Telegram Launches Discussion Button, a Group Chat Extension for Unlimited Participants on Channels

Telegram messenger has always proven itself way ahead than the other messaging applications in the market when it comes to the user experience. The capability of adding unlimited participants on a Channel and up to 200 million members in a Group are not the only unique features but there is much more to learn about the platform.

Telegram has come up with a Discussion Button available on the Channels where the admins can enable to provide a whole new chat section associated to the specific channel. Usually, it has been observed that official Channels created by the companies, or organisations are the chat restricted ones where only the admins have right to post the latest updates and company related news. No other participants in the channels can actively write, or post some information from their side.

In such cases, if a specific person would like to add his opinion on a particular ongoing topic running on the platform, they have a way to initiate a discussion on a separate extended group chat attached to the channel. All the messages automatically get re-posted in this chat group once you send a message to the main channel. The concerned authorities can also pickup feedback and queries coming from their users posting on the group chat, and can act accordingly.

This feature additionally allows the participants to interact among themselves, which creates an active buzz around the latest updates provided by the company, and helps to generate pro-active conversations around it. Even if there is a misguided, or wrong information floating around the internet, and your set of audiences are curiously discussing about the same, admins can jump into the group chat conversations to provide the accurate information with higher authenticity.

Steps to create a Discussion Chat Group attached to your closed channel
1. Admin needs to click on the Top right corner button of a channel
2. Tap on Manage Channel
3. Select Discussion followed by a button named as Add a Group
4.  Tap on Create a Group
5. Insert desirable Name for your associated group chat forum

COVID 19: List of Coronavirus Test Centres Across Indian States, UTs

One does not simply walk into a coronavirus testing centre. There is protocol and there is only a limited set of labs that have been authorised for the job. The Indian Council for Medical has says only patients with a certain travel history or those in contact with infected persons need to be tested. When? Where? How? Here’s the breakdown

Who needs to be tested for coronavirus?
According to the Department of Health Research, the disease COVID-19 is primarily reported in individuals with a travel history to affected countries or those who are in close contact with infected individuals. In India, there is no community transmission yet. Hence, not everyone needs to be tested.

How to get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19)
As per the government’s health protocol, if you have had direct or close physical contact with a laboratory confirmed case or if you have a history of travel within the last 14 days to high risk COVID-19 infected countries, you will have to be home quarantined for 14 days. Only if you show symptoms during this time will a laboratory test be conducted. If these samples test positive, you will be administered further tests and be hospitalised. If they don’t, you’re fine.

Every state has a small number of sample collection labs. This is where your throat swab + nasal swab will be taken. These will be sent up to testing labs, who will then send it to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for final tests.

Here’s a list of state-wise list of Coronavirus testing centres and laboratories across India:

ANDHRA PRADESH
Testing centres

Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati
Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
GMC, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
Sample collection labs

Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada
Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Kadapa
Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada
Guntur Medical College, Guntur

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR
Testing centres

Regional Medical Research Centre, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar

ASSAM
Testing centres

Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati
Regional Medical Research Center, Dibrugarh
Sample collection labs

Silchar Medical College, Silchar
Jorhat Medical College, Jorhat
Tezpur Medical College, Tezpur
Fakhruddin Medical College, Barpeta

BIHAR
Testing centres

Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 
Sample collection labs

 Patna Medical College, Patna
 Darbhanga Medical College, Darbhanga
 S K Medical College, Muzaffarpur

CHANDIGARH
Testing centres

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh 
Sample collection labs

Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh

CHHATTISGARH
Testing centres

All India Institute Medical Sciences, Raipur
Sample collection labs

Late Sri BaliramKashyap Memorial Govt. Medical College,  Jagdalpur

DELHI – NCR
Testing centres

All India Institute Medical Sciences, Delhi
National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi
Sample collection labs

Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi

GUJARAT
Testing centres

BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad
M.P.Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar
Sample collection labs

Government Medical College, Surat  1
GMC, Bhavnagar
PDU GMC, Rajkot
Government Medical College & SSG Hospital, Vadodara

HARYANA
Testing centres

Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Inst. of Med. Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana
BPS Govt Medical College, Sonipat

