Acer India Appoints Sudhir Goel as the Chief Business Officer for India and Bangladesh

Acer India, the global PC brand, has appointed Sudhir Goel as their Chief Business Officer. Sudhir has been associated with Acer India since 1999 handling various leadership roles spanning product engineering, manufacturing, support, supply chain and recently as the head of commercial business group. In his new role as Chief Business Officer, Sudhir will be responsible for leading both the commercial and consumer business of the company in India and Bangladesh.

With over 35 years of experience, Sudhir brings in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role in Acer India. He was instrumental in establishing Acer India’s manufacturing facility at Pondicherry. He later took on the portfolio of Chief Supply Chain officer, handling complete supply chain - operations, procurement, material planning and manufacturing functions. In addition, he assisted Sales and Marketing in strategic calls on all large deals. Before this role, he was responsible for Acer India’s commercial business group handling PnL, product strategy, alliance relationships and establishing leadership position in multiple categories. He was also in charge of the company’s product solution development in Asia Pacific countries.

Harish Kohli, President, and Managing Director, Acer India said, “Under the leadership of Sudhir Goel, Acer India has successfully excelled in an intensely competitive environment and gained substantial impetus in Indian commercial PC market. Sudhir brings in excellent prerequisites to navigate Acer India in a challenging business situation and we are confident that his strategic thinking, experience, and ability to drive people will navigate the organization to even greater success in the future.” 

Commenting on appointment as Chief Business Officer of Acer India Mr. Sudhir Goel said, “I am honored to be appointed Chief Business Officer and excited to lead Acer's Commercial and Consumer business with support from our executive leadership team, as our company shapes the future of our industry. And now with the new normal where we are seeing a paradigm shift in consumer behavior, it is times like these when being effective, innovative and intuitive really makes a difference and I am looking forward to successfully lead both the business groups."

Before joining Acer India, Sudhir started his career in 1985 with DCM Data Products as a Design Engineer and later joined Compaq as National Tech Support Manager for two years. He has done his engineering degree from BITS Pilani and did his MBA from Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University. He is fond of reading both fiction and non-fiction and loves to watch movies in his spare time.

Vedanta's SESA Football Academy Continues to Foster Skill Development in Sports Across the Country

SESA Football Academy (SFA), a flagship CSR program of Vedanta which aims to identify, nurture and groom young footballing talents in the country, felicitated young graduates during Convocation Ceremony 2020 through virtual platforms. 27 boys who completed their football training at SFA were felicitated and awarded with E-certificates in the distinguished presence of Mr. Annanya Agarwal (President- Sesa Football Academy), Mr. Sauvick Mazumdar (CEO- Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore Business), Mr. Brahmanand Sankhwalkar (former Captain of Indian football team and  Arjuna Awardee), Mr. Denzil Franco (Former Indian team player, ISL player and an SFA alumnus) and Ms. Leena Verenkar (Head- Group CSR , Vedanta Limited).

The event witnessed an active impressive line-up of core team members of SESA Football Academy and young sports enthusiasts cheering for the graduating students and wishing them for their future endeavors.

Sesa Football Academy was established in the year 1999 with an aim to identify, nurture, create platforms and build talent for Indian football. Till date, around 200 footballers have graduated from the academy. Apart from this, football initiatives undertaken by SFA have also positively impacted over 500 young players belonging to Goa and other cities of the country through various grassroot training programs. The residential academies provide systematic and robust football training through its team of national and international football experts, along with formal education of the trainees during the training period.

While congratulating the graduating batch, Mr. Annanya Agarwal, President, Sesa Football Academy said, “I am extremely happy and equally proud to see that we could produce another talented pool of 27 footballers, who will be next generation football icons of the nation. In line with our vision to contribute towards development of Indian football through robust grassroots training programs, we at SFA are taking significant steps in providing world class training to budding footballers to nurture their talent and groom them as professional footballers. I wish all our graduating players great success and a bright future.”

