Toyota Delights its Customers with Memorable March Campaign in India

In line with the company’s continuous efforts towards enhancing customer delight, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) rolled out its annual sales campaign ‘Memorable March’. Customers can avail exciting offers and benefits which will be provided on select models during the month of March across Toyota dealerships in India.

Commenting on this campaign, Mr. N. Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Toyota as a brand has been relentlessly customer-centric, listening to and anticipating what their customers need.  The Memorable March Campaign is a way of expressing our gratitude to our valued customers who have been showing their relentless trust and confidence on Toyota products.  It has been our endeavor to provide the best to our customers in terms of unbeaten safety features, performance, comfort, high fuel economy and unmatched quality with low cost of ownership.

We always work towards exceeding the expectations of our Customers by providing "Best in Town" experience & sustenance of Quality, Durability & Reliability of our products and services.

To further enhance the joy of ownership, the company has introduced exciting offers under the Memorable March Campaign for Toyota customers.

Toyota is also offering special benefits for Government and Corporate employees with the Yaris available in CSD and Innova Crysta G available in GeM. All customers can avail these benefits until March 31st 2019.

“Congratulations to Synechron for building an organization focused on employee engagement and performance,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer of Business Intelligence Group. “It was clear from analyzing the employee survey data that this is a great place to work and employee feedback is not only listened to; but acted upon. Congratulations to the entire team.”

Synechron Named as One of the Best Places to Work for Second Consecutive Year

Synechron Inc., a leading Digital IT Consulting firm for financial services, has today announced that it has been named a winner in the Business Intelligence Best Places to Work Awards for 2019. Synechron was the winner in the Global Enterprise category. The organization sought to identify companies that are actively working to improve their own performance through efforts to challenge employees in environments that makes work fun and engaging.

This award marks the second consecutive win for Synechron in the Best Places to Work awards. The win also comes as Synechron’s employee and recruitment initiative, Employee 2020, approaches the one-year anniversary of its rollout. Both the awards and Employee 2020 initiative relied on employee engagement surveys and feedback.

John Gaunt, Chief Human Resources Officer, stated “Winning this award for the second year in a row is a true testament to what it means to be a proud Synechronite. We are committed to positive employee engagement and celebrating what sets apart Synechron and its employees that create such a great work environment.”

Top 5 Platforms Solving Critical Business Needs of Fast-Growing Enterprises

Enterprises are cornered with the ever-changing business landscapes and a growing competition, both from the industry incumbents and start-ups. The evolving ecosystem requires enterprises to remain ahead of the curve and always prepared for the unexpected. With the ever tightening grip and growing stakes, several platforms have come up to offer selective services to the fast-growing enterprises. From enterprise communication to cyber-security, tech consulting and more, these platforms are helping India’s fast-growing enterprises better manage their ventures and achieve the aspirational business growth.

Enterprise Communication made easy with Telebu

Effective communication between team members or the business and its key stakeholders is oftentimes the biggest challenge. In the present age, teams are remotely spread out and communicating with disparate teams often results in time lags and other inefficiencies. However, designing communication products for today’s enterprises, Hyderabad-based Telebu offers plausible solutions.

With its marquee product and audio conferencing solution, grptalk, Telebu allows instant conferencing (dial-out calls) for enterprises. The cost-effective solution removes any delays in conference calls, with the participants only having to answer the call from the bridge, not requiring any pin code, password etc. Furthermore, grptalk offers easy connectivity even in areas with low network coverage and easily connecting conference calls anywhere between 3 to 10,000+ participants.

Other enterprise solution products by Telebu include bulk text and voice SMS solution, in-bound and out-bound call centre software, emergency alert system, and API platform. 

A trustworthy tech partner: Cybage

Tech consulting has the potential for opening hidden vistas for the start-ups, mid-size companies and large-scale enterprises. To the same end, Cybage solves complex problems for its clients using new-generation technologies for Cloud, Mobility, E-commerce, Data Analytics, Social Collaboration, and enables enterprise-wide digital transformation.

