ITI Limited has Launched its Further Public Offering (FPO) Now Open from Jan 24 and Closes on Jan 28, 2020

The strengths of ITI are its diverse products and services offered across sectors, well established relationships with PSUs, the Ministry of Defence and other GoI and state agencies; backed by a strong order book of Rs. 110,511.21 mn as on December 31, 2019 which includes various GoI projects such as ASCON, BharatNet, Network for Spectrum, Smart Energy Meters, Space Programs and E-Governance Projects.

The objects of the issue would be to utilize the Net Proceeds for funding its working capital requirements for FY2020 and Rs 6,072.91 mn to repay loans in full or partially, taken by the company.

Going forward ITI looks to diversify its products and services and leverage their relationship with GoI and various public sector units, modernize its infrastructure and technology as well as team up with innovative technology leaders and startups to support the Make in India and Digital India fillip of the Government.

ITI Limited has appointed BOB Capital Markets Limited, Karvy Investor Services Limited and PNB Investment Services Limited as the book running lead managers to the Issue (“BRLMs”).

Equity Shares proposed to be issued pursuant to the Issue will be available on the BSE Limited (“BSE”) and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (“NSE”), subject to receipt of necessary approvals.

The Net Issue will have not less than 75% allocation to Qualified Institutional Buyers, not more than 15% to Non-Institutional Bidders and not more than 10% to Retail Individual Bidders.

About ITI Limited:

ITI Limited is a public sector undertaking in the telecommunications technology segment. The company has manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru, Naini, Rae Bareli, Mankapur and Palakkad along with an R&D centre in Bengaluru and 8 regional offices in India, which were located at Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and New Delhi as well as 17 area offices spread across the country. The company has a diverse suite of products including defence security encryption products; optical and data network products and passive infrastructure products such as gigabit passive optical network and manage leased line products; multi-capacity encryption units, electrical products such as smart energy meters, smart cards, solar panels, set-top boxes and mini personal computers and Internet of Things products.  Besides offering the telecom solutions and customized support, ITI has a dedicated Network System Unit for executing turnkey projects for installation and commissioning of telecommunication networks. The company intends to upgrade and invest in the technology, through the acquisition of technology from strategic partners with a specific focus on high growth industry segments. The company operates a data centre at Bengaluru and currently also offers its services to government institutions/departments, banks etc.

iQOO to be Launched in India; Promises to Disrupt Premium Smartphone Market

Highlights

* iQOO will focus on superior performance and will be India’s first smartphone brand to provide a 5G-enabled Snapdragon 865 processor with its soon-to-be-launched first product

Following a successful launch in China, iQOO brings its innovation and power-packed tech experience to India. The brand, marking its entry into the country, forays into the premium smartphone segment addressing the needs of today’s data and content hungry generation.  iQOO, as a brand, will be dedicated to the tech-savvy and daring crowd with the highest expectations for smartphone performance.

iQOO is positioned to address the inflection point in the technology ecosystem with 5G around the corner, which will bring in the true value of connectivity. The brand will offer a strong portfolio of devices equipped to manage high-powered applications and use cases. With the brand’s motto “I Quest On and On”, products from the house of iQOO will offer an impressive mix of best-in-class performance, industry-first specs and a refreshed feel to the stock Android user experience.

The brand will soon launch its first product for the Indian market in February with many industry-first specifications. The first device from iQOO will be India’s first smartphone running on the latest Snapdragon 865 processor with 5G capabilities. Furthermore, the device will also be backed by robust performance capabilities in the charging, gaming, and design department, providing phone phonetics uninterrupted content consumption.

Expressing excitement at the brand launch, Gagan Arora, Director-Marketing – iQOO, said, “We see extreme potential in the premium segment smartphone market in India and have deep-dived to understand the gap that the consumers face in this segment. We understand very closely that there is an increasing demand for performance delivery devices and smooth smartphone experience, be it using multiple apps, downloading heavy files or just social media. Consumers today look for power-packed performance, and that is exactly what we offer.

We are proud to share the same ethos and values exhibited by today’s younger generation who grew up in the internet era. We are confident that the values of the iQOO brand resonate strongly with this audience. iQOO is a brand that understands, is in-sync and progresses with them.”

