Aimed at setting a new benchmark for online education, UpGrad has re-launched the Entrepreneurship Certification Program – this time with master classes on leadership by Ronnie himself.
83% of the Indian workforce would prefer to be an entrepreneur as per the Randstad Workmonitor survey. Speaking at the launch, Ronnie Screwvala, Co- founder- UpGrad, said “India is filled with aspiring entrepreneurs without access to the right training, Entrepreneurship is not only about learning how to create business models, but also about becoming an effective leader. These are leadership traits that one can learn with experience or better still, borrowing from other’s experiences.”
Besides the masterclasses, the three-month online entrepreneurship programme covers topics from idea validation to finding the right product-market fit to building the business. Deep Kalra (MakeMyTrip), Bhavish Aggarwal (Ola), Ambareesh Murthy (PepperFry), and 60 other top entrepreneurs have contributed and been interviewed - for the course content. Case Studies on many startups are part of the Learning program. Students also benefit from one-on-one mentorship and feedback with top industry experts & networking sessions with fellow budding and seasoned entrepreneurs.
As a part of the program, students will receive grading and feedback on their business plan. The students with the top 25 business plans get an opportunity to pitch their idea to a panel of investors and receive funding of Rs. 10 lakhs. The course costs Rs. 80,000 plus taxes and is available on easy EMI option with credit cards of leading banks. UpGrad is also offering a part scholarship to early applicants of the program.
Ronnie Screwvala adds, “It’s not just about the Lectures and courses, but it’s about giving our learners the right guidance, environment & most importantly the confidence to build that next big thing.”
650+ aspiring entrepreneurs have completed the earlier Entrepreneurship Program by UpGrad. Of these students, 50% started their own business within 6 months of launch and 88% made changes to their business models after going through the program.
PayPal, the global leader in digital payments, today announced the launch of its third edition of Recharge, a unique six-week program focused on empowering women technologists to get back to the workforce after taking time off to explore their passions, develop interests, spend time or take care of their family. This program is a part of PayPal’s commitment in India towards nurturing a culture of diversity and inclusion in the technology industry.
Recharge has equipped women technologists with the skills and confidence required to help jumpstart their careers after a break and has grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2016.
“Reports suggest that India could increase its GDP by 16-60% by 2025 by simply enabling women to participate in the economy at par with men. At PayPal, we strongly believe that a diverse work force generates diversity in thought process and creativity which enables us to provide a better customer experience. Over the last two years, our Recharge program, has received over 1500 applications that we have hired from, reflecting the potential of this workgroup and the untapped opportunity for us to further the growth of women in technology.” says Jayanthi Vaidyanathan, Senior Director, Human Resources, PayPal.
Commenting on the initiative, Abirami Mahadevan, an ex- Recharger and current PayPal employee said, “PayPal’s Recharge is definitely a game changer program that provides women and mothers like me, an excellent opportunity to restart my career. Moreover, I also have the flexibility in my schedule to manage work and home seamlessly. Although we cannot go back and start again, we can make a brand-new beginning. Thank you, PayPal, for helping me through this journey!”
Recharge will be launched in Bangalore and Chennai on December 17th and 19th respectively. PayPal Recharge program will give women an opportunity to network with leaders from PayPal and the industry; bring them up to speed on the latest technologies and business; and also equip them with softer aspects such as resume writing, and interviewing.
Recharge is open to women who have taken a career break for a period of 1-5 years, with at least 5 years of work experience in product, product development, data, analytics, and operations. Interested applicants can submit their resumes to rechargeindia@paypal.com. Registrations will close on December 15, 2018.
The World Robot Olympiad Association plus joint sponsors LEGO Education and Juniper Networks, an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks, has announced this year’s global finals are due to take place starting this Friday, November 16, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Four-hundred and eighty-four teams, comprising over 1,200 individuals from 63 different countries, are due to participate across eight age- and task-based categories. The teams will demonstrate their ability to problem-solve and innovate using LEGO-based robots they have designed, built and programmed themselves.
This year’s event has a theme of ‘Food Matters’, around which some of the competitive challenges are based. The challenges are known in advance, so the teams can prepare their approach, but they must also deal with a ‘surprise rule’ announced at the start of the finals, testing ability to work as a team, think quickly and adapt both hardware and software unaided. They must also begin with their robots disassembled, having limited time and size constraints to deal with to build from scratch and without instructions or adult intervention.
To keep up with this year’s finals, please follow #WRO2018 for daily photo and video updates.
News Highlights:
The age of participants ranges from six to 25 years old, spanning starter categories to sophisticated, business case-driven challenges.
Robots must be built using only specified elements, including LEGO MINDSTORMS and LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0, depending on the category.
Based on previous years, the 2018 Final in Thailand is likely to attract approximately a thousand spectators over three days of competition.
Since the 2018 season began in mid-January, country heats and finals have taken place around the globe in 70 countries. A total of more than 26,000 teams, have competed in 444 tournaments for coveted places in the WRO International Final.
A team consists of one coach and two or three team members.
