Abbott Announces CE Mark and Availability of its COVID-19 Laboratory-Based Antibody Test in India

Highlights

* New European made antibody blood test will run on Abbott's ARCHITECT® i1000SR and i2000SR laboratory instruments and will expand to its Alinity i system
* Abbott will begin shipping to India by the end of May and will scale up to meet the demands subsequently.
* Test demonstrated specificity and sensitivity of greater than 99 percent 14 days or more after symptoms started

Abbott announced today it received CE Mark to the IVD Directive (98/79/EC) for its laboratory-based serology blood test for the detection of the antibody, IgG, that identifies if a person has had the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Antibody testing is an important next step to tell if someone has been previously infected. It will provide more understanding of the virus including how long antibodies stay in the body and if they provide immunity. This type of knowledge could help support the development of treatments and vaccines.

"Abbott has been singularly focused on bringing COVID-19 tests to market as quickly as possible to help address this pandemic," said Narendra Varde, General Manager and Country Head at Abbott’s diagnostics business in India. "We are proud to be providing our antibody tests in the coming weeks as they will help understand who has had the virus, leading to greater confidence as we get to living life.”

Antibody tests to expand testing

While molecular testing detects whether someone has the virus, antibody tests determine if someone was infected. Abbott's SARS-CoV-2 IgG test identifies the IgG antibody, which is a protein that the body produces in the late stages of infection and may remain up to months and possibly years after a person has recovered. The test demonstrated specificity and sensitivity to detect IgG antibodies of greater than 99 percent 14 days or more after symptoms started.

Abbott's IgG antibody test will initially be available on its ARCHITECT® i1000SR and i2000SR laboratory instruments.* ARCHITECT is one of the most widely used laboratory systems in the world and it's been used for decades. These instruments are in use in laboratories throughout India and can run up to 100-200 tests per hour.

Abbott is significantly scaling up its European manufacturing for antibody testing and will expand testing to its Alinity™ i system. Abbott will also be expanding its laboratory antibody testing to the detection of the antibody, IgM, in the near future.

About Abbott's Diagnostics Leadership

Abbott has long been a global leader in infectious disease testing, including the development of the first HIV test. The company created a Global Surveillance Program 25 years ago to monitor HIV and hepatitis viruses and identify mutations to ensure the company's tests remain up to date. Abbott also has a long-standing discovery program that identifies new or unknown pathogens and develops tests to address these new threats.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Hero Motocorp Gears Upto Restart Operations Manual Shared with Employees, Dealers and Vendors

“The health, safety and overall wellbeing of everyone in our large ecosystem has been the top priority for us at Hero MotoCorp. From the early onset of COVID-19, we have been proactive in our Business Continuity plan and this has helped us during the much-needed nationwide lockdown. It was our preemptive preparation that has kept us in good stead during these past 40 days.

“We are now ready to hit the ground sprinting as we commence the re-opening of our facilities. The wellbeing of the citizens continues to be our focus and the running of our economic engines is crucial to ensure their health and prosperity. With meticulous planning and enthusiasm, we are set to recommence operations. I am optimistic that business and the economy will begin the trajectory of its gradual recovery from here” says Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Hero MotoCorp.

Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, is rapidly gearing up to commence operations, as per the guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India.

The decision by the Company comes in the wake of the relaxations put in place by the government on the countrywide lockdown and the necessary permissions granted by the local authorities.

To begin with, Hero MotoCorp is commencing operations in a graded manner at three of its manufacturing plants – Gurugram and Dharuhera (both in Haryana), Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and additionally the Global Parts Center (GPC) at Neemrana in Rajasthan. These manufacturing plants reopen from today and production at these facilities will commence from Wednesday.

Only the essential staff will come to work at all the other facilities and corporate offices, observing social distancing and all prescribed safety measures. The remaining employees across all locations in India will continue to Work from Home (WFH) till further notice.

The Company’s other manufacturing plants have also obtained the necessary permissions to reopen and these will commence operations after most of the supply chain partners of the Company get the permissions to operate.

The Company’s R&D facility – the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) – has also received the necessary permission to reopen and will resume functioning soon.

Keeping employee wellbeing and safety at the core of restarting operations, a formal restart manual has been prepared and shared with all employees via email & webinars and its adherence has been made mandatory until full normalcy is restored.

