SEEDS Joins Fights Against COVID-19, Activates Action in 7 States

SEEDS in partnership with Government of India and state governments of Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttarakhand in India is reaching out to the most economically vulnerable people. The humanitarian organisation specialising in building resilience among communities is actively working in close coordination with the administration at various levels in each region to respond to the physical health, mental health and economic impacts of the pandemic.

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected more than 195 countries. India with confirmed 562 cases and 9 deaths as of yesterday according to the data reported by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is facing spike in the situation too. Daily wage earners with marginal savings have temporarily lost their jobs and are unable to access food and essential items to sustain themselves. Evidence shows that adults aged 60 years and older or those with chronic medical conditions seem to be at highest risk of complications and fatality rates. The elderly in old-age homes or living by themselves without adequate support systems face acute challenges.

SEEDS is committed in reaching out and supporting these invisible individuals – the elderly, children, and frontline health workers of the communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak in their time of need. The response appeal has been launched towards rapid de-escalation of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 with focus on:

Financial and essential services support to the daily wage earners
Support to district administration for complementing and supplementing public health systems
Supply of hygiene kits and food rations to marginalised families, old age homes and orphanages
Support to Government for establishment of temporary quarantine facilities, where needed

Join hands with SEEDS as your contribution can help save lives and help contain the spread on this critical and potentially fatal disease. Donate now and spread the word at http://www.seedsindia.org/covid19/

Together, this pandemic can be fought by making sure the most vulnerable among us are protected.

About SEEDS:

SEEDS (Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society) is a not-for-profit organisation that enables community resilience through practical solutions in the areas of disaster readiness, response and rehabilitation. Since 1994, the organization has worked extensively on every major disaster in the Indian subcontinent – grafting innovative technology on to traditional wisdom. It has reached out to families affected by disasters and climate stresses; strengthened and rebuilt schools and homes; and has invariably put its faith in skill-building, planning and communications to foster long-term resilience. SEEDS is also India’s first agency to be certified for the global Core Humanitarian Standards – an international certification system for quality and accountability in humanitarian response. SEEDS completed 25 years of outstanding service to humanity in 2019 and is re-anchoring its approach to building resilience through innovation. It continues to empower the most vulnerable across Asia to build a better future.

Five Students of LISAA Design Celine Dion's Red Carpet Dress Replica

5 Final Year Fashion Students of LISAA School of Design, a premier fashion school have designed Red Carpet dress worn by Canadian Pop Singer , Celine Dion .

The name of the design students are Parnika, Vidushi, Athira, Smriti and Kritika . These students were given a certificate of appreciation by the institute and the cost of the fabric was covered by the institute itself.

“Being teamed up with classmates made it both fun and efficient. We were able to strategically use each one's refined skill and accomplish the task.” says Parnika.

“The brains of some, the patience, sensibility and neatness of the others had enabled the division of work to be very simple.  Everyone knew their part and there was no need to worry about the outcome,” adds Vidushi, Final Year Student.

Athira further adds, “Moreover, all of us adored the design and hence put wholesome effort to ensure that our version of it would be just as elegant and charming as the original.”

“Right from figuring the construction and patterns multiple times, to choosing the fabric, to dealing with the length and bulk of the garment, which although seemed simple, had been quite challenging,” recounts Smriti, Final Year Student.

“This task also enabled us to learn the intricacies of haute couture, which is essential with our upcoming individual couture collections. We managed to do our job, whilst having an overwhelming experience, making it an endeavor we shall all always remember,” says Kritika , Final Year Student .

The teachers of the Pattern Making Department who helped out the students in re-creating the dress said,
'Through our years of experience ,each time re-creation project brings in new surprise and challenges to out do the past work.
Huge volume requires meterage from 30 to 250 meters , manipulating such scale is not only cumbersome but to validate a new beginning.'

Avi Keswani, Founder & Director, LISAA School of Design says, “It was an assignment part of the curriculum known as the Re-creation project to understand the importance of Haute Couture and how to replicate phenomenal couture designs of iconic designers. It took our students  about 1.5 months to complete this entire garment as a group project .The materials used were satin and  the technique of boning was used for corset.”

Electronics Production has Potential to Reach Upto US$260 Billion and Generate 1 Crore Jobs to IT Sector: EMD Report

India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier Industry Body committed to the development of a vibrant Indian Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem and evangelizing the dream of ‘Make in India’ a reality has released the ESDM report today in collaboration with Frost & Sullivan. The report aims to provide definitive strategic direction to the ESDM ecosystem by assessing the current trends and providing strategic advice to accelerate growth and local value addition.