HIMACHAL PRADESH
Testing centres

Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Dr.Rajendra Prasad Govt. Med. College, Kangra, Tanda, Himachal Pradesh

JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Testing centres

Sher‐e‐ Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar 
Government Medical College, Jammu
Sample collection labs

Government Medical College, Srinagar

JHARKHAND
Testing centres

MGM Medical College, Jamshedpur
Sample collection labs

Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi

KARNATAKA
Testing centres

Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bangalore
National Institute of Virology Field Unit Bangalore
Mysore Medical College & Research Institute, Mysore
Hassan Inst. of Med. Sciences, Hassan, Karnataka
Shimoga Inst. of Med. Sciences, Shivamogga, Karnataka
Sample collection labs

Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Science, Bellary
Gulbarga Institute Of Medical Sciences, Gulbarga

KERALA
Testing centres

National Institute of Virology Field Unit, Kerala
Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala
Sample collection labs

Government Medical College, Thrissur

LADAKH
Sample collection labs

Sonam Namgyal Memorial Hospital, Leh

MADHYA PRADESH
Testing centres

All India Institute Medical Sciences, Bhopal
National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Jabalpur
Sample collection labs

Bundelkhand Medical College, Sagar
MGM Medical College, Indore
Gajra Raja Medical College, Gwalior
S.S Medical College, Rewa

MEGHALAYA
Testing centres

NEIGRI of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya

MAHARASHTRA

Testing centres

Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur
Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mumbai
Sample collection labs

Government Medical College, Miraj, Sangli
Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital , Mumbai
Government Medical college, Nagpur
Government Medical College, Aurangabad 
V. M. Government Medical College, Solapur 
Shri Bhausaheb Hire Government Medical College, Dhule
Government Medical College and Hospital & Superspeciality  Hospital, Akola

MANIPUR
Testing centres

J N Inst. of Med. Sciences Hospital, Imphal‐East, Manipur
Sample collection labs

Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal

ODISHA
Testing centres

Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar 
Sample collection labs

SCB Medical College, Cuttack

PUDUCHERRY
Testing centres

Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry
Sample collection labs

Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Puducherry

PUNJAB
Testing centres

Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab
Government Medical College, Amritsar

RAJASTHAN
Testing centres

Sawai Man Singh, Jaipur
Dr. S.N Medical College, Jodhpur
Jhalawar Medical College, Jhalawar, Rajasthan
SP Med. College, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Sample collection labs

RNT Medical College, Udaipur
AIIMS, Jodhpur

TAMIL NADU
Testing centres

King’s Institute of Preventive Medicine & Research, Chennai
Government Medical College, Theni
Sample collection labs

Madurai Medical College, Madurai
Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College, Salem
Government Medical College, Thiruvarur
Government Medical College, Villupuram
Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli
Coimbatore Medical College, Coimbatore
Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

TRIPURA
Testing centres

Government Medical College, Agartala

TELANGANA
Testing centres

Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad
Sample collection labs

Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad
Kakatiya Medical College, Nizampura, Warangal

UTTAR PRADESH
Testing centres

King’s George Medical University, Lucknow
Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh

UTTARAKHAND
Testing centres

Government Medical College, Haldwani
Sample collection labs

AIIMS, Rishikesh
Doon Government Medical College, Dehradun

WEST BENGAL
Testing centres

National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata
IPGMER, Kolkata
Sample collection labs

Murshidabad Medical College & Hospital, Murshidabad,  Berhampur, West Bengal
Midnapore Medical College & Hospital, Midnapore
North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling
Malda Medical College, Malda
RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata

POCO Announces a Four-Day Open Sale for POCO X2 on Flipkart

POCO, now an independent smartphone brand, has announced a special four-day open sale for POCO X2. As part of the much-awaited Flipkart Big Shopping Days, the open sale will run from 19th March until 22nd March, 2020. POCO X2 will be available in three variants of 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB in three colour variants - Matrix Purple, Atlantis Blue and Phoenix Red.

Highest-rated Android smartphone on Flipkart

POCO X2 was recently recognised as the highest-rated Android smartphone on Flipkart (for smartphones with over 10K user ratings). It achieved 4.6 rating points (out of 5) with more than 25,000 user ratings as of 18th March, 2020.