A series of awards, including the inaugural “Juniper Networks’ Engineering Simplicity Honors Award” and the “LEGO Education Creativity Award”, will be made during the event.
Supporting Quotes
“Robotics is a wonderful platform for inspiring students to take an interest in STEM. In today’s fast paced society, we need students to be creative thinkers. WRO challenges students to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. To stand out, they need an original idea different from that will differentiate them from other competitors. At WRO 2018 we will give the inventors and engineers of tomorrow a memorable experience that will take them to the next level.”
- Claus Ditlev Christensen, Secretary General at World Robot Olympiad Association Ltd.
“LEGO Education proudly supports the World Robot Olympiad because we see that this memorable experience has a lasting impact on the skills and ambitions of young students around the world. The science, technology, engineering and math skills, along with the transferrable skills such as problem solving and collaboration, they develop here equip them to succeed in the rapidly changing workforce.”
- Camilla Bottke, Head of Afterschool and Competitions, LEGO Education
“This is not only fun and games - competitors reach a remarkably high standard of automated engineering to solve real-world problems. Juniper has always been a passionate advocate of STEM education as a creative driver for the next generation’s ability to change things for the better. As the era of digital transformation continues its momentum, these highly-talented young people will be in the automation vanguard as they move throughout their education and into the workplace.”
- Mike Marcellin, Chief Marketing Officer at Juniper Networks
Pernod Ricard India expands its wine portfolio with the launch of the award winning New Zealand wine from Brancott Estate in Marlborough. Brancott Estate will be available in two variants: the fruity and fresh Sauvignon Blanc and the refined and well-balanced Pinot Noir.
Loyal to its vision, Pernod Ricard is reinventing conviviality, thanks to its vast brand portfolio. Pernod Ricard, with Brancott Estate, was among the first to blend a Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, which has won a worldwide recognition. Recently, the 2018 New York International Wine Competition awarded Brancott Estate as the best NZ winery of the year. This was followed by Sonal Holland, Indian Master of Wine, who rewarded the winery during The Indian Wine Awards (90+ score).
Commenting on the launch, Dael Cassam Chenai, Wines Head, Pernod Ricard India, said, " In addition to Jacob’s Creek, Campo Viejo and GH Mumm, we are proud to present Brancott Estate as our latest offering in the wines category for the evolving Indian consumer. India is a priority market for us with a fast-growing consumption off small base. Hence, it is our mission to select the best terroir and winemaking, in order to offer a simple & premium selection to the consumers. Each wine from Brancott Estate is indeed crafted in a style that epitomizes the unique character of Marlborough region. As New Zealand has become a world recognized and a world appreciated country for his wines, we are hopeful that Brancott Estate will set a new benchmark in the imported wines category in India and become our pillar after Jacob’s Creek and Campo Viejo”
Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India said, “Recent years have witnessed a radical transformation in the consumption patterns in India due to economic growth, independent lifestyles, proliferation of social drinking occasions and rise in consumption by women. The Imported wine in India is currently small market but witnessing rapid growth. To cater to this growth and adoption, we are expanding our portfolio and bringing in wine from different countries of origin. We are delighted to offer our award winning ”Brancott Estate” which origins from world famous Marlborough region in New Zealand and developed by the extremely talented winemaker ‘Patrick Materman.”
Speaking on the occasion, the 2016 New Zealand Winemaker of the Year Patrick Materman, said, “The Brancott Estate story began over 40 years ago with a bold idea to plant vines in Marlborough, New Zealand. At the time, the South Island was considered too cold to grow grapes, but Brancott Estate challenged this thinking and planted the very first Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough. Our winemaking philosophy is unencumbered by tradition and focused on capturing the remarkable, distinctive flavors of our home. The Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a well-balanced wine with the palate weight, sweet fruit flavours and the crisp acidity, the Marlborough Pinot Noir on the other hand shows full fruit flavours, complexity and balance.”
From adopting screwcaps to advocating for stainless steel over oak, Brancott Estate understands what it takes to capture and enhance the fresh and bright flavours from Marlborough.
The wines will be available across 5 Star Hotels, premium restaurants & liquor stores in Metros and Mini Metros at a retail price of 3,300 INR (Karnataka), 2,000 INR (Delhi NCR) and 2,500 INR (Maharashtra).
Power management company Eaton held its ground breaking ceremony at the KIADB Aerospace SEZ, near Devanahalli in Bangalore, to build its first Aerospace manufacturing facility in India.
“India has an untapped potential to fuel our Aerospace business’s market growth in the APAC region,” said Nitin Chalke, president, Vehicle and Hydraulics, APAC, Eaton. “The upcoming site reinforces Eaton’s continued commitment to India. Our customers are investing heavily here and Eaton sees the opening of an Aerospace manufacturing site in India as an opportunity to help us grow our share of new OE business as well as contribute to local growth in India.”
Eaton’s new site in Bangalore will manufacture standard hose assemblies and serve commercial, business and regional aircraft customers. The site will provide significant opportunity to win new business on military platforms as part of India’s offset policy. The product manufactured at the site will also provide customers with a dual source for Eaton’s oil debris monitoring systems.
