With a vision to make India a superpower in the world of para sports, Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) in association with Border Security Force (BSF) will be conducting its 3rd Divyang National sports training camp at STC, BSF Bengaluru, till July 13th, 2018. Over 200 Para Athletes are expected to undergo training in various sports with the objective of training them to international glory at the 2020 Paralympics.
Launched last year, ‘Mission 100’ is an aim to find and coach the most talented 100 para athletes who can represent India at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Through this camp, BSF along with AMF is determined to scout for the best, train, coach and support the participants at every step so that they can represent India at the global platform.
Speaking on the occasion, Aditya Mehta said, “The national training camp is an annual feature where BSF along with AMF brings experienced and fresh talent together at one place. The main objective of the camp is to educate our Jawans and civilians about para sports, screen their abilities and strengths to then recommend an appropriate sport”. The foundation has been supporting para athletes in sports like Swimming, Cycling, Wheelchair Tennis, Athletics, Shooting, Arm wrestling and power lifting.
Apart from screening, counselling and training, the foundation also works tirelessly to raise funds and provide the athletes with appropriate para equipment and funds required.” He further added.
Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) is a non –profit organisation helping people with disabilities to pursue sports. In last three years, AMF along with BSF has reached over 120 Para athletes and won over 50 national and international medal counts. The foundation is also associated with armed force of the country like BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSI and CISF where they counsel and train the Jawans who got injured in the line of duty and help them become professional athletes at highest level giving them sense of sustenance.
Expanding its retail presence in South India, Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, today inaugurated its 10th Philips Light Lounge in Bangalore. This is the company’s 69th Light Lounge in South India and is an exclusive showroom displaying a wide range of home decorative products from the company. The store was inaugurated by Sumit Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips Lighting India and Ashwath Narayanji, MLA, Malleshwaram Constituency.
Commenting on the store inauguration, C Arun Kumar, Head – Consumer Sales, Philips Lighting India, said “Bangalore has emerged as one of the most promising markets for us in South India due to its growing real estate demand. Keeping in mind the evolving tastes of consumers and the increasing demand for lighting solutions, we are expanding our presence in the city with the opening of our tenth Philips Light Lounge in Bangalore. This exclusive store will offer a wide range of lighting solutions and is a testimony to our commitment towards providing top-of-line products to our customers.”
Spread across an area of 400 square feet, this latest Philips Light Lounge showcases an impressive display of over 600 world-class home decorative lighting products and concepts that have been designed keeping in mind the lighting needs of Indian consumers, home décor trends in the country and the emerging concept of connected ambient lighting for homes. The store extensively features Philips Hue - the world’s smartest web-enabled LED home lighting system. By emulating actual home settings of a living room, bedroom and a dining room, customers can experience first-hand the light settings and recipes to suit different parts of their day.
Through their live demonstration zones, Philips Light Lounges enable customers to get a first-hand experience and choose lighting products that match their individual design tastes and requirements. The company differentiates its offerings through innovation in design, energy efficiency and its global lighting application expertise.
With the launch of the latest Philips Light Lounge in Bangalore, the company now has more than 180 Light Lounges in India, in addition to LightSTUDIO’s. This new Philips Light Lounge is located at Shop No - 560, Yashwantpur Main road, Bangalore.
Signify became the new company name of Philips Lighting as of May 16, 2018. The legal name of Signify will be adapted in India in the beginning of 2019.
Aligned with its mission to support and provide valuable benefit to the communities, Toyota Kirloskar Motor recently inaugurated its 23rd community based water purification unit at Primary health Centre in Bidadi region [Ramanagara District]. The facility will provide purified water of highest quality for a nominal amount of Rs. 1 per litre to benefit the villagers in the region.
With this, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has installed a total of 23 units in Bangalore, Mandya, Ramanagara and 2 units in North India catering to around 7,000 beneficiaries per unit.
The newly set up unit has a 1,000 liter per hour capacity accompanied with a minimum 6-stage purification system and dispenses 5,000 to 6,000 litres per day. With a first ever advanced feature - Water Quality Standards & Consumption Data Display, the client can easily access from their location without visiting the site to assess the filtration quality standards of the water [TDS, PH contents] for delivering the high standards of purified water to the community members. Also, the advanced app based filtration system will provided water consumption data on daily basis to ensure the cause reaching the affected.