As a voice of the industry, IESA has been at the forefront in highlighting the heavy import bill in the ESDM sector and need to building strength in the domestic manufacturing value chain – with the focus to develop scale of domestic design and manufacturing companies. India’s dependency on imports for its electronic product needs, from smart phones to super computers has seen an exponential rise. IESA presented the ESDM report today, to capture the current status, map the trends and create opportunities to work closely with the industry, government and research institutes to promote electronics products & manufacturing in India.

The current COVID-19 crisis has again highlighted the need to have a strong and robust electronics research and manufacturing ecosystem in the country as intelligent electronics forms the backbone of all strategic sectors like healthcare, security, defence, transportation, financial inclusion and agriculture etc.

The key sectors covered in the report include Electronics Product Market, Electronics Component Market, Electronics Design Market, Electronic Systems Market and Electronics Manufacturing Services Market. The product segments that were looked at are Mobile Phones, Notebooks, CCTVs, FPD TVs, Led Lighting, Engine Control Unit, Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (GPON) & Energy Meters/ Smart Meters.

The key findings of the report:

Electronics Market is a sunshine market. Indian market has grown at a CAGR of 14% from 2016-19 and is expected to accelerate at a CAGR of 16.6% between 2020-25.
Electronics production currently contributes 3.3% to the economy. It will grow to US$320 Bn by 2025. With additional measures, It has potential to reach US$410 Bn, which will be 8.2% of US$ 5Tn India’s GDP target by 2025
Boost in ESDM manufacturing as a result of the massive capacity expansion can generate 1cr jobs providing an alternate source of employment to IT sector
Currently 50% of US$134 Bn of total Electronics products Demand is imported. By 2025, the total product Demand will reach to US$368 Bn, however, import can reduce to 29%, saving US$76 Bn of foreign exchange
IESA has set an ambitious target to play a catalyst in incubating 1000 Electronics Product and Fabless start-ups which will create 1,000 IPRs, generate business worth INR 1,000 crore and create 10 lakh jobs over next five years.
Jitendra Chaddah (JC), Chairman, IESA & Senior Director, Strategy & Operations, Intel India added, “With the goal of making India a hub for Electronics Design and Manufacturing, IESA has been working with the government, academia and industry players to suggest, influence and execute multiple strategies for the electronics and semiconductor industry. The IESA ESDM 2020 report is an attempt to project the needs of the electronics market and the steps to be taken to meet the demand and growth of the industry. The demand for electronics products is fast growing in the country and this sector will contribute significantly to the country’s GDP and the digital economy. The report underlines the importance of strengthening the design capabilities through research and IP development, promoting innovation in electronics product development across states in India, and enhancing value addition in the electronics manufacturing, through incentives.”

While presenting the ESDM report, Dr. Satya Gupta, Vice Chairman, IESA & CEO, Seedeyas Innovation said, “A strong partnership between industry and government is vital, in creating an ecosystem for the fabless start-ups and electronics products companies. This should not just focus on the indigenous market and substitute imports but focus on driving exports by the next five years. We are proposing the creation of $1Bn billion ESDM Innovation fund, move to high-value manufacturing through global partnerships and creation of the National Institute for Semiconductor & Electronics Research (NISER). We are envisaging the creation of National Electronics Mission on the similar lines of ISRO for spearheading all these activities and for making India a design led manufacturing hub for the world.”

Key Strategic Recommendations

The Industry has the potential to
Increase GDP contribution from present 3.4% to 8.2% in 2025
Create 1Cr Job Opportunities (Direct & Indirect)
$60B - $100B Reduction of imports
Creation of Electronics Products for New Use Cases
Medical, Agriculture, Defense, 5G or 6G, AI-ML, Automation, EV
Convert Semiconductor Design Talent to Fabless Product Companies

Recommendations:
Incentivize Training, Internship, IP Creation by Design Companies
Create $1B seed fund for 1K-10K-100K Start-up Program
100 Fabless companies; 900 Electronics Product Companies
Geographic Inclusion of all States & UTs for Innovation in Electronics
Incentivize Setting up ATMP, Display, LED & Power Electronics Fab
Make PLI Incentives link to Percentage of Domestic Value add
Setup National Institute of Semiconductor & Electronics Research (NISER)
On the Lines of IMEC, Belgium
Creation of National Electronics Mission: On the lines of ISRO

