Immerse in Wilderness of Africa with ‘The Lion King’ at Cinépolis 4DX

Cinépolis, India’s 1st international and the world’s 2nd largest movie theatre circuit in terms of attendance, presents the much awaited movie ‘The Lion King’ in the revolutionary 4DX format.  Breath-taking special effects involving elements such as wind, fog, lightning, scent, water, rain, and even snow; will transport the movie connoisseurs to the jungles of Africa while actually allowing them to live the adventurous and moving journey of Simba.

The 4DX provides for an immersive screening experience which is widely considered to be the biggest innovation in cinematic technology. The format provides a real life experience, that trigger all five senses, giving the viewers a chance to actually live the movie and not just watch it. The effects work in perfect harmony with the action on screen - creating the most captivating cinematic experience.

Cinépolis Asia & Middle East, Managing Director, Javier Sotomayor, commented on the launch, “Since our inception in the cinema industry, we have endeavoured to remain at the forefront of innovation and constantly introduce newer technologies. We were the pioneers of the 4DX technology in India which has revolutionized the movie watching experience. We look forward to our patrons truly living the wilderness of the African Jungle with the much awaited story of ‘The Lion King’.“

Cinépolis’s focus on revolutionizing the movie going experience goes in sync with it being a tech driven brand, pioneering innovative technologies in the exhibition industry. Cinépolis was the first in India to bring the 4DX technology in 2014 and introduce the concept of megaplex. The brand collaborates with the best global technology providers to be in sync with the rapidly evolving technologies.  Cinépolis’s exclusive global collaboration with RealD  (the global leader in 3D) to add 300 RealD 3D screens across their circuit, along with their alliance with IMAX to open new theatres in India, are examples of their partnerships with Tech giants. Some of the other cutting-edge technologies include LED Screens, IMAX, RealD, 3D and Dolby Atmos.

Synechron Honored as Two-Time Stevie Award Winner in 2019 American Business Awards

Synechron Inc., a leading Digital Consulting firm for financial services, today announced that it has been recognized with two Stevie Awards in the Tech Innovator of the Year – Services category, recognizing Robert Huntsman, Synechron’s Head of Data Science and the Video – Corporate Overview category, recognizing Synechron’s Corporate Film, in the program’s  17th Annual American Business Awards.

These awards highlight Synechron’s commitment to innovation, creativity and accelerating digital.  Robert Huntsman, Head of Data Science at Synechron’s award for Tech Innovator of the Year realizes Robert’s commitment to drive forward innovation from the ground up and builds on the momentum of the successful AI Data Science Program he has led with the formation of Synechron’s Data Science Center of Excellence (CoE), which has won two industry awards since its launch in October 2018 and continues to gain traction.

The recognition in the Video category is the company’s third award-win for such work, showcasing Synechron’s proven excellence for its in-house digital and creative video capabilities through its global Marketing function.

“Having spent over 20+ years in financial services committed to innovation, I am honored to be recognized with a Stevie Award for the cutting-edge work we are doing in Data Science at Synechron to support our clients’ digital transformation initiatives and create powerful, transformative solutions,” said Robert Huntsman, Head of Data Science at Synechron. “I am incredibly proud of the work the Data Science team has contributed to build up this program and the overwhelming response and recognition that has been received thus far. I am happy to play a role in that success and to be part of a company that values and has supported our unique and innovative work.”

“The nominations submitted to The 2019 American Business Awards were outstanding.  They illustrate the continued vibrancy of innovation and high level of achievement across the American economic landscape,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 200 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2019 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

Larsen & Toubro Infotech USD Revenue Growth Up 11.5% YoY; Digital Revenues at 39%

Larsen & Toubro Infotech, a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, announced its Q1 FY20 results today.

