Xtep Introduces Scientifically Designed Affordable New Range of Sports Shoes for the Indian Market

Hong Kong headquartered global sportswear brand Xtep International Holdings Limited has for the first time unveiled its sports-technology lab through virtual live streaming from Bengaluru.

The Sports Science and design innovation lab derives insights from deep research of active users of Xtep sports shoes everyday. The R&D guides the design ergonomics of Xtep’s mass affordable and functional sports fashion range for consumers with different foot shape, walking/running styles, body types and weight. The collection includes variety of running shoes and sportswear available across five stores in Bengaluru.

Commenting on the sports technology lab, Dr. Jason Tak-Man Cheung, Chief Scientist and Senior Director of Xtep Innovation lab said, “Xtep has established an international design team led by highly experienced designers from Europe and U.S. who formerly worked for global sports brands. The Group has also cooperated with the Dow Chemical Company to develop SoftpadTM, a world-leading new technology shoe insole exclusively used by Xtep, and is working with leading international fiber material developers, such as the Dow Chemical Company, Toray and 3M, to apply leading materials in its footwear and apparel,” Jason says.

Xtep R&D has made functional footwear innovation affordable for every Indian thus lending an impetus to the Fit India movement launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29th August 2019.

Xtep Sports range pioneers the Athletech revolution – athleticism fueled by technology – where technology can be used to make scientifically designed sports shoes affordable and accessible to all to fire up the dormant athlete in every human.

In line with this, Xtep Group aims to drive a cultural shift in fitness by making the Xtep ‘Sports-Life’ philosophy a reality in India. Sports in Life makes Life a (breezy) Sport hinges on the premise that Sports is not merely a lifestyle choice but integral to life itself.

The company plans to touch ten stores in India by Dec 2019, within nine months of opening of its first store in Bengaluru in November 2018. For Xtep group the move underpins India as one of the fastest developing strategic global market amongst BRICS nations.

India’s high population density and increasing purchasing power parity presents Xtep an opportunity to expand its market base. Xtep Group recently acquired E-Land Footwear, which owns brands such as K-Swiss, Palladium, Supra, PLDM and KR3W to broaden its product portfolio for emerging markets such as India.

About Xtep International: Listed on June 3, 2008 on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, XTEP is a leading PRC-based professional sports brand providing stylish and functional products. It is principally engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and brand management of sportswear products, including footwear, apparel and accessories. Xtep is a constituent of Hang Seng Global Composite Index and Hang Seng Composite Index Series. For more information, visit Xtep’s corporate website: www.xtep.com.hk.


Xtep Unveils Limited Edition Moon Landing Shoes

On this occasion, Xtep also announced the launch of the spacesuit inspired "Moon Landing" shoes for the India market from December 2019. Priced at Rs 7,000, the Limited Edition cross over shoes marks the launch with the Chandrayaan 2 landing on the dark side of the moon on September 7, 2019.

Chandrayaan 2 is an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) mission comprising an orbiter and a soft lander carrying a rover due to the landing on the Moon on September 7, 2019. The primary objective of Chandrayaan 2 is to demonstrate the ability to soft-land on the lunar surface and operate a robotic rover on the surface. 

HERE, Hyundai Motor America Collaborate on Tools to Seamlessly Connect Consumers to Local HMA Dealers and Services

HERE Technologies, a global leader in mapping and location platform services, today announced that Hyundai Motor America’s information technology unit, Hyundai AutoEver, will utilize HERE Location Services to develop location-aware web and mobile applications. The applications increase the ease with which consumers engage with Hyundai dealers and services across the United States.

Software developers at Hyundai AutoEver are now able to integrate HERE Location Services into Hyundai’s various web and mobile eService solutions. This includes HERE data and software to power the “find my dealer” function and various location-based services across Hyundai’s web, mobile, smartphone applications and customer service portals.

