HP and Andhra Pradesh Government Sign MoU on Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (CoE)

HP Inc India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) and Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to build a Center of Excellence (CoE) for additive manufacturing powered by HP’s 3D printing technology.

The CoE is part of the state government’s vision to accelerate adoption of 3D printing in various industry sectors such as automotive, aerospace, defence, consumer goods, healthcare, apparel and construction. It will be equipped with HP’s cutting-edge 3D printers that can handle short run production and functional prototyping.

HP will be the key knowledge provider for this initiative and will bring in its global 3D printing expertise to support various training programs that will be conducted at the CoE. Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) will provide infrastructural support and enable necessary certifications and accreditations. Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) will drive and encourage the usage of the CoE by government departments, Defence and Public Sector enterprises.

Besides making 3D printing services easily available, the CoE will give Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) and Start-ups in Andhra Pradesh the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of additive manufacturing, and how they can make use of 3D printing to digitally transform their own operations or to grow their business.

“India’s manufacturing sector is experiencing a resurgence, fueled by many emerging technologies. HP is supporting this phenomenon by democratizing future-ready technologies such as 3D Printing. We are excited to support Andhra Pradesh Government’s progressive initiative to drive adoption of 3D Printing through the new Centre of Excellence. We believe HP’s cutting-edge 3D Printing technology will fuel innovation in manufacturing and help upskill young professionals to make them ready for Industry 4.0,” said Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP Inc. India.

"Manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh has great potential as a lot of demand is slated to come from domestic consumption. Andhra Pradesh's impetus in automotive, electronics and aerospace makes technologies like 3D printing market-ready. This MoU with HP Inc for setting up a Centre of Excellence and Innovation Hub marks a paradigm shift in how Governments are taking a crucial role in spearheading lean manufacturing and assisting today's youth to adapt to rapidly changing industrial landscapes due to technological disruptions, said Mr. J. Krishna Kishore, CEO, Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB).

HP first introduced its Jet Fusion 4200 3D Printing solutions, which is capable of printing functional parts 10 times faster, at half the cost, in India in 2018.  In January, HP expanded its 3D printing portfolio with the introduction of its new Jet Fusion 300/500 series of color 3D printers to enable manufacturers to produce engineering-grade, functional parts in full color, black or white.

Qlik Academic Program Expands its Presence to Over 150 Universities in India

In a move which further underscores its vision to create a data literate world, Qlik has now expanded the Qlik Academic Program to over 150 universities across India. In addition to prominent universities such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, SP Jain School of Global Management, and NIT Karnataka, Qlik has now added renowned names such as IIM Ahmedabad, Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, NIT Patna, IIM Guwahati, IIM Raipur, and IIM Kozhikode as a part of the program.

Through this free-to-use online program, Qlik aims to help future waves of Indian professionals across every academic discipline become more job-ready by equipping them with advanced analytical and data literacy skills. Several students from participating institutes have already completed the coursework and received a Qlik Sense Business Analyst or Data Architect Qualification from Qlik.

Speaking on the announcement, Pankaj Muthe, Program Manager, Academic Program, APAC, Qlik, said, “We live in the age of technology, and data has naturally emerged as the most important resource for organisations. Despite this, the recent Qlik Data Literacy Survey revealed that almost 80% of the global workforce doesn’t feel that it has the data skills required to optimally utilise this high-potential resource. This is the gap that we are looking to address with the Qlik Academic Program.”

Designed as an easily adoptable university-level program, the Qlik Academic Program is aimed at helping higher education institutions in India and across the globe strengthen their academic offerings by adding marketable data skills to their curricula. The adoption of the Qlik Academic Program in India is most prominent across institutions offering engineering courses, since analytics aligns well with subjects such as data mining, database management and programming. However, there has been an uptake in other academic streams such as business management and social sciences, which are starting to use the program to both assist with research projects while also to learning to improve decision-making processes through data.

According to the Data Literacy Survey by Qlik, while two-thirds of companies (63%) globally are planning on hiring more data literate employees, the onus is on the individual. Business leaders have been unwilling to commit resources to improve the data literacy of their workforce, with only 34% of firms currently providing data literacy training.

