Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Launches its 11th Centre at Banashankari

To counter the growing instances of eye related ailments in Karnataka and provide patients access to world class eyecare facilities, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, the pioneer eyecare specialists in the country, today launched its super-specialty eye care center at Banashankari in Bengaluru. Kannada matinee idol and superstar Upendra inaugurated the facility amidst grand fanfare. The center at Banashankari is equipped with advanced technology and the latest equipment provide comprehensive eyecare in a holistic manner.

This is Dr. Agarwal’s 11th center in Bengaluru, making it easily accessible to patients in South Bengaluru.  The hospital will provide patients with 360-degree comprehensive eyecare under one roof. There are various services available at the center which includes general ophthalmologist, Cataract Services, Laser Cataract Surgery, Retina & Cornea Services, Glaucoma & orbit, Refractive Surgery, Paediatric Ophthalmology, Optical and Pharmacy, all made available to enhance patient experience while undergoing treatment for eye ailments.

Having achieved a strong foothold in metros and Tier II cities, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital is penetrating the length and breadth of the country to address the varied eye and vision health needs of millions of people spread across different countries. The specialty hospital has over 87 centres across the country and overseas. 

Kannada Matinee Idol and Superstar, Actor, Upendra along with Dr. Ashvin  Agarwal, Executive Director and Chief of Clinical Services,  Dr. Ravi, Regional Medical Director, Cataract Oculoplasty and  Dr. Nataraj, Head- Clinical Services, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, inaugurated the new state-of-the-art facility at Banashankari. The aim of the new center is to offer one-stop-solution for all kinds of eye ailments to the people of South Bengaluru without having to travel across the city for quality eyecare. The chain of hospitals is on an aggressive expansion spree and plans to be present across key cities in Karnataka. Next phase of expansion will see Dr. Agarwal’s offer its services in Dharwad, Shimoga, Hassan and Davangere.

Inaugurating the new facility, Superstar Upendra said, “I am excited to be here at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital. They are one of the finest names in eyecare and its great to have them right here in South Bengaluru. Of all our senses, sight is the most critical one and we need to take utmost care of it. Also, I would like to take an opportunity to appeal to everyone to pledge to donate their eyes and give the gift of sight.”

Dr. Ashvin Agarwal, Executive Director and Chief of Clinical Services, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, “We are excited to bring the people of South Bengaluru this state of the art eyecare facility. Over the years, we have endeavored to provide the best in class treatment and technology to our patrons at affordable costs. This center will cater to the needs of the eye patients in the neighborhood. We will continue to strive to bring the benefits of our clinical excellence to various parts of Karnataka.”

Dr. Ravi, Regional Medical Director, Cataract Oculoplasty, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital said, “With the rise in screen time, pollution, sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits, eye related ailments are on the rise, having a dedicated facility for treating eye ailments is the need of the hour. We are happy to launch our 11th hospital in Bengaluru, which will provide the citizens access to global ophthalmology experts and other world class amenities under one roof. This hospital adheres to our commitment of offering outcome based high quality clinical care for our patients.”

Speaking at the event, Dr. Nataraj, Head- Clinical Services, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Bengaluru said, “At Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital we are driven by our commitment to bring the latest technology and treatment to our patients. This new center will provide the world-renowned clinical excellence of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital to the people of South Bengaluru. Our roster of skilled Ophthalmologists is unparallel and we constantly embrace innovation to best serve our patients. We will continue to strive to make ourselves more accessible to our patients through our expansion efforts.”

Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals recently raised Rs. 270 crore investment from Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. This has helped the group develop robust plans focusing on marketing strategies, new technologies, and expansion with an aim to increase patient footfalls, and at the same time offer a wonderful experience to all.

Pulp Strategy Launches AR Powered Creative-Tech Suite of Services

New promising technologies are increasingly giving wings to self-expression among the youth. Spotting this emerging trend, Pulp Strategy has launched creative tech to power up content marketing for brands on social media. Opening a new world of possibilities, the cutting-edge technologies help brands improve consumer engagement, build stronger emotional connections and leave a lasting impression on consumer’s long-term consciousness.