In addition, the installed unit is equipped with solar system, power backup, wastewater management, and 250 ML cup water dispensing with paper cup vending machine among others. The wastewater generated will be discharged into the recharge soak pit after ensuring compliance to waste water quality standards thus ensuring no water waste efficiently contributing to recharging the aquifer.
The uniqueness of this initiative has been the assessment & installation of the water purification unit in such identified location which not only caters to the general public for domestic purposes, but also specifically catering to the ailing patients at the Health Care Centre whose water requirements would be more specific to medical needs for healthy recovery & further prevention of possible water borne diseases. Thus, such intervention ensures a larger outreach to beneficiaries of different categories.
Another specialty of this advanced technology are the multi-purpose water dispensing methodology & end-to-end cleanliness of safe drinking water consumption:
- Ensure ‘Zero Water Waste’ whereby the beneficiaries have the option to dispense water depending on their water quantity requirements each time they desire to source water [Rs. 1/- per 250 mililitre, Rs. 5/- per 20 litres, etc.]
- The “Negative Ion Water” dispenser will cater to the specific needs of the Hospital located near the water unit largely benefitting the patients who require alkaline water which neutralizes the body acidity, thus help restore vital minerals in the body for healthy recovery. Such mineral reserves in the water boosts the immunity in the body and resist diseases. Also, the cost of water consumption at the hospital will reduce to bare minimum, while they were sourcing such water at exorbitant price of appxm. Rs. 150 – Rs. 300 per litre on an average. Toyota has been able to effectively support the affordability of required quantity & quality of water by contributing towards reduction of 98% of the total cost for such water being sourced through other vendors at the health centre. Such water can be dispensed from Toyota installed water purification unit at mere cost of Rs. 1 per litre, which is just 2% of the total cost spent by the hospital for such water standards
- Such installed water unit comes with a special feature which washes and cleans the water cans/containers of the beneficiaries before dispensing the water into such possible unclean water storage. This way further water contamination is prevented serving the real purpose of clean water use at the beneficiaries end too. This water system ensures end-to-end purified water for multi-purposes and ultimate consumption of safe water
Commenting on the new unit launch, Naveen Soni, Vice President - Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Access to safe drinking water is a serious issue affecting people of all ages, especially for those living in remote communities where the availability of improved water sources is limited. Our aim is to enrich the society with endeavors that are relevant and meaningful with each initiative reflecting uniqueness towards achieving the social cause.
Further to our earlier Health & Hygiene projects in providing safe drinking water, through this specific initiative, we have moved one step ahead by cautiously assessing the potential needs of the community in terms of desired quantity and quality of water to meet different consumption patterns through in-built choices of such installed unit, catering to multiple beneficiaries be it ailing patient and or general public, etc., covering holistic use of safe water for domestic/medical necessities. In true sense, we at Toyota adopt such sustainable & integrated approach enabling larger outreach of our social contributions to bring in the real difference amongst people lives, without limiting our interventions.”
In the past, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has installed water purification units at Byramangala, Ramanahalli, Bidadi, Manchanayakana halli, and Harohalli Grama Panchayats and one each in Varanasi and Vaishali to cater to the drinking water requirement of villages in Bidadi.
Besides Water Purifying units, Toyota over the years, has undertaken several social projects in the fields of Education, Primary Healthcare, sanitation etc., contributing positively to the society marking a meaningful difference in their lives. The company’s efforts include rebuilding a local residential school, construction of water tanks in rural Bangalore and launch of Mobile medical unit for the sustained intervention in health care system with focus on providing the basic medical equipment to the Primary Health Centers. Besides, the company has undertaken several sustainable flagship programs such as Development of Model School, Lake Rejuvenation, Project ABCD [A Behavioral Change Demonstration] on school sanitation, Toyota Safety Education Programme, Driving Safety Training Programs, etc.
Toyota remains committed to bring in more enriching and sustainable CSR projects for the holistic development of the community members, thus effectively contribute to the underlying cause of positive societal growth.