Manmohan Chandolu, General Manager, POCO India, commenting on the open sale said, “The enthusiasm that we have seen since POCO X2’s launch in February this year has been humbling. POCO X2’s user rating score of 4.6 points on Flipkart is evidence of this tremendous love and support from our users across the country. To all POCO fans who have been waiting to experience POCO X2, we bring to you a big treat through the four days special open sale. We hope that all our efforts receive the same kind of appreciation that it has got till now.”

POCO X2 is equipped with a display powered by the RealityFlow 120Hz engine -- a category-first. It has a 20:9 tall-body design wrapped around a 3D curved glass body, which enables a large cinematic screen experience of 16.94 cm (6.67 inch). It is also the first smartphone in India to feature the Sony IMX686 camera sensor that can elevate the photography experience of users.

Product images: POCO X2

Availability

POCO X2 is available in 6GB + 64GB, 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB storage variants for INR 15,999, INR 16,999 and INR 19,999 respectively in the three colour variants (Matrix Purple, Atlantis Blue and Phoenix Red) via Flipkart, with an additional instant discount of INR 1,500 on SBI credit card and EMI transactions.

About POCO

POCO is an independent brand born out of Xiaomi in India. Its first product, POCO F1 was launched in August 2018, and since January 2020, POCO has become an independent entity. POCO F1 was India's No.1 smartphone in the ‘above INR 15,000 price segment’ in the online smartphone market as per third party statistics. Currently, POCO has an independent product and marketing team, and shares resources from Xiaomi in terms of supply chain, logistics, manufacturing and after sales.

POCO is a consumer technology brand, based on the philosophy of 'Everything you need and nothing you don't' with a key focus on its POCO fans’ requirements. It's built on relentless pursuit of technology which its fans truly need, thus democratizing decision making and continuous product updates to ensure relevance.

Bentley Systems’ SVP Alan Kiraly Elected to the Board of MIMOSA

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software and digital twin cloud services for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, announced that Alan Kiraly, Bentley’s SVP for asset and network performance, has been elected to the board of MIMOSA, the not-for-profit industry trade association dedicated to developing and encouraging the adoption of open standards for physical asset lifecycle management.

At the same time, Bentley announced the availability of AssetWise Enterprise Interoperability Services that help extend the connected data environment to the entire enterprise, enabling seamless access to multiple data sources and third-party systems, and delivering a common view of asset information as part of a digital twin’s asset information. These services provide generic, broad interoperability based on MIMOSA CCOM BOD standards and specific connectors for INFOR, Oracle EAM, Microsoft Dynamics, Esri ArcGIS, and IBM Maximo, as well as certified integration with SAP.

Alan Johnson, president of MIMOSA, said, “Bentley has been a constant and consistent supporter of MIMOSA and our supplier-neutral approach to interoperability. They have worked pragmatically with us to ensure the software vendors can deliver on our mission, and I am delighted with the commitment Bentley is showing to both supporting our OIIE (Open Industrial Interoperability Ecosystem) OGI (Oil and Gas Interoperability) Pilot and with Alan Kiraly joining the board.”

Alan Kiraly, senior vice president, Bentley Systems, said, “Bentley has always been a leader in driving forward interoperability between systems and supporting open, industry-driven standards. Interoperability provides a huge benefit to our users, and I am extremely proud of what my team has been able to deliver to date with AssetWise Enterprise Interoperability. I look forward to working with MIMOSA to accelerate the adoption of open, industry standards and enable our users to lower their total cost of ownership.”

L&T Technology Services and IIT-Kanpur Sign MoU to Set Up CoE Dedicated to Cybersecurity

L&T Technology Services Limited (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), India’s leading pure-play engineering services company, signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur to collaborate on research in industrial and infrastructure cybersecurity.

The MoU was signed by Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of LTTS, Dr. Keshab Panda and Deputy Director at IIT-Kanpur and Padmashri Awardee, Professor Manindra Agarwal in the premises of IIT-Kanpur.

