Nutanix Announces Promotion of Christian Alvarez to Head of Worldwide Channels Organization

Nutanix, a leader in enterprise cloud computing, today announced that it has promoted Christian Alvarez to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Channels effective immediately. As the worldwide channel and partner sales leader, Alvarez will have oversight of the strategic direction of Nutanix’s channel partner ecosystem, fostering strategic relationships and developing global sales and distribution programs for value-added resellers (VARs), distributors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), global system integrators (GSIs), and Telco/XSP partners.

“Nutanix has aligned the right resources, investments and expertise behind its award-winning product portfolio, enabling our partners to add new services and expand their market share to drive accretive revenue streams,” said Alvarez. “I am honoured to lead Nutanix’s worldwide partner organization through our next phase of growth while helping our partners improve profitability with professional, managed and cloud services. The opportunity ahead of us continues to be vast as we carefully adapt to today’s unprecedented market dynamics.”

Alvarez is an effective and accomplished channel leader with extensive experience developing impactful multinational strategies that directly support business objectives. He brings over two decades of experience to his role. He joined Nutanix in September 2019 as Vice President of Channel Sales in the Americas to lead the team in that region. He was appointed interim Head of Worldwide Partner Sales in February 2020. Since then, Alvarez has elevated Nutanix’s overall partner sales and go-to-market programs to deliver greater business outcomes for customers and partners. As the COVID-19 pandemic struck global teams and the enterprise moved to the home, Nutanix VDI became paramount across the globe. Alvarez helped lead the roll-out for partners of new solutions and offerings to help partners in the trenches deploy technology for end-users faster and more simply, including FastTrack for VDI and Xi Frame Test Drive. He also led the development of the Nutanix Special Financial Assistance Program to offer immediate financial support to partners by helping to alleviate cash flow concerns and increasing financing flexibility.

“Christian is an innovator, strategic thinker spearheading new offerings and contributing to collaboration across the organization,” said Chris Kaddaras, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Nutanix. “As the channel is going through digital transformation for cloud, Nutanix is one of the only multi-cloud, multi-product companies carrying the torch. Christian is ideally suited to execute on our global mission to help both our partners and customers adapt to and enable virtual work.”

Alvarez will continue to lead Channel Sales for the Americas region until a new leader is appointed.

Vestige Expands Health and Wellness Portfolio, Launches ‘Vestige Prime Metamind’ Chewable Tablets

Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd., one of India’s leading direct selling companies that provides health, wellness, and hygiene products has launched Vestige Prime Metamind chewable tablets. It contains FDA GRAS recognised vegetarian ingredients Phosphatidylserine and Ferric Saccharate that improves cognitive health.

According to a recent study conducted by Vestige, 70% respondents also said that modern diet was not enough and additional supplements were necessary to boost brain health.

The decline in the attention span of human being is a matter of great concern as expectations are at an all time high from children above 12 years and working professionals in the 21st century. They need smart learning abilities, ability to concentrate for long hours, improve cognitive skills and prompt brain processing to perform and thrive in today’s competitive world.

Vestige Prime Metamind with Phosphatidylserine (PS) as a key ingredient acts as the right food for the brain that makes crucial contribution to the structure and functioning of the nerve cells. It plays a key role in improving 'cell to cell' communication, information transfer, signalling, etc.

The phosphatidylserine in Metamind helps to reduce the risk of dementia and improves memory recognition and recall in the elderly. For Students it improves concentration, enhances memory, increases attention, improves learning and helps in stress management. This is besides improving executive functions, focus, alertness and recall among working professionals.

Phosphatidylserine authorized as a novel food in Europe, and approved in Australia, Canada, and China, is a natural nutrient that can be found in our food chain and exists in mother’s milk. However, modern diet contains low levels of Phosphatidylserine making it important to get daily dose of the same to make up for its deficiency in our diet. Ferric Saccharate carries oxygen to the brain and provides synergistic effect along with Phoshatidylserine.