“With free access to our state-of-the-art analytics platform and curated online learning content, students across the country can equip themselves with the necessary data skills they need to thrive in today’s data-led business landscape. Through this initiative of getting students exposed to data sooner, we believe that the students will be more valuable in the workforce when they graduate and this will significantly accelerate their career growth,” added Pankaj Muthe.

The Qlik Academic Program is open to any accredited university-level institution worldwide, for-profit and non-profit colleges alike. The program provides professors with ready-to-teach, free resources – including instructor-led content, in-class activities and interactive business use cases. Students and professors can also take advantage of the Qlik Continuous Classroom, a distance-learning platform with over 125 hours of online learning content. With the latest expansion, the Qlik Academic Program is now available at more than 1,200 universities in more than 75 countries.

With 50K Visitors in Bengaluru, Zomaland Season1 Ends on High Note

After making Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru, drool over good food and groove to incredible performances, the first season of Zomaland comes to an end on a spectacular note. The carnival brought together top-rated eateries from across the country, a stellar line-up of music artists from around the world, India’s top comedians, stunning installations, fascinating photo booths, vibrant food parades, a giant Ferris wheel, and enthralling street performances, all under one roof.

Riding high on the mission of ‘better food for more people’, Zomaland offered a splendid mix of eateries curated into as many as seven food zones (Flavours of India, Oriental Trail, American Avenue, European Eateries, Mexican Mania, Healthy Hub and Dessert District) for everyone to enjoy their favourites, as well as try something new. The two live stages - Zomato Live Arena and Theatre Bizarre - were marked by the footprints of some of the top artists in the country, and the presence of thousands of people who gathered to enjoy their shows. The artists' list included names like Lucky Ali, Divine, Jay Sean, Nucleya, Ritviz, When Chai Met Toast, Rohan Joshi and Varun Thakur.

As the last leg of the season, Zomaland debuted in Bengaluru, witnessing an incredible turnout of over 50,000 people. What stood out were the various cuisines and performances by artists like Divine, Jay Sean and Rohan Joshi who kept everyone hooked till the end.

Celebrating the success of the first season, Gaurav Gupta, Co-Founder and COO, Zomato, said, “Zomaland was a testimony to the power of simplicity and perseverance; we wanted to build a product that would speak for itself and be a credible source of consumer delight. The team spent over six months planning every element, including for all possible contingencies. Over one lakh foodies attended the event in the three cities, making it a huge success for its real heroes - users, restaurants, entertainers and the team who executed it. Zomaland helped us build a more tangible connection with our users and restaurant partners and gain access to more user-centric data, as we continue in our journey to improve accessibility, assortment and quality of food.”

Besides the obvious love for food and performances, Carnival City stood out as the most treasured zone. It witnessed the presence of visitors from every age group, equally enjoying the collection of carnival games; which has become a major addition to the carnival theme. What’s more, Zomaland offered a special zone for kids; designed for their comfort, and palates.

“Zomaland was the result of months of hard work, dedication, brainstorming and food-sampling to create a mixed itinerary of eateries, fun activities and performances, for everyone to enjoy. We wanted to bring to life the carnival everyone has grown up enjoying - mixing nostalgia with newness - to create a unique experience. As we conclude the first season, we are already looking forward to taking it to more cities. The first step is to collect feedback from everyone who visited Zomaland across the three cities, and then work on the components to bring forth an even better show next time,” added, Chaitanya Mathur, Global Head, Zomato Events.

In addition to the overwhelming response to the carnival, Zomaland also saw tremendous participation from the restaurant community. It served as a great platform for them to showcase their culinary prowess and reach a larger audience base.

“Zomaland helped us reach out to our core customers, serving as a great platform to interact with them and get first-hand feedback. We participated in the Bangalore edition but for the upcoming seasons, we have now decided to go wherever Zomaland goes. We are already part of Zomato through online ordering and restaurant listings but Zomaland is one step ahead of everything it has to offer,” said Hamilton, Promoter, BBQ@52.