According to the MoU, LTTS and IIT-Kanpur will together set-up a Center of Excellence (CoE) in the IIT-Kanpur campus and conduct research in the areas of Honeypot (network-attached system set up to entrap cyberattacks and study hacking attempts), intrusion detection systems, malware analysis, blockchain, vulnerability assessment and penetration testing and provide cybersecurity awareness and training programs. The MoU will also give LTTS access to IIT-Kanpur’s cutting-edge testbed for critical infrastructure.

The CoE will be a part of IIT-Kanpur’s C3i Center, a Government of India-funded one-of-a-kind cybersecurity research center, which was developed to work on solutions and technologies to protect India’s Strategic and Critical Utility Infrastructure.

Dr. Keshab Panda, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services said, “LTTS is a leader in end-to-end cybersecurity solutions with a range of assets spread over several domains which cater to a global clientele. Our expertise across security analysis, vulnerability assessments, design security architecture and security requirements has been further strengthened by our partnership with many of the world’s prestigious educational institutions. LTTS’ partnership with IIT-Kanpur will open a new chapter in defense and industrial cybersecurity and pave the way for the creation of safe, secure and smart solutions for India’s industrial sector”.

Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Joint Coordinator of the C3i Center and Head of the Computer Science & Engineering Department at IIT-Kanpur said, “Cyberattacks across the globe have affected millions of IT and OT systems over the past few years leading to operational downtime, logistic failures, and production cycle disruption. LTTS’ deep-rooted and proven technological expertise combined with the cyber security research expertise of C3i Center will help counter such cyberattacks. LTT boasts of a well-rounded portfolio comprising of - Automotive Cybersecurity Consulting, Threat Modeling, Continuous Threat Monitoring & Security Updates Patching among others. C3i Center has been in the forefront of vulnerability assessment and penetration testing with more than 8 CVEs published, building and utilizing industrial scale cyber security test-bed for OT, Honeypots, malware analysis and intrusion detection research. This partnership will strengthen the security ecosystem in the country. The company’s large pool of experienced architects and engineers along with IIT’s research talent will have the capability to change the current cybersecurity landscape.”

Kinara Capital Launches HerVikas Business Loans for Women; Commits to Disburse Rs. 100 Crores in FY20-21

Kinara Capital, a fast-growing fintech for MSMEs, today announced HerVikas business loans to accelerate financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs in India. In the coming fiscal year, Kinara Capital has committed to disbursing Rs.100 crores in HerVikas small business loans to women entrepreneurs.

HerVikas aims to encourage women entrepreneurship with an upfront discount provided on business loans without property collateral. Of the nearly 58 million businesses in India, about 8 million are run by women entrepreneurs. Timely access to capital is one of the major struggles for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow their business.

Hardika Shah, Founder & CEO of Kinara Capital, said, “Less than 14% of all businesses in India are owned by women, and the number of women entrepreneurs has been declining over the last decade. Empowering women entrepreneurs uplifts local economies and creates new jobs in communities. That’s why we are committing Rs. 100 crores to boost women entrepreneurs’ progress, her vikas!”

Any woman entrepreneur who applies for a loan from Kinara Capital in the range of Rs. 2-25 lakhs shall be eligible to an upfront 1% processing fee deduction. This concession will be offered across all currently existing loan products, such as Working Capital, Asset Purchase, Bill Discounting, Line of Credit, and Supply Chain Financing.

HerVikas is available in the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and UT Puducherry, where Kinara Capital is currently operational with 110 branches.

About Kinara Capital

Kinara Capital disrupted small business lending in India by providing No Property Collateral loans within a week. By combining technology with doorstep customer service, Kinara Capital drives financial inclusion of MSMEs with fast and flexible loans up to Rs. 25 lakhs. Founder & CEO Hardika Shah has built a globally recognized fintech with a women-majority leadership and management team. Kinara Capital has disbursed over Rs. 1700 crores across 50,000 loans that has led to income generation, new job creation, and job sustenance. Recognized for its pioneering efforts in SME lending, Kinara Capital was conferred the Gold award as Bank of the Year-Asia 2019 by the IFC and the World Bank. Kinara Capital is qualified as a Systemically Important NBFC by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Headquartered in Bangalore, Kinara Capital has 110 branches across six states in India.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Launches Leadership Edition Innova Crysta