Commenting on the launch Mr Gautam Bali, MD, Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd.said, “It is an exciting time for the healthcare and dietary supplement market in India which according to TechSciResearch study is expected to reach US$ 308 Billion by 2022. The segment is witnessing strong demand backed by growing acceptance for health supplements among consumers who now has understood the fact that physical and mental health are both co-existent.”

He further added, “We identified this need to boost cognitive health of customers across age groups and decided to introduce it into the market. This has been possible due to Vestige’s single-minded focus on bringing health and wellness products for customers backed by strong research and development capabilities.  The development and the subsequent launch across India in record time is a testament to innovative and passionate teams of Vestige who are committed to bring best in class products to boost health and wellbeing of customers.”

Nutrition plays an important role in strengthening and maintaining a proper immune function. A strong immune system helps the body battle the viruses and bacteria that cause infection or disease, including COVID-19.

Vestige is also witnessing exemplary demand for its nutrition products spurred by growing inclination for nutritional supplement among consumers amidst COVID-19 outbreak. Company’s strong product portfolio in the health supplement segment consists primarily of Vestige Prime Krill Oil, Vestige Prime Combiotics and Vestige Prime Seabuckthorn.

Vestige distributors can place order for the Vestige Prime Metamind through Vestige mobile app and e-commerce site - shop.myvestige.com. 

ICICI Bank Stands in Solidarity with Karnataka Government to Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

Details

* Provides protective equipment to district administrations, municipal corporations and police forces
* The list includes 66,000 surgical masks, 2,300 litres of sanitisers and 52,500 gloves

ICICI Bank stands in solidarity with the Government of Karnataka by providing protective equipment to the state government, hospitals and police forces for their tireless efforts to safeguard citizens of the state in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

ICICI Bank is working actively with the authorities on this front. The Bank has donated protective equipment like 66,000 of three-ply surgical masks, 2,300 litres sanitisers, 52,500 gloves and 15,000 kg of bleaching powder to the Deputy Commissioners of Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Chitradurga and Udupi among others. This initiative is part of the Bank’s nation-wide drive of contributing various protective gears to aid the front-liners to combat the pandemic.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Saurabh Singh, Head- Government Banking, ICICI Bank said, “ICICI Group has a legacy of supporting the development of the nation as well as providing support in times of natural calamities and disasters. Taking this legacy forward, we are standing in solidarity with various state governments, police departments and health professionals in their tireless efforts to treat and safeguard citizens of the country in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Our support to the various authorities in Karnataka is part of these activities.

The doctors treating the COVID-19 suspects / patients and the police and paramilitary forces managing orderly implementation of the lockdown are at the frontline of this combat. We have focussed our efforts to reach out to the government hospitals and the forces in the state. Despite supply chain challenges, we are providing them supplies in the form of sanitisers, surgical masks, N95 masks, gloves, personal protection equipment, etc. We are also providing equipment like thermal scanners and non-invasive category ventilators.“

Havmor Ice Cream Partners with Dunzo for Delivery Services in 8 Cities

Havmor, one of India’s leading ice-cream brands has partnered with on-demand e-commerce platform, Dunzo, to deliver its range of ice cream products to the consumers. It has been launched as “Havmor Ice-Cream Xpress” store on the Dunzo delivery app. The delivery service is being operationalised in 8 cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai and Pune in the next few days.

Keeping in mind the current shift of consumers’ preference towards home consumption, the brand has associated with the online delivery platform, Dunzo, to ensure smooth delivery of the products. Havmor being a consumer-driven brand wants to deliver a lot of happiness and joy to its consumers through its products.

Consumers will have the option of over 35 of Havmor’s award-winning products to choose from and order. The list includes bestselling products such as Cookie and Cream, Mango Magic, Zulubar, Matka Kulfi, Nutty Belgian Dark Chocolate, Sandwich Ice Cream, American Nuts, Black Forest Ice cream cake, Alphonso Mango, Cookie Cream, Butter Scotch to name a few. Other than this, products from Havmor parlours will also be available. The brand is also working towards creating an exclusive range for the consumers of Havmor’s online channel which will be specifically available on Dunzo. The ordered products will be collected by a Dunzo delivery partner from Havmor’s delivery locations in each city and will be delivered to the consumers taking all precautionary safety and hygiene measures as advised by the Government of India.

Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Anindya Dutta, MD, Havmor Ice-cream said, “In this current scenario, it is imperative that we reach out to the consumers directly to their homes and Dunzo is a great platform to be associated with. It allows us to ensure that consumers can order their favourite ice creams from home and Dunzo delivers it and hands it safely right to their doorsteps.”

Kabeer Biswas, CEO & Co-Founder, Dunzo said, “These are extraordinary times and delivery partners like Dunzo partners are braving the streets to ensure the city’s essential needs are met. During this time, we are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of our users, partners, and merchants with safety checks across every touchpoint. As summer approaches, we believe this partnership with Havmor will add another dimension of delight for users as they enjoy Havmor Ice Cream while staying safely home.”

India Takes a Giant Leap Towards the Future on National Tech Day

On National Technology Day, that marks India’s progress in the field of science and technology,  AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd, introduced the home model of their Atmospheric Water Generator, AKVO Pod.

At one hand, when the world is in the grasp of a vicious disease and is grappling for its survival, it is also peak summertime in the country which means acute water scarcity. To help ease the struggle, AKVO has come up with a remarkable solution through AKVO Pod. It is ideal for homes, offices and small businesses. This unit can make up to 50 litres of pure drinking water per day. The AKVO Pod features a superior filter system that delivers clear and healthy drinking water.

AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems is a pioneer in producing India’s first indigenously manufactured atmospheric water generator. AKVO provides safe and pure drinking water using the AWG (Atmospheric Water Generator) technology which replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating a dew point, which allows it to make water continuously, even in low humidity conditions. AKVO works on a simple plug and play method and consumes one unit of electricity to run for an hour. AKVO has now become India’s largest AWG manufacturer with over 200 machines sold in India and Gulf countries. Moreover, this water is cheaper than any RO/UV or bottled market water. While the RO/UV filtrated water wastes 4 litres of water for just 1 litre of drinking water, AKVO has zero water wastage. The bottled mineral water which is marketed is available anywhere between INR 4.50 to INR 5.00 per litre and always has the cleanliness suspicion tag attached with it, while ours costs only INR 1.75 to INR 2.00 per litre.

The AKVO Pod has been priced at INR 99, 000 plus GST as applicable and the pre-booking starts from 11th May 2020.
Customers can pre-book an AKVO Pod for an initial sum of Rs. 5,000 during the inaugural launch period which will last till Customers pre-booking an AKVO Pod, have an added advantage of availing a discount of Rs.15,000 on the machine will also be applicable. AKVO Pod will be delivered within 45 days of the booking and comes with a 1-year warranty.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd stated, “Although being home to nearly a sixth of the world’s population, India only gets 4% of the Earth’s fresh water. It has been our endeavour to change the dynamics by bringing water supply to the Indian masses at a very cost efficient and sustained manner. 70% of Indians have poor or no access to safe drinking water and 22% of Indians do not have water reaching their homes. With only 60% of water available for consumption by 2030 we are alarmingly marching towards a crisis that will require human intervention right away otherwise we will stare at a third world war and this time over water. We had always received a demand from our patrons for a unit that was suitable for their homes and offices. AKVO Pod is an answer to that requirement. We hope, with this, we can reduce some of our dependency on groundwater and make ourselves future ready.”

Water scarcity reports have become the norm across the globe. Our country is not far behind on the trend. 12 per cent of India’s population is already living the 'Day Zero' scenario, thanks to excessive groundwater pumping, an inefficient and wasteful water management system and years of deficient rains. According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by the Niti Aayog in 2018, 21 major cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and others) are racing to reach zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. The Chennai water crisis of last year gave an experience of the seriousness of the issue. The CWMI report also states that by 2030, the country's water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual six per cent loss in the country's GDP. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that an individual requires around 25 litres of water daily for meeting his/her basic hygiene and food needs. The world and our country need an immediate and long-term solution to the water issues.

