HP Fastlane Introduces Real-Time Fuel Price Indicator to Enable its Users Make Informed Decisions

HP Fastlane, users can now check the current fuel prices at HPCL outlets around them on a real time basis. By adding this new feature into India’s first fuelling app Fastlane aims to enable its 90,000+ registered users make informed decisions and manage refuelling of their vehicles more efficiently. Launched in partnership with HPCL, Fastlane is an initiative by AGS Transact Technologies Limited, one of India’s leading end-to-end cash and digital payment solutions company.

The Fastlane app fetches real-time fuel prices of 120+ participating HPCL petrol pumps in Mumbai, Thane, Vashi & Pune directly from HPCL fuel price service. This online service provides updated fuel price for each HPCL retail outlet ensuring its accuracy and authenticity.

How does this feature work?

·       User logs in to the Fastlane app
·       He/she  clicks on the ‘Pumps near me’ tab on the app
·       The app lists all the Fastlane enabled HPCL Petrol pumps in the vicinity of the user
·       Each fuel outlet listed on the app mentions the fuel type available & its current price

The Fastlane app leverages RFID technology to provide cashless, cardless & a paperless fuelling experience to fleet owners & individuals. Its digital payment platform provides transparency in entire fuelling process right from adding money to the Fastlane app to presetting the fuel amount and actual fuelling at the fuel outlet. As a result, it provides faster checkouts at fuel pumps, reduced fuel pilferage and assurance of paying for only what is filled.

Hero Motosports Team - Paulo Goncalves Delivers a Second Top 10 at Stage 5 Rally

Hero MotoSports Team Rally consolidated their good showing from the previous stage today. The stage 5 of the rally tested the competitors with a 353 km special stage running from Al Ula to Ha’il.

In the sandy surroundings of the day, humongous rocks served as landmarks to avoid costly navigation mistakes. Less technical than the previous ones, but just as impressive with the dunes, and gigantic sandy hills offering a mix of sand and soil to the competitors.

Paulo Goncalves, continued to press forward today as well and delivered a back to back Top 10 finish for the team at the 10th place. Sebastian Buhler maintained his good form and brought the stage home in the 21st place.

Santosh too had a good stage today, finding his rhythm to finish the stage in the 37th place while Joaquim Rodrigues suffered a minor crash, but managed to close the stage in 25th position.

After today’s steady performance, Paulo Goncalves climbed up several positions for the second day in a row to finish on 59th place in the overall rankings. Buhler maintained his Top 20 position to reach 19th place and Santosh climbed up a few more ranks today to break into the top 40 at 39th place in the overall rankings at the end of the stage 5.

With just one more stage to go and the stage complexion changing from being more technical to wide open desert, tomorrow’s stage is expected to see more competitors trying to push hard in  tackling the longest stage of the Dakar yet, with 830 kms to be done, including the 478 km special.

Paulo Goncalves (Comp No. 8) said, “Today there was a change in the scenery from the trials and stony tracks of the last 3-4 days to the more open desert today. In the first part of the stage I tried to push hard and rode well. After the refuelling, there was 200 kms of open off-piste stage that could be fast but dangerous as well. So I decided to calm my pace a bit down to avoid crashes and arrived well for me and the Hero team. Now we have one more day before we get a rest day to recover well to race for the second week.  ”

Sebastian Buhler (Comp No: 32) said, “It was a hard stage and we had almost 200 kms in the off-piste towards the end. I think I did well today, tried not to go too fast to avoid making any mistakes. The rally is very long and I want to finish with a good place. So let’s see how it goes tomorrow. ”

CS Santosh (Comp No: 50) said, “What an amazing last 2 days it has been at the Dakar. The last two stage have been tough but really incredible. In the beginning part of the stage today we had some rocks, sands and piste but the second half, for about 200 kms was just open off-piste, camel grass and undulations. I really enjoyed the riding the stage today and I am starting to feel better and more confident on the bike. Can’t wait to see what the next few days are going to bring to us.”

Joaquim Rodrigues (Comp No. 27) said, “Difficult day for me today as the stage was really hard. In the beginning I was riding really well but in the second half I had a crash and lost some time. But I am ok for tomorrow and happy that I was able to get my Hero back to the finish line.”

Students of JD Institute of Fashion Technology Visit Rashtrapati Bhavan to Study Historic, Art and Architecture

Students of interior design at JD Institute of Fashion Technology, a pioneer in the field of design education for the past 31 years, visited “Rashtrapati Bhavan”, the largest official residence of India, to study its historic and magnificent art and architecture.

Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and is a subtle blend of Indian and European architecture. The students returned with a deeper understanding of the various aspects of construction, design, planning and art styles of the magnificent building.

