Govt Approves Big Agricultural Reforms that’ll Help Farmers Trade Freely in India

The Narendra Modi government Wednesday approved amendments to the Essential Commodities Act and brought an ordinance that will allow farmers to sell their crop to anyone, a move that is expected to go a long way in helping Indian farmers and transforming the agriculture sector.The decisions are part of the Modi government’s Rs 20 lakh crore lockdown relief package, which was announced in multiple parts last month.The changes to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, will “deregulate” various agricultural commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from stock limits, except in case of natural calamities like famine. 

In context to the same,  Mr. Amith Agarwal,Co-Founder & CEO, AgriBazaar shares, " I wish to congratulate the Indian government, especially our Hon’ble Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development Shri Narendra Singh Tomarji for this historic decision. The amendment to the Essential Commodities Act marks the beginning of a new chapter in India's agriculture history. The removal of inter-state agri-trade barriers will help farmers, especially, small farm owners and FPN's to sell their produce at an all India level with better and transparent price discovery mechanism. The measure will improve the ease of doing business for the agri-sector and foster greater transparency, efficiency and trust across the value chain. Additionally, this will serve our goals of doubling farmers' income by 2022 as well as the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

He further added that as an industry stakeholder, I am excited by the opportunities brought about by this move. We believe our full-stack agritech e-mandi platform AgriBazaar will empower small farmers and FPN's to connect with buyers across India in a fast, fair and futuristic manner."

Cactus Communications Launches an Integrated Ecosystem of Tools to Simplify the Life of Researchers Amid Covid-19

Cactus Communications, a technology company accelerating scientific advancement, today announced the launch of R (researcher.life), an extensive integrated ecosystem of tools and support for academic researchers. 

The ecosystem currently offers six tools and platforms, all designed to address a specific need or issue that researchers face. R Pubsure is an AI-powered platform that evaluates the submission readiness of research manuscripts and recommends suitable journals. R Discovery (beta) brings together the power of AI and the researcher community to help researchers conduct literature search faster and more intelligently. R Upskill is a learning platform with the largest collection of curated courses and handbooks for researchers. R Voice (beta) is a community platform that allows researchers to connect with other researchers over wide-ranging topics. An upcoming concept, R Fund, will allow researchers to find funding for their research in a timely manner.

In April this year, CACTUS had launched R Concept, a comprehensive AI-powered, expert-curated platform on research, insights, commentary, and expert recommendations related to COVID-19. This offering is available in the R ecosystem.

Abhishek Goel, Co-founder and CEO of CACTUS, spoke on the motivation behind building this ecosystem: “Modern researchers have to fight to find time in the lab. Too much time is spent on writing, formatting, submitting, reviewing, discovery, planning lectures, and applying for grants—activities that take up valuable time of the very people who could be spending that time in the lab, solving real world problems. We wanted to simplify things for researchers, a need that’s more pressing now than it has ever been.” 

The ecosystem leverages the company’s AI, concept extraction, and deep learning capabilities. Earlier this year, the company had acquired UNSILO, a Demark-based AI startup, to enhance its repertoire of tech solutions. 

The ecosystem will give members access to multiple tools and solutions seamlessly and effortlessly. PubSURE, which was earlier a standalone solution offered by CACTUS, has now been made available in the R ecosystem. Researchers who have signed up with PubSURE can now access the entire suite of R solutions and much more in terms of services, information, and connections.

CACTUS is currently inviting researchers to explore the R platform and ecosystem of tools and share their feedback. 

Researchers can sign up at researcher.life/ to access the ecosystem.

Dr. Majeed Foundation Contributes ₹2 Crores Towards Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority to combat COVID-19

Dr. Majeed Foundation, a non-profit institution founded by Dr. Muhammed Majeed, Founder and Chairman of Sami-Sabinsa Group, today contributed ₹2 crores to Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, to help combat the widespread outbreak of COVID-19.

Dr. Muhammed Majeed, Founder and Chairman of Sami-Sabinsa Group and Ms. Neeraja Shetty, CEO and Director, Sami Labs Ltd, met with the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, Dr. Ashwathnarayan C N and handed over the cheque to him.

As part of the efforts by Dr. Majeed Foundation to support people in distress, the foundation has ramped up its community outreach programs to reach out to the poor and vulnerable communities. Especially to those who have been most affected by the pandemic in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and provided them with essential food items, protective equipment, hand sanitizers and health supplements.

Recently in Chokkasandra, Peenya, Bengaluru, Dr. Majeed Foundation distributed a total of 2,000 food kits - each food kit containing essential grocery items with 5 kgs of rice, 1 kg toor dal, 1 kg atta, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, I ltr oil, one bath soap and a reusable face mask.

In Hyderabad, Dr. Majeed Foundation distributed a total of 1600 food kits to the residents of Turkapally village, an old age home, and various slum-dwelling units.

Dr. Muhammed Majeed, Founder and Chairman of Sami-Sabinsa Group said, “We have always believed in supporting the less fortunate while also giving back to the society and the nation. Today, as Covid-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented challenge for the state of Karnataka, the contribution of ₹2 crores towards Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority is a step towards helping combat the virus.”