“Digital connectivity is reshaping the automotive customer experience inside and outside of the vehicle,” said Charity Rumery, Head of Automotive and Industrial at HERE Technologies. “We are proud to work with our longstanding partners at Hyundai to deliver customers the information they want at the right time and location, based on the flexible and cost-effective suite of APIs within HERE Location Services.”

HERE Location Services consists of enterprise-grade APIs and SDKs including geocoding, voice guidance and routing algorithms, live traffic data, map content, points of interest and more. The HERE platform is currently used by numerous FORTUNE 500 companies across industries as well as developers at startups, small businesses and public sector agencies around the world.

Hyundai AutoEver is responsible for all telematics R&D in North America and delivers world-class technology solutions for the Hyundai Kia Motor Group. Hyundai AutoEver worldwide has more than 2,200 IT experts working in 22 domestic work sites, as well as in various locations across eight countries.

HERE Technologies is the leading global provider of location data and platform services for the automotive industry. HERE standard and high definition maps are used by the automotive industry for all levels of vehicle automation, from ADAS to Level 5 systems. HERE Connected Vehicle Services combines live data, advanced location analytics and software to make driving more informed, safer and enjoyable. The HERE Open Location Platform is where the entire industry can contribute data to and access differentiating products and services, including the first automotive services based on real-time vehicle sensor data pooled from multiple car brands.

Sky7 Ventures Invests in India Based Healthtech Startup Abita Innovations

India based healthtech venture Abita Innovations receives an undisclosed amount of investment from an Ann Arbor-based global incubator and an early-stage fund Sky7 Ventures. The startup, Healthtech uses its integrated tech ecosystem to automate and optimize practice management for its partner medical practitioners, simultaneously providing the patients a standardized and superior in-clinic experience. The company is currently working with 30+ doctors across 3 cities that are using its proprietary platform and services under its first product exclusively built for Dentist named Doc32.  In addition to the monetary support the fund will help the startup in further enhancing its technology interface, develop strategic ties in US & UK markets and scale up its operations in Indian and global markets.

Vineet Katial, Managing Director of Sky7 Ventures and founding member, Detroit TIE angels said “India’s healthcare sector is set to surpass $200 billion by 2020, currently it is a highly fragmented market suffering from a dearth of qualified doctors to serve the semi-urban and rural markets. It is exactly where the healthtech companies can contribute the most by enabling the practitioner and also driving change in the way people consume healthcare. Abita Innovations has a great team with experienced doctors, top management graduates and tech experts, I am looking forward to the collaboration and working with a business that we feel is built around pretty strong fundamentals”

In his address at TIECON Detroit also Mr. Katial apprised the audience about the innovative work the startup was doing in leveraging artificial intelligence and related technologies to improve patient’s understanding and connect them to the right providers for a superior dental care experience. Hitesh Kakrani, CEO of Abita Innovations, an IIM Lucknow alumni and having work experience with Fortune 500 companies like P&G said “We are very excited to have Sky7ventures and Vineet by our side as we look to disrupt some traditional business models in the healthcare space using some great technology. Vineet has been our mentor throughout and has helped us tremendously in building this business ground-up. It was simply great to have him guiding us and now to have a formal deal with Sky7ventures is exactly the sort of motivation we need to take our operations to the next level”. 

Airtel Outlines Its Digital Entertainment Vision with Airtel Xstream

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its converged digital entertainment play: Airtel Xstream.

Airtel Xstream is part of Airtel’s vision of building a world-class digital entertainment ecosystem for Digital India and make it accessible to customers through innovative devices and exciting applications. Over the coming months, Airtel plans to roll out a range of exciting solutions to cater to the entertainment needs of every customer segment of India that is getting transformed through rapid adoption of high speed data services.