About India Electronics and Semiconductor Association: India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) is the premier industry body committed to the development of a vibrant Indian Semiconductor and Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem representing both domestic and multinational enterprises. IESA has been actively involved in evangelizing the dream of establishing ‘Brand India’ that is recognized worldwide as a go-to destination for Intelligent Electronics. The vision of IESA is to Make India the global hub for design-led manufacturing in Intelligent Electronics through continued partnership with the Industry, Government and Academia in

the Country and Global markets. IESA is working towards promoting Make-in-India & Designed in India products for the global markets, through publishing credible data, networking events and nurturing alliances. IESA works closely with the Government as a knowledge partner on the sector, both at the centre and state level. For more details, visit www.iesaonline.org

Medtronic Shares Ventilation Design Specs to Accelerate Efforts to Increase Ventilator Production

Medtronic plc, the global leader in medical technology, has announced it is publicly sharing the design specifications for the Puritan Bennett 560 (PB 560) to enable participants across industries to evaluate options for rapid ventilator manufacturing to help doctors and patients dealing with COVID-19. This decision is consistent with the recent FDA Guidance and in accordance with the public health and medical response of governmental agencies globally.

Introduced in 2010, the PB 560 is sold in 35 countries around the world. This ventilator’s ability to be used in a range of care settings, as well as its technology and design, make it a solid ventilation solution for manufacturers, inventors, start-ups, and academic institutions seeking to quickly ramp up ventilator design and production. PB 560 product and service manuals, design requirement documents, manufacturing documents, and schematics are now available at Medtronic.com/openventilator. The PB 560 design specifications are available today, software code and other information will follow shortly.

The PB 560 ventilator is a compact, lightweight, and portable ventilator that provides airway support for both adults and children. It can be used in clinical settings and at home and provides mobile respiratory support.

“Medtronic recognizes the acute need for ventilators as life-saving devices in the management of COVID-19 infections. We know this global crisis needs a global response. Over the past few weeks, we have ramped up production of our Puritan Bennett™ 980 ventilators. But we also know we can do more, and we are,” said Bob White, executive vice president and president of the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group at Medtronic. “By openly sharing the PB 560 design information, we hope to increase global production of ventilator solutions for the fight against COVID-19.”

Ventilators play a critical role in the management of patients with severe respiratory illness, such as COVID-19, who require assistance because they cannot breathe effectively. By placing a patient on a ventilator, the patient’s lungs are permitted to rest and recover while the ventilator performs the functions of supplying oxygen and simulating the actions of breathing. Without ventilation support, some patients with severe respiratory disease might not survive.

About Medtronic

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies – alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

Zscaler Appoints Sudip Banerjee as Director of Transformation Strategy for Asia Pacific and Japan

Zscaler, the leader in cloud security has appointed  Sudip Banerjee as the Director of Transformation Strategy Asia Pacific and Japan.  Based in Mumbai, Banerjee joins Zscaler with more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry and will be responsible for supporting customers with transforming their on-premise network and security stack to the cloud.

Most recently, Banerjee was Group Chief Technology Officer at Reliance Capital where he was responsible for implementing Digital transformation and large IT initiatives across diverse businesses spanning Lending, Insurance, and Asset management.  Prior, he spent ten years at Reliance General Insurance in several roles, including Chief Risk & Technology Officer as well as Chief Operating Officer.  He was also previously Vice President – IT at GE Money and SAP Consultant at PwC. He was also previously Vice President – IT at GE Money and SAP Consultant at PwC.

“Sudip brings to the table domain expertise in the financial services industry combined with deep dive experience in driving digital transformation programs, public cloud SaaS adoption and rearchitecting network infrastructure for enhanced user productivity and improved security posture,” said Scott Robertson, Vice President Asia Pacific and Japan, Zscaler.  “As our first ever Director of Transformation Strategy for Asia Pacific, Sudip brings exceptional regional market knowledge to Zscaler as well as experience with cloud IT deployments, both of which make him an ideal executive to support customers.

Sudip Banerjee said, “Zscaler delivers a winning formula for the region with leading cloud-based security solutions, a strong channel structure and proven expertise in helping businesses in Asia Pacific boost their cyber security.  I’m looking forward to working with customers to assist  Zscaler in helping our customers drive competitive advantage at a time when we’ve seen additional risk from cyber criminals in the wake of coronavirus as well as nation state activity and potential vulnerabilities in working from home among employees working for companies who may not  have the IT infrastructure to handle a large remote workforce.”