Highlights

* Pioneering the MPV segment in India for the last 15 years, the Innova has gained trust of over 9,00,000 customers since its launch in 2005
* Available with a 2.4L Diesel (BS6) engine mated to a 5 speed Manual Transmission, 7 seater configuration
^ The Leadership edition is attractively priced at Rs. 21,21,000 ex-showroom (Prices will be same across the country at ex-showroom level except in Kerala)

As a pioneer of the Indian MPV segment, Toyota Kirloskar Motor today fortified its position by launching the Limited Edition of its flagship MPV, Innova Crysta. Termed as Leadership Edition, the refreshed Innova Crysta has been introduced to commemorate 15 years of undisputed leadership of Innova in India and keeping in mind the ever-evolving customer needs and requirements, while promising to upkeep Toyota's legendary promise of delivering ever-better cars designed to enthrall customers. The enhanced Innova Crysta is a seamless union of spectacular design and unparalleled performance, promising a superior driving experience.

Launched in 2016, the Innova Crysta has been the undisputed leader in the MPV segment known for its luxurious features, comfort, safety and powerful performance. The enhanced Leadership Edition is a blend of effortless power and luxury, perfectly coupled with tasteful features crafted carefully. Available in exciting dual-tone exterior color - combination of White Pearl Crystal Shine with Attitude Black, and Wildfire Red with Attitude Black, the Leadership Edition of Innova Crysta is a true reflection of Innova’s unprecedented level of magnificence.

True to its unshakable reputation, the Leadership Edition of Innova Crysta is a result of careful craftsmanship that promises uncompromising performance, creating a new benchmark in performance and design coupled with luxury and class.

Commenting on the latest offering, Mr. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Innova Crysta became a household name in India for its phenomenal comfort, grandeur design and unmatched safety features. Thanks to our valued customers, it has been a runaway market leader in the MPV segment with over 50% segment share in the month of February 2020. Listening to our customers’ voice and continuously striving to offer ever better cars and services, we believe the Leadership Edition of Innova Crysta comes at an opportune time, enhancing the overall experience for our customers with an upgraded offering.

At Toyota, we pay utmost importance to customer’s evolving needs and always thrive to deliver a better, safer and smarter product. With the Leadership Edition of Innova Crysta, we are confident that our customers will enjoy this improved version which offers a host of exciting features tailored to meet the taste and preferences of our customers” he added.

The Innova often referred to as the segment creator, has maintained a leadership position since its launch in India way back in 2005, continuing to be the most preferred MPVs in the country. Toyota Kirloskar Motor continues to strive hard to bring a range of vehicles that lead the way in creating a world class driving experience.

LEAD Launches LEAD School@Home to Ensure Continued Learning in View of COVID-19

LEAD School, an integrated academic excellence system, with six owned and over 800 partner schools across India, will initiate LEAD School@Home program from Monday, March 16 to ensure continuity in learning for all its students. The measure has been taken in the wake of schools closures due to incidences of COVID-19 in the country.

With school closures in Delhi and Bengaluru and other state governments contemplating the same, the live online schooling is estimated to benefit over 3 lakh students in the coming days.

Under its program, LEAD School will conduct live online sessions for the unfinished portions of the curriculum. Given the integrated curriculum offered by LEAD School that combines technology and curriculum, a student from any class will essentially be able to pick up the lesson or chapter from where it was last taught in school before closure. This will help students pick up quickly and prepare for their exams without spending any extra time in redoing the entire lesson or unit.

Sumeet Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, LEAD School said, “We believe that continuity and integration of learning is vital to our goal of imparting quality education to our children. While schools may have to consider closing due to outbreak of COVID-19, LEAD School is supporting all its partner schools to ensure that students do not stop learning. Our integrated system allows us to know the unfinished units in each grade across all our schools and helps us serve up the modules as required online for course completion before exams.”

Additionally, students who are unable to attend live sessions will also have access to recorded sessions, which can be viewed as per their convenience.  The LEAD School Parent App will provide students with the homework and assessments to ensure that no part of learning is missed out until their schools resume.