All the content on one platform, delivered across screens: Airtel Xstream brings one of the widest entrainment catalogues – hundreds of satellite TV channels, tens of thousands of movies and shows in English, Hindi and multiple Indian languages, millions of songs, plus access to all the popular OTT entertainment apps on one platform. It enables customers to access all this content across the screen of their choice – TV, PC, and Smartphone with a unified User Interface.
Future Ready platform for connected Homes: Airtel Xstream devices will come with capabilities beyond world-class entertainment and will be the IoT gateway for enabling a range of solutions for connected homes.
Exclusive benefits for Airtel Thanks customers: Airtel Thanks customers will enjoy exclusive benefits on Airtel Xstream, including free access to premium content from Airtel’s content catalogue plus offers on a range of other services.       

Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel said: “Airtel is on an exciting mission to provide a broad array of digital services and platforms that can form the foundation for a rising India. As part of our digital entertainment play, our vision is to truly massify digital entertainment and make it accessible to more and more customers through innovative platforms.

Today, we are announcing India’s first converged entertainment platform Airtel Xstream that brings together your favorite content including Live TV, video, music, news, and sports across an OTT smart stick, internet enabled set top box and handheld devices. Digital India is transforming the way content is being consumed over internet connected devices. Airtel Xstream will cater to needs of a new generation of consumers who are looking for seamless and converged entertainment across multiple screens at home and on the go.”

With the launch of Airtel Xstream, Airtel has become the first company in India to enable a seamless digital entertainment experience, with a unified user interface across all screens. Airtel has rolled out a new range of Airtel Xstream connected devices that will make any TV a smart TV and will be available to customers starting today. Airtel Xstream devices offer blazing-fast performance and slick viewing experience through solid product engineering, deep design excellence coupled with strong device specifications. 

Future Generali India Insurance Appoints Anup Rau as CEO and Managing Director

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII), the general insurance arm of the joint venture between retail game-changers Future Group and global insurer Generali, has appointed Anup Rau as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.

A seasoned professional, Anup has a career spanning over 23 years of which the last 19 years have been with the Insurance Industry. He has the unique distinction of heading both Life and General Insurance companies. He joins Future Generali India from Edelweiss General Insurance where he was the CEO and was also the CEO of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance prior to that. He has also had successful stints in leadership positions in HDFC Life and ICICI Prudential Life.

Anup has pursued his MBA in Marketing from the University of Mumbai after his Bachelors with Honours in Economics from the University of Delhi.

On welcoming Anup Rau to Future Generali India Insurance, Rob Leonardi, Regional Officer for Generali Asia said, “We view India as an important and fast-growing market for our business in Asia. Anup’s vast experience and understanding of retail, combined with his expertise in strategic digital initiatives within the industry, will be a huge asset for Future Generali India. We are confident that Anup will take forward the strong legacy of his predecessor to new heights.”

Anup Rau commented on his joining, “Future Generali P&C business is respected in the industry for its range of innovative and customer-friendly products and the quality of service,  on both the retail and corporate side. I believe that FGII is poised to make the leap to the next level on the firm foundation set over the past decade. I look forward to leading the company in what promises to be a very exciting next few years.”

Simplilearn, Purdue University Join for PG Online Courses in India

Simplilearn, a global e-learning provider of digital skills training, today launched a new online course: the Postgraduate Program in Data Science, co-developed with Purdue University and in partnership with IBM. The Postgraduate Program in Data Science will be offered in India and will equip aspiring data science professionals with the skills needed to jump-start their career - ranging from programming languages like R and Python to machine learning and more. By 2021, IDC predicts Data Science and cognitive computing spending will reach $52.2 billion. Data Scientist is one of the hottest professions. IBM predicts demand for Data Scientists will rise by 28% by 2020.

This collaboration provides the most comprehensive Data Science program -- leveraging Purdue’s academic excellence in Data Science; IBM’s content, tools and certification; and Simplilearn’s award-winning curriculum and Blended Learning approach. Program participants will use a combination of self-paced videos and live virtual classes with significant hands-on exposure to ensure practical, industry-aligned learning. Class sizes will also be limited to foster maximum interaction. Program graduates will receive several highly prized certifications and will be granted Purdue University alumni status.