Few key guidelines of the restart manual for employees include –

* Mandatory self-declaration of good health before joining and daily updates through Aarogya Setu and Hero App wherever applicable
* Wearing of face-masks, face shield, digital attendance through Hero App, regular sanitization of personal items, work-stations and maintaining social distancing
* No domestic or international travel, no celebratory or business gatherings
* No visitors allowed to visit Company premises, neither are employees allowed to visit vendor or dealer premises
* Thorough sanitization of all workplaces regularly, sanitization of buses, shuttles and other official vehicles after each trip 

* Mandatory WFH for

o   Employees above the age of 60
o   Any employee with critical medical conditions
o   Pregnant women

Hero MotoCorp proactively halted operations across its manufacturing facilities and made WFH mandatory for all its offices from March 22, 2020.

With the easing of restrictions in several parts of the country, most of the Company’s extensive customer touch-points, including dealerships, workshops and the secondary network, are expected to open gradually from today onwards.

A business restart manual has also been shared with all the dealer partners of the Company and they are restarting operations as per the government guidelines, after obtaining the necessary permissions from the local authorities.

In the month of April, there were no vehicles manufactured and dispatched to dealers. During this time, Hero MotoCorp - along with other Hero Group companies - has been engaged in a host of social welfare work, setting aside a corpus of Rs. 100 crores for the relief efforts towards COVID-19, including a contribution of Rs 50 crores to the PM-Cares fund.

In addition to donating over 2000 motorcycles to authorities, the Company has also been distributing meals, manufacturing and distributing sanitizers, face-masks, and developing engineering solutions for public safety. The Company continues to expand the scope of these initiatives.

Hero MotoCorp has also specially developed two-wheeler first responder vehicles and the production of 60 such vehicles will start this week. These vehicles will be distributed to the local authorities in the remote and inaccessible areas across the country.

Hero MotoCorp's COVID-19 Relief Work 

Initiative                                     Numbers till May 3, 2020

Meals Distributed till Date                     578,810 
Ration Kits Distributed till Date               8,447
Sanitizer Distributed till Date (Litres)        9,239
Protective Face-Masks Distributed till Date     689,100

Former Design Student of LISAA School Gives Free Masks to Needy

Global crises like pandemics are devastating, but they also spur unity and innovation. Various industries are coming together to fight against the  deadly virus COVID-19. Fashion design students are doing their fair share  by using their talents to design and sew face masks.

The World Health Organisation maintains that only those who are sick (coughing and sneezing) or taking care of a sick person should wear them, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised using “cloth face coverings” even if you are not sick.

Since DIY cloth masks can do the job,  Ila Tempus, one of the former fashion design students of LISAA School of Design in Bengaluru have taken initiative to make masks for the public. Illa has been crafting hundreds of face masks .

She provides free masks to local workers who can't afford it, for every three masks that are bought by people who can afford it.

Ila Tempus said, “We wanted to help people in any way possible. We partnered with our tailoring head and decided on creating 100% cotton 2-ply reusable tailored masks which were recommended by various health departments around the world. We made sure to keep a sterile environment and have a series of procedures in place to avoid the virus and create the products safely. Medical shops were running out of masks, and we knew we had to develop the next best thing. “

“There was less than 28% waste generated while the masks were being made, this 28% will be further recycled into new fabrics after the lockdown ends,” she further added.

SMEs/ MSMEs and Rural Agriculture Reforms Needed to Uplift the Economic Slowdown

India's unemployment rate hit 26% and 14 crore people lost employment as per CMIE data released recently. This is the single largest blow to the economy, thanks to prolonged lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, and greatest and gravest threat to the demographic dividend that is (was) our strongest point. Against this background, if any sector can help mitigate it to a great extent, it is the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) along with the agriculture sector. 

In context to the same, Mr. Sandip Chhettri, COO, TradeIndia says, "MSMEs contribute to 29 per cent of GDP in the country and employs over 12 crore people. MSME businesses are usually a month-to-month operation, with little reserves for the future. A disruption like this might just mean restarting everything. The biggest worry is, of course, a liquidity crunch, followed by a disrupted supply chain, labour availability and regulatory issues that have affected the MSME sector.Government must look at providing loans to cover wages, suspension of contributions to employee’s provident fund and Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for six months. And must clawback of GST that has already been paid.  They also much look at  creating liquidity by clearing dues from government departments, public sector undertakings, GST refunds and fast-track the process of tax refunds MSME must be given easier access to bank loans, especially at low rates, with help from the state and central governments"

Similarly, Mr. Amith Agarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, AgriBazaar shares, "The government’s push to bring maximum farmers online for their agri-purchase and crop selling is a decisive move. Any government policy like agri-produce insurance that guarantees the farmer that his crop will get purchased by the government at a fair price will be in line with India’s ensuring its long-term food sufficiency policy. In the ensuing season, farmers should get liberal financial assistance to purchase seeds, fertilizers and other agri-inputs so that they don’t waste one entire crop-cycle.Second, though a bold move, the government should ensure agri-tech start-ups enjoy ‘zero Income tax’ status similar to agriculture income. By recognizing agri-tech start-ups in the same line as agriculture, the government will spur deep investments and innovation in this sector. Today, the only solution to India’s agri woes is localized technology interventions that are relevant for the small farm owner or agri-landholder. Farm sector should be treated as a priority sector not only by banks but across regulators like credit rating agencies."