Columbia Pacific Communities Hosts Virtual Session on Climate Change on World Environment Day

The World Environment Day is seen as an opportunity to be more aware about the various environmental issues surrounding us. With the world under lockdown due to a pandemic, it becomes increasingly important to understand the responsibilities that each one of us has towards protecting our environment and addressing climate change. To address the seriousness of the situation and encourage one and all to be cognizant towards the environment, Columbia Pacific Communities, India’s largest senior living community operators, is hosting a special edition of #TheLivingRoom with Sunil Dahiya, an Analyst at Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and an ex-campaigner with Greenpeace India. Through an FB Live session, Dahiya will elaborate on climate change and highlight how it is every individual's responsibility to build a greener earth and reduce carbon footprint.

The Living Room is a series of virtual talk shows and sessions with luminaries and experts hosted through the live video streaming feature of Facebook, FB Live, to positively engage senior citizens during such stressful times.

Be part of the insightful session to know your role in helping the environment heal and restore its beauty at #TheLivingRoom session live-streaming on Friday, 5th June at 5:00 PM on the official Facebook page of Columbia Pacific Communities. 

SnapOrder: Kirana Store App from SnapBizz Witnesses Record Downloads

The SnapOrder mobile app enables Kirana stores of all sizes to go online with their supplies instantly for their customers. SnapOrder has witnessed 6x growth in downloads in the month of April alone. The company had recently released several updates to the app that aids Kirana stores solve the many challenges faced during a Lockdown.

One of the highlights of the app is that consumers can use it to directly view available stocks and place orders with the Kirana stores, either for pick-up or for home delivery, enabling the Kirana store to manage demand efficiently and prevent over-crowding at the stores to make sure social distancing is maintained during the current crisis. Also, with over 70% of SnapOrder stores doing home delivery for no additional cost, this app has become a prominent player in the affordable e-commerce segment beating out most delivery apps that charge a significant amount for their service.

With the country being under lockdown for the past two months, the entire nation of 1.3 billion is largely relying on Kirana stores for their essentials – foods, beverages, personal and household care products. It is very rare for any industry sector to experience such a surge and one can see a new normal emerging in terms of unexpected trends and changing consumer behaviour due to this new-found humble relationship between the local Kirana store and the customers who live around them.

Prem Kumar, Founder & CEO, SnapBizz adds “The SnapOrder app has been exclusively designed to fulfil the entire Kirana store value chain. With the sudden lockdown the app provides to be a boon for not only the retailer who could easily manage his inventory and its movement but more so for the end consumer who could get a bird’s eye view into the neighbourhood Kirana store with the app. Not only that but it helped the customer order their essentials from the comfort of their homes and pick it up or have it delivered in a contact less manner amidst Covid19.”

He further adds, “The latest version of the app is armed with a host of benefits to make it more convenient for the user. According to a recent study report, ease of use was cited as the number one reason for the popularity of the SnapOrder app.”

The SnapOrder app offers a variety of solutions that sets it apart from other delivery apps:

* Go online in just 30 min: SnapOrder mobile app has been developed to quickly get the Kirana stores online in just 30 minutes. The app comes preloaded with 2000 SKUs/products which enables the store owner to quickly go online.

* Exclusive and customised app for the retailer: This app enables the Kirana store owner to have a direct one-to-one connect with the customers. It is designed as an exclusive platform for the store to connect with consumers, unlike other apps where there are various stores for the customer to choose from, increasing competition and decreasing visibility. When the customer opens this app, he straightaway gets the view of the available SKUs in that particular Kirana store.

* The only grocery-specific app in the market: SnapOrder mobile app is the only app in the market that is developed specifically for Kirana stores across India.

Kirana stores have won many new customers and many of these new customers would continue to purchase from them – even post lockdown. The customers are now becoming more aware of the services that Kirana store owners offer such as; Credit, home-delivery, hyper-local apps, hyper-local merchandise etc. SnapOrder is one of the solutions SnapBizz offering to ease the process during this challenging time.

Unparalleled Safety Measures for Patients and Staff at Manipal Hospitals

This may be the perfect antidote to the lockdown blues, the perfect way to bounce back with great energy in the post COVID-19 world. Game Theory gives an opportunity for users to play a sport of their choice near their home by connecting them with other people and by providing them with facilities and the equipment to do so.

It is a sports-tech startup that started with the aim to make playing everyday sports as easy as it was when they were kids, and in the process build close-knit communities. A member can see the nearest available Game Theory sports facility and book a slot through the app. The app also matches people with similar skill-levels who wish to play.

“We believe a centre should not be more than a 15-minute drive from any member. You open the app and in 10 seconds book your first game for a price less than that of a cup of coffee. You don’t need a racket, you don’t even need shoes. You just need to show up,” says Sudeep Kulkarni, Founder of Game Theory.

Sudeep shares that the primary aim is to make playing sports convenient, fun and hassle-free. Apart from venues, and good game partners, Game Theory also provides sports equipment on rent, coaching sessions and a chance to take part in leagues and competitions.