Ashok Leyland, a flagship of the Hinduja Group, launched the "eN-Dhan" fuel card, in partnership with HPCL Drive Track Plus" program, to provide best-in-class savings in fuel to customers. This initiative with HPCL was developed by the Customer Solutions Business of Ashok Leyland, which aspires to develop a lifetime engagement with customers and to positively impact all facets of their business by offering customized solutions. For the first time in India, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and an oil marketing company (OMC) have collaborated to create a co-branded card, which is expected to result in annual savings in the range of Rs 50,000 per annum per truck especially for customers in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle (M&HCV) segment.
The eN-Dhan cards are free of charge and will be available in all Ashok Leyland dealerships across the country and can be used in all HPCL Fuel Stations.
At the launch, Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director, said, “Ashok Leyland's brand signifies innovation not only in its products but also in its solutions. Exemplifying our brand philosophy, ‘Aapki Jeet, Hamari Jeet’, we are constantly evaluating opportunities to help our customers be more efficient and profitable. Our analysis shows that the current fuel spends on a commercial vehicle in India is between 35% and 60% of its lifecycle cost. Since fuel cost is the major expense, we came up with this fuel card program to help vehicle owners save on this expense and optimize total cost of operations (TCO). Every rupee saved is an opportunity to plough back the profits to grow the business. Besides savings in fuel cost, the card will promote digital payments and offer enhanced insurance benefits to drivers.”
Speaking on the launch, Shri G S V Prasad, Executive Director – Retail HPCL conveyed that “HPCL-Ashok Leyland partnership is essentially for serving the common customer - the trucker, who buys chassis from Ashok Leyland and buys fuel from HPCL. This is first of its kind partnership wherein an Energy Major is partnering with an Automobile Major for fueling the vehicles from the time it is rolled out of the Factory.”
“HPCL believes in improving the logistics efficiency of the vehicles by providing superior quality Fuels and Lubricants to the Customers/Fleets owners. The co-branded card “eN-Dhan” will be accepted at all HPCL outlets and going forward we would like to take the entire business on to a card less platform which is in sync with the “Digital India” initiative of the Govt of India. HPCL also is a pioneer in Retail Automation and is embarking on a plan to automate all its 15100 retail outlets pan-India by December 2018 which will also be integrated with digital transactions.”
With the launch of this innovative solution, Ashok Leyland has once again lived up to its brand’s philosophy “Aapki Jeet, Hamari Jeet”. Customers can enrol for the eN-Dhan program at any Ashok Leyland dealership.
Newgen Software, a provider of Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM), and Customer Communication Management (CCM) platforms, has released OmniFlowiBPS 4.0, an enhanced version of its BPM Suite. The new version empowers knowledge workers to work beyond boundaries of the workplace and manage structured and unstructured processes more effectively.
The platform now offers case management capabilities on mobile, facilitating improved user responsiveness and business performance.Further, it enables users to efficiently manage cases with auto-generation of case summary, notifications for each task, advanced calendaring and configuration capabilities.
“OmniFlow iBPS 4.0 enables organizations to gain flexibility required to respond to real-time opportunities and unanticipated situations. It meets the requirements of a digital business by empowering users to work anytime-anywhere,” said Diwakar Nigam, Chairman and Managing Director, Newgen Software.
Key features include:
· Improved User Interface of the Form Builder- Enrich user experience with an intuitive user interface of iForms, the form builder. Create responsive forms by allowing users to group multiple controls and customize form elements.
· Better Information Security- Ensure system and data security with password protected rule set reports. Configure rules based on the assigned rights using if-else conditions and functions such as sum, average, and others.
· Language Support- The new version supports Arabic and Spanish languages.
· Integration with Google Drive- Import document into a work item from Google Drive or export a document to Google Drive. Check-in/ check-out from Google Drive while maintaining document versioning.
· Web Service Enhancements- Allow users to execute multiple web services on a single workstep and configure REST based web services. Supports RESTful webservice integration based on RAML standard.
The platform’s advanced capabilities such as process orchestration, robotic process automation (RPA), mobile, social and others allow organizations to re-engineer processes and go digital.
The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), in its first ever Annual Leadership Summit, awarded Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet, with the USISPF Leadership Award, an honour established by the Forum to commend excellence in transformative leadership and public service, along with the leaders’ role in expanding trade and collaboration between the U.S. and India, on July 12 in Washington, D.C.
