Hero Motocorp Unveils The Xtreme 1.R Concept at EICMA 2019

Hero MotoCorp Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of Motorcycles and Scooters, presented a glimpse into the future of its premium motorcycle range at the EICMA 2019 in Milan.

The New Delhi (India)-headquartered Company showcased the Xtreme 1.R concept at the EICMA this year, like it had showcased the XPulse 200 and XPulse 200T concepts in the 2017 and 2018 editions of the motor show respectively.

Hero MotoCorp – that has rapidly expanded its global footprint to almost 40 countries across Asia, Africa and South & Central America – also revealed a Rally-Kit specifically developed for the acclaimed adventure motorcycle XPulse 200, integrating the learnings from its Dakar Rally experience.

The Xtreme 1.R is inspired by the precision of an arrow - It boasts of an aggressive stance.  Ensuring agile and responsive handling – the motorcycle carves out corners with pinpoint accuracy – be it on urban roads or while negotiating fast corners.

Aimed at the youth of tomorrow, the Xtreme 1.R offers a sneak-peek at the next generation of the Xtreme brand. With a kerb weight of less than 140 kg, it makes every ride engaging and sheer fun. The unapologetic design, LED headlamp, signature LED tail-lamp makes for a combination that is sure to entice the racer in everyone.

The new Rally-Kit for the XPulse 200 has been developed and tested at Hero MotoCorp's R&D hub – the Centre of Innovation & Technology (CIT) - in India. Developed by incorporating the expertise of Hero MotoSports Team Rally, which has proven its mettle in some of the leading rallies around the world, the XPulse 200 Rally kit, will serve as a catapult for young talents across the globe improving on their riding technique as well as participating in Rally motorsport events with a competitive machine.

The kit consists of fully adjustable, taller front and rear suspension, flatter seat for easy position change while off-roading, extended gear pedal to suit off-road boots, handlebar risers or greater maneuverability while riding standing up, extended side stand for the additional ground clearance, front sprocket 12T, rear sprocket 40T for greater grunt, and rally tyres for relentless traction.

The *kit is ready-to-fit on the XPulse 200, which transforms the street legal motorcycle into an all-out rally machine. This kitted version adds to the already-proven capabilities of the XPulse 200 and provides a new avenue to the growing off-road, motorsports enthusiasts around the world.

*Rally kit not homologated for road use.

Unveiling the Hero MotoCorp pavilion here, Malo Le Masson, Head of Global Product Planning, Hero MotoCorp, said “We are continuously innovating to enhance the customers’ riding experience. The Xtreme 1.R concept offers a glimpse into the future of Xtreme styling DNA, a concept packed with fun and bold styling. While the XPulse Rally-Kit is focused on youth across the Globe seeking the perfect machine to jump-start their rally racing potential.”

Displaying its latest lineup of motorcycles at EICMA, Hero MotoCorp’s pavilion showcased XPulse 200T, XPulse 200 Hunk 200R, Hunk 200S, Ignitor 125 and the Splendor iSmart.

Underlining its focus on a diverse product offering across segments, Hero MotoCorp also showcased its new range of scooters – Duet 125, Dash 125 and Pleasure+.

Three special signature editions of Hunk 200S, XPulse 200T and Dash 125 were also on display.

Developed for customers across the globe, the products exude youthful styling, premium features and superior technology. Compliant with the stringent Euro IV emission norms, these scooters and motorcycles meet the market demands in several geographies across the world.

Fueled by innovation and evolution the Hero MotoCorp pavilion showcased diverse technologies, including the indigenously developed i3S technology (Idle Stop Start System). The EU-5 powertrain display, portraying the Company’s technology readiness to comply with the EU-5 emission norms, highlighted by an animated engine cut section and key elements of the Catalytic Converter.