Pulp Strategy, India’s largest independent agency in the digital communications and technology space, recently established a dedicated new-age consumer engagement solutions division called Creative Tech. The brand new suite of services will enable Pulp Strategy’s clients to get a first-mover advantage on these emerging technologies and achieve an enhanced level of customer engagement achieved only by some of the most powerful brands worldwide.AR lenses to help try out new products virtually, improve engagement with branded filters on Facebook and Instagram, bring alive retail branding with virtual reality integrations, engage consumers with gesture control games and more. Brands have started tapping the immense potential of these technologies to engage their target audience in innovative ways.

The Creative Tech division currently focuses on Augmented Reality, VR, Gesture control and Visual programming. Pulp Strategy as also leveraging Facebook’s and Instagram’s AR & gamification capabilities  to offer an in-depth exploration of enhanced digital engagement that can elevate brand-consumer communication to a much more interactive, engaging and personalized level.

Pulp Strategy has incorporated an array of audience engagement features driven by a powerful Augmented Reality framework offered by Facebook. For instance, Pulp Strategy’s Creative Tech Suite of services offer AR filter of Gesture Control that can track subtle facial and body movements such as a blink of an eye, a pout or a hand gesture to initiate action. It also allows brands to take their users to new places virtually using Background Segmentation that enables a user to add whatever background they choose while taking a selfie. In fact, through Pulp Strategy’s latest service offering, brands can also enhance a user’s video watching experience by allowing them to alter the storyline or other features as per their preference, a la Bandersnatch!

Commenting on the motivation behind launching Creative Tech, Pulp Strategy’s MD Ambika Sharma said, we have deployed creative tech for a few of our clients already, we are now opening up our capabilities to enable agencies and brands to get the best out of their content marketing and campaigns. Engagement today is changing, the clutter places a strain on the best laid plans and creative tech is a big differentiator. It elevated the engagement and cuts through the clutter, unlike the recent past there is no longer the need to download AR apps, or scan QR codes, this is simple and available within the most popular social networking platforms Facebook and Instagram. In a digital media campaign or in a retail environment the technology is accessible anywhere any time with awesome possibilities. We have seen up too 8X increase in engagement in campaigns which use the innovation Pulp Strategy through its Creative Tech services, aims to help brands drive interactive engagement to its full potential. “

Creative Tech also includes a unique Object or image Scanning feature that allows an enterprise’s marketing collaterals, such its latest print ad, to communicate with consumers. Within the Facebook app this tech allows users to scan the brand image to initiate a pre-designated action like for instance playing the TVC or a DIY video. Imaging if your product placement in the very cluttered cosmetics counter at the store came with its own “how to video” or the magazine advertisement could actually give a behind the scenes of the “look”.

All the user need to do is switch on the camera and scan the logo or the picture printed on paper or any other medium. And if a brand wants to quickly check the opinion of a large customer base to facilitate in decision-making, brands can take the help of the Facebook Poll creation feature to let the people vote and decide what the brand’s next step is going to be. These technologies have truly democratized the way brands and users interact, and Creative Tech, from Pulp Strategy promises to be an able guide in manoeuvring the usage of these technologies to the fullest.

Everest Group Recognizes L&T Technology Services as ‘Leader’ in Automotive Engineering Services

L&T Technology Services Limited, India’s leading pure-play engineering services company, has been recognized as a ‘Leader’ and ranked among top service providers for Automotive Engineering Services by the consulting and research firm, Everest Group. LTTS has also been recognized as ‘Star Performer’ for its noteworthy progress across its automotive engineering capabilities and the resultant market impact.

In its report ‘Automotive Engineering Services PEAK Matrix™ Assessment 2019: Convergence of Mobility and Digital,’ Everest Group has classified 22 service providers in the Automotive Engineering Services PEAK Matrix™ based on various parameters such as market adoption, portfolio mix, value delivered, innovation & investments, delivery footprint, and vision and strategy.

According to Everest Group, LTTS’ strong domain expertise, well-diversified offerings of automotive engineering services’ across the globe, dedicated labs, and partnerships to boost portfolio growth have positioned LTTS as the star performer in the study. LTTS’ solutions – secure car platform, intelligent transportation monitoring system, Video Annotation Generation (VANGEN) tool, battery management solution, fleet mirror, smartphone integration solution - are the primary attributes for its leadership position.