The SFA alumni have very good track records, making their mark in premier national football platforms including Indian national team, ISL teams and other prestigious football clubs across the country.

Mr Sauvick Mazumdar, CEO of Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore Business said, “At Vedanta, community engagement is at the core of our business philosophy. Sesa Football Academy, developed on reclaimed Sanquelim mine with an aim to provide a training platform for Goan youths, has immensely contributed to Goan football & nation at large. Despite difficult business situations for past several years, Vedanta has continued with our flagship CSR initiatives, especially SFA, to ensure uninterrupted contribution towards development of Indian football. I congratulate all our graduating students and wish them a very bright & successful footballing career.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, former Captain of Indian football team and Arjuna Awardee said, “SFA has been doing praiseworthy work for the football community in Goa and country at large. The academy is producing good football talent by grooming them through grassroot training programs. I am happy to see these young players get such amazing training opportunity at SFA which is helping them pursue their career in football”.

Former Indian Football team player and SESA Football Academy alumnus, Mr. Denzil Franco congratulated all players and said, “I take pride in being a part of SFA. Contribution of SFA towards honing skills of young and talented footballers of Goa is immensely commendable. I am confident that the students graduating today from SFA will achieve greater heights and bring laurels for the academy boosting its legacy further."

SESA Football Academy also aims to raise the standard of women’s football in the country through Vedanta Women's League, which is helping in development of women footballers by providing them a platform to showcase and hone their talent. Vedanta’s contribution in development of sports is recognised by FICCI, and was conferred “Best Organisation Contributing in Sports through CSR” at the FICCI India Sports Awards 2019.

Airtel XStream App to "LIVE Stream Rath Yatra 2020" on Smartphones

Airtel mobile and broadband customers can now watch the proceedings on their smartphones and tablets by simply installing the FREE Airtel Xstream app 

As India observes social distancing norms, Airtel is bringing this year’s Rath Yatra to devotees on their smartphones in partnership with Shemaroo.

Airtel Xstream app will be LIVE streaming Rath Yatra 2020 from Puri enabling users to catch the proceedings on their smartphones or tablets, wherever they are. The LIVE stream will be available on an exclusive channel on the home page of the app. Users can also rewind and replay the LIVE stream as per their convenience.

1st July 2020 (8:00AM to 6:00PM) - Bahuda Yatra & Hari Sayana Ekadasi

2nd July 2020 (3:00PM – 11:00PM) - Sunabesa

3rd July 2020 (7:00PM – 10:00PM) - Adharpana Ritual

4th July 2020 (2:00PM – 10:00PM) - Niladri Bije 

Airtel Xstream, an india-first video network for premium digital content, is available to all Airtel customers as a FREE download on Playstore and App store.

The app offers over 10,000 movie and shows from India and across the world along with over 400 TV channels. Airtel Thanks customers can also access premium content from top content producers on Airtel Xstream app.        

Microsoft and Accenture Collaborate on Startup Challenge to Accelerate Innovation in Ecosystem

Microsoft’s 100X100X100 program is collaborating with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to host the third edition of the Accenture Ventures Challenge for startups in India. To be held on August 11 in a virtual format, this year’s edition of the annual challenge will recognize startups in India across four categories: supply chain resilience, channel shift to digital commerce, systems resilience and responsible technology.

Launched in 2018, the Accenture Ventures Challenge is an annual event run by the Accenture Ventures Open Innovation program in India to identify the best B2B tech startups to develop solutions for real world challenges faced by businesses. This collaboration is the first corporate access partnership for Microsoft‘s 100X100X100 program in India.

Accenture Ventures Challenge 2020 will identify 12 innovative startups that are helping to address the business and human impact of COVID-19, driving innovation in the ’never normal’ era. The winner in each category will be given an opportunity to join the Accenture Ventures Open Innovation partner program and co-create solutions for Accenture clients around the world. Winners will also get access to benefits from the Microsoft ScaleUp program, which supports Seed or Series A B2B startups to scale and co-sell with Microsoft sales teams.