While the entire country is under lockdown and manufacturing processes have halted all across, AKVO is ready to bring AKVO Pod in the market. They had been working on building this machine for a year, especially, keeping in the mind the Chennai Water Crisis of 2019 that made global headlines. Chennai has been one of the biggest markets for AKVO in the country with over 50 machines sold.

IPRS to Host a Webinar on ‘The Future of Paid Online Concerts’ in Association with Music Plus

These are unprecedented times across the world and we all know that businesses are going to be adversely impacted. None more so than the live music business which has been the prime revenue generator for artists, musicians and event companies alike. Additionally, with the shutting down of establishments that play music during lockdowns, the composers, authors and publishers also stand to suffer substantially. Rakesh Nigam, CEO of IPRS in conversation with Brian Tellis, Director of Fountainhead Entertainment, Atul Churamani, MD of Turnkey Music & Publishing and renowned performer Manasi Scott.

However, will adversity bring opportunity? Will necessity again become the mother of invention?

The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (“IPRS”) in association with Music Plus will be hosting an engaging panel discussion on ‘The Future of Paid online concerts in India’ on Thursday, 14th May 2020 at 4:00 pm. The session will be LIVE on Music Plus and IPRS social media handles. The forum will discuss the changing dynamics of concerts worldwide and whether the world will now see the rise of paid online concerts.

The panelists of the session include industry stalwarts Rakesh Nigam, CEO of The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) and Brian Tellis, Director of Fountainhead Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. along with the popular performer Manasi Scott, singer, songwriter and actress and will be moderated by Atul Churamani, MD of Turnkey Music & Publishing. The panelists will talk about the future of the Indian music industry, the options of alternate revenue streams, the financial and technical requirements and opportunities of virtual concerts and the critical role a society like IPRS would play in this changed world.

Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS said, “After receiving a positive response to the previous session, we are glad to partner with Music Plus once again to host this webinar on “The Future of Online Paid Concerts”. We strive to help our music fraternity in all possible ways and this webinar is a step towards that. We are hoping that this session will help us emphasize the importance of people paying for concerts to encourage creativity among artists and simultaneously support them in these challenging times.”

Brian Tellis, Director of Fountainhead Entertainment commented, “There will be a change around the live entertainment industry. If virtual concerts go the paid route, this may fulfill the needs of musicians, but the sustainability of technicians then comes into question. We will delve into the issue and address factors that will be determining the industry’s future course of action.”

Ms. Manasi Scott, singer, songwriter and actress said, “My heart breaks when I think of not being able to experience an open-air concert in the near future! The world as we knew it is rotating into a new world order. Concerts are sheer magic, when 1000s come together to be united by music. Yet there’s excitement in this new way forward. Where thousands were physically present in one place, now millions can connect and watch from across the world in real time. The west always had the concept of massive ticket sales and have converted that into paid virtual concerts beautifully. I have faith in the Indian audiences too. My job is to create quality, online content and present my virtual shows with the same larger-than-life way I do onstage and I’m sure audiences here will support me and other artistes and pay for this pleasure!”

Mr. Atul Churamani, MD of Turnkey Music & Publishing mentioned, “The challenges this pandemic has thrown up are horrific. Yet I believe that our passion for music will drive innovation and India will be able to use technology to bring about significant change to the economics of music watching. I’m honoured to be part of this discussion which promises to be an eye opener for everyone.”

Toshiba is Committed to Support India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since Toshiba's establishment in 1875, the company is ‘Committed to People, Committed to the Future’. These words express Toshiba Group's mission and convey the values that the company shares, and emphasize on value creation and contributions to society.

As per Mr. Tomohiko Okada, Managing Director, Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd. “Toshiba Group is responding to the global corona virus pandemic with measures that prioritize the safety of our employees and their families, and of our customers and business partners. We continue to monitor the situation in India and to follow Indian Government guidance and instructions, while doing all we can to ensure business continuity. Pursuant to our basic commitment “Committed to People. Committed to the Future”, Toshiba group companies in India have donated approximately INR 1.95 crores during the current crisis, towards the fight against the pandemic as well as other CSR activities approved by Government of India”.

