Nutanix Reaffirms Asia Commitment with New Regional Office in Singapore

Enterprise cloud leader,  Nutanix  has officially opened the doors to its new Singapore-based Asia Regional Office, as part of its continuing investment in the region.

Located at Suntec Tower 1 in the heart of the city, the new facility is capable of housing 120 staff to meet the company’s rapidly growing workforce. Dedicated to providing the most modern workplace environment focused on employee engagement, productivity, creativity and customer experience, the Suntec office will be Nutanix’s flagship facility in the region.

The new office was officially opened by Nutanix Global Chief Financial Officer, Duston Williams. Overlooking the Singapore city skyline from the 31st floor office, Williams said: “This opening marks yet another step in our ongoing commitment to Singapore and the wider Asia Pacific - and demonstrates our confidence and aspirations for the future. Asia Pacific’s dynamism and growth matches our own, so it’s only natural that our new regional home should be in one of the region’s most successful states.”

The open floor facility includes an employee café - with free food, a common benefit in all Nutanix offices, refresh zones that include a pool table, air hockey and a library. There is also a dedicated training centre and collaboration lounge where both staff and customers can get hands on with Nutanix’s latest technologies

Designed around neighbourhood seating, the new workplace supports a flexible, agile environment, promotes collaboration and reduces costs to the organization. If that wasn’t enough, the facility will also have eco-friendly credentials: it is currently undergoing certification by LEED: the most widely used green building rating system and a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

Matt Young, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific at Nutanix added “This workplace is designed for a high growth, fast paced, digital future and embraces all the freedom, flexibility and simplicity that we provide to our customers. We now have one the most advanced offices, in the world’s most dynamic region. We are all thrilled at the opportunities ahead.”

The Singapore office is yet another one in a series of office expansions for the enterprise cloud leader. Nutanix has recently opened a new Tokyo facility and expanded its India operations in Ahmedabad and Pune, India bringing its regional presence to 25 offices in 13 countries.

CASHe Launches BuddyTransfer; A Fast and Simple Way to Transfer Funds to Your Friends

CASHe, India’s most preferred digital lending company for young salaried millennials, promoted by serial entrepreneur and private equity investor Mr. V. Raman Kumar, today announced that it has launched a unique fund transfer facility called “BuddyTransfer” for its users. With BuddyTransfer, CASHe users can now authorize to send part of their loan to up to five contacts from their phonebook. The maximum amount that can be transferred to each contact with this facility is Rs 2,000. The company further stated that it wanted to make it easier for its users to send money to friends and family by simply choosing names from their phone contact list and authorize a money transfer directly to their bank accounts. BuddyTransfer is built on a Blockchain infrastructure which keeps the transactions safe, secure and transparent.

Here is how BuddyTransfer works -

·         To use this feature, the user has to select the desired loan amount from CASHe and request for a loan.

·         The user gets an option to transfer part of his loan by choosing ‘Transfer to your Friend’ feature where he can select up to five names from his phone contact list to whom he wishes to send the money.

·         He can choose the desired amount ( Maximum Rs 2,000) per contact and confirm the details in the following screen.

·         Once the loan is approved, CASHe will initiate the fund transfer on behalf of the user to the selected recipients.

The user can authorize a fund transfer to anybody in India through his phone contact list regardless of they being a CASHe user or not. If the fund transfer is initiated to a non-CASHe user, they will get a notification through SMS informing them on the impending fund transfer along with a link to download the CASHe app from the app stores. The fund transfer will be successful only if the recipient downloads the app, fills the necessary details along with his bank account information and submit the necessary KYC documents.

This feature will be particularly useful to people who need to transfer urgent cash to their family and friends. BuddyTransfer allows users to transfer money to any contact in their phonebook 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CASHe customers can transfer money to any person in India, once they download the app and register. The app is widely accessible as it works on Android and iOS operating systems.

Mr. V. Raman Kumar, Chairman, CASHe, said, “CASHe has always tried to be a leader in harnessing new technologies to bring cutting-edge user experience. This is the first time that a Blockchain infrastructure is being used to facilitate actual money transfer in a fin-tech application in India. This is an industry first and an outstanding achievement for Team CASHe.”   

“Customer convenience remains central to all our efforts. We are happy to be the first amongst our peers to launch this feature for our customers on our industry-leading, cutting-edge lending platform. We listen closely to what our customers say. Their ideas and feedback help us improve our current product offerings and help us launch future innovations. BuddyTransfer is launched in response to a growing need of our valued customer base and we are happy to offer this new feature to them. With BuddyTransfer, we look forward to further strengthening our leading position in the digital lending market in India.” said Mr. Ketan Patel, CEO, CASHe.