Appealing to the tech-savvy visitors, the Company displayed a Connected Section, showcasing the potential applications of connected technologies in two-wheeler riding. With the aid of a VR Riding Simulator, riders get an opportunity to ride XPulse 200 in an exciting and challenging ON-OFF track and interact with various Connected features such as Turn by Turn Navigation, Weather Alerts, Service Alerts, Call and Message Alerts, Real Time Alerts.

ITC Earns the Highest Global Recognition for Water Stewardship

Highlights

* ITC and WWF-India have been working on watershed management in the area benefitting 149 villages and 14000 rural households
* ITC is the only company in the world to be water positive for 17 years and its Water Stewardship Programme has cumulatively covered 10.87 lakh acres benefiting over 3.20 lakh people in 15 states

ITC’s Kovai Paperboards factory in Tamil Nadu has earned the unique distinction of being the only facility in India to be awarded the Alliance for Water Stewardship Platinum-level certification – the highest recognition for water stewardship in the world. The prestigious certification marks a global acknowledgement of ITC’s large-scale and impactful water management programmes benefitting millions.

ITC Kovai is the first site in India and only the second in the world to be awarded this certification based on international benchmarks in water stewardship. The fact that the ITC Kovai was awarded AWS Platinum level certification – only awarded to those sites that meet the very highest standards – is testament to the extensive actions directed beyond the site’s own water use to supporting communities, vulnerable groups and local agencies to build a sustainable future.

ITC’s Paperboards factory in Kovai produces 103,000 tonnes per annum of recycled boards. The factory obtains water from a stream which is part of Upper Bhawani river basin, in Tamil Nadu. This area is under water stress due to erratic climatic conditions (inconsistent rainfall), excessive unplanned and unsustainable groundwater usage, water intensive cropping pattern as well as a steep declining trend of water table.

ITC’s water stewardship approach involves interventions both within the factory premises as well as the catchment level. Within the factory, continued efforts are made to minimise fresh water consumption, while maximising reuse and recycling of treated effluent.

At the catchment level, ITC and World Wide Fund for Nature - WWF-India have been working towards a watershed management strategy using a multi-stakeholder approach in the Upper Bhawani basin, since 2015, benefitting nearly 149 villages and 14000 rural households.

This involves both demand side management, where ITC works with farmers across the catchment to improve irrigation efficiencies in agriculture (since >90% of the water use within the catchment is by agricultural sector) as well as supply side management through creation of check dams, farm ponds and other water harvesting and recharge structures, strengthening of water governance in the catchment through creation of water user groups etc.

Over the years, more than 385000 cubic metres of water harvesting potential has been created across the catchment, benefitting tens of thousands of farmers.

Commenting on the certification to ITC Kovai, Mr. Adrian Sym, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) said, “For many years, ITC has been at the forefront of business engagement in water stewardship, understanding the need for business to contribute to the sustainability of the water catchments on which they depend. The AWS certification awarded to ITC’s Kovai paper mill provides deserved global recognition to ITC in the field of water stewardship. ITC Kovai is only the second site worldwide to achieve AWS Platinum certification. This achievement and ITC’s corporate commitment to transparent and inclusive engagement on water sets an example not just for India but for companies worldwide. I look forward to supporting ITC on the next stage of its journey on water, and to encouraging others to follow their example.”

“This certification is indeed a source of encouragement to all at ITC and will inspire us to scale up our efforts to ensure water security to our stakeholders around our factories,” said Mr. Chitranjan Dar, Group Head of EHS, Projects and R&D, ITC Limited.

The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) is a global membership collaboration of businesses, NGOs and the public sector driving water stewardship, which is defined as the use of water that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive process that involves site-and catchment-based actions.

At the centre of the development of the AWS Standard was a 15-member group called the International Standard Development Committee (ISDC), of which ITC was a part. The ISDC had representatives from three stakeholder groups (businesses and water service providers, civil society, and public-sector agencies) across eight regions (Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Northern Asia, South Asia, and Western and Central Asia).