With a promise to change the way consumers use their mobile devices, iQOO offers highly personalized, innovative solutions that make it easy for users to get the most out of their device. The essence of iQOO products is speed. Supported by industry-leading 5G technology, the iQOO brand is built for a fast-moving generation. Blending superior performance with sleek design, iQOO handsets are equipped with powerful processors and sharp displays, enabling a seamless user interface experience.

About iQOO

After witnessing a successful launch in China, iQOO has entered the Indian premium smartphone market with a strong brand proposition of unmatched performance. iQOO stands for “I Quest On and On”, reflecting the brand’s relentless pursuit of perfection. iQOO was created to deliver a unique experience to young, technology-savvy consumers, who are under-served by the current smartphone market. iQOO was born to be a challenger, just like its users. iQOO phones are built for those consumers who are naturally skeptical of the status quo and constantly seeking to improve themselves. For those who want to further their ‘quest’ online, iQOO products feature an advanced gaming mode that supports the ultimate experience for mobile gaming.

Sea-Level Rise Could Reshape the United States, Trigger Migration Inland: New AI Study

When Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast in 2017, displaced residents flocked inland, trying to rebuild their lives in the disaster’s aftermath. Within decades, the same thing could happen at a much larger scale due to rising sea levels, says a new study led by University of Southern California Computer Science Assistant Professor Bistra Dilkina.

The study, published in PLOS ONE, Jan. 22, is the first to use machine learning to project migration patterns resulting from sea-level rise. The researchers found the impact of rising oceans will ripple across the country, beyond coastal areas at risk of flooding, as affected people move inland.

In the US alone, 13 million people could be forced to relocate due to rising sea levels by 2100. As a result, cities throughout the country will grapple with new populations. Effects could include more competition for jobs, increased housing prices, and more pressure on infrastructure networks.

“Sea level rise will affect every county in the US, including inland areas,” said Dilkina, the study’s corresponding author, a WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professor in computer science at USC and associate director of USC’s Center for AI for Society.

“We hope this research will empower urban planners and local decision-makers to prepare to accept populations displaced by sea-level rise. Our findings indicate that everybody should care about sea-level rise, whether they live on the coast or not. This is a global impact issue.”

According to the research team, most popular relocation choices will include land-locked cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Denver and Las Vegas. The model also predicts suburban and rural areas in the Midwest will experience disproportionately large influx of people relative to their smaller local populations.

Predicting relocation areas

Sea-level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming: added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers and the expansion of sea water as it warms. Within just a few decades, hundreds of thousands homes on the US coast will be flooded. In fact, by the end of the century, 6 feet of ocean-level rise would redraw the coastline of southern Florida, parts of North Carolina and Virginia and most of Boston and New Orleans.

To predict the trajectory of sea-level rise migration, the researchers took existing projections of rising sea levels and combined this with population projections. Based on migration patterns after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, the team trained machine learning models—a subset of artificial intelligence—to predict where people would relocate.

“We talk about rising sea levels, but the effects go much further than those directly affected on the coasts,” said Caleb Robinson, a USC visiting doctoral researcher from Georgia Tech advised by Dilkina and the study’s first author. “We wanted to look not only at who would be displaced, but also where they would go.”

As expected, the researchers found the greatest effects of sea-level rise migration will be felt by inland areas immediately adjacent to the coast, as well as urban areas in the southeast US. But their model also showed more incoming migrants to Houston and Dallas than previous studies, which flagged Austin as the top destination for climate migrants from the southeastern coast.

This result, notes the researchers, shows that population movement under climate change will not necessarily follow previously established patterns. In other words: it is not business as usual.

Sea-level rise could also reroute people relocating from unaffected areas. Counties surrounding Los Angeles, in particular, could see tens of thousands of migrants whose preferred coastal destinations are now flooded choosing alternative destinations.

The results of this study could help city planners and policymakers plan to expand critical infrastructure, from roads to medical services, to ensure the influx of people has a positive impact on local economies and social well-being.

“When migration occurs naturally, it is a great engine for economic activity and growth,” said co-author Juan Moreno Cruz, an economist and professor at the University of Waterloo.

“But when migration is forced upon people, productivity falls and human and social capital are lost as communities are broken apart. Understanding these migration decisions helps economies and policy makers prepare for what is to come and do as much as possible to make the influx of migration a positive experience that generates positive outcomes.”