He further adds, "Once agri-start-ups start to benefit from the government similar to agriculture income, it will open up serious investment opportunities. The larger goal of food security, self-reliance in crop production and minimizing our food import bill will get automatically addressed through this measure. In a post COVID19 world, agri-tech should be used to restart the agri-economy in a fast-track manner"

TechGig Collaborates with Google Cloud to Launch Cloud DevJam

Today, TechGig in collaboration with Google Cloud launched the Cloud DevJam, an interactive upskilling online program designed to help Indian IT professionals enhance their cloud-based skills and apply knowledge to advance their professional careers. The program has been designed to enable developers to build their skills while at home during the current scenario.

Cloud DevJam program participants can build their expertise around an array of Google cloud Platform (GCP) skills including Core Infrastructure, Data & Machine Learning, Application Development and more. With live interactive sessions led by Google Cloud experts, developers can apply and test their knowledge through multiple choice question tests, hands-on labs, hackathons, and other skill-tests. Every participant of the program will also have the opportunity to validate their knowledge by applying and completing their Google Cloud certification. With points to be earned with each activity, developers can earn the recognition of ‘Cloud DevJam Champions’ at the end of the program.

Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “The COVID-19 outbreak, and the social lockdown, has made it critically important for everyone to remain updated with the newer technologies. Today, the digital frontier - led by the cloud-based technologies - is driving most initiatives in all the sectors. I am glad that at such juncture, TechGig - in collaboration with Google Cloud - is launching ‘Cloud DevJam’, a unique opportunity for the technologists to explore, learn and upskill on the Google Cloud Platform. This program has been curated to help the developers learn and understand the fundamentals of Google Cloud and advance their skills in the process. I welcome all the IT professionals to participate in the ‘Cloud DevJam’ hackathons and skill-based contests and showcase their innovative ideas”.

Karan Bajwa, Managing Director, Google Cloud India said, “One thing that recent events has made clearer than ever is the importance for organisations and tech talent to be digital-first and cloud-ready. The Cloud DevJam is unique because it’s been conceptualized to enable developers to build their knowledge while at home, and companies will need to call on their skills in the immediate and long term to ensure business agility, resilience and overall competitiveness.”

Getting started
Interested participants can visit Cloud DevJam (https://www.techgig.com/googlecloud) to register and join the learning journey that best suits them.

Hyundai Motor, Mobis Implement & Emphasize on Customer & Employee Safety as Top Priority with Dealers

Key Points

* Issued Detailed Guidelines for Showroom & Workshop Environment, Dealership Employees, Contactless Sales, Delivery and Service to ensure safety of Customers and Dealership Staff
* Hygiene and Sanitization check list of ‘High Touch Points’ at all Dealerships and service workshops
* Hyundai Motor India and Mobis India Limited, Part of Hyundai Motor Group will dispatch 6.8 lakh masks (3-Ply, N-90 & N-95) as well as 20,000 half litre & 1.5 lakh 100 ml cases of Sanitizers for consumers, sales, service and backend staff at all Dealerships

Hyundai Motor India Ltd., country’s first Smart Mobility Solutions Provider and the largest exporter since inception, has set Customer and Employee Safety as Top Priority with the announcement of a comprehensive list of measures, aimed at ensuring Dealership Preparedness to meet the highest levels of sanitation and hygiene across all its Showrooms and Workshops.

Commenting on the development, Mr SS Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd., said, “The Safety and Well Being of our Customers and Employees is Paramount. With the evolving situation, we must adapt ourselves for the future. Under the umbrella of the ‘Hyundai Cares’ initiative, we are geared up to meet these challenges with sufficient measures that will Enhance Customer Confidence while also ensuring a Safe Showroom & Workshop Environment for Customers and Employees. Our carefully thought out initiatives will encompass all ownership aspects of Hyundai Cars for New & Existing Customers.”

Under the ambit of the ‘Hyundai Cares’ initiative, HMI has laid down guidelines to be followed at its Dealerships across India that encompass all facets of customer interactions from their arrival to departure at Showrooms and Workshops. This will include Display car & Test Drive car preparedness, Customer Lounge & Washrooms sanitization (showroom & workshop), Delivery process of New car & Serviced car, Contactless Demonstration and servicing. To ensure the safety of facilities are not compromised, scheduled sanitization drives are planned and for various customer touch points, regular sanitization contingencies have been established along with thermal screening of employees and visitors.