Working with the world's best Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), the solution by Cybage are focused on modern technologies, and are enabled by a scientific, data-driven system called DecisionMines™ for Digital Excellence. This unique model de-risks the approach, provides better predictability, and ensures a better value per unit cost.

Invoice Discounting & Financing via Priority Vendor

Whether you are an enterprise dealing with multiple suppliers or a vendor fulfilling orders of large companies, invoice discounting and financing can radically transform and optimise everyday operations. Suppliers struggling with no clarity on when to expect the payment, as typically the payments may take up to 60 days once the goods or services are delivered, or enterprises being chased for timely payments, both can find suitable solutions at Priority Vendor.


As India’s largest early payment platform, Priority Vendor not only helps enterprises with e-invoicing but also helps them in securing capital against approved invoices, either through early payments or invoice discounting. Large corporates can further ensure the optimum financial health of their supply chain, by leveraging these solutions. With its AI-engine, the platform offers the most competitive and deep discounts for supply chain financing. 

Artificially Intelligent Cyber Defence with Paladion

Cyber criminals are out on a prowl, and they are targeting present day’s fast-growing enterprises. Since businesses have a lot to lose, i.e. their reputation and important customer data, they make up for the best targets for online nefarious activity. Thus, enterprises of today need to anticipate, detect, and respond to current threats (such as ransomware) and cyber incidents.

To the same end, Paladion leverage AI in its Managed Detection and Response service to provide high-speed cyber defence. The platform not only protects the enterprise from cyber-attacks by quick response but also detects the threats emerging pre-handed.

Securing BYOD for enterprises with Seqrite

The business landscape today is embracing BYOD-led work culture to enhance productivity, ensure seamless interoperability, and improve employee convenience. Employees feel comfortable working on their own devices, while smartphones have become integral to business environments. However, the same enhances security risks due to inadequate security measures or use jailbroken/rooted devices.

The Enterprise Mobility Management portfolio by Seqrite manages the same by offering two cloud-based solutions, MobiSMART and mSuite. The solutions have been designed to provide comprehensive control over mobile devices accessing the network and data of enterprises, helping them be completely secured against multiple entry points to company’s online architecture.

Manipal Hospitals Enters Guiness World Records for Free Screening Health Camp for 623 People on World Kidney Day

India’s leading Healthcare service provider, Manipal Hospitals Bengaluru celebrates as it bags two new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles at the same time today. On the occasion of World Kidney Day, the hospital attempted and successfully accomplished two new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles of conducting the longest kidney disease awareness session as well as the most number of urine analysis tests.

In line with the theme for World Kidney Day, ‘Kidney Health for Everyone, Everywhere’, the hospital conducted urine analysis test for 8 hours and an awareness lecture on kidney disease for 1 hour. Both the awareness session and urine analysis test witnessed 311 and 623 people respectively, creating two new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles on the same day.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a non-communicable disease that affects 1 in 10 people worldwide. While its severity can vary, CKD is often progressive and needs lifelong medical care. Over 850 million people worldwide are now estimated to have kidney diseases from various causes. CKD causes at least 2.4 million deaths per year and is now the 6th most common cause of death. 9 out of 10 patients who have kidney disease don’t even know that they have it. Between 2 to 7 million premature deaths happen for lack of access to dialysis and transplantation. Despite the growing burden of kidney disease, kidney health is often under emphasized and neglected, leading to late detection. This attempt to enter GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS was made as an effort to create awareness among the general public to look at wellness rather than illness as Manipal Hospitals being a responsible healthcare group.

Both initiatives that won the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles were adjudicated and certified by Mr. Rishi Nath, Adjudger, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS. The largest gathering was addressed by Dr. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals Bengaluru on the importance of kidney to our health.

Elated by the achievement, Dr. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals Bengaluru said, “It is a matter of great pride for all of us at Manipal Hospitals Bengaluru to be recognized by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for our initiatives. We are delighted to be entitled as the only hospital in India to be conducting the longest kidney disease awareness session as well as the most number of urine analysis tests. Through our initiatives we wanted to reach out to as many people as possible on this World Kidney Day to create awareness on kidney disease and we are glad to have achieved our goal.”

