oreo (Go edition) Smartphone, is available in the market at an effective price of Rs 2400. The device is now available at over 100,000 retail stores in black and gold color options. In the ecommerce space, the product is available on Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal.

The smartphone comes bundled with an attractive cashback offer of Rs. 2000 from Airtel as part of ‘Mera Pehla Smartphone’ program, which aims to bring a smartphone within the reach of every Indian. The online MOP (market operating price) for Z50 is Rs. 4400 and with Airtel cashback offer worth Rs. 2000, the effective price comes to Rs. 2400.

Gaurav Nigam, Head – Product, Lava International said  “We are delighted to announce the availability of Z50 for our customers, making it India’s first Android Oreo (Go edition) Smartphone to be available in the market. With the cashback offer from Airtel, LAVA Z50 is effectively available for Rs. 2400, making it a great option for smartphone buyers, looking for best technology at the most competitive price.”

Lava Z50 features a 4.5 inch display with 2.5D Curved Corning Gorilla Glass for tough and scratch resistant display screen. It is powered by a Mediatek Processor (MT6737m) with 1.1 GHz Quad-core and comes with 1GB of RAM coupled with 8GB of internal space. The smartphone also features enhanced storage space of 5.5GB (vs 3GB space which is typically available in 8GB ROM devices). It also helps in increasing the RAM performance upto 50%, which allows significantly faster application opening time.

Lava Z50 comes with a 5 MP rear and front camera with flash, providing brighter and sharper images. The smartphone sports Bokeh Mode in both the front and rear cameras thus capturing the moments powerfully, by making the objects stand out from the background.

Keeping in mind the needs of the Indian mobile users, the smartphone has been designed to facilitate search in 10 major Indian languages (including Hindi) besides enabling search for images, weather and also translate from search home screen.

The smartphone comes with 2-year warranty, re-affirming company’s focus on product quality and reliability backed by robust investments in research & development and product manufacturing.

Lava Z50 comes with a special launch offer of free one-time screen replacement, in case screen breaks within 1 year from the date of purchase.