Fanzart Eagles Emerge Champions at the Pro-League Golf Tournament in a Nail-Biting Finale

Fanzart Eagles, the pro-league golf team owned by luxury designer fan brand Fanzart recently emerged champions in the Pro-League Tournament held at the end of 2019. The tournament took place over a period of 4 months leading up to 8 teams playing the final. Fanzart Eagles, comprising 18 players, all chosen based on their handicap, won the finale match against Team Britannia Bourbon to be declared winners, with 352 points. The competition was a close one.

Speaking on the win, Anil Lala, Founder and Director of Fanzart and team owner said, “We are really proud to have lifted the trophy and appreciate the efforts of our team in securing the win. The team has some fabulous single handicap players like Arun Bajaj, Rahul Bhalla and Prahlad Rao, golfers who have ensured the team logo of a soaring Eagle has touched great heights”.

Accepting the trophy and speaking on the win, the captain of Fanzart Eagles, Arun Bajaj said, “We are glad to have emerged winners in the tournament. Kudos goes to the team for their great work. We faced strong competition from Team Britannia Bourbon who played a wonderful game as well. We hope that this is the first of many wins for us as a team”.

About Fanzart Eagles

Fanzart Eagles is one of 20 major pro-league teams that participated in the tournament. It has 18 players, chosen on the basis of their handicap. Among the other major brand teams were names such as Britannia, Prestige, Kirloskar and more. The team is backed by luxury designer fan brand Fanzart, which strongly believes that as a luxury brand, the association with this sport is a great one.

Team Members of Fanzart Eagles

Arun Bajaj, Prahalad Rao, Liam Timms, Viren Goyal, Adit Morzaria, Rahul Balla, Sandeep Kulhalli, Madhavi Reddy, Uday Kumar B, Mohan Jayaram, Vikash Kumar Vikas, Karan Malik, Kanwaljit Singh, Devendra Gupta, Sunil Bhatija, Dr. Suresh Naik, Rajat Goenka, Subbiah Kalappa.

About Fanzart

Since 2012, Fanzart has risen to prominence as a pioneer and leader in the luxury designer fans segment. With showrooms across the country, Fanzart is a name to reckon with in the luxury interior segment with its niche offerings. The products are also shipped internationally and have made a mark for themselves.

Kohler Introduces Smart Home Kitchen and Bathroom Products, Solutions and Enhanced Experiences at CES 2020

Kohler Co., a global leader in design and innovation of kitchen and bath products, has announced additions to its smart home offering and KOHLER Konnect portfolio. Kohler will introduce five new products this year at CES: Moxie showerhead and smart speaker, Aquifer Refine water purification system, Setra touchless faucet with KOHLER Konnect, DTV Mode shower system, and new Touchless Toilet technology.

KOHLER smart home products are designed to provide comfort, convenience and enjoyment at home. The KOHLER Konnect portfolio integrates innovative product design and quality craftsmanship with personalization options and command controls for gracious smart kitchen and bathroom experiences.

“As technology integrates more fully into our lives, it’s important to develop ways that it can help make things we do every day more comfortable and enjoyable,” said Larry Yuen, group president, kitchen and bath at Kohler Co. “Kohler applies our industry heritage and passion for innovation to provide specific solutions in the kitchen and bathroom – such as smart kitchen faucets that offer hands-free experiences, unmatched sound quality for music in the shower, or a range of innovative intelligent toilets that enhance your comfort in the bathroom.”

Features and personal preferences are managed through the KOHLER Konnect application for iOS and Android devices. Powered by the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, KOHLER Konnect offers support in select products for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. 

New additions to the KOHLER smart home offering on display at CES 2020 include:

Moxie showerhead + smart speaker: The new Moxie showerhead and wireless smart speaker blends the sophistication and design excellence of Kohler Performance Showering with a powerful range of impactful sound designed by Harman Kardon. The showerhead features a full coverage spray and delivers the benefits of connected bathroom technology with its portable smart speaker and built-in voice assistant. The portable in-shower smart speaker and voice assistant delivers outstanding natural sound balance with remarkable detail and provides hands-free control that performs seamlessly in the shower, in the home or on the go.

Aquifer Refine water purification system with KOHLER Konnect: Aquifer Refine water purification system can be easily installed into any kitchen, offering a convenient way to use the highest quality water every day at home. With three-stage filtration, the Aquifer Refine eliminates harmful contaminants from kitchen water such as lead, mercury, select pharmaceuticals, bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. It features Wi-Fi connectivity to monitor water usage and filter life, built-in leak detection and optional auto-replenishment of filters via Amazon Dart.