Q1 FY20

In US Dollars:

§  Revenue at USD 356.5 million; growth of 0.8% QoQ and 11.5% YoY
§  Constant Currency Revenue growth of 1.0% QoQ and 12.9% YoY

In Indian Rupees:

Revenue at Rs 24,849 million; growth was flat QoQ and 15.3% YoY
Net Income at Rs 3,557 million; growth of (6.1%) QoQ and (1.5%) YoY

“We delivered 12.9% YoY revenue growth in constant currency driven by Digital Services that now make up 39% of our revenues. We also won a large deal by opening a new client logo in Insurance vertical with net-new TCV of US$44m.

We are also pleased to welcome Lymbyc to LTI family. Lymbyc is a specialist AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics company. The acquisition further strengthens LTI’s Mosaic platform and our fast-growing digital and analytics offerings.”

- Sanjay Jalona, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, LTI

Recent Deal Wins

-          A US based insurance company, a new logo has selected LTI for a multi-year, multi-million dollar managed services deal for its IT infrastructure and IT security operations
-          Selected as the strategic partner by Deutsche Telekom for their strategic Microsoft Cloud Acceleration Centre initiative in Central and Eastern Europe
-          A world leader in medical products chose LTI for a managed services deal covering 100+ applications across its global operations to make its IT landscape lean, cloud first and digital ready
-          Selected as the exclusive strategic partner by a leading investment management Company for its AI and automation driven digital transformation journey
-          A leading Japanese electrical and software company selected LTI for SAP Application Management Services engagement
-          A global bank selected LTI for cloud based digital transformation of its wealth management applications
-          Selected by a leading security services firm for implementing financial analytics and reporting tool

Client Testimonial

 “Deutsche Telekom has selected LTI as their trusted partner for the joint Microsoft Cloud initiative in Central Eastern Europe. We are convinced that LTI’s experience with cloud migration will further empower the digital transformation in the region. We are looking forward to pave the customers’ digital journey together with LTI.”

-  Ralf Nejedl, Senior Vice President B2B Growth Europe, Deutsche Telekom AG

“LTI has been a strategic partner to Velliv and continuously strives to deliver business benefits. In the past 4 years, LTI has been instrumental in strategic transformation of our core business applications. LTI has also been proactive in setting up the critical test automation processes across Velliv application domains.”

- Jakob Andersen, CIO, Velliv

Awards and Recognitions

-          LTI ranked as a Leader in AI Based Automation Capability in Software Testing Services: AI and Digital NextGen Testing NelsonHall NEAT report 2019
-          LTI’s Digital Transformative Agribusiness case study recognized in ISG’s Global Digital Excellence: 25 Winning Partnerships Book
-          LTI ranked number 5 in HFS Top 10 Energy Service Providers 2019
-          LTI named in Honorable Mentions in the Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Service Providers, Worldwide, 2019

*Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Service Providers, Worldwide, 2019, Jorgen Heizenberg et al., 12 February 2019 Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact.

Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Other Business Highlights

-          LTI signed a definitive agreement to acquire Lymbyc, a specialist AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics company. The acquisition further strengthens LTI’s fast-growing digital and analytics offerings. 
-          Guidewire Software announced LTI as new consulting alliance partner
-          LTI is now a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series following the June 2019 index review.

*Larsen and Toubro Infotech satisfied the requirements to become a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series. Created by the global index and data provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The FTSE4Good indices are used by a wide variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.

KPMG – Videocon Partners with 247around to Enable Pan India After Sales Servicing

With an intention to help Videocon in regaining its consumer electronics market share in India, KPMG the brand’s resolution professional, has taken a bold step by handing over its all India after sales service to 247around, a digital post-purchase home appliance servicing platform.  It will provide services such as installations, repair, returns-validation, maintenance contracts, and warranty thereby ensuring the seamless customer experience. It will enable Videocon’s customers to perform self-diagnostics, decipher issues, and estimate prices much before the engineer arrives at home.

Videocon Industries is now back into the process of manufacturing, sale, and distribution of consumer goods. They recently launched India’s latest AI-enabled television, which is the flagship product of the season. Powered by Sensy Technology, the television provides a superior viewing experience and takes care of a family’s diverse tech needs. However, to help the users adapt to and accept this new generation of smart TVs comfortably, they need assistance that is easily accessible. This is where 247around steps in.