“Zomaland, New Delhi, as a fest was very successful in attracting wide audiences especially families, who had a great time. We have some of the best food in the world in India, and carnivals such as this one will go a long way in supporting the culinary atmosphere in our country,” said Rakshay Dhariwal, Managing Director, Pass Code Hospitality.

“We were extremely delighted to be part of the Pune edition of Zomaland. The carnival had a great vibe, it was systematic and had something for everyone. We were delighted by how even the smallest details were taken care of, and will definitely be a part of more events by Zomato,” added Priya Kriplani Mehtani and Dheeraj Mehtani, Owner, Asian Box.

Tata Motors Electrifies Indore City with Delivers 50 Tigor EVs

Tata Motors, today announced the next milestone on its journey of driving electrification, through its partnership with Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL), to deploy 50 Tigor Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Indore, as a part of its tender with EESL. AICTSL will deploy these Tigor EVs across Indore, reinforcing its commitment to enhance sustainability.

Gracing the occasion, Shri. Jaivardhan Singh – Cabinet Minister of Urban Development Minister and Housing, Shri Jitu Patwari - Cabinet Minister for Higher Education, Sports and Youth Affairs of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Ashish Singh - Commissioner Indore Municipal Corporation Indore and Mr. Sandeep Soni - CEO, Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL) were present at the delivery ceremony.

According to Mr. Shailesh Chandra, President – Electric Mobility Business and Corporate Strategy, Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors is committed to the Government’s vision of e-mobility in India. We are excited to join forces with the Government of Madhya Pradesh towards this endeavor. We are delighted to partner with AICTSL on their pragmatic initiative of inducting zero-emission vehicles in Indore. With Tigor EV, we have begun our journey in boosting e-mobility and will offer a full range of electric vehicles to the Indian customers. We continue to work in a collaborative manner to facilitate faster adoption of electric vehicles and to build a sustainable future for India.”

Tigor EV recently bagged the ‘Electric Car of the Year’ by ASSOCHAM India, clearly demonstrates Tata Motors’ capability to bring innovative, sustainable mobility solutions in the country.

BluArmor Launches BluSnap2, the Helmet Companion for a Dust-Free, Cool Ride

Aptener Mechatronics has added the highly anticipated and all-new product to their BluArmor range of motorcycle gear, the BluSnap2. The Bengaluru based start-up had launched the world’s first wearable cooler for existing full-face helmets in 2018 and has now upgraded to the second generation with added features and an all-new design. BluSnap2 is made in India and retails at Rs 2299/- including taxes and shipping. You can order online at https://bluarmorhelmets.com.

Mr PK Sundararajan, CEO & Founder, BluArmor commented, “We spent a lot of time talking to customers that used our first generation product, and that has helped us dramatically improve the user experience for BluSnap2. Early feedback has been terrific, and we expect to help a lot of riders keep a cool head on the road in the weeks and months to come. ”

BluSnap2 attaches to your existing full-face helmet and is lighter and smaller than its predecessor. The new design offers a modular grill with unique color hues available as add-ons. The industry-standard chin-mount is quick and easy to install and offers excellent high-speed stability. The product comes with extensions for best fit with your helmet.

BluSnap2 is aimed at offering more rider comfort than ever before. It’s more compact and powerful at the same time. To put it into perspective, BluSnap2 offers 25 per cent better airflow thanks to improved flow dynamics and the new vent design. The dust-levels are on the rise in most cities, and BluSnap2 is very effective in these conditions. Cool air flowing into the helmet allows the riders to keep the visor down reducing the exposure to dust. On top of that, BluSnap2’s removable filter traps the residual dust particles. The result is a cool, dust-free ride.

BluSnap2 features an improved water management system – all that the user needs to do is dunk the removable filter in water for 10 seconds. A fan blows air through this replaceable anti-bacterial filter, cooling the air as it flows into the helmet.  As a result, the temperature inside the helmet is up to 15 degrees cooler than the ambient. Riders can also bid farewell to expensive anti-fogging visor add-ons using BluSnap2’s quick de-fog option. The whole system is powered by a rechargeable battery that offers 10h of run-time on a full charge.

BluArmor is partnering with Vega Auto, one of India’s leading helmet manufacturers to offer BluSnap2 through its large retail distribution network. The product is expected to be available at a number of helmet retail outlets soon.