Setra touchless kitchen faucet with KOHLER Konnect: Kohler adds to its touchless and connected kitchen faucet portfolio with Setra, offering reliable touchless on/off operation through a state-of-the-art sensor and on/off and measured dispense operation when paired with a voice assistant. Setra also monitors water usage and lets consumers track consumption in the KOHLER Konnect app.

DTV Mode digital shower system: DTV Mode provides a simple push-button control of Kohler’s industry leading digital shower with an integrated temperature dial. DTV Mode is available in three popular configurations – bath/shower, dual shower and bath only. Create customized bath presets, adjust maximum temperature for added safety and remotely start your shower or bath all from the app.

Touchless Toilet: The new Touchless Toilet offers touchless flushing through the integration of a sensor placed in the flush lever of the toilet. By simply placing your hand in front of the lever, users can flush without spreading bacteria. The flush lever features a sensor light, adjustable through the KOHLER app.

In addition to new products, CES 2020 attendees can participate in interactive demonstrations of KOHLER smart home products introduced at past shows and available for purchase in 2020 including:

Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror: The Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror features a high-quality grooming mirror, efficient adjustable LED lights for precision routines like makeup application and skin care, a motion-activated wayfinding nightlight, and hermetically sealed speakers that maximize stereo sound quality. Verdera Voice was named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree.

Sensate touchless kitchen faucet: The Sensate touchless kitchen faucet with KOHLER Konnect allows users to turn the water on or off and dispense measured amounts of water through manual control, motion-based interactions or simple voice commands. Sensate was named a CES 2019 Best of Innovation Awards Honoree.

Numi 2.0 intelligent toilet: Numi, Kohler’s most advanced intelligent toilet, offers exceptional water efficiency, personalized cleansing and dryer functions, a heated seat and high-quality built-in speakers. The dynamic multi-colored ambient lighting and audio enhancements on Kohler’s flagship intelligent toilet create a unique experience for homeowners. Amazon Alexa built into the product provides access to tens of thousands of skills and simple voice control of Numi’s features. Numi 2.0 was named a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree.

DTV+ shower system: The DTV+ showering system brings water, sound, steam and lighting together to deliver the ultimate customized spa-like experience for any preference and member of the household. A touch-screen interface allows every element to be controlled and customized. Add KOHLER Konnect with voice and app control to access presets, make adjustments or use water saving features.

PureWarmth heated toilet seat: The PureWarmth heated toilet seat offers a slim design with three warm temperature settings for comfort and an integrated adjustable nightlight. The PureWarmth heated toilet seat can be controlled using the PureWarmth app to adjust temperature, timing of the heat, as well as lighting duration and ambiance.

KOHLER automatic standby generators: KOHLER automatic standby generators are permanently installed outside a home similar to a central air conditioning unit. They attach to existing natural gas or propane lines and turn on automatically within seconds when the power goes out. Standby generators can power an entire house, from essentials like the refrigerator, sump pump, lights and water heater to conveniences such as TVs, computers and more.

YES Bank Launches “XLrate Savings Account”, Offering Higher Returns for Customers

YES Bank launched XLrate savings account, in line with the Bank’s endeavor of offering valued added product and initiatives, curated especially for customers looking for higher returns. This smart savings account transfers balances above Rs. 1 lakh from the saving account automatically into a Fixed Deposit (FD), thereby offering a higher interest rate on the surplus funds. The amount in excess of Rs. 1 lakh in savings account will be swept out into a FD for a tenure of one year, one day (minimum FD amount of Rs. 25,000).

With this account, customers can now avail easy liquidity through the auto sweep in and sweep out facility and can also link multiple deposits to the savings account. In case, the account balance falls below Rs. 25,000, the shortfall is adjusted from the FD linked to that saving account. The deposits are broken in multiples of Rs. 1 on a last in first out basis, therefore only the amount of shortfall actually needed is swept out from FD to Savings account and the remaining amount continues to earn higher FD interest.