Speaking on this collaboration, Nitin Malhotra, CEO and Co-Founder of 247around said, “Consumers prefer buying latest appliances which enhance their lifestyle but what matters the buying decision most is the after sale feedback of the brand, our unique the proposition is that we use technology to our advantage in order to provide seamless repair experience to customers. We use remote diagnostics and more to know in advance what exactly has gone wrong in the product, such that engineer armed with relevant parts can arrive at your doorstep thus minimizing the downtime. Through our association with Videocon, we will enable the brand to manage its customer loyalty efficiently.”

247around is a technology-abled platform that acts as a backbone to its brand partners while empowering them with analytical assistance and helping on-ground engineers take better repair decisions thus delivering best-in-class repair services. The offerings at 247around include services such as installations, demonstrations, returns validation, maintenance contracts, and warranty services, among others. The user can book any of the aforementioned services through the company’s official Android app, website or call center. Once booked, a team of qualified engineers arrives at the given address. Besides Videocon, the platform currently works with 100+ brands and has set expansion plans to reach consumers directly through B2C. It ultimately envisages becoming the fastest service provider delivering superior quality service and best-in-class consumer experience.

3i Infotech’s ORION 11j to Consolidate the Business Operations of Gayatrishakti Paper & Boards Ltd

3i Infotech Limited, a global Information Technology company, committed to accelerating business transformation, helped enhance Gayatrishakti Paper & Boards Limited (GSPBL)’s growing business. The company upgraded to ORION 11j, a GST and TDS-compliant ERP solution from 3i Infotech to solve the challenges pertaining to its operations and reporting.

GSPBL was using the earlier version of ORION that met their business needs for long.  But the growing business needs and dynamic in market expectation requires better scalable, dynamic, business controls and analytics. The upgradation to 3i Infotech’s ORION 11j helped them in improving their business efficiency. It further ensured inventory accuracy and reduction of wastage.

ORION 11j, an enterprise manufacturing suite consisting of finance, purchase, inventory and sales modules, facilitated auto scheduling of reports / invoices and email facility to concerned persons without any manual intervention. Complex reports were generated using ORION 11j and hence additional reporting from other external sources was not required. With the fully web-based system, GSPBL was able to access their system from anywhere with minimum bandwidth requirement.

Speaking on the implementation, Mr. Mahesh Jalan, Executive Director from GSPBL said, “ORION 11j ERP solution was the answer to our fast-expanding business as it helped consolidate our business operations and offer complete visibility by providing real time data flow across the locations. We were looking for a GST-compliant solution and ORION 11j was the right fit as it facilitated prompt GST and TDS reporting and met our requirements.”

Mr. Suryanarayan Kasichainula, EVP & Business Head (ERP), 3i Infotech said, “Through the effective implementation of ORION 11j, GSPBL was able to achieve a remarkable advancement in their overall operations. The solution provided a proactive system with alerts and dashboards, which offered a complete business view for informed decision-making. ORION 11j, being a single integrated solution that connects all business units, enabled the company to gain a 360-degree visibility into its operations.”

Social Media Influences Opinions & Attitudes of Majority School Students: Fortis Study

A study by the Behavioural and Mental Health department of Fortis Healthcare found that Social Media plays a pivotal role in forming opinions and attitudes among majority of the school students today. It also confirmed that as many as 78% students spend a lot of time on social media. A majority of 92% agreed that it’s a conducive platform to spread positive narration about mental health. The survey was done under the supervision of Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare.

The study noted that the content which the students see via various social media platforms do contribute towards influencing their opinions and attitudes. The students admitted that the content which they see via various social media platforms do contribute towards influencing their opinions and attitudes. The role and influence of social media in shaping the belief systems and attitudes of the young generations is very evident, affirmed Dr Parikh.

Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare said, “The ability of social media to influence the belief systems and attitudes of the youth cannot be contested. But it is heartening that majority of the students recognize social media as an effective means to create awareness about relevant issues. We need to capitalize on the role that social media platforms play in the creating alternative and positive narratives around social issues. Finding ways of building the engagement of young people with platforms that are driven to create awareness, encourage help-seeking and act as a support system is a must in this regard. There is a need for us to evaluate the way we are approaching mental health in the context of the young population and find better mechanisms of connecting and engaging with them on mental health. There is untapped potential that needs to be fully utilized to build mental health related awareness.”

The survey was conducted among 4000 school students studying psychology in Class XI and XII, from over 200 schools across 10 cities; viz. Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Bangalore, Lucknow, Varanasi, Dehradun and Chennai. The idea behind this survey was to understand the relevance of social media in present times, the impact it has and how it has the power to shape narratives which influence their opinions and attitudes. The survey highlighted the need for media literacy among parents. Knowledge of social media would enable parents to understand their child’s perspective better and provide insights into how time spent on social media could be more productive and constructive.

Decade of “Social Entrepreneurship India Award” for Jubilant Bhartia Foundation and Schwab Foundation

Jubilant Bhartia Foundation and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organisation of the World Economic Forum, celebrate 10 years of a vibrant partnership in bringing the most coveted social entrepreneurship award in India. In 2010, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation came together to promote social innovation in India through the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) India Award.

Ø Social Innovation Takes Off in India: A total of over 1480 unique social innovation applications have been received in 10 years.
Ø 10 years have seen a total of 497 women applications across India.
Ø Women Change Makers: 5 out of 9 winners of the SEOY India award are women social entrepreneurs.
Ø Turnover of participating social organisations range from Rs 1 million to Rs 600 million.
Ø Stringent evaluation: Two new parameters for evaluation of social entrepreneurs – Market-based and Technology-enabled solutions added this year.
Ø New Trends: In the recent years, sustainable farming and clean technology have emerged as new areas of social entrepreneurship

The SEOY India award 2019 will be presented at a high-profile event in New Delhi on 3rd October this year coinciding with the ‘India Economic Summit’ of the World Economic Forum and Confederation of Indian Industry.

The annual award recognises entrepreneurs who implement innovative, sustainable and scalable solutions. These entrepreneurs address pressing issues faced by under-served communities in an effort to make inclusive growth a reality in India. They work in diverse areas such as health, education, employment, water, clean energy, building identity & entitlements, financial literacy, access to information and technology among others. The applications are evaluated on the key parameters of Innovation, Sustainability, Direct Social Impact, Reach & Scope, Replicability. The year 2019 sees the addition of two new parameters of ‘Market-based’ and ‘Technology-enabled’ solutions. The finalists will be selected following an intensive search and selection process, including expert reviews and site visits. The winner is selected by a prominent Jury consisting of eminent leaders and professionals from Government, Business, Media and Civil Society.

The winner of SEOY India will join the world’s largest network of social enterprises affiliated with The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, so as to engage, build and sustain their social enterprises. The winner is awarded by a prominent chief guest in a magnificent ceremony every year.

2019 Applications Trend:
Over 120 applicants from 19 cities
Over 30 applications from women social entrepreneurs
Health sector with 43% applications leads the nomination tally followed by Education at 40%, Environment 27% and Rural Development following closely at 26%
Around 20% of the entries from Women Empowerment
Most active sectors are Education, Health, Livelihood, Environment, Technology, Women Empowerment
New categories witnessed are Enterprise Development, Disability, Water & Sanitation, Labour Conditions, Micro Finance, Housing, Fair Trade, Energy, Sustainable Farming, Communication Media, Clean Technology and Nutrition

The Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) India Award aims to promote and celebrate leading social entrepreneurs and their unique ventures in India that help in addressing the various gaps in our society and country. Through providing recognition, the SEOY India Award hopes to inspire many other potential social entrepreneurs in India every year.