The 1.0 version of the AWS Standard was launched in April 2014 as part of the deliberations of ISDC. In order to ensure that the Standard continues to reflect stakeholder perspectives and the best global thinking and practices in water stewardship, it underwent a revision process through multi-stakeholder consultations and a result, The AWS Standard v2.0 was released on 22 March 2019.

Vertiv Introduces Universal Rack Power Distribution Unit For Easy, Fast Deployment Worldwide

Vertiv has introduced the Vertiv Geist UPDU universal power distribution unit, a significant reimagining of the rack PDU that allows a single unit to meet the power needs of hyperscale, colocation, enterprise and edge deployments anywhere in the world, regardless of the existing power infrastructure. The Vertiv Geist UPDU reduces the complexity of inventory management and procurement and increases the speed of deployment by simplifying product selection to a single UPDU model for installation worldwide..

All models will be available immediately as built-to-order with a lead time of as little as 3 to 5 business days. A select offering of the most common configurations will be available through the reseller distribution channel in early 2020, with models stocked locally.

The innovation behind the Vertiv Geist UPDU has its roots in work Vertiv has done as part of the Open Compute Project and complements the Vertiv strategy for more flexible and global design. With a universal design, universal input and a detachable power cable, the Vertiv Geist UPDU is compatible with AC power topologies that are common worldwide, ranging from 16A to 60A, 100V to 415V, available in single and three-phase power configurations. All models comply with international emissions, safety and regulatory requirements.

“Today’s data center environments are complex and made all the more so because of differences in power architectures from country to country and region to region,” said Brad Wilson, vice president, global rack power distribution, Vertiv. “The Vertiv Geist UPDU eliminates some of that complexity with a technology designed for fast, easy deployment anywhere in the world, with the ability to adapt to changing business needs by increasing available power capacity and upgrading intelligence.”

“The India market is of strategic importance to Vertiv. With the addition of the Geist UPDU to our existing power distribution unit (PDU) portfolio, we aim to further strengthen our position in the Indian PDU market and improve power management alternatives for our customers,” said Smrutiranjan Das – director, Avocent business, Vertiv India. “Data center requirements such as technology infrastructure, power and capacity significantly differ from region to region within the country. With the ability to adapt to changing business requirements and landscapes, the Vertiv Geist UPDU addresses this challenge by enabling reliable and seamless deployment.”

The universal design of the Vertiv Geist UPDU allows users to simply swap out the detachable  Facility Side Cable (FSC) to increase or decrease power availability based on changing IT power needs. Models are available in 11kW and 22kW max power load capacities in both vertical and horizontal form factors with various receptacle combinations and monitoring options. Intelligent models are equipped with embedded monitoring firmware and are compatible with all common management software, including Vertiv Environet. Vertiv offers additional services including rPDUs pre-installed in Vertiv racks and comprehensive support packages. 

Startups to Create 50 Lakh Jobs by 2025: Nasscom Product Conclave

The Indian startup ecosystem is expected to create around 50 lakh jobs by 2025 directly and indirectly, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) has said in a report released on November 5, 2019.

Speaking to the media, Nasscom president Debjani Ghosh said by 2025, the ecosystem will create 11 lakh direct jobs and 39 lakh indirect jobs.

The report, Indian Startup Ecosystem, says that startups created 60,000 direct and 1.3-1.8 lakh jobs in 2019 compared to 40,000 direct jobs in 2018.

Total funding for 2019 stood at $4.4 billion compared to $4.2 billion the previous year.

The number of tech startups has gone up from 7,700-8,200 in 2018 to 8,900-9,300 in 2019. Of these, 28 percent are deep tech startups.

The unicorn club, too, has expanded, from 17 in 2018 to 24 in 2019 and a few more were likely to join in by the year-end.

More corporates are showing interest in the sector. As many as 80 corporate investors bet on the sector, a 10 percent increase over 2018.