Some key benefits of XLrate saving account:

Higher interest rate of 5% on savings account balances below 1 lakh
Balance above 1 lakh is swept out to FD with minimum amount of INR 25,000 and will earn 7.25%p.a* interest as per prevailing rates. (rates are subject to change). Senior Citizen enjoy markup of 0.5% on FD, earning  7.75% rate of interest on Savings balances above 1 lac
Easy liquidity through Auto-sweep in facility from Fixed Deposit
Free complimentary Family account,
Free unlimited cash withdrawals at YES BANK ATMs
AMC waiver on Demat Account for the first year
Waiver on select locker services for the first year
Convenience of free & unlimited NEFT/RTGS transfers through NetBanking and YES Mobile, YES BANK’s mobile banking app.
Free UPI transactions through YES Mobile.

Citi- NCPA Aadi Anant Music Festival Announces its 9th Edition at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall on Feb 8, 2020

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and Citi India recently announced the ninth edition of the much-awaited Indian Music festival – ‘Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant: From Here to Eternity’. The festival will feature some of the most respected maestros of the classical music fraternity which include, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Niladri Kumar, TM Krishna, Shri. R. Kumaresh and Smt. Jayanthi Kumaresh amongst others.

The travelling Indian music festival will showcase its most awaited concert in Bengaluru on (Saturday), 8th February 2020 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bengaluru. The concert will feature renowned maestros - T. M. Krishna (vocal), R.K.Shriramkumar (violin), Praveen Spars (mridangam) and ChandrasekaraSharma (kanjira). In this recital, T. M. Krishna and his group will present an array of forms: padam, varnam and svarajati composed by some composers belonging to the period (prior to 1765 AD), which is before the rise of the revered trinity of Carnatic music: Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. After the Chennai performance, the Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant festival will travel to Pune.

As trendsetters in their respective fields, Citi and NCPA constantly strive to work towards preserving Indian heritage and music. Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant celebrates the concept of Eternity through artistic traditions that are perpetuated from one generation to the next, in an uninterrupted manner through the age-old institution of the Guru – Shishya parampara. The festival will give audiences an opportunity to engage with Indian culture through some of our country’s oldest forms of music and enjoy current renditions of age-old compositions.

Mr. Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman, National Centre for the Performing Arts said, “We, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, recognize the importance of arts in our lives, especially for the young minds. Be it nurturing the young artistes or showcasing iconic works of legendary maestros or fostering newer audiences, we are relentless in our pursuit to preserve, promote and propagate performing arts. As we complete 50 years in the service of performing arts, it is a matter of great pride to have with us on this journey, Citi, our esteemed patron and partner for over the last twelve years. It is indeed gratifying that with a shared passion to nurture India’s great heritage, we have been able to join hands and walk the same path undertaking several initiatives to sustain the ‘Guru-shishya’ tradition”.

Ashu Khullar, CEO Citi India, said, “We are proud to be a longstanding partner of a globally acclaimed institution like the NCPA. Respect, discipline and determination are qualities that are exemplified through the ancient Guru Shishya Parampara, and are qualities that we as a society, must emulate. The Aadi Anant Festival reaffirms this tradition and showcases Indian music through the ages, providing a platform for young talented musicians to demonstrate their mastery over India’s vibrant past and colorful future. We are delighted to partner with the NCPA on various initiatives that further this cause.”

Commenting on the festival, Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, Head Programming – Indian Music, National Centre for the Performing Arts said, “The Guru-Shishya parampara nurtures the training and transmission of knowledge from a teacher to the student through the oral –aural system. It is an integral part of Indian music tradition from ancient times. The Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant festival celebrates and fosters this age-old tradition for the posterity. We are thankful to Citi India for their long-standing support towards nurturing our great Indian heritage”.

In addition to the festival, Citi India and NCPA have collaborated on various CSR initiatives in the field of Indian and Western Classical Music. With the intent of keeping alive the age-old Guru-Shishya tradition, both institutions are committed supporting musicians at every level, ensuring that they have the opportunities and skills to experience and pursue Indian classical music.

Program 1: Support to Gurus: Under this scheme 8 Gurus receive financial support to train three promising disciples each, in the traditional format of one-on-one teaching. The program is free of cost for the disciples.

Program 2: Scholarships to Young Musicians: This scheme is meant for talented amateurs (age group: 18-30) in the field of Hindustani music (vocal –dhrupad & khayal, instrumental music –melody & percussion). A total of nine scholarships are given annually based on the quality of performance in a live audition.

Program 3: Introducing Music Training to School Children: This program trains school children in Indian Music, working in 9 schools with approximately 600 students.