Automatic scoring, statistics and cameras at all facilities elevates the experience, but the biggest draw, is the matchmaking. The Game Theory app uses specialized skill-rating algorithm to continuously update skill levels with every match, so a player will be able to match with a person of similar skill and have a good experience every time. Players will also be on a leader board and they will be able to see where they stand in their centre, area or the entire city.

The founders of Game Theory – Sudeep Kulkarni, Vivek Chandran (COO) and Surakshith B (CTO) know what they are doing. They previously started The Tribe, a class-based fitness startup that was later bought by Cult.Fit.

“We started by building three facilities of Badminton, Squash and Swimming in Bangalore. We now have over 6,000 paying customers. In March 2020, after a year of running facilities and during our second month at Techstars, we expanded by five facilities in just two weeks,” says Sudeep talking about his plans for scaling.

With their asset-light model, Game Theory partners with existing facilities, standardizes them, and runs the show on a revenue-share basis. Technology like automatic light control and inventory management ensures efficient operations and lower costs. In areas where facilities don’t exist, they partner with landlords to build courts to utilize idle real estates like terrace tops and empty plots.

Game Theory’s goal now is to have 3,000 courts, adding tennis, football and cricket, and get more than 320,000 users on board by expanding in Bengaluru and to Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi/NCR in the next three years.

They are also targeting fitness users, who are currently left in limbo from shared spaces being shut down due to COVID-19. There are 60 lakh people in India paying over Rs 2,500 per month on fitness alone. The founders think of this as their “demonetisation-Paytm” moment to make sports every person’s fitness routine.

Game Theory centres are rolling out their technology to partnering facilities without a fee to help facility owners get back on their feet by getting in more customers through the door.

Game Theory is one of the ten startups that successfully completed the mentorship-driven Techstars Bangalore Accelerator's 2020 programme recently. The intensive programme provides support to the startups through an investment of $120,000 in each company, mentorship and support resources as they develop and refine aspects of their businesses to enhance product-market fit and position themselves to scale.

Game Theory Aims to Facilitate More than 3,20,000 Sports Enthusiasts through their Mobile App

This may be the perfect antidote to the lockdown blues, the perfect way to bounce back with great energy in the post COVID-19 world. Game Theory gives an opportunity for users to play a sport of their choice near their home by connecting them with other people and by providing them with facilities and the equipment to do so.

It is a sports-tech startup that started with the aim to make playing everyday sports as easy as it was when they were kids, and in the process build close-knit communities. A member can see the nearest available Game Theory sports facility and book a slot through the app. The app also matches people with similar skill-levels who wish to play.

“We believe a centre should not be more than a 15-minute drive from any member. You open the app and in 10 seconds book your first game for a price less than that of a cup of coffee. You don’t need a racket, you don’t even need shoes. You just need to show up,” says Sudeep Kulkarni, Founder of Game Theory.

Sudeep shares that the primary aim is to make playing sports convenient, fun and hassle-free. Apart from venues, and good game partners, Game Theory also provides sports equipment on rent, coaching sessions and a chance to take part in leagues and competitions.

Automatic scoring, statistics and cameras at all facilities elevates the experience, but the biggest draw, is the matchmaking. The Game Theory app uses specialized skill-rating algorithm to continuously update skill levels with every match, so a player will be able to match with a person of similar skill and have a good experience every time. Players will also be on a leader board and they will be able to see where they stand in their centre, area or the entire city.

The founders of Game Theory – Sudeep Kulkarni, Vivek Chandran (COO) and Surakshith B (CTO) know what they are doing. They previously started The Tribe, a class-based fitness startup that was later bought by Cult.Fit.

“We started by building three facilities of Badminton, Squash and Swimming in Bangalore. We now have over 6,000 paying customers. In March 2020, after a year of running facilities and during our second month at Techstars, we expanded by five facilities in just two weeks,” says Sudeep talking about his plans for scaling.

With their asset-light model, Game Theory partners with existing facilities, standardizes them, and runs the show on a revenue-share basis. Technology like automatic light control and inventory management ensures efficient operations and lower costs. In areas where facilities don’t exist, they partner with landlords to build courts to utilize idle real estates like terrace tops and empty plots.

Game Theory’s goal now is to have 3,000 courts, adding tennis, football and cricket, and get more than 320,000 users on board by expanding in Bengaluru and to Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi/NCR in the next three years.

They are also targeting fitness users, who are currently left in limbo from shared spaces being shut down due to COVID-19. There are 60 lakh people in India paying over Rs 2,500 per month on fitness alone. The founders think of this as their “demonetisation-Paytm” moment to make sports every person’s fitness routine.

Game Theory centres are rolling out their technology to partnering facilities without a fee to help facility owners get back on their feet by getting in more customers through the door.

Game Theory is one of the ten startups that successfully completed the mentorship-driven Techstars Bangalore Accelerator's 2020 programme recently. The intensive programme provides support to the startups through an investment of $120,000 in each company, mentorship and support resources as they develop and refine aspects of their businesses to enhance product-market fit and position themselves to scale.