Ms Rupal Dalal, Executive Director, JD Institute of Fashion Technology, said, “We strive to provide experiential learning to our students. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is an iconic creation and a showcase of Indian architecture and I am sure the interior design students learned a lot during their visit.”

Café Coffee Day Now Unveils Unique Cappuccinos to Raise the Bar

With the winter and the festive season upon us, everyone is looking for a reason to celebrate. Café Coffee Day (Popularly known as CCD), the café pioneer and market leader is all set to make these celebrations special, with its newly launched, and first of its kind, range of innovative Moodelicious Cappuccinos. The specially crafted 6 unique cappuccinos, give coffee aficionados, a perfect reason to grab a cup with their loved ones.

With the launch of these new cappuccinos, CCD has again lifted the bar for coffees in the industry and in the country. The unique offerings are part of an exotic range featuring innovative ingredients like pea flower extract, wellness specials like Himalayan pink salt, and traditional age old Indian health superpowers such as turmeric, ginger and cinnamon.

Powerful ingredients such as these induce certain moods and feelings and the new cappuccinos perfectly reflect these moods with offerings such as Cappuccino Surprise, Cappuccino Crush, Cappuccino Unwind, Cappuccino Mischief, Cappuccino Recharge and Cappuccino Awsm! Now customers can pick a cappuccino based on the special ingredients of their choice or their mood at that moment.

Blended with the natural goodness of Himlayan pink salt, with a hint of black pepper, the Cappuccino Surprise, with its sweet and salty flavour will leave one’s taste buds pleasantly surprised.

Laced with the exquisite flavour of white chocolate with a natural blue pea flower extract, this specially crafted upside down Cappuccino Awsm is a globally trending flavour experience that will leave all coffee lovers spellbound!

With the zesty magic of tangerines and the delightful creaminess of white chocolate, the Cappuccino Crush is all set to woo coffee lovers’ hearts!

The earthy, traditional flavours of ginger and turmeric are not only soothing but beneficial for calming the senses. Just like its name, the flavour Cappuccino Unwind with antioxidant properties, is a perfect beverage to relax with.

The sweet touch of chocolate, the playfulness of cinnamon, and the spicy notes of chilli, in the Cappuccino Mischief will bring out naughty side in anyone!

A classic combination of bananas and rich caramel, the Cappuccino Recharge, with its crackling caramelized banana chips is a power house one needs, to get through the day.

Speaking of this creative initiative Suneet Yadav, President-Marketing, Café Coffee Day, said “As pioneers of the industry, Café Coffee Day is constantly innovating to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We thrive on innovative offerings that will excite our customers. The new launch of Moodelicious Cappuccinos raises the bar further in the category. With the onset of winter, coffee lovers are looking for unique options they can indulge in. A first of its kind in India, our new range of Cappuccinos, feature special health and wellness coffees rooted in traditional Indian flavours. Specially crafted with unique ingredients, coffee lovers fall in love with coffee again.

The new cappuccinos are available at all CCD outlets across the country.

About Café Coffee Day

Café Coffee Day is India's largest café chain in terms of number of café outlets with 1480 cafes across the country and operates through Coffee Day Global Limited (CDGL), a subsidiary of Coffee Day Enterprises Limited. Café Coffee Day has pioneered the coffee culture in the chained café segment in India and opened its first café in Bengaluru in 1996.

Mall Uses Internet of Things Technology to Monitor Water Usage

Thanks to rising mercury levels, water management and sustainability issues are also on the rise. Commercial buildings like malls face large fluctuations in influent water quality and require prompt corrective action for efficient operation of the water treatment plant. Orion Mall’s management is now using an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled water and wastemanagement solution offered by Green Environment India, a startup by the IIT Madras incubation ecosystem. Since January 2019, the mall has managed to save 3 crore 42 lakh litres ofwater.

The focus of this solution is to provide real-time monitoring support, predict faults from and provide troubleshooting insights to achieve assured return on investment on water utilities within the building. It took three months to install the project - which began in 2017 - and the accuracy of the water was checked at a laboratory. The final operation began in March 2018. Daily, 3.8 lakh litres of treated water is reused from the sewage treatment plant for non-potable purposes. The project helped with 25 per cent savings on water footprint and 30 per cent savings on water used.

At the mall, smart technologies are used to monitor real-time fresh and recycled water treatment utilities. The IoT solution has been implemented in tanker water unloading systems, waterand sewage treatment plants and cooling towers. “This process enhances performance of plants. Also, we have developed an application called Greenvironment to monitor the system,” said Manu Nair, General Manager, Facility, Brigade Group.