Hence, we need to put our minds and resources in making our country healthier and fitter by moving our focus from curative to preventive care. This can only happen by creating awareness about kidney health with emphasis on screening for kidney disease.

Kalyan Jewellers Targets 25% Revenue Growth in its Jewellery Purchase Advance Schemes

Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted jewellery brands, expects positive impact from the recent ordinance on its jewellery purchase advance schemes. The Government of India had recently promulgated “The Banning Of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance 2019” targeting entities, which are not subject to any regulatory authority, collecting funds as advances for jewellery purchase.

“The recent ordinance is consistent to the continued efforts to formalise the jewellery sector. The gap that existed in the governance of the jewellery advance purchase schemes has been corrected with sole proprietorship and partnership firms being brought under the regulatory environment. It will result in a level playing field for the industry,” said Rajesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers.

“As a Public Limited Company, Kalyan Jewellers India Limited (“KJIL”) is not affected by the promulgation of the ordinance.  The jewellery purchase advance schemes run by KJIL are ‘Regulated’ and duly approved and sanctioned by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and we file returns in the manner mandated under the Act, with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). We therefore believe that our vast network of 102 showrooms in India and over 650 My Kalyan stores are poised to drive growth for our Dhanvarsha and Akshaya Purchase Advance Schemes,”  Mr. Rajesh Kalyanaraman added.

Kalyan Jewellers had discontinued its earlier jewellery purchase advance scheme in 2014 following the enactment of the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules 2014 ("Rules"). By the said Rules, private limited companies were barred from running conventional jewellery schemes which included paying of bonuses, benefits etc. However the said restriction were not mandated upon jewellers which were partnerships, sole proprietorships, LLP etc. KJIL, thereafter became a public limited company w.e.f June 2016 and since then have been operating the jewellery purchase advance schemes in strict adherence to the rules and regulations.

KJIL presently operates the Dhanvarsha and Akshaya purchase advance schemes. Customers enrolled in the said schemes can pay monthly instalment for 11 months and thereafter redeem jewellery for the total amount paid along with benefits in the manner approved under the Companies Act. Dhanvarsha and Akshaya Purchase Advance Schemes are statutorily compliant and well accepted among consumers. Monthly instalments can be paid by cash, cheques, DD and online payments.

Kalyan Jewellers is eyeing a significant growth in its base of jewellery purchase advance scheme customers. Kalyan Jewellers will seek to position itself as a brand of choice for the customers seeking to avail compliant and credible jewellery advance purchase schemes. “A segment of Customers understand the benefits of availing such schemes and we believe that there is a potential to grow our revenues from our jewellery advance schemes by 25%.

UL Expands Footprint in Bangladesh with Advanced Textile and Leather Testing Facility in Dhaka

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UL, a global safety science leader announced the expansion of the company’s footprint in Bangladesh with the inauguration of its new Consumer and Retail Services Testing Laboratory in Dhaka. The state-of-the-art, 33,000 sq.ft. facility provides advanced, end-to-end service solutions for the textile, apparel, leather and footwear industries at a single destination.

UL’s pioneering facility seeks to foster innovation, increase market access and enable faster time to market by empowering customers to show compliance with the highest standards for quality and safety. The suite of services offered at UL’s Consumer and Retail Services laboratory include a wide range of testing capabilities combined with solutions for inspections, factory and technical audit, chemical management, sustainability and social compliance for responsible sourcing. The facility is strategically located in the heart of Dhaka, along the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway that is easily accessible for customers.

Sharing his views on how customers can benefit by partnering with UL, Mr. Sarbajeet Mukherjee, managing director of UL’s Consumer and Retail services in South Asia, “Over the past decade since our inception in Bangladesh, UL experts have been supporting the retail industry with world-class testing services and technical expertise. With the global acquisition of Consumer Testing Laboratory in 2016, we are steadily consolidating our presence in the country to address the increase in demand from customers for quality testing services to meet rigorous compliance requirements. Our new innovative facility will enable us to help service our existing and potential customers better. The total solutions we offer here are designed to empower our clients mitigate market risk, strengthen global supply chains and protect brand reputation. We have developed leading edge customer service solutions like fast-track project and digital lab fulfilment systems to reduce lead times and ensure accurate, in-depth test results. Our customers can collaborate with us to test a variety of products as per global standards and regulations to get global market access (GMA) and increase their market share”.