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.

Mindtree Opens New Minneapolis Office to Support Magnet360, Its Expanding Salesforce Practice

Today, Mindtree inaugurated a larger office space to accommodate the strong growth seen by Magnet360, the Mindtree Salesforce practice. The new office is designed to help businesses accelerate their adoption of software as a service (SaaS), the trend that is redefining the way enterprises use technology. The new 30,000-square-foot space is architected to promote a flexible, dynamic work environment.   Among the design goals was to create a silo-free space where employees can balance high-collaboration and intense focus.

Magnet360’s consulting-led approach offers a unique blend of customer engagement, deep Salesforce knowledge and agile expertise to evaluate business challenges and user journeys. This mirrors Mindtree’s holistic approach to accelerating cloud transformation. It enables organizations to amplify their Salesforce opportunities and drive new cloud-borne business models. The facility offers an interactive space for multi-disciplinary teams and clients to use design thinking techniques to experiment and execute ideas utilizing the Salesforce Platform.

Mindtree’s newest office is designed as a town setting with a network of smaller ‘neighborhoods’ to encourage hyper-collaboration across small, agile teams. The interconnected wings are anchored by a large communal area for all-company ‘Rockin Rally’ meetings and cross-functional teams to work together. Embedded in the office is modern audio/visual technology to connect the global Magnet360 team and the broader team of nearly 20,000 Mindtree Minds. There are also several ad-hoc meeting lounges, interconnecting and scalable offices, a variety of workspaces, quiet pods, a library and wellness room. 

A focal point just off the lobby is the Magnet360 Garage, A Center for Salesforce Innovation. It’s a 1,300 square foot space that serves as a digital hub for Salesforce transformation and an area for organizations to re-think cloud opportunities from scratch to scale. True to its name, the studio is designed like a garage, with overhead doors and exposed stud walls, evoking the startup experiences of the world’s most brilliant technology companies. Modeled after Mindtree’s Digital Pumpkin innovation hubs in Bangalore and New Jersey, the Magnet360 Garage brings business and IT together across multiple disciplines. It is a technology-rich ideation space to co-create meaningful solutions using the power of Salesforce.

“Organizations are constantly adapting as they look for ways to better connect with customers and anchor their business in the cloud,” said Matt Meents, Senior Vice President and head of Magnet360, Mindtree’s Salesforce practice. “Magnet360 is motivated to continuously improve our Salesforce practice, stretching ourselves to re-imagine business models. This amazing new space is not only very functional, it was designed with extreme care to be a great place to work.”

“Everything about this office exemplifies the core tenets that differentiate Mindtree,” said Paul Gottsegen, Chief Marketing Officer & Head, Mindtree Americas. “An environment purpose built for continuous innovation and continuous improvement. A laboratory for taking cloud-enabled ideas and turning them into real-world solutions that scale. A culture where everyone feels engaged. It’s all here. We can’t wait to see the transformative projects that come out of this facility for our Salesforce clients.”

“Salesforce is thrilled to see Magnet360 embrace innovation with the launch of the Magnet360 Garage,” said Peter Doolan, Executive Vice President, Digital Transformation and Innovation at Salesforce. “This new space will empower Magnet360 to deliver digital transformation for customers with the Salesforce Platform.”

As part of Mindtree, with nearly 20,000 Mindtree Minds across 27 countries and 43 offices, the Magnet360 team can tap into a wealth of expertise to scale end-to-end enterprise solutions.  

Adidas and Real Kashmir FC Showcase the Magnificence of Jammu & Kashmir

Adidas in partnership with Real Kashmir FC are organising a unique photo exhibition in Bengaluru, titled #TheRealKashmir to reveal the ‘Real’ side of Jammu & Kashmir. The photo exhibit celebrates the beauty of Jammu & Kashmir through the lens of football.

Adidas and Real Kashmir FC through their partnership have brought about a positive change in the valley and have redefined the ‘Real’ Kashmir, thus, catalyzing a rapid transformation in the lives of people. The photo exhibit is a celebration of the wave of positive change brought about by Football in Jammu & Kashmir. The pictures capture not only the magnificence of the valley but also portray how young kids in Jammu & Kashmir are taking to football on the streets and following their passion for the game.

The pictures have been shot through the lens of award-winning photographer Prashant Godbole who has an innate sense of aesthetics and the art to create spaces within an image. His proficiency reveals an untold story which is bound to catch the eye of the public at large, thereby showcasing the unseen and fascinating side of Jammu & Kashmir.