The facility, to be built over 2.75 acres of land at the KIADB Aerospace SEZ, will be operational in the second half of 2019. The site will leverage smart manufacturing technologies, and contribute to local growth through employment, business and sourcing opportunities.
In the aerospace industry, Eaton is a leading supplier of products and technologies for hydraulic systems, fuel and inerting systems, motion control and engine solutions. Eaton's portfolio includes hydraulic engine-driven and electro-hydraulic pumps, control and storage equipment, distribution components and motors; engine and airframe fuel pumps, fuel-control valves, aerial- and ground-fueling equipment, lightning protection devices, and fuel-gauging and fuel-inerting systems; electrical generators, secondary flight-control actuators, door and utility actuators, and nose wheel steering and actuation-control systems; air-distribution products, pressure sensors, static and dynamic seals, and fluid-health monitoring products and systems; and aftermarket service and support. Eaton serves commercial and military aerospace, marine, and defense markets worldwide.
Eaton is a power management company with 2017 sales of $20.4 billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately 98,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.
Fullerton India Credit Company Limited (Fullerton India), a leading non-banking financial company with a strong pan-India presence, donated 22,400 kg rice and grains this Dhanteras as part of its “Ek Mutthi Chawal – A handful of rice” initiative. This year, the initiative marked its third successful edition with donation from 4,000 employees of Fullerton India, impacting 6,000 underprivileged children across the country. Fullerton India executed this in partnership with several local and state-level NGOs working for underprivileged children and orphanages, to reinstate its commitment to improving the lives of economically weaker sections of society.
Commenting on this initiative, Shilpa Desai, General Manager and Head- Marketing and Cross Sell, Fullerton India said, “Approximately 15% of the country’s population is undernourished, with one in every four children being malnourished and devoid of basic necessities like food for sustenance. At Fullerton India, we are in cognizance of this issue and launched “Ek Mutthi Chawal- A handful of rice” three years ago to address the growing concern. In alignment with our endeavour to contribute towards enhancing the socio economic status of underserved communities, this initiative helps us expand our outreach to the deprived sections of society. Further, we believe in an inclusive culture at our workplace and this allows every employee, irrespective of hierarchy, to take the onus of spreading festive cheer in their own capacity.”
In the previous years, Fullerton India impacted 4,000 lives across the country by donating 10,000 kg of rice in association with various partner NGOs.
Some of the other CSR initiatives by Fullerton India include programmes like Jeevika for vocational training for women and Pashu Vikas for cattle care camps, health initiatives like Safepad- reusable sanitary napkins for promoting hygiene among women in the hinterlands, educational programmes like Gurukul – basic skill training courses to facilitate the employment of youth and Sakhi- a financial literacy program for women, and environmental initiatives like Krishi Mitra – organic farming and bee keeping programmes, amongst others.
Medvarsity, a pioneer in online medical training has been appointed by Apollo Health & Lifestyle Ltd., for training for more than 250 nurses. The program will make the nurses well versed with current trends and technologies in managing a ward or unit in any healthcare setting through an exclusive Ward Sister Course. This initiative aims to bring more value to the nursing community and aims to make nurses proficient in the specialized area of ward management.
“We are privileged to partner with AHLL and collaborate with the leadership team to impact the quality of nursing skills. Training and upskilling is a critical part of healthcare management and we believe that the investments made will have direct results in quality and tenure of the nurses. ” said Gerald Jaideep, CEO, Medvarsity Online Ltd.
India, along with the rest of the world is seeing a scarcity of nurses, according to a study by PwC, there are 1.3 nurses to 1,000 population. Therefore, this situation calls for specific upskilled professionals who can understand the dynamics of growing issues that the healthcare industry on the whole is facing. This could be due to low pay, high stress and low opportunity to learn on the job. It has been seen that, in India, especially there are limited skill development opportunities or certifications for nursing professionals specifically.
The nursing community today is seeing a high attrition rate in a corporate hospital setting. And to tackle that, this course enables the nurses to build capabilities and competencies required for specific management, administration and execution of needful personalized care planning, health-education and follow-up. Any nursing graduate or diplomate, registered with the State Nursing Council in India is eligible to enroll for the course. Also, nurses with upto two to three years of experience can take up the course to enhance their skills and knowledge.
“Nurses form an integral part of the team that delivers healthcare in any modern hospital nowadays. Due to the current surge of specialised care and trainings necessitated, it is imperative that nurses refresh and upgrade their skills. In this regard, the training imparted by Medvarsity is important for nurses to be aware about and utilise, to enable them and the hospitals concerned to give the best care possible to patients for the best outcomes.” said Dr. Ajay H Gangoli, Director Medical Services, Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd.
Medvarsity believes that successful candidates from this course can work in any healthcare establishment and provide services with clinical decision-making and critical thinking. Apart from being specialist nurses in various departments, this course also empowers nurses to acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding of nursing administration for prevention, care and promotion of health. This 10-month online course has 10 modules that are self-paced, interactive and media-rich and is designed in such a manner that allows students to build the skills for performing various procedures and treatments seamlessly.