Commenting on the launch of the new laboratory Mr. Suresh Sugavanam, UL’s vice president and managing director for South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa said, “UL’s investment in Bangladesh comes at a time when country is on an ambitious path to meet the export target of USD 50 billion from the apparel sector by 2021, to mark 50 years of the Republic of Bangladesh. Our team of multidisciplinary experts leverage the latest technologies, best-in-class equipment and engage in rigorous analysis of quality and safety parameters to help our customers launch winning products to the market in a cost effective manner”.

UL’s array of testing expertise for quality and safety assurance spans chemical, physical, mechanical,  colourfastness, fibre and flammability – performance and regulatory tests. Sustainability solutions to address chemical safety for environmental compliance include wastewater onsite assessments and testing solutions for Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) programme. UL brings over a century of experience in testing, certifying and inspecting fire, life safety and security products to cater to the needs of factory audits and inspection in Bangladesh.

Azim Premji Foundation to Spend ₹ 52,750 Cr Towards Philanthropy

With this, the total value of his philanthropic endowment contribution is ₹ 1,45,000 crore
Azim Premji, Chairman of Azim Premji Foundation announced on Wednesday that he has earmarked all economic benefits in approximately 34 per cent of the shares of Wipro Ltd worth about Rs 52,750 crore to philanthropy, by irrevocably renouncing more of his personal assets and earmarking them to the Endowment, which supports the Foundation’s philanthropic activities.

In a statement, he said he has additionally earmarked all economic benefits for philanthropic purposes, in approximately 34 per cent of the shares in Wipro Limited with a current market value of ₹ 52,750 crore ($ 7.5 billion) held by certain entities controlled by him. This action is in addition to his earlier donations to philanthropy, which included Wipro’s shares, as well as other assets owned by him.

With this action, the total value of the philanthropic endowment corpus contributed by Premji is ₹ 1,45,000 crore ( $ 21 billion), which includes 67 per cent of economic ownership of Wipro Limited. " Azim Premji’s philanthropic activities have an overarching vision to contribute to developing a just, equitable, humane & sustainable society in India. To enable this vision, the Azim Premji Foundation works directly in education and supports other not-for-profits working in some specific areas through multi-year financial grants ," the statement said.

Helping the disadvantaged

The foundation’s extensive field work in education has been in some of the most disadvantaged parts of India, to help contribute to the improvement of quality and equity of the public (government) schooling system. All this work has been in close partnership with various State Governments. Currently this field work is spread across Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh, along with some work in the north-eastern states of India. The Foundation’s field strategy focuses on creating and scaling up a network of institutions at the District and State levels, to contribute to improvement in the school education system on a continued and sustained basis.

Education programs

As part of its overall strategy, the Foundation has also set up the Azim Premji University in Bangalore. The University has been established with a clear social purpose of developing outstanding professionals in the domains of education and related areas of human development for the entire country. The University does this by offering various kinds of degree programs, education programs, and conducting research in various fields of human development and social importance.

The initiative to support other not-for-profits by providing multi-year grants was started in 2014 by the Foundation. This enabled the expansion of its philanthropic efforts to domains other than education that are crucial to contributing towards its vision. The grants support efforts of partners that directly or indirectly help create tangible improvements in the lives of deeply disadvantaged, under-served and marginalized sections of our society. In the last five years, these grants have supported over 150 organizations engaged in a range of domains across India.

Over the next several years, the activities of the foundation are expected to scale up significantly. The team driving the field work in education is expected to grow significantly from the current 1 ,600 people, while the University will expand to have 5 ,000 students with 400 faculty members across multiple programs. Thereafter, another University in the northern part of India may be set up by the foundation. Thegrant-making activities will also continue to expand rapidly, growing three times from its current levels, supporting good work across multiple domains of social importance in India. Overall, this strategy and its expansion aims to contribute meaningfully to developing a more just, equitable, humane and sustainable society in India.