Ghosh identified access to markets and funds as the biggest challenges, saying “The government has a critical role to play here”. #NPC2019

TechGig is Organising a Career Fair for Women Technologists in Bengaluru on November 9

Highlights

* One day after the finale ceremony of its marquee event - TechGig Geek Goddess 2019
* About half a dozen companies will participate in the career fair to hire the brightest women engineers for their firms
* Companies will be hiring for new-age skills as Data Engineering, Big Data, Hadoop, EST, JSON, AWS production, Docker among others
* Job positions are available for experienced women engineers

India’s biggest IT learning community – TechGig – will host an exclusive career fair for women engineers in Bengaluru on November 9, 2019, to mark the closing of its spotlight diversity event titled, TechGig Geek Goddess 2019. 

Geek Goddess is an annual hackathon hosted by TechGig which brings together women technologists to compete and showcase their coding skills. This year, as the hackathon enters its fifth edition, TechGig is hosting a career fair along with a closing ceremony to boost the employability of women technologists.

About half a dozen of India’s biggest IT companies will be participating in the career fair, namely American Express, Hexaware, JetBrains, Automation Anywhere, Capgemini, Goldman Sachs and others. These companies are looking for experienced professionals in a wide range of new-age skills as Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Distributed Systems, REST, JSON, AWS production, Docker among several others.

The vacancies at the career fair are open for junior to middle-level professionals. The job positions range from Front-end Developers, Mobile Engineers, Infrastructure Development, Migration/ Modernisation among others. All details for the career fair is available here.

Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “We host TechGig Geek Goddess every year with two specific goals – one, provide an unbiased platform for women technologists to rise and shine based on their coding talent; and the second one being helping progressive companies to spot innovative ideas crafted by our enthusiastic participants. This year, we have taken the excitement to another level by including an offline career fair as part of the final day celebrations. This will help the participating companies meet talented programmers face to face and hire the right fit for their firm on the spot”.

TechGig Geek Goddess 2019 noted 73,387 registrations. All the code submissions underwent many checks and only 375 participants, or 0.51% of the total participants, have been invited for the finale offline hackathon on November 8, 2019, in Bengaluru. “All these 375 women technologists are winners in a sense since they have presented crème-de-la-crème solutions and reached this level in the competition. The live hackathon on November 8 will help select the winners, and all these finalists get to be a part of the career fair where exciting job opportunities are waiting for them,” informed Ram Awasthi, Vice President-Technology, Times Internet Ltd.

TechGig Geek Goddess 2019 edition was announced on August 19 and was closed for submissions on October 21. This year’s edition hosted cutting edge technologies as hackathon themes such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cloudify everything, Solution hunters’ hackathon, among others.

TechGig Geek Goddess 2019 edition finale day will be marked by a live hackathon in the morning, followed by a Women Disruptors’ Conference in the evening, followed by a glitzy awards ceremony.

Eaton India Inaugurates Own Manufacturing Facility at Aerospace Park Near Bangalore Airport

Power management company Eaton has opened its first manufacturing facility in Bengaluru following demand from its main customers Boeing and Airbus to make fluid conveyance products locally and cater to the growing aircraft fleet in the country. Eaton has invested over $10 million in the facility and plans to have a workforce of around 100 people in the first phase.

These products - critical for movement of parts such as wing flaps, suffer from wear and tear over a period of time. Eaton looks at producing the equipment to ensure that there is adequate supply when planes undergo maintanence, servicing and overhaul. India has around 650 planes, with over 500 of them being single aisle Airbus 320 and Boeing's 737 plane.

The new facility, located close to the airport in Bengaluru, will manufacture hose assemblies and other fluid distribution products,  including oil debris monitoring systems, to serve commercial, business and regional aircraft.

"We believe this investment in India will help us grow our original equipment business because customers are investing heavily here. The site will leverage smart manufacturing technologies and contribute to local growth through employment, business and sourcing opportunities,” said Nanda Kumar, president, Aerospace Group, Eaton.

Eaton is also looking at India as a base to produce these equipment for the global market. The company has an existing design centre in Pune with over 1,000 people. The company looks at producing the equipment to ensure that there is adequate supply when planes undergo maintanence, servicing and overhaul. India has around 650 planes, with over 500 of them being single aisle Airbus 320 and Boeing's 737 plane.

