Punjab Government Partners with AgriTech Pioneer CropIn for Seed Potato Traceability

From next year, potato growers globally will be able to differentiate the certified, high-quality seeds produced by Punjab from other growers. Bengaluru-based agritech pioneer CropIn has partnered with The Punjab Agri Export Corporation (PAGREXCO), a Government of Punjab enterprise, to leverage CropIn’s AI-powered technology to improve the quality of potato seed production in the state and incorporate first-of-its-kind ‘Seed Potato Traceability’ in the entire value chain.

By leveraging QR-code tagging during the packaging and warehousing process, CropIn will ensure that potato farmers are able to trace the origin of the seeds that they are buying. They will know exactly where the seeds are coming from, and whether they are PAGREXCO certified. Given the sub-par, spurious seeds that are flooding the market and resulting in low yields and poor ROI, this certification can transform potato seed production. It will also play a big role in building trust and credibility for PAGREXCO’s seeds among potato growers.

Along with bringing traceability to the life cycle of seeds, CropIn also uses its cutting edge agritech solutions to improve the seed production process and help potato seed farmers produce superior quality seeds. CropIn’s value proposition for the seed value chain starts right from the R&D stage. During the R&D process, on-farm trials for new seed varieties are conducted across multiple plots, each with a different seed variety. A number of parameters have to be carefully monitored to decide which seed varieties meet the quality benchmark. The Seed R&D division requires actionable, real-time insights that help make data-driven decisions to ensure that only the best seed varieties move forward in the production chain.

Once the certified seeds from Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) and aeroponic labs are received, PAGREXCO takes up a massive seed multiplication process in which the seed varieties are packaged into millions of seed packets. At the seed multiplication stage, CropIn will use a combination of three digital solutions — SmartFarm, SmartRisk & AcreSquare— to monitor the entire process, right from planning to production. The PAGREXCO field teams will configure a package of best practices on the CropIn platform, specific to the seed variety being produced. They will also get real-time intelligence about weather forecast, crop growth, crop health, potential pest infestations and crop diseases. This will help potato seed growers in Punjab to produce superior quality seeds and improve their efficiency. Finally, CropIn will also facilitate two-way communication between PAGREXCO and the seed farmers, allowing managers to share important plans, advisories, and instruction videos; and for farmers to have instant access to the PAGREXCO team.

CropIn will be working with PAGREXCO to ensure that these transformational measures get implemented from the next potato season. Commenting on the partnership, co-founder & COO of CropIn, Kunal Prasad said, “Punjab produces 27 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes every year, which means that ensuring high seed quality is absolutely critical. In fact, Punjab also caters to 60-70% of the entire seed potato demand in the Indian market. Hence, this partnership will not only impact the potato seed farmers in Punjab, but also potato growers across India and in the international markets. We are excited about partnering with PAGREXCO and being able to improve outcomes at such a large scale.”

CropIn currently works with multi-billion-dollar seed companies to build massive efficiencies in the seed value chain. These global seed companies are leveraging CropIn’s platform in more than 25 countries. This partnership with PAGREXCO is a big step towards digitisation and traceability in the Indian seed value chain. Today, agricultural institutions across the country are driving the transformative impact of building technological efficiencies into a long and arduous agricultural life cycle. Hopefully, more Government organisations across the different states will now take up the cause of technology-driven transformation in seed production.

TVS Srichakra Launches Brand TVS Eurogrip: Aimed At Millennials

Highlights

Designed to take on the future of 2w tyre industry:
• Launches brand TVS Eurogrip, unveils new identity & logo;
•        Design and Innovation centre being set-up in Milan; Experts onboard.
• Launches 19 premium tyres that includes industry leading zero-degree steel belted radial tyres in the country;

TVS Srichakra Limited, the leading 2 & 3-wheeler tyre company, today announced the launch of the brand ‘TVS Eurogrip’ targeted at meeting the needs of the millennial customer. TVS Eurogrip is born out of extensive consumer research and significant investments in global R&D, design and technology platforms. As part of its evolution and to associate itself with youthfulness and high performance, TVS Eurogrip is designed with global expertise, made in India and sold across the globe.