D. Jim Umpleby III, CEO of Caterpillar Inc., was also conferred with the Leadership Award. Both the business leaders were felicitated for their transformative role in developing U.S.-India business ties and progressing the lives of citizens in the U.S. and India.
The Annual Leadership Summit hosted in Washington D.C., highlighted the Forum’s commitment to furthering the strategic partnership between the U.S. and India. The theme of this year’s summit was “Strengthening the Strategic Partnership”.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award. SpiceJet is privileged to be a part of USISPF’s journey and vision. This recognition belongs to every SpiceJetter who has worked relentlessly to resurrecting a dying company and building a globally admired airline in less than three years. SpiceJet’s success is a testament to the strong and growing relationship between India and the US. This is just the beginning and we look forward to making great strides together in the years to come.” said Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet.
Under the leadership of Singh, SpiceJet placed an order for up to 205 narrow and wide bodied aircraft – one of the largest orders for new airplanes in Boeing’s history. SpiceJet was lauded by US President Donald J. Trump for this aircraft order and helping create tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. SpiceJet followed up the Boeing order with an order for 50 Bombardier Q400 planes --- the single biggest order for the Q400 in Bombardier’s history.
The event brought together key stakeholders, including Government of India officials, industry leaders from the U.S. and India, and government officials in the United States to discuss opportunities in investment.
Approximately 300 senior level business leaders and investors attended the Summit. Attending companies at the summit included Walmart, Dow, Boeing International, Abbot, Amway and Bank of America. Industry and government leaders from the U.S. and India discussed the value of the U.S.-India partnership between the two countries and how their shared values of democracy, security, and sustainability are being applied in both business and government to spur job creation, encourage innovation, and accelerate economic growth.
Some of the key speakers from India who attended the summit were Navtej Sarna, Ambassador of India to the United States and Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of Niti Aayog. Representative from the USA included Senator Rob Portman (R-OH); USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ted McKinney; Jeffrey Gerrish, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus among others.
Among the major highlights of this year’s Summit was former Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, participating in a fireside chat with USISPF’s Chairman, John Chambers, former Executive Chairman & CEO of Cisco and Founder of JC2 Ventures.
The summit followed a year where India has seen unprecedented global economic growth. As the fastest growing economy and soon to be third largest consumer economy, India is of vital interest to the U.S. with regard to trade, technology and innovation. Led by the most prominent leaders in U.S.-India relations, USISPF has already been instrumental in furthering this partnership during the organization’s first year of existence.
Around 4.32 lakh people were employed in the renewable energy sector in India in 2017, according to India Spend report that cited a recent analysis by the inter-governmental International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The renewable energy sector created 47,000 new job in the previous year, accounting for over 20 percent of 5 lakh new green jobs created globally.
The number of jobs in India’s green energy sector, excluding large hydropower projects, rose by 12 percent to 4.32 lakh people in 2017 from 3.85 lakh people in 2016, the report said.
The increase in number of jobs has been due to "gradually switching to clean energy in sync with their commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement 2015”
"Renewable energy has become a pillar of low-carbon economic growth for governments all over the world, a fact reflected by the growing number of jobs created in the sector," Adnan Z Amin, director-general of IRENA, said in a statement.
The renewable energy sector has been growing in India because of several factors.
The government has opened routes for foreign investors to establish renewable energy-based power generation projects and collaborate with Indian firms on financial and technical levels.
India received $1.77 billion foreign direct investment (FDI) in non-conventional energy sector from April 2014 to September 2016.
The country has been working towards achieving the target of producing 175 GW by end-December 2022. Of the total target, 100 GW is to come from solar power, 60 GW from wind power, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydropower.
India has installed 69 GW of cumulative renewable power capacity as of May 2018. India reported 4.8 GW of renewable capacity as of November 30, 2017, against a target of over 14 GW, which is way below the set target.
The International Renewable Energy Agency said that the diversion of a national clean energy cess to subsidise Goods and services tax (GST)-induced losses and a new import duty to protect domestic manufacturers of solar equipment threaten could derail India’s ambitious 2022 target.