Sharad Singla, Head -Activations, Adidas India, at the inauguration of the exhibition said, “#TheRealKashmir exhibition is yet another beautiful chapter of our partnership with Real Kashmir FC. The club epitomises our belief ‘through sport, we have the power to change lives.’ The exhibition brings to life the magnificence of the valley through the lens of football and unveils the ‘real’ side of J&K. We are proud to be part of this journey and are sure it will inspire the youth towards a positive change in the country.

Co-owner of the club, Sandeep Chattoo during his media interaction said, “We took this journey of change, when we started RKFC, in 2016. My friend and business partner, Shamim Mehraj & myself, spotted the thirst amongst youngsters to play football and make a difference. Along with our partners adidas, through such initiatives like this photo exhibition we hope to spread the wave of positive change and optimism in the valley.

The exhibition witnessed a display of breath-taking pictures bringing to life the “real” Kashmir. From youngsters honing their football skills in the streets of Downtown, Srinagar to the youth academy prospects of Real Kashmir FC taking a leap of faith with the beautiful game on the snow-capped peaks of Gulmarg - the pictures reinforce the wave of positivity that football has brought to Jammu & Kashmir. The photo exhibition is open for public viewing from January 24th to 27th at Rangoli Metro Art Centre, Bengaluru.

Toyota, Panasonic Announce Joint Venture for Electric Car Batteries

Toyota has announced that it was creating a joint venture with Panasonic to develop batteries for electric cars, as the Japanese auto giant ramps up its ambitions for electric-powered vehicles.

The firm will be set up by 2020 and 51% of stake will be controlled by Toyota, the Prius manufacturer said in a statement. “Toyota and Panasonic are confident that the contracts concluded today will further strengthen and accelerate their actions toward achieving competitive batteries,” the statement added.

Toyota boss Akio Toyoda has previously said he wants half of the firm’s global sales to come from electric-powered vehicles by 2030, up from around 15% now.

“The key to electrifying vehicles in the future will be batteries. In order for Japan to survive this era of profound change with no natural resources, we must develop competitive batteries and establish systems for a stable supply,” Toyoda said. Panasonic is seen as a specialist in the battery sector and has already partnered up with electric vehicle innovator Tesla to operate a huge “gigafactory” in the United States.

EV Cars in India

Japanese auto major Nissan Motor Co said it will launch its electric car Leaf in India this year as it seeks to take the lead in EV drive in the country.

The company is also looking at other eco-friendly technologies such as its e-Power vehicles and hybrids for the country. “Leaf is a proof-point (that) we want to bring in India because this is a direction of leadership in EV, we have in the world,” Nissan Motor Co Senior Vice President and Chairman of management committee for Africa, Middle East and India Peyman Kargar told reporters.

Gautam Gambhir Unveils Funngage PowerPlayer Cricket 120 Scholarship; Trials on Jan 27 in Bangalore

Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir, along with sports technology firm Funngage.com has launched a nation-wide programme for Cricket Scholarship, the first of its kind for sports in India. Named ‘FG PowerPlayer’,  through this programme, boys and girls in the age group of 12 to 24 years will get a fully paid for cricket development scholarship with a three-week of fully paid for training camp in Perth, Australia at Guildford Grammar, under the guidance of former South African Test cricketer HD Ackerman.

It is a Pan India initiative and after successfully conducting trials in Delhi, Noida, Meerut, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune, Patna, Ranchi and Kolkata, the sports platform – Funngage.com is now starting with the southern India leg with Bangalore being the first city.

The trials will be conducted in FG academy. However, with a successful collaboration, Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) is the preferred academy partner for the scholarship programme.

“It is a fabulous platform for all the youngsters to come and showcase their talent. They are going to select 120 and out of that 60 will go to Australia in four batches (15 each). It is a transparent platform as well. It is an initiative where you will get a lot of kids from the grassroots,” said Gambhir addressing the media at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The selected students from Funngage PowerPlayer trials will get an opportunity to be trained for five years in CAP academies under the guidance of cricket experts and coaches. These scholarships will help in unearthing new talent and give young kids a platform to kick-start their budding cricketing careers.

The Bengaluru trials will begin from January 27 at Hyper Turf Cricket Ground, Yelahanka.