HMI is simultaneously conducting large scale trainings to ensure all Employees / stakeholders are well informed and work towards the maintenance of a Healthy Dealership Ambience for Customers and fellow employees. To assist Dealerships, Hyundai Motor India and Mobis India Limited, Part of Hyundai Motor Group will dispatch 6.8 lakh masks (3-Ply, N-90 & N-95) as well as 20,000 half litre and 1.5 lakh 100 ml cases of Sanitizers for consumers, sales, service and backend staff for their own and others safety. Hyundai has maintained its lead by achieving rank No. 1 in the 2019 JD Power Sales Satisfaction Index and Customer Satisfaction Index. We will continue to exceed customer expectations by offering peace of mind with the thorough guidelines & protocols in place.

Customers can also opt for remote car demonstrations through online video conferencing application with Sales Consultants at Dealerships. Further, with Hyundai’s Click-to-Buy Integrated end-to-end online car sales website, customers can buy a brand new Hyundai Car online with minimal physical contact, minimal paperwork and home delivery options. For customer convenience, they can opt to have a Sales Consultant assist them in the process at any point in the entire online purchase journey.

Hyundai is also offering customers its 360 Digital Service & Contact-less Service Experience, through which customers can book a service appointment online through the Hyundai Care app, WhatsApp, Hyundai Website or a call to Dealers. Further, customers will receive digital updates through WhatsApp and can also make online payments. Customers will receive enhanced convenience with extended working hours, can avail courtesy car facility and also have their cars picked up and delivered at their doorstep (6 High Touch Points to be sanitized at the time of pick-up and delivery). 

Rooter Raises Pre-Series A Round of $1.7 Mn Led by Paytm, leAD Sports, Rockstud Capital and Founder Bank Capital

India’s biggest sports community platform, Rooter, has raised a Pre-series A round of $1.7 mn. The key investors in this round include India's leading financial services platform Paytm, leAD Sports- Adidas Family backed Fund, Rockstud Capital, and Founder Bank Capital- early stage arm of RB Investments. Anthill Ventures, Venture Catalysts, and a few more current angel investors also participated in the round.

Rooter is also entering into a strategic partnership with Paytm First Games where both companies will collaborate to grow the Cricket, Fantasy Sports, Esports and Gaming ecosystem by creating seamless integration across gaming and content.

The fresh round of funding will be used to grow Rooter’s user base over the next one year and capitalizing on the company’s upcoming Esports & gaming content and communities. This will add a new dimension to the unique positioning of Rooter which already has a very high engagement around its sports content. The new content strategy will also allow Rooter to launch user monetization channels, in addition to current advertising monetization, with gifting economy working very well for many content-based startups in the country.

Rooter, which literally means a Sports Fan, was founded by Piyush and Dipesh Agarwal in 2016. Its core objective is to connect fans with each other, thereby building a strong community. The platform was largely built around Live Sports Gaming during its early days before it pivoted to content in 2019. Today, it has cemented its stance as the only Indian Sports Platform, which comprises sports content developed by users and professionals with a user base of more than 8 million.

Rooter is also the only Indian Sports start-up to ever get selected by leAD Sports Accelerator amongst more than 220 companies that applied from India so far. The brand completed the program in 2018 and later secured its first funding from leAD in 2019. Rooter has raised over a million dollars in funding so far through Venture Catalysts, Bollywood actor Boman Irani, Anthill ventures, and other marquee investors.

Commenting on the development, Piyush, Founder and CEO of Rooter, said, “We started Rooter with the objective of creating a sports fan community and we are glad our pivot to content has found a strong product-market fit. Our engagement metrics and user growth have been excellent in the last two quarters. We are excited to onboard Paytm, who aside from their investment, will also integrate Rooter into Paytm and Paytm First Games while we will work with them to be the biggest source of user content in sports and gaming. We also welcome Rockstud Capital and Founder Bank Capital as investors in Rooter.”

Sudhanshu Gupta, COO Paytm First Games said, "We continue to grow our content offerings through gaming and the addition of Rooter's communities and user-generated content will further enhance the use cases available on our platform. In the coming months, we will add more interactive content around Fantasy sports, Esports, and games while bringing benefits of the Paytm ecosystem to Rooter."

Rockstud Capital Investment Fund is a SEBI-registered Cat-II AIF that invests in listed equities as well as startups at Pre-Series A stage. Their investments include Everest Fleet, Cubical Labs & Noida-based Smartvizx. New Delhi based Ahlawat and Associates are the legal counsel for Rooter on this deal.