Mr. Shailendra Shrivastava, Global Head – Ground Transportation, L&T Technology Services Ltd said, “The automotive industry is undergoing massive evolution pushed by innovative, precise and disruptive technologies. There has been massive change in the buying patterns of the global players with intensified demand for a new set of unique experiences for passengers. LTTS’ prowess in offering digital engineering services and solutions combined with its robust momentum has positioned LTTS as a market-leader among global automotive players. The recognition by Everest Group is a validation that LTTS successfully supports customers in providing sustainable and elegant engineering solutions.”

Mr. Akshat Vaid, Vice President, Everest Group said, “L&T Technology Services has emerged as a very strong player in the global automotive services market with significant focus on catering to global automotive hubs and customer segments. The company has a comprehensive portfolio of automotive engineering services spanning both digital and traditional workloads across the value chain. Their infrastructural investments into dedicated labs/COEs for product development and testing, as well as impactful frameworks designed to accelerate service delivery across automotive use cases have helped them accelerate growth. The company has also consistently invested in engineering research, in partnership with global academic institutions, helping them carve out a differentiator for themselves in an otherwise highly competitive market.”

Vertiv to List on New York Stock Exchange Through Business Combination with GS Acquisition Holdings

Vertiv Holdings LLC (“Vertiv”), a Platinum Equity portfolio company, and a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, today announced it will become a publicly traded company through a merger with GS Acquisition Holdings Corp (NYSE: GSAH, GSAH.U, GSAH WS), a special purpose acquisition company co-sponsored by an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and David M. Cote. Mr. Cote, CEO of GSAH and former Executive Chairman of the Board and CEO of Honeywell, will serve as Executive Chairman of Vertiv. Vertiv's existing management team will continue to be led by 30-year industry veteran CEO Rob Johnson. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020 and at close Vertiv’s stock will trade under the ticker symbol NYSE: VRT.

“Platinum Equity, Rob Johnson and his team have done a tremendous job over the last several years positioning Vertiv for long-term success. The Company is exactly the asset we were looking for, with a great position in a good industry, products differentiated by technology, strong organic and inorganic growth potential, and opportunities for sustained improvements over time. Taken together, I am delighted with the near- and long-term prospects for Vertiv and the opportunity this represents for shareowners,” said Mr. Cote.

Tom Gores, Chairman and CEO, Platinum Equity, said, “I’m proud of the work our team has done at Vertiv in positioning it where it is today, and I’m very excited about the new partnership with our friend David and long-time partners at Goldman Sachs. Rob Johnson and the management team have done a tremendous job preparing the company for its next phase of growth.”

“This transaction enables us to accelerate our growth and innovation strategy and broaden our opportunities as we continue to focus on the ever-evolving needs of our customers,” said Vertiv CEO Rob Johnson. “Our partnership with David, who has a proven track record of driving operational improvements and shareholder value, will further enhance our trajectory as we look to capitalize on our strong foundation in a growing industry.”

Platinum Equity Partner Jacob Kotzubei, who will become a board member of the newly listed company, said, “We are pleased to partner with Goldman Sachs and Dave Cote on the next phase of Vertiv’s journey, and to participate in the company’s future success as a meaningful shareholder. We also look forward to working with Dave, Rob and the Vertiv management team to accelerate Vertiv’s product and service leadership in the industry.”

With operations in more than 130 countries, Vertiv is a global leader in delivering the hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services customers rely on to enable their vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs. The company’s portfolio of power, thermal and IT management along with cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network, generated nearly $4.3 billion in revenue in 2018.

Key Transaction Terms

The transaction, unanimously approved by both boards of directors, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and approval of GSAH’s stockholders. At closing, the public company’s name will be changed to Vertiv Holdings Co. Upon closing, Vertiv will have an anticipated pro forma enterprise value of approximately $5.3 billion, or 8.9x the company’s estimated 2020 pro forma Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $595 million.

Upon completion, it is expected that, subject to various purchase price adjustments and any redemptions by the public stockholders of GSAH, Platinum Equity will hold approximately 38% of Vertiv Holdings Co and the sponsor (including Mr. Cote and affiliates of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.) will own approximately 5% of Vertiv Holdings Co. In addition to the approximately $705 million of cash held in GSAH’s trust account, additional investors (including affiliates of Mr. Cote and affiliates of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.) have committed to participate in the transaction through a $1.239 billion private placement.