Mr. P Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Limited said, “India will remain a promising market for two wheelers and we see tremendous growth opportunity. It is a moment of immense pride for all of us as we launch TVS Eurogrip catering to the needs and requirements of the new age Indian rider. With this step, we boldly stride into the future.”     

The company believes that the introduction of TVS Eurogrip will fuel its growth aspirations and carve a specialist positioning that will help strengthen its partnerships with vehicle manufacturers and create new benchmarks in the replacement market.

Commenting on the new brand launch Mr. P. Srinivasavaradhan, President, TVS Srichakra Limited, said, “For over 3 decades now, we have established ourselves as a leading global brand in the two-wheeler tyre category. We have always understood customers’ needs, their aspirations and dreams, and have provided them with products that enrich their riding experience. TVS Eurogrip has all the elements the new age rider is looking for – design, superior quality, high performance and is backed by the rich heritage and trust of TVS.”

R&D and Technology Focus         

Over the years, TVS Srichakra Limited has been expanding its footprint and outperforming itself by adopting cutting-edge technology driven by state-of-the-art research and development with experts in India and overseas. Under the TVS Eurogrip umbrella, we are launching a portfolio of 19 premium tyres that include industry leading zero-degree steel belted radial tyres.  These extreme performance tyres provide unmatched stability at high speeds and are rated to run at speeds upto 270kmph.

TVS Eurogrip

Commenting on the launch Mr. P. Madhavan, EVP – Sales & Marketing, TVS Srichakra Limited, said, “The two-wheeler tyre space is seeing a rise in adventure seekers and recreational riders, for whom, joy of riding has become a way of life. The rider today wants to live every moment to the fullest, impress his peers, and go beyond the normal. TVS Eurogrip’s brand idea of ‘Outlive, Outperform & Outdo’ is based on this insight. As specialists in the bike tyre domain, we are geared up to lead our customers into the future of riding, with our range of technologically advanced and high performance TVS Eurogrip tyres”.  

Mobil India Signs Bajrang Punia as Brand Ambassador for its Commercial Vehicle Lubricants’ Segment

Mobil India has announced its association with wrestling champion Bajrang Punia as the new brand ambassador for its commercial vehicle lubricants’ segment. This association reflects Mobil’s passion for always delivering high quality performance.
Mobil India has announced its association with wrestling champion Bajrang Punia as the new brand ambassador for its commercial vehicle lubricants’ segment. This association reflects Mobil’s passion for always delivering high quality performance.

Having begun wrestling at the age of 8, Bajrang Punia is currently the reigning Indian champion and is world number one in the men’s 65 kg freestyle category. He made headlines in 2018 for winning gold medals in the Commonwealth and Asian Games, and a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championships.

Speaking on his association with Mobil India, Bajrang Punia said, “I am honoured to be associated with Mobil India, a brand that shares my passion for high performance. I am particularly delighted to be their first brand ambassador for the commercial vehicle lubricants’ vertical and look forward to an exciting journey together.”

As part of this association, Punia will be the face of Mobil India’s upcoming promotional and marketing initiatives.

Commenting on the collaboration, Rupinder Paintal, Director Market Development– India , ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are delighted to bring Mr. Bajrang Punia on board as the first ever brand ambassador for our commercial vehicle lubricants’ segment. His passion for performance resonates with our brand. With this association, we aim to enhance our brand presence among commercial vehicle owner operators as wrestling is one of the most viewed and followed sports amongst them.”

Having begun wrestling at the age of 8, Bajrang Punia is currently the reigning Indian champion and is world number one in the men’s 65 kg freestyle category. He made headlines in 2018 for winning gold medals in the Commonwealth and Asian Games, and a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championships.

Speaking on his association with Mobil India, Bajrang Punia said, “I am honoured to be associated with Mobil India, a brand that shares my passion for high performance. I am particularly delighted to be their first brand ambassador for the commercial vehicle lubricants’ vertical and look forward to an exciting journey together.”

As part of this association, Punia will be the face of Mobil India’s upcoming promotional and marketing initiatives.

Commenting on the collaboration, Rupinder Paintal, Director Market Development– India , ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are delighted to bring Mr. Bajrang Punia on board as the first ever brand ambassador for our commercial vehicle lubricants’ segment. His passion for performance resonates with our brand. With this association, we aim to enhance our brand presence among commercial vehicle owner operators as wrestling is one of the most viewed and followed sports amongst them.”