Lathika Pai, country head, Microsoft for Startups, MENA & SAARC, said, “The collaboration between Microsoft’s 100X100X100 and the Accenture Ventures Challenge event reflects our commitment to boost the entrepreneurial energy of startups and build scale with the enterprise opportunities. This initiative will truly help startups evolve from being market-ready to enterprise-ready with the best resources and support from both Microsoft and Accenture.”

Avnish Sabharwal, managing director for Accenture Ventures and Open Innovation in India, added, “Collaboration across the ecosystem is crucial for driving innovation, and we are thrilled to bring Microsoft on board for this year’s Accenture Ventures Challenge. The ongoing business disruption requires an urgent response, and we are confident that we’ll discover innovative new solutions from deep tech startups to help solve some of the most pressing business and human challenges being faced by organizations in India and across the globe.”

Microsoft’s 100X100X100 program was launched earlier this year in India, with an objective of bringing together 100 committed companies and 100 early and growth startups with enterprise-ready SaaS solutions. The participating companies also commit $100K over a period of 18-24 months on solutions provided by the startups.

Gen X and Boomers More Willing to Return to Work, While Gen Z and Millennials Prefer to Wait: LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today announced the findings of the sixth edition of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce. Based on survey responses of 1,351 professionals in India, findings from the fortnight of June 1-14 reveal how India’s workforce feels about returning to work, and how professionals from different generations exhibit varied confidence levels towards returning to the physical workplace.

This fortnight’s LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index shows that India’s overall confidence remains steady with a composite score of +48, as India gets ready to return work. The cautious optimism also reflects in the strong short-term and long-term employer confidence levels of professionals from sectors such as Corporate Services and Manufacturing. India’s workforce is also beginning to feel more confident about their personal finances as 1 in 4 professionals in India expect their earned incomes (25%) and personal spending (26%) to increase in the next 6 months. In fact, about 1 in 3 professionals also expect their personal savings (31%) and personal recurring debt payments (29%) to increase in the next 6 months. This financial confidence comes at a time when India’s economy is gradually restarting.

Commenting on this rise in financial confidence, Leadership Coach Harsh Johari says, “Professionals will continue to be prudent about money management, given the prevailing uncertainties. While some businesses in the digital space are seeing growth, the actual financial impact on India Inc will only become clear when listed companies unveil their results for the quarter ending June 30.”

Working remotely for the past three months has encouraged businesses to adapt innovative and digital measures for business continuity. However, as India ‘unlocks’ and workplaces reboot, findings of the sixth Workforce Confidence Index underscore a pronounced difference in how the older and younger professionals feel about returning to the physical workplace.

About 1 in 3 Gen Z and Millennials will continue working remotely until safer

As the business landscape resumes, older professionals appear keen on stepping out into the post-Covid-19 world while younger professionals are not rushing to embrace it. Findings reaffirm this difference in perception as 38% of Gen X and 29% of Baby Boomers said they will willingly return to the workplace as soon as they are allowed, whereas 1 in 3 Gen Z (29%) and Millennials (32%) said they will continue working remotely until they feel safer about being around others. One reason for this, as HR expert Abhijit Bhaduri states, “Younger workers are adept in using digital means of communication. Senior professionals may find it challenging to hire and manage performance of remote teams.” Hence, varied levels of digital prowess could be one of the reasons behind such contrasting outlooks from different generations.

Risk of exposure, commute to work, and close proximity worry Indian professionals

While the nationwide lockdown is gradually being lifted, the stigma around COVID-19 prevails due to uncertainty around safety measures. Findings reveal that more than half (55%) of Indian professionals think being exposed to people neglecting safety precautions is a key concern. 58% of Millennials and 56% of Gen X professionals are shown being concerned about the same problem. Probing further, findings highlight that 42% Millennials are concerned about commuting to work while nearly half (46%) are worried about eating and sharing resting/collaborative spaces. The report also shows that inadequate space between workstations is cited as another primary concern with returning to work, as it could make it tough for professionals to practice healthy measures of social distancing.