After giving effect to any redemptions by the public stockholders of GSAH, the balance of the approximately $705 million in cash held in GSAH’s trust account, together with the $1.239 billion in private placement proceeds, will be used to pay $415 million cash consideration (subject to certain adjustments) to Vertiv stockholders, pay transaction expenses and reduce Vertiv’s existing indebtedness to up to 3.6x 2019 estimated pro forma Adjusted EBITDA. The remainder of the consideration payable to the stockholders of Vertiv will consist of shares of GSAH common stock.

The transaction will be effected pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (“the Merger Agreement”), entered into by and among GSAH, Vertiv Holdings, LLC, VPE Holdings, LLC (Vertiv Holdings, LLC’s parent), and the other parties thereto.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as lead placement agent and exclusive financial advisor to GSAH. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial advisor to Vertiv. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal advisor to GSAH. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as joint legal advisors to Platinum Equity and Vertiv.

Conference Call Information

Investors may listen to a presentation regarding the proposed transaction on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 starting at 10:30 a.m. ET. The call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-883-0383 (domestic toll-free number) or 1-412-902-6506 (international) and providing the conference ID: 8567556, or asking for the GSAH-Vertiv transaction announcement call. The live webcast of the investor call as well as related presentation materials will be available at https://www.gsacquisition.com/.

Digital Technology - AI, IoT on Display at the Excon 2019

The first day of the tenth edition of CII’s EXCON 2019 is witnessed the launch of a range of products equipped with futuristic technology or advanced features.

JCB India launched its all-new ecoXpert Backhoe Loader and introduced the NXT series and the Quarry Master range of Excavators. The construction equipment company also launched its new range of side engined Telehandlers at Excon’19.

Case Construction Equipment, a construction equipment company from CNH Industrial, has launched its Crawler Excavator CX220C at the exhibition. The entry into the segment will increase the company’s share in the construction equipment business from 40% to 70%.

CASE CX220C comes with a FPT Industrial engine to ensure productivity, efficiency and low fuel consumption, the company claimed. Crawler Excavator CX220C will be available in the Indian market from April next year.

German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp also launched two new products -- a cone crusher and a Vertical Shaft Impactor (VSI).

Vivek Bhatia, Managing Director and CEO, Thyssenkrupp said, “The newly launched cone crusher allows you to go from stage-3 crushing to stage-2 crushing. From a capacity point of view, you have a lot of flexibility in how you run it.”

Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd showcased its recently launched NTG Heavy Tipper, parts and service solutions along with with BS-IV CEV ready industrial engines, while Elgi Equipments launched its ‘future-ready, energy-efficient range of electric and diesel portable air compressors’ at the event.

Atlas Copco, air compressor manufacturer, also launched four compressors -- XRH 1100 PLUS, XAWS 550 PACE, XAV216 PLUS and  XA187 PLUS. The company also launched  HiLight LED light towers that can illuminate an area of approximately 4,000-5,000 sqm.

Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India inaugurated the event, which is attended by 1,250 exhibitors including 390 from overseas.

KONE Elevator India Displays AI, IoT Technologies to Deliver the Best People Flow Experience at EXCON 2019

KONE, the leading manufacturer of elevators and escalators in the world and in India, opened the gates to its innovation excellence at EXCON 2019’s Artificial Intelligence Pavilion. Over five days, visitors can experience the impressive innovations and technological break-throughs that KONE has been offering to the industry for over a century now.

KONE India is participating in the Artificial Intelligence Pavilion to showcase their cutting-edge solutions and experience centre, and how they use AI and IoT to deliver the best People Flow experience.EXCON isthe largest trade fair on construction equipment & technology in South Asia organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

“Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) are going to revolutionize the way we live.  Over the years, Internet of Things has revolutionised our world and IoT Innovations from India are helping greater presence. KONE has an impressive innovation pedigree and we have been on the Forbes list of world’s most innovative companies for eight times. Our groundbreaking technologies redefined innovation in the industry and we use up-to-the-minute technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, quantum computing, blockchain technology, etc. to innovate the safest, intelligent and the best people flow solutions,” said Mr. Amit Gossain, MD, KONE Elevator India.