Paytm Revamps UI with Stay at Home Essential Payments; Launches COVID-19 Information Centre

Highlights

* Streamlines recharge, utility, credit card, insurance premium, groceries & medicines payments
* Launches Information Centre with social media feeds of the government, health authorities and various ministers providing verified information instantly
* Introduces COVID-19 self-assessment scanning in association with Apollo 24/7

In a bid to make consumers life simpler during the lockdown, Paytm, India’s largest digital payments and financial services company have revamped its app UI with a 'Stay at home Essential payments'. The platform has streamlined payments such as mobile & DTH recharge, electricity, water, gas, credit card, insurance premium among others which millions of Indians are now conveniently paying from their home.

Paytm has also introduced an 'Information and Help centre' on its app under its #IndiaFightsCorona section to offer verified information directly from the government bodies and health authorities. It features their twitter feed along with important helpline numbers. This section has a COVID-19 self-assessment scanning powered by Apollo 24/7 developed on the basis of guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. While this scan cannot be taken as expert medical advice, it helps people to understand if someone is potentially at risk of suffering from the virus. It asks a set of questions to give a user an idea of how much at risk can they be from the virus.

Amit Veer, Sr. Vice President - Paytm said, "Our team has taken work from home as an opportunity to understand how we can help our fellow countrymen. We have revamped the Paytm app so that people can easily spot the essential payments icon and do not have to step out of home & take a risk of getting infected. We have also introduced an Information & Help Centre on COVID-19 so that people do not fall prey to ‘unsubstantiated information being circulated on social media or chat groups. With the help of our self-assessment tool, users can check their risk factor towards this virus and take the necessary precautions to remain safe.”

The company is also seeking contributions for PM CARES (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund) on the Paytm app. It is aiming to contribute Rs. 500 crore to the relief fund. For every contribution or any other payment made on Paytm using the wallet, UPI and Paytm Bank debit card, the company will contribute an extra upto Rs 10. The PM CARES Fund is exempt under the Income Tax Act, 1961 under Section 10 and 139 for return purposes. Contributions towards PM-CARES are notified for 100 percent deduction from taxable income under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Airtel and Juggernaut Announce "FREE Access to Thousands of e-Books" on Juggernaut Books

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telco enabled FREE access to thousands of titles on its e-books platform – Juggernaut Books (formerly known as Airtel Books) for all its customers.

As India stays at home to support the Government’s efforts to contain the spread of #COVID-19, readers can now access thousands of top books and novels on Juggernaut Books (formerly known as Airtel Books) for FREE by simply downloading the app (Android/iOS) on their smartphones.

Says Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel, “In these unprecedented times, Airtel and Juggernaut are trying to make sure that people have more options to stay engaged as they observe social distancing. And what’s better than getting back to reading. At Airtel, we will continue to innovate and bring exciting digital content to customers across our platforms.” 

Adds Chiki Sarkar, Co-Founder, Juggernaut Books said: “We set up juggernaut to find a new kind of reading and a new kind of reader for a changing India. That’s why we felt very strongly about doing something original and imaginative with the coronavirus and the country going in lockdown and people spending more time on their screens.”

Juggernaut Books offers e-books and novels across a wide range of genres – love and romance, business, history and politics, fitness, diet, spirituality and classics.

Top titles on Juggernaut Books include:

    •   The CEO Factory by Sudhir Sitapati
    •   Bottle of Lies by Katherine Eban
    •   Early Indians by Tony Joseph
    •   Mind Without Fear by Rajat Gupta
    •   Pyjamas are Forgiving by Twinkle Khanna
    •   12 Week Fitness Project by Rujuta Diwekar
    •   Kohinoor by William Dalrymple
    •   Century is not Enough by Sourav Ganguly
    •   Good Economics by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo

Airtel acquired a strategic stake in Juggernaut in 2017 and is committed to expanding the reach of this fast growing digital publishing platform. Juggernaut has recently launched a path breaking campaign #readinstead with the aim to push people into reading. It is also organizing an innovative online literary festival as part of its efforts to promote reading. The online lit fest will see participation from Juggernaut’s top authors.

As part of its content portfolio, Airtel also offers over 10,000 movies and shows plus LIVE TV to its customers on Airtel Xstream app and over 4 million songs and curated music on Wynk Music.