Amrita University Holds Hackathon at its Bengaluru Campus

FACE (Forum for Aspiring Computer Engineers), Department of CSE, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Bangalore recently held a full-scale Hackathon event. 47 teams with 173 students from Bangalore, Amritapuri and Coimbatore campuses participated in the event.

The hackathon, in association with Honeywell Technologies aims at providing a platform for the undergraduate student community to gather, collaborate and develop effective solutions to common real world challenges.

A team from Honeywell explained the problem statements to the participants after which the hackathon officially commenced. Participants began to work on problems from the domain of their choice. The top ten teams shortlisted had to present their models.

The winners of the event were announced. Rahul N Kamath, Nivetha Saravanan and Srikanth Srivenkata from the Bangalore Campus bagged the first prize of Rs 60,000/-. The second, third and the consolation prizes of Rs 40,000 Rs 20,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively were bagged by students from Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore.

The Chief Guests for the event were Mr SreejiKumar, Senior Director HTS Global engineering and Technology and Ms Meena Prasad, the University Relations Manager at Honeywell.

Castrol Unveils Carbon Neutral Sustainability Solutions for Automobile Customers Across Indian Market

Highlights

* Pratham Motors, Bengaluru becomes first ‘Castrol Certified Carbon Neutral’ car dealership for this industry-leading initiative in India
* Castrol to support automotive dealerships to offset emissions and run their operations carbon neutral
* Castrol Certified Carbon Neutral Programme complements government’s sustainability agenda

Castrol India Limited, the leading automotive and industrial lubricant manufacturing company in the country, has launched an industry-first Castrol Certified Carbon Neutral programme in India to help automotive dealerships reduce their carbon footprint.*

Pratham Motors - one of Bengaluru’s leading automotive dealerships will become the first Castrol Certified Carbon Neutral dealership by offsetting 100% of its operating emissions across all its 12 sales and service locations. Castrol has supported Pratham Motors in this endeavour by estimating its current annual carbon footprint and become carbon neutral by offsetting emissions from all its operations including demo and courtesy cars, electricity consumption in workshops and showrooms, as well as business travel. In addition to this, Pratham Motors will offer its customers the option to drive carbon neutral for 10,000 kilometres by neutralizing their vehicular carbon footprint. Castrol has offered this programme with support from BP Target Neutral.

Through this initiative, Pratham is offsetting 1,459 tonnes of CO2e**, equivalent to an individual taking over 8,600 flights from Bengaluru to Mumbai.

On the occasion, Samar Bhasin, CEO, Pratham Motors, said, “Recognising overall environmental challenges, we at Pratham Motors are keen to cut down our emissions. We are delighted to be working with Castrol India to reduce the carbon footprint of our dealerships and that of our customers, helping us play our part in contributing to a sustainable future for the next generation.”

Commenting on this announcement, Omer Dormen, Managing Director, Castrol India Limited, said, “Our strategy is to support the transition to a low carbon environment by introducing products and solutions which help reduce carbon footprint for our customers. We are proud to launch this industry-first sustainability initiative in India. The Castrol Certified Carbon Neutral programme enables Pratham Motors to take a leadership position on their environmental impact and to help their customers offset their emissions.”

Along with this unique offer, Castrol continues to supply its Carbon Neutral range of products - Castrol EDGE PROFESSIONAL and Castrol MAGNATEC PROFESSIONAL to its franchisee workshop customers in India.

Aster to Set-Up an Innovation and Research Hub in India and GCC

Highlights

* Dr. Satish Prasad Rath has been appointed as Chief of Innovation to lead the Aster Innovation and Research Centre
* The Centre to be based in Bangalore, would be introducing the latest advancements in healthcare science, while encouraging research through collaboration with start-ups, academia and industry partners

To improve the ultimate health outcomes for patients and enhance their overall experience at all its facilities, Aster DM Healthcare is setting up Aster Innovation and Research Centre in GCC and India. Over the next three years, the Centre will aim to achieve key milestones like introduction of innovative solutions for home healthcare with focus on digital primary care, establishing a rich eco-system of digital health partners from start-ups to academia and starting digital health/ informatics/ medicine as a stream for future healthcare workers.