Corporate Services and Manufacturing professionals most confident about the future of their companies

This fortnight’s findings also gauge how Indian professionals feel about the short-term (6 months) and long-term (1 year) future of their companies. With regards to short-term employer confidence, survey findings show that 50% of Corporate Services professionals, 46% of Manufacturing professionals, and 41% of Education professionals think their companies will be better off six months from now. When it comes to long-term employer confidence, findings reveal that 64% of Manufacturing, 60% of Corporate Services, and 59% of Software & IT professionals believe their companies will be better off one year from now. Based on these findings, it is observed that professionals from Corporate Services and the Manufacturing sectors have the strongest short-term and long-term company outlook, respectively.

Japanese Firm ‘Kiyou Jochugiku’ Launches “Air Doctor” for Prevention of Virus in India

Key Points

* The Japanese technology releases antimicrobial agent Chlorine Dioxide to protect from Airborne disease

* New hope to prevent from Virus in this situation

A Japanese based company Kiyou Jochugiku Co. Ltd launches “Air Doctor” in India. The Air Doctor is a portable product that helps to prevent viruses, bacteria, and fungus within a 1-meter radius. The product Air Doctor contains sodium chlorite, natural inorganic substances (natural zeolite) which helps in the prevention of viruses. Air Doctor can be hanged on chest, pocket, or bag and this Japanese based technology releases antimicrobial agent Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) to provide ultimate protection against airborne diseases such as influenza, cold and flu, allergy, H1N1, pneumonia, tuberculosis, recurrence respiratory infections, etc. This product is also advisable to patients living with Asthma and immunocompromised like hypertension, diabetics, heart disease, cancer patient under chemotherapy, etc.  Even children, pediatric and pregnant women can use it. The Air Doctor product is approved worldwide by the WHO, USFDA, Occupation Safety, and Health Administration and The Japan Ministry of Health, Welfare & Labor.

Mr. Jitendra Bhatt, CEO of Access BioImage, the Indian Promotor of the Air Doctor says, “At this crucial time, when we are fighting against various diseases and virus this product will be useful to scan the virus within a 1-meter radius after wearing the Air Doctor. The portable product which is like a batch can be used by everyone including educational institutions, healthcare & hospitality industry, private and government offices, policeman, flights, banks, showrooms, restaurants, public transport, aviation, etc. The product can also be placed inside or outside air condition to prevent Air Borne disease.”

Air Doctor claims that it uses a new generation of virus prevention, sterilization, and deodorization techniques. There are 3 variants:

a.       Air Doctor Fan that has 90 days effect and advisable for the use in hospital

b.      Air doctor Mobile which prevents virus and bad odor

c.       Air Doctor Mobile portable which effectively kills pathogenic microorganisms such as fungus, bacteria, and viruses, and both the mobile versions last for 30 days.

Mr. Jitendra Bhatt further adds, “It is beneficial for all the citizens working on essential duties and can use the Air Doctor portable to prevent themselves from virus exposure.”

The product is not accessible to use underwater and exposure to high air should be avoided.

About Kiyou Jochugiku Co. Ltd.

For over a century since our founding in 1910, Kiyou Jochugiku has endeavored to make products that are people, environment, and planet-friendly as the underlying principle. We make a wide variety of products from diverse perspectives, to note the bath life business that pursues health, beauty and therapy, and the eco-life business that proposes health, nature, and resource conservation. The spearheads the development, production, and marketing of a wide range of medical product and OTC products in many countries.

“Skill Development will be the Backbone of Atmnirbhar Bharat and Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan”: Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, today said that skilling, up-skilling and re-skilling of the India’s workforce will play a crucial role in the success of the Government’s vision of Atmnirbhar Bharat and the recently launched Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan, announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.