The new facility, located close to the airport in Bengaluru, will manufacture hose assemblies and other fluid distribution products, including oil debris monitoring systems, to serve commercial, business and regional aircraft.

The facility, which will serve as the Hose Assembly Center of Excellence for Eaton’s global operations, is built in a record 10-month period at the 2.85 acres of land at the Karnataka Aerospace special economic zone (SEZ). The company representatives appreciated the support of state government while dealing with the project.

“We expect this facility to be our model plant for digital and smart manufacturing. Eaton recorded revenues of $2.1 billion and is growing at 18% annually to touch $2.6 billion globally,” said Nanda Kumar. The site will leverage smart manufacturing technologies and contribute to local growth through employment, business and sourcing opportunities,” he adds.

The new facility was inaugurated by Kota Harinarayana, the man who shaped India’s dream of building India's own Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), or Tejas, and is presently building drones and other unmanned aircrafts. He said Eaton has set high standards for others to follow. "Eaton has not only excelled in quality but is also helping the whole industry and the eco system excel setting newer standards for others to follow. Bangalore was India's aviation hub much before the information technology came in the picture."

"Civil and military aviation is set to grow double digits in India and Bangalore also has qualified engineers readily avialable for the industry to absorb. "Infact, this city can even hire 500 engineers within a short span of only 4 weeks," indicates Kota Harinarayana.

Analytics Vidhya to Organize Third Edition of DataHack Summit in Bengaluru from November 13, 2019

Highlights

* The four-day conference & workshops will be attended by more than 1000 AI & Data Science professionals from across the country and globe.
* More than 100 top Data Scientists and Machine Learning Experts will speak during the conference and conduct workshops.

Analytics Vidhya's third edition of DataHack Summit, India’s Largest Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will be held from 13 - 16 November 2019 at NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bengaluru. Global AI Leaders, Researchers, Machine Learning Experts and Data Scientists will be attending the summit to spark discussions on nextgen data technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Reinforcement Learning, Natural Language Processing, GANs, Computer Vision, Explainable AI, Cloud Computing, Deep Learning, Transfer Learning, Quantum Computing, and Speech Recognition.

There will be more than 1000 AI & ML professionals attending 8 workshops, 30 hack sessions and more than 70 talks. The conference will witness speakers including Dr. Geetha Manjunath (Founder & CEO of NIRAMAI), Sayan Ranu (IIT Delhi), Dat Tran (Head of AI at Axel Springer Ideas Engineering), Ujjyaini Mitra (Head of Data, ZEE5), Xander Steenbrugge (Head of applied ML-research at ML6), Prateek Jain (Microsoft), Jayatu Sen Chaudhury (American Express), Nishant Agrawal (Intel), Dr. Vikas Agrawal (Oracle Analytics Cloud), Dr. Harshad Khadilkar (TCS)  and 100 more experts sharing their views on the impact of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

According to Kunal Jain (Founder & CEO, Analytics Vidhya), "We are on mission to build next-gen data science ecosystem and with DataHack Summit 2019 - we aim to bring together people, machines and their collaborative experience to make our world data-driven! After the immense success of the DataHack Summit 2018, the Summit has become bigger and will go deeper on the subject. With more than 70 sessions from experts across the globe spread across 4 days – there cannot be a better place to learn about Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning."

After looking at the response of the data science professionals from previous years, the organizers have decided to add one whole day of the conference as Hack Day i.e., on  15th November 2019 exclusively for hack sessions. Hack sessions are live interactive sessions by the top data scientists, who build Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning applications in front of the participants. World's leading organizations like American Express, Intel, Ericsson and Amazon Web Services have partnered with Analytics Vidhya at DataHack Summit 2019 to build a vibrant community of Data Science.

If you are a data professional, or someone who wants to see machine learning in action – DataHack Summit 2019 is the place you want to be!