The cricket scholarship will be given for five Years and will cover the following:

Free of cost cricket coaching at any Indian cricket academy for 5 years

Free of cost cricketing equipment for 5 years

Free of cost medical support along with sports physiotherapy sessions at Funngage’s wellness partner and hospitals across India

Free of cost participation in matches and tournaments across India

Free of cost periodic Cricket Camps by Experts for Exposure and Training

Free of cost training in Perth, Australia (Guildford Grammar School), this includes visa fee, return air fare, accommodation, trainings, nutrition sessions, injury management, and matches with local clubs

“Through this platform, we want to ensure that anyone who wants to realise his or her dream of being a cricketer can do so. It’s an Initiative to help the cricketers develop their skills and not worry about finances. Funngage doesn’t claim to make anyone play for a state or any BCCI affiliated team or in any League. The cricketers need to follow the selection norms set by the respective cricket associations to get through there. We are here to ensure that all kids get their performance stats and none should be deprived of Good Cricket Coaching and facilities due to lack of funds,” said Karan Singh, founder & CEO, Funngage.com.

How to register for trials?
Registration for trials can be done at www.funngage.com or by downloading the Funngage mobile application from Google PlayStore for Android users and App Store for IOS users.

Registrations can also be done at Funngage counter set up at Hyper Turf Cricket Ground, Yelahanka and at 24/1, First Main, Chunchappa Block, RT Nagar from January 24 onwards from 11 am to 7 pm.

The basic and only administration fee to register into the programme is Rs 1,050 (all-inclusive) for batsmen and bowlers and Rs 1,950 (all-inclusive) for all-rounders and wicket-keepers.

Age-groups and schedule for trials
January 27 - Trials will be conducted for 12-16 years

January 28 – Trials for 16-19 years

January 29 – Trials for 20-24 years

January 30 – Trials for all groups in their respective age categories

Trials and selection process
Initial trials are held on center wicket of the ground with at least 5 High Definition (HD) cameras making ball by ball videos of each and every cricketer. These videos are shared with players on their Funngage account for their view and records. These videos are also shared with top coaches on Funngage, for them to assess and do a performance assessment for each player. The detailed report card and assessment scores highlighting their strengths and areas of improvements are given to each player.

Round 1 – Basic Skills Trial: 12-balls trials on the center wicket with each batsman facing 4 bowlers and each bowler bowling to 4 batsmen with at least 5 HD Video cameras capturing the action

Round 2 – Advanced Trial: 24 balls advance trials followed by a fitness test

Round 3 – Camp: 10 days training camp and 5 matches of 40 overs each per players

Round 4 – Awarding Scholarship: Top 120 cricketers to get 5 years of Cricket Development Scholarship and top 60 to train for three weeks at Guildford Grammar School, Perth, Australia.

With 1,400+ Certified Inspectors, Droom’s ECO Establishes Trust Through a Seamless Customer Experience

Equipped with a thorough 121+ point auto inspection by certified technicians, ECO envisions to set the industry standard for vehicle inspection

New Delhi ECO, Droom’s proprietary vehicle inspection service, has paved its way to become one of India’s largest doorstep inspection services. With 1400+ certified inspectors on its platform, this initiative by India’s first and largest pioneering online automobile transactional marketplace has an incredible geographic reach of over 500+ pin codes across the country. 

The leading online automobile marketplace has allocated INR 25 crores of funds specifically to achieve its growth objectives pertaining to ECO inspection. Through these measures and dedicated efforts, Droom strives to establish the services provided by ECO as the industry standard benchmark for inspection and certification services. Since the last two months, Droom has been successfully running a pilot for its owned and operated models in Delhi and NCR.

Acknowledging the rapid success of the application, Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Droom remarked, “ECO is India’s most scientific, data driven and comprehensive vehicle inspection service.  We are overwhelmed by the response ECO has been receiving and strive to continually provide our customers with seamless experiences. We see ECO as a key facilitator of establishing trust and transparency among our customers regarding the buying and selling condition of vehicles on our core marketplace and are looking to invest in the emerging technological advancements in this segment of Droom.”

With an aim to further strengthen its grip on quality control, SLA (Service Level Agreement) adherence and delivering world-class customer experience through its doorstep vehicle inspection services, Droom has setup an in-house team of ECO inspectors on owned and operated model. These trained technicians, referred to as ‘ECO Ninjas’, can read and write in English, have an educational degree in automobile servicing from any of the top ITI/Polytechnic/Vocational Training institutes in the country, and are ECO-certified after taking extensive tutorials and passing an online test. 

ECO also developed a customized Enterprise solution for Banks for loans, Insurance companies for break-in Insurance renewals and Large cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola. Droom has already signed up with some of the leading Banks to offer its inspection services around vehicle financing of Used vehicles.

Droom is also planning to venture into independent inspection services through ECO wherein people can purchase and avail the services and get their vehicles certified without listing them on Droom. Furthermore, Droom envisions to gradually scale across all major cities in the country with 500+ in-house technicians, eventually setting up a combined capacity of 1000+ inspections per day in the long run.