“In today’s dynamic and ever-evolving ecosystem, data is the most valuable asset any company has,” said Anand Narayanan, Simplilearn’s Chief Product Officer. “As a result, the demand for skilled data scientists who are adept in technical, analytical and business concepts has never been higher. Simplilearn’s comprehensive Data Science program in partnership with Purdue provides all the core skills that professionals need to succeed in this field.”

Data science has multiple applications. Industries such as healthcare, e-commerce, and banking are already harnessing data and AI to gain competitive advantage.

“With data playing a significant role in businesses and organizations around the world, there is an increasing demand for data scientists with industry-relevant skills,” said Gerry McCartney, Executive Vice President of Purdue Online. “We are happy to collaborate with a successful online training company like Simplilearn to provide professionals with the required competencies in a program that leverages Purdue’s internationally recognized educational expertise.”

Kesh King Shampoo Infuses ‘Ayurvedaasan’ for Healthy Hair Ropes in Shilpa Shetty as its New Brand Ambassador

Kesh King, the leading ayurvedic hair and scalp care brand from the house of Emami Ltd., announced the introduction of Bollywood diva and Yoga fitness icon, Shilpa Shetty, as its new brand ambassador for its shampoo.

Shilpa’s dedication towards staying fit and healthy admirably synergises with Kesh King’s brand ethos of ensuring a stress free ayurvedic hair care solution. Shilpa Shetty joins the elegant league of Kesh King Brand ambassadors comprising of stars like Juhi Chawla, Sania Mirza, Huma Qureshi and Shruti Haasan, who have been endorsing the brand from time to time.  To mark the onset of this new journey, Kesh King Shampoo with its inherent ayurvedic benefits of Aloe Vera and 21 ayurvedic herbs, also launched a brand new TVC.

Kesh King Shampoo’s new TVC comes with a new messaging of “Hair fall ka aayurvedasan” which is a healthy, ayurvedic solution to control hair fall, which is quite similar to the health benefits of yoga for the body.  The shampoo has dual benefits, as it reduces hair fall and promotes soft and silky beautiful hair.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Priti A. Sureka, Director, Emami Limited, added, “Shilpa is an elegant and versatile actress with a rich legacy of work. She is a true fitness enthusiast who has equally carved out a niche as an entrepreneur yet being a really hands-on-mother. We are extremely glad to have her on board for Kesh King shampoo. In today’s day and age, Indian women undergo anxiety for her falling, damaged, dull and lifeless hair due to daily stress, improper diet, pollution, seasonal changes and many other reasons. Like yoga which benefits the body, Kesh King shampoo with its natural ingredients like aloe vera and 21 ayurvedic herbs offers the best hair health benefits to control hair fall and also make it look beautiful.” 

The storyline of the new Kesh King Shampoo TVC shows Shilpa practicing yoga with her friend highlighting the hair fall issue of the latter. Shilpa advises the friend about the need to make ‘Ayurvedasan’ a part of her life’s routine – introducing Kesh King Shampoo to her, which offers the ayurvedic and natural benefits of health and life to one’s hair – a benefit which almost equals the goodness that ‘yoga asanas’ give to one’s body.

Speaking about her association with Kesh King shampoo, Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty, further added, “I have always been a champion of ‘fitness’. Practising yoga for a fit body, mind and soul is a way of life for me. When I got to know more about Kesh King, I was pleasantly surprised to find that with its proven ayurvedic benefits, Kesh King is going to offer me the healthy benefits of ‘hair yoga’ for a hair fall free, lustrous and healthy crowning glory. I am happy to be on board with Kesh King.”

Recommended by International hair institute, Kesh King Ayurvedic shampoo has aloe vera and 21 ayurvedic herbs that not only reduces hair fall but also transforms dry and rough hair into soft, silky shiny hair. The Kesh King brand portfolio includes ayurvedic medicinal oil, shampoo, conditioner and ayurvedic capsules. 

The new Kesh King Shampoo TVC featuring the brand ambassador Shilpa Shetty has gone on air recently in its key markets.