ATEN Registered Remarkable Business Expansion During 2018 in India

ATEN India announces the expansion of its Business in South and West India during the year 2018. This tremendous growth is being attributed to ATEN's expanding channel-based marketing strategy. With a strong cognizance about the current Indian market dynamics, ATEN's admirable growth comes from major sectors such as transportation, government tenders, BFSI, manufacturing product line, server rooms, R&D and surveillance centers, and all large scale IT Corporates.

ATEN is all set to celebrate its 40th anniversary and this continued momentum is indicative of the market opportunity and demand for control room solutions, secured server room solution, NOC/SOC monitoring, intelligent power distribution and video matrix display solutions provided by ATEN.

ATEN's emphasis for 2019 is to give excellent service to customers by providing them a convenient way to access ATEN products and services throughout the country. For this ATEN is enabling partners - regional distributors and system integrators, with product training and certifications so as to establish a sustainable market in India. Using both National and Regional distribution models, ATEN is penetrating into regional markets in India, especially the southern zone, which is the current lucrative IT hub.

ATEN has been pitching into new markets, notably the Professional Audio Visual segments (Pro AV Segments) and has been successful in establishing a brand name in the AV sector, largely in the video wall displays. Both IT and AV segments in India are undergoing radical changes and ATEN is all set to establish a firm market ground by focusing on merging both the segments in AV meets IT, thereby further creating a demand for ATEN products and technology in India.

Speaking about enterprise segments, Hank Lee, Manager -South Asia at ATEN said, "MNCs and the government sector are all looking towards Digital Transformation initiative, led by Indian government, which is a great opportunity and a very right direction for ATEN to directly contribute to the big IT wave. As ATEN India has a remarkable presence in India, now our target would be medium and large scale corporates. These companies are looking for innovative technologies and we are preparing to cater to innovative solutions by incorporating our latest technology." He further added, "In India, the future of AV looks promising because as far as innovation is concerned, Indians invest a lot in their meeting rooms, auditoriums and showrooms. The notorious price sensitivity does not stop Indians from investing in high quality AV products. ATEN while emphasizing on high quality has managed to merge IT and AV, taking India through a radical transformation on both side".

#AdvantageSpeed - ACT Fibernet Launches High-Speed Broadband Services in Lucknow

ACT Fibernet, India’s largest fiber broadband ISP (Internet Service Provider), today launched its high-speed fiber broadband services in Lucknow. As part of the company’s new brand strategy ‘Feel the Advantage’, ACT Fibernet has introduced unique broadband plans bundled with futuristic broadband speed and technology that will enable residents of Lucknow to experience world-class internet services.

As part of this move, ACT Fibernet broadband plans will be available to customers beginning 2nd March 2019. ACT Silver plan will offer 100 Mbps speed with 500 GB FUP limit. ACT Gold plan will offer 1000 GB FUP limit with 150 Mbps speed.

Additionally, customers subscribing to any of the broadband plans for 6 months will get 1-month complimentary internet connectivity along with 300 GB additional data over the subscription tenure. Similarly, for customers subscribing to the 12 months plan will get an additional 2 months complimentary broadband connectivity with 1200 GB additional data over the subscription tenure. As an introductory offer, ACT Fibernet is waiving off installation charges on all the plans for the first 30 days post the launch.

Speaking on the launch Bala Malladi, CEO, Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. said, “We are excited to bring our services and high-speed broadband connectivity in Lucknow.  Known as a multicultural city with a thriving urban population, it is one of our focus markets to expand and strengthen our presence in North India. We are confident that with our new offerings customers here will feel the advantage of speed and explore a whole new dimension of home internet experiences”

India, is witnessing a fervent demand for high-speed broadband, owing to the high data consumption among consumers. The number of broadband subscribers in India has added over 65 Lakh new broadband subscribers between November 2018 and December 2018 alone, as per a recent report and it is estimated by 2020 internet penetration is set to reach over 600 million users. ACT Fibernet has always been at the forefront to support innovation and technology with its initiatives enabling build a digitally empowered nation.