Joining as the Chief of Innovation, Dr. Satish Prasad Rath, MD would be spearheading the innovation projects that will aim to leverage the advances in digital health research like AI, cognitive psychology, blockchain, IOT, behavioral economics etc. and on-board start-ups which can drive innovation. The Centre will also work in a collaborative manner focusing on applied research with academia, startups and industry partners.

Aster DM Healthcare has the unique positioning of providing an integrated service offering that ranges from primary care (aster clinics and pharmacy) to quaternary care, along with an in-house research center as MIMS Research Foundation and a medical college as DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences (DMWIMS). The new center will accelerate various ongoing innovation projects being led by different units, like the diabetes, sepsis and dialysis projects; and will be working to introduce an interdisciplinary subject on digital health/medicine at DMWIMS.

The founder chairman and managing director of the group, Dr Azad Moopen, said, “Our main objective as an organization has been to ensure that quality and affordable healthcare is easily available at the doorsteps of our patients. With evolving patient needs, it is essential to focus on digital transformation of healthcare because of advances being made in various areas like AI, genomics and molecular biology which is likely to produce a quantum leap. We are confident that under the leadership of Dr. Satish, Aster Innovation and Research Centre would play a major role in introducing the most advanced and unique patient care solutions and enable our organization to become one of the most technologically progressive healthcare providers in the world.”

Dr. Satish Prasad Rath, a post-graduate medical doctor and a digital health scientist with multiple patents, comes with rich experience of leading research and innovation labs at Xerox Innovation Group, Wipro Technologies, Intel labs and Philips Research. He is also an adviser to several start-ups and incubators.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Satish said, “Today, there are many inefficiencies being experienced by the healthcare industry. We can reach far more people who are not able to access health system due to geography, knowledge or affordability constraints. Leveraging AI, IoT, blockchain, cognitive computing we can address these difficult segments in sustainable way. We will be tapping into the rich evolving entrepreneurship culture of start-ups and academia in a collaborative model whom we can curate and co-create for better future.  Simultaneously we will be preparing the digital health aware/ empowered workforce in collaboration with govt and teaching institutions.”

Emerson Global STEM Survey Shows Growing Interest in STEM Careers but Decline in Encouragement

As the world faces a skilled workforce gap, the fifth annual STEM survey by Emerson revealed a generational gap in STEM careers. While nearly all Indians (84%) believe that STEM jobs are important to the country’s future, fewer Gen Z respondents said they felt encouraged to pursue a STEM-based career than Millennial respondents, which make up the generation above them.

With technology accelerating many industries, the skilled workforce gap is growing. To keep up with the rapid pace of change, workers are increasingly looking to their employers to address these upskilling needs: 87% of Indian respondents said they believe companies should do more to train and prepare their STEM workforce.

“As automation and technology become truly ingrained in our workplaces and schools, there’s a growing urgency to prepare the workforce with STEM skills that will be critical to the continued strength of the global economy,” said David N. Farr, chairman and chief executive officer for Emerson. “We want to lead the charge in making strategic investments that will provide both the current and future workforce with the right skillsets to succeed in one of the many tremendous careers made available through STEM – from software development to new technologies in manufacturing.”

There is widespread support of boosting STEM awareness and education: Most of India (96%) say they consider STEM education important to the country’s future. Despite this universal understanding of the importance of STEM, fewer than half of respondents believe their country is ahead in STEM education. In addition, half of respondents said STEM careers in India continue to experience a gender gap, with women lagging behind. Creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to pursue STEM can help address this perception in India – and contribute to growing the global STEM workforce.

Empowering more qualified workers of both genders to explore a STEM career could have a significant impact on the workforce gap. Of the women who said they were not encouraged to pursue STEM careers in India, 41% attributed this missed opportunity in the workforce to stereotypes that STEM careers are for men, and 44% highlighted a lack of female role models in the field.

“Emerson’s global survey shows the vast headroom for growth in India’s STEM workforce, as well as the number of opportunities at hand to prepare the next generation of Indian innovators,” said Rinita Laskar, director of human resources for Emerson India. “We strive to amplify the voices and opinions of our growing number of women engineers at Emerson and equip them with the necessary skills and resources to excel.”