Most of the waste water is potentially reused using the smart technology developed by Greenvironment Innovation & Marketing India Pvt Ltd, a startup founded by alumni of IIT Madras. Real-time monitoring of waste water plant and troubleshooting support through innovative smart water management — IoT-based technologies are the cornestones of the tech support provided to the mall by the startup.

Real-time data is essential for smooth running of a water treatment plant. But, at present, operational decision-making at most plants remains largely reliant on after-the-fact information. Real-time monitoring system comprises real-time data collection, analysis and control tools. Using internet-based technologies, we collect data pertaining to quality, flow, energy and other environmental indicators from the water treatment plants of our customers. The system also facilitates transfer of knowledge from experts at a remote-control centre to local operators real-time,” said Varun, CEO, Greenvironment India. 

The President of India Recognized Shobha Gasti’s Work on Girl Child Education and Devadasi Women

Ram Nath Kovind, the Hon’ble President of India recognised the work of Shobha Gasti, a feisty grass-root leader from Belgaum in Karnataka.  Her commitment towards girl child empowerment and empowering Devadasi women was acknowledged by The President of India through an invitation at Rasthrapati Bhavan where Shobha met him and shared her experiences.

She spoke at length on how girl children are getting tangled into early child marriage and the importance of education and awareness to fight such violations. She also mentioned about how Devadasi women have been facing years of oppression and her journey towards their empowerment.

Her work which has gained prominence in the state of Karnataka was placed to the Government of India by the state Government. Eventually she got a call from the President’s office and an opportunity to share her work with Shri Ram Nath Kovind.

Child Rights and You (CRY) have been supporting Shobha since 2012 on her quest to champion the work for child rights.

“I am honoured to be the voice for a community that needs attention, awareness and a greater consensus among the mass and senior policy makers. The highlight of today’s experience was the privilege to sensitise The President of India on the nuances of child right problems and the issues Devadasi women face. It was a true privilege to share with him the importance of civil society and how collectively we can eradicate it. I also brought his attention to the importance of education as a mitigating force on several child rights issue,” said Shobha Gasti.

“Shobha Gasti’s work on some of the most marginalised communities needs to be celebrated and this recognition by the apex office of the country is a richly deserved acknowledgement. In its journey over the past forty years, CRY has always believed in creating champions of change, which is aptly represented by Shobha. With her courage, determination and an unfailing resolute Shobha has brought a difference that stands the length of time. We sincerely hope her work encourages generations of young women to come forward and be part of a greater change we all hope to bring,” said Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY.

Ms. Shobha Gasti, has been working towards the child rights issues and Devadasi women for more than two decades.  She started her community work as a volunteer for Devadasi Rehabilitation Project and later co-founded the Amma Foundation to give her movement a strength and shape. Today, she is one of the most influential women in the region who has dedicated her life towards the cause which she has promised to fight for.

CRY:

Child Rights and You is an Indian NGO that believes in every child’s right to a childhood - to live, learn, grow and play. For 4 decades, CRY and its 850 initiatives have worked with parents and communities to ensure Lasting Change in the lives of more than 2,000,000 underprivileged children, across 23 states in India.

Kathak Solo Performance by Sonali Loomba at Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan on Jan 10, 2020

The concert is a solo debut kathak  performance by sonali Loomba under the guidance of her Guru Shri Hari and Smt Chethana.This is part of the every Friday program organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Bengaluru.

Disciple of Renowned Kathak Dance Couple ,Guru Shri Hari and Smt Chethana Hari-Noopur Performing Art Centre. Guest of Honour-Shri.R.Venugopal-Regional Director ICCR, Chief Guest Rev.Dr.Daniel Fernandes-Prinicipal-St- Joseph’s of Commerce. Smt.C.Triveni Vinod-Excutive Director-C.Krishniah Chetty Group Jewellers. Grand Master Akshar-Founder& Chairman-Akshar Yoga.

Sonali Loomba  has undergone training under Guru Hari and Chethana from Bangalore, India. She has given numerous dance presentations as a soloist in India and USA. She has performed in leading dance festivals like Hampi Utsav (Hampi, India), Brahmotsav (Tirupathi, India), North American Festival of Colors ( Utah, USA and Vegas, USA) ,Living traditions ( Utah, USA) , World Folk fest ( Utah, USA), Utah Arts festival ( Utah, USA) to name a few. She has recently presented kathak at the 2019 TEDx Salt Lake City.

Date : Friday, 10th January, 2020.
Venue : Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, 43, Race Course Road, Bengaluru
Time: 6:00 pm onwards
Free Entry
Supported by ICCR-Indian Council for culture relations