The government is soon to get approval on the next phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) which will have increased focus on demand driven skill development, digital technology and skills pertaining to Industry 4.0.  The current part of the flagship skill training scheme (PMKVY 2016-2020) is about to conclude and has so far trained close to 73 lakh youth in the country, Union Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey said in an ASSOCHAM webinar today.

“We need to focus on employment in current scenario and that’s why we will be focusing upon demand-based skilling in the next phase of PMKVY, where we have added certain aspects like - strengthening district skill committees and connecting with local employment offices. District Commissioner and State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs) will also have a crucial role to play and will be connected to the industry bodies so that we can bridge the demand supply gap and impart relevant trainings to the migrant labour who have returned to their home state,” said Dr Pandey while addressing a webinar, ‘Skill Development Post Covid-19,’ hosted by ASSOCHAM.

He said that if required the government would give permission to run PMKVY centres and ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) in 2-3 shifts in order to follow guidelines of social and physical distancing.

He also urged industry to expand their operations from big cities to small districts and villages and invest in upskilling and re-skilling the youth across rural India which would help make a giant leap towards the success of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. “We invite private sector people to come forward and impart training and focus on being vocal for local product and services empowering youth to drive local economic growth.”

The Minister added, “I appeal to the industry to be more compassionate towards the migrant labour, do their counselling, treat them respectfully and facilitate those who intend to return and get back to work.”

In a veiled message to China, Dr Pandey said, “Our neighboring country is trying to remove its blot and working on expansionist policy, but it is also able understand now that this time round it has a strong opponent and it will further get to know this thing more clearly as our entire nation stands united.”

Talking about the various plans of the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey said, “We are also working on Skill Management Information System, which will bring the entire skill ecosystem on a common web portal and work as an aggregator for demand and supply of skilled workforce.”

He further informed, “We plan to further simplify the apprenticeship which is the on-the-job model of skill training so that industries do not hesitate in absorbing apprentices and they do so enthusiastically. We shall invite suggestions from the industry on that, our proposal is going ahead with whatever discussions we took in past in this regard.”

The Minister also said that his Ministry is working closely with other central ministries and state governments on compiling data of skilled persons across the country which would be made available at a single click. “The database of skilled youth in the country will also the registered data of people who have come in from overseas as a part of reverse migration. NSDC, the implementation arm of MSDE, has come up with an effective application called ‘Swades’ whereby both Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation are also cooperating in collating this information and segregating the workforce basis their skills, so that they can later be connected with opportunities of employment within the country and add to their personal and nation’s overall growth.”

He stated that about 20,800 people have connected through the Swades app already. “In future, we plan to use their skill on a bigger scale and also seek help of industry bodies in utilizing their skills and promote them as trainers as we go ahead.”

Dr Pandey said that the role and responsibility of the industry in terms of skill development has increased during the current scenario even as the government is sharing ideas and working together with the private sector and that these times call for a unified solution for citizens of the nation, ensuring a more secure and better livelihood for all.

“In wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic we need to move ahead with innovative methods, especially in the industrial sector, there is a need for a big change in terms of the overall mindset and approach towards doing business as we need to give more importance to use of digital technology,” said the Minister.

In his welcome remarks, ASSOCHAM president, Dr Niranjan Hiranandani said, “Industry will willingly work in tandem with government to jointly fight this battle and support the Hon’ble Prime Minister in his vision of New Artmnirbhar Bharat.”

Mr Maninder Nayyar, co-chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on Skill Development said, “Post Covid-19, new sectors and avenues of working are set to emerge, requiring new levels of skill, as such it is important for government and industry to predict the possibilities of the future and prepare for them today itself.”

Amid others who addressed the webinar included – Ms Divya Jain, co-chair, ASSOCHAM National Council on Skill Development, Dr Darlie Koshy, director general, Apparel Training & Design Centre; Mr N.K. Mohapatra, CEO, Electronic Sector Skill Council and Mr Pawan Agrawal, MD & CEO, Smartskills Bits & Bytes (P) Ltd.