Toshiba’s relationship with India dates back close to 60 years. Toshiba has identified India as a hub for its manufacturing operations and export base with an aim to ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Export-from-India’. Toshiba group companies in India are committed to adhere to the Government of India’s policies during the ongoing pandemic and to honour our commitments towards all our stakeholders.

As a responsible corporate entity, Toshiba group in India is contributing to disaster relief funds of state governments to support these governments towards the fight against the pandemic as well as other CSR activities approved by Government of India, to help Indian society at large during this time of unprecedented crisis. A total of approximately INR 1.95 crore have been donated as per below during this period, the contributions include voluntary salary contribution by Toshiba employees as well as contribution from Toshiba group companies namely Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd. (TIPL), Toshiba JSW Power Systems Pvt. Ltd. (TJPS), Toshiba Transmission & Distribution India Pvt. Ltd. (TTDI), Toshiba Software India Pvt. Ltd. (TSIP), Toshiba Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (TWS) and Toshiba Johnson Elevators (India) Pvt. Ltd. (TJEI) in India.

Toshiba Group is responding to the global corona virus pandemic with measures that prioritize the safety of our employees and their families, and of our customers and business partners. We continue to monitor the situation and to follow government guidance and instructions, while doing all we can to ensure business continuity.

·        Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd. (TIPL)

TIPL is making a donation of a total of INR 24,69,619 in following ways:

o    Donation of INR 18,00,000 to Akshay Patra Foundation for the mid-day meal of 1000 school children in the locations around Mohan Cooperative in Delhi for a period of one year starting from 15th March 2020 to 14th March 2021.

o    Donations of INR 6,69,619 to Prime Minister National Relief Fund

o    In addition, TIPL employees will make further donation by way of voluntary salary deduction from their May 2020 salary.

·        Toshiba JSW Power Systems Pvt. Ltd. (TJPS)

TJPS is making a donation of total of INR 25,00,000 in the following ways:

o    Donation of INR 5,00,000 to each five Chief Minister’s Fund of the states where TJPS Operations/ Project construction sites are located:

Ÿ   Gurugram Office (Haryana State)

Ÿ   Chennai Factory (Tamil Nadu State)

Ÿ   Harduaganj/Meja Project (Uttar Pradesh State)

Ÿ   Kudgi Project (Karnataka State)

Ÿ   Darlipali Project (Odisha State)

o    Total INR 25,00,000 donation from TJPS includes contribution of INR 9,17,496 from its employees

·        Toshiba Transmission & Distribution India Pvt. Ltd. (TTDI)

TTDI is making a donation of total of INR 25,00,000 in the following ways:

o    Donation of INR 22,00,000 planned to Foundations including Chief Minister’s Fund

o   In addition, TTDI employees will make further donation by way of voluntary salary deduction from their May 2020 salary.

·        Toshiba Software India Pvt. Ltd. (TSIP)

TSIP has made a donation of a total of INR 1,13,00,254 in following ways:

o    Donation of INR 33,00,000 to Akshaya Patra Foundation in Support of ‘Mid-day Meal sponsorship of 3,000 children in Bellary, Karnataka.

o    Donation of INR 10,00,000 to Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) with the main objective to provide management education of high quality and to promote allied areas of knowledge as well as interdisciplinary studies.

o    Balance INR 70,00,254 to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund.

·         Toshiba Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (TWS)

TWS has made a donation of a total of INR 4,67,498 by way of contribution from TWS employee’s salary.

·        Toshiba Johnson Elevators(India) Pvt. Ltd. (TJEI)

TJEI is making a donation of total of INR 5,00,000 in the following ways:

o    Donation of INR 5,00,000 planned to Chief Minister’s Fund
o    In addition, TJEI employees will make further donation by way of voluntary salary deduction