He further informed, “Visitors can experience our newest innovation, KONE CareTM 24x7 Connected Services recently launched in India. In collaboration with the recognized leader in cognitive computing, IBM Watson, this is yet another breakthrough innovation that will result in fewer faults, faster repairs and real peace of mind for the customers and users.Another aspect of digitalization is the potential to improve speed and efficiency, and our Technology & Engineering Centres and manufacturing units bring innovations closer to customers, and get new services and solutions faster into the market.”

KONE, remains at the leading edge of technological development in tune with the changing market dynamics and technologies. Some of their momentous innovations include MonoSpace, a machine room-less elevator invented in 1996, and UltraRope, a lightweight rope with carbon fiber that made high-rise travel possible. Both of these groundbreaking technologies redefined innovation in the industry.

At KONE, ‘connected’ means using real-time data and analytics as preventive maintenance gets smarter. It also means improving customer experience through real-time transparency. KONE adopts a ‘digital culture’, and co-creates new products or services together with customers and partners and it is an area where they lead.

To witness these cutting-edge solutions and experience centre, and to know how they use AI and IoT to deliver the best People Flow experience, visit them at EXCON!

Date: 10-14 December, 2019
Time: 10:30 am – 6:00 pm
Stall: Hall 4, Lower Level, Artificial Intelligence Pavilion

IIM Udaipur Brings Out Business Review Magazine Encompassing Impact-Oriented Research and Insights for Professionals

Editor’s Synopsis-

• IIM Udaipur launches biannual Business Review Magazine in Bangalore
• The first issue of the magazine focuses on the digital world of disruption, development and discernment which is emerging in India
• Magazine features editorial columns, guest articles, research insights, perspectives from management gurus and IIMU faculty members

Indian Institute of Management Udaipur has launched its biannual IIMU Business Review Magazine in the IT capital of India – Bangalore, which complements the theme of its first issue - ‘Digital Business.’  This initiative aims to make high-quality, impact-oriented research accessible to practitioners and provide insights from experts that will be valuable for management professionals. Along with the Chief Guest- Mr. Ashok Soota, Executive Chairman and Co-founder, Happiest Minds, one of IIM Udaipur’s Board of Governors Ms. Mythily Ramesh, Co-founder and CEO, NextWealth and Prof. Janat Shah, Director, IIM Udaipur also participated in the launch.

Prof. Janat Shah, Director, IIM Udaipur said, “IIMU Business Review Magazine will bring the world of academic researchers and practitioners closer by showing how each can inspire and stimulate the other. This magazine would eventually offer a vast pool of resources, editorial columns, guest articles, research insights and perspectives from management gurus and IIM Udaipur faculty members useful for management professionals.”

Addressing the attendees, Chief Guest - Mr. Ashok Soota, Executive Chairman, Happiest Minds, said, “-I would like to congratulate IIM Udaipur for Launching Business Review Magazine and Digital Enterprise Management.  Creative use of new disruptive digital technologies to create new markets improve productivity, streamline processes, meet new customer expectations and enhance customer expectations; ultimately the real test is that it must improve profitability. The Future of digital enterprise is here and for leaders to brace for the impact is the need of the hour. To win at the enterprise game, resources in the form of research publications, one such as IIMU Business Magazine will help in transforming the perspective of the global business community."

The need for such a B-school magazine has stemmed from several technological and business advancements occurring at the global level and affecting managerial and business activities today.  The research adds to the knowledge which ultimately can be transferred to the world of practice.

The first issue features an interview with Mr. Satish Kumar Gupta, MD and CEO, Paytm Payments Bank on transforming banking and payments in India. Tapping into the world of a digital enterprise, Dr. Y Shekar, In-Charge, Centre for Digital Enterprise, IIM Udaipur, talks about the skills needed in the digital era.

Recently, IIM Udaipur partnered with several leading companies across business verticals including Quikr, IBM, InfoEdge, Accenture and ITC Infotech to help bridge the gap between academia and industry needs in the digital era. IIMU also got recognition across the country for its recent listing in FT Masters in Management Rankings 2019 which includes top B-schools from Europe, Asia and North America. IIM Udaipur also launched the first-ever 12-month, full-time, residential MBA in Digital Enterprise Management (DEM).