Aakash Student Prerana M.N. Tops the State in the 2nd Karnataka PUC Board Exams; Scores 99.34%

Prerana M.N., a student of Aakash Institute’s Rajajinagar branch here has topped the State in the second year Karnataka Pre-University Course (PUC) Board Exams by securing 99.34%, results for which were announced today. She scored 596 marks out of a total of 600.   

Congratulating Prerana on her achievement, Mr Aakash Chaudhry, Director and CEO, Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), said, “We are proud that our student Prerana has topped the state and secured 99.3% in the second year Pre-University Course Board Exams. It is the result of her hard work, the support of her parents and the quality test preparation and guidance imparted at Aakash. Many congratulations to her and all our students for performing well in the examination. We wish them all the best for their future endeavours.”

Aakash Institute aims to help students in their quest to achieve academic success. It has a centralized in-house process for curriculum and content development and faculty training and monitoring, led by its National Academic Team. Over the years, students from Aakash Institute have maintained a record success in various medical and engineering entrance exams and competitive exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads.

About Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL)

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) provides comprehensive test preparatory services for students preparing for Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations, School/Board Exams and Competitive Exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads.  AESL believes that the “Aakash” brand is associated with quality coaching and a proven student selection track record in various Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations, Scholarship exams & Olympiads. 

With over 32 years of operational experience in the test preparatory industry, the company has a large number of selections in Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams and several Foundation level Scholarship exams/Olympiads, a pan India network of 200+ Aakash Centres (including franchisee), and a student count of more than 250,000. 

Meitra Hospital Appoints Dr. P Mohanakrishnan as the New CEO

Dr. P Mohanakrishnan, a health professional with more than 3 decades of experience in healthcare spanning India and the Middle East, joins Meitra Hospital as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

“Dr. P Mohanakrishnan brings with him a strong   discipline and prowess in establishing and managing hospitals not just in India, but Internationally as well. We look forward to his wealth of experience and are excited to have him lead Meitra & achieve KEF’s vision of transforming Indian Healthcare.”, said Faizal E. Kottikollon; Chairman, Meitra Hospital & Founder Chairman, KEF Holdings.

He has held leadership roles across premier healthcare facilities in Kerala & GCC. Prior to taking up his current position, Dr. P Mohanakrishnan served as the CEO of Avitis Institute of Medical Sciences, Palakkad. He also founded the prestigious Institute of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery in Kerala and established it as one of the premiere institutes specializing in the discipline of ENT in India.

“The healthcare sector across the world has become the nucleus of sustenance. And Kerala with its well-established healthcare networks and infrastructure is perfectly poised to welcome people seeking quality and advance treatments, not just from the rest of India but from across the globe. Meitra Hospital offers world-class tertiary care by blending the concepts of ‘Evidence Based Guidelines’, modern-day technology, notable clinical expertise and unparalleled infrastructure. I am looking forward to establishing the facility as a well-noted centre and preferred destination amongst those seeking superlative care, in line with international standards,” said Dr. P Mohanakrishnan.

FCC & NPCI to Host Global Virtual Fintech Festival on July 22-23, 2020

Fintech Festival

* One-of-a-kind global event convened by NPCI and IAMAI and presented by RBI and Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), to bring together Fintech & BFSI ecosystems

* Event supported by World Bank and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

* Premier global fintech event to be hosted on 22-23 July 2020

* To host 50+ countries, 100+ speakers and 10,000+ delegates

* Amitabh Kant, Nandan Nilekani, Uday Kotak, V Vaidyanathan, Sachin Bansal and Alderman William Russell among key speakers

* To facilitate discussions on the road ahead and collaborations for businesses in the post-pandemic world

To bring together fintech and BFSI ecosystems across the globe, the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) the flagship fintech committee of Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) along with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and the Payments Council of India (PCI) will host the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) a first-of-its-kind international virtual fintech event.

The event is presented by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The two day event themed – ‘Fintech: With and Beyond COVID’ is scheduled for 22-23 July 2020. The event is also supported by the World Bank and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

In times of global uncertainty, India continues to be a bright spot in the world economy. GFF aims to showcase India’s thought leadership across the global ecosystem, while harnessing the BFSI and fintech sector to be the ‘change agent’ for the economy in the post-pandemic world.

Naveen Surya, Chairman, Fintech Convergence Council & Chairman Emeritus, Payments Council of India, said, “The bank and fintech ecosystem has the potential to act as ‘agents of change’ for the economy in the post-COVID-19 world. With more than 2000 fintech startups as we speak, India today stands tall as the world’s second biggest fintech hub which puts a lot of onus on us to drive this growth momentum. GFF is our endeavour to bring all stakeholders together to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the BFSI and fintech sector globally whilst sharing ideas on fuelling sectoral growth through collaboration.”

Dilip Asbe, Managing Director and CEO, NPCI said, “The contribution of fintech start-ups in digitalizing the economy is important and hence NPCI wants to act as a catalyst for bridging the gap between the established financial entities and the start-ups. By encouraging open discussion among start-ups and established entities we hope that it will lead to collaborations benefiting the nation.

GFF will be the largest virtual congregation for the BFSI and Fintech ecosystem. It will be the ‘go to platform’ for companies and entrepreneurs to showcase their innovations and ideas as well as connect with peers, investors and potential customers thus creating growth and networking opportunities for the eco-system.”

Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, Infosys, Uday Kotak, Managing Director & CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, V Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, IDFC First Bank and Alderman William Russell, The Rt Hon Lord Mayor, City of London are among the keynote speakers for the fest.

Justice BN Srikrishna, Retired Judge, Supreme Court of India, Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore, G Padmanabhan, Non-Executive Chairman, Bank of India, Sachin Bansal, Founder, Navi, Stephen Ingledew, Chief Executive, Fintech Scotland, Lizzie Chapman, Co-founder & CEO, Zestmoney, Denise Gee, Managing Director, Finexable, Dilip Asbe, Managing Director & CEO, NPCI, Praveena Rai, COO, NPCI, Arif Khan, CDO, NPCI, Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital, Kunal Shah, Founder & CEO, CRED, T R Ramachandran, Group Country Manager, India & South Asia Visa, Sameer Nigam Founder & CEO, Phonepe, Shivananda - SVP & CTO, Paypal, are some of the distinguished speakers among many others.

The global platform will host discussions by eminent industry stakeholders on -- the next stage of growth for financial institutions, ways for businesses to collaborate and the role fintech will play in the post pandemic world. The fest will drive thought leadership and conversations across sectors and subjects including -- Digital Payments, Digital Lending, Digital Insurance, Data Management, Financial Inclusion, Digital Transformation and Blockchain etc.

With 50+ countries, 100+ speakers and 10000+ delegates in attendance, GFF will bring together representatives of banking, financial technology and investment industries from across the globe to host impactful dialogues, public discussions and a curated exhibition of the latest disruptive technologies.

The fintech fest will stream live on social media platforms of YouTube and Facebook and is likely to be viewed by 100,000+ audience. For more information on GFF, including how to participate in or sponsor the event, please go to https://www.globalfintechfest.com

FCC has been at the forefront, working towards positioning India as a thought leader across the global fintech map. In the recent past, the body had joined hands with the Mumbai Fintech Hub, Government of Maharashtra, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NPCI to host ‘India Fintech Festival (IFF)’. A first-of-its-kind global platform, IFF eyed for a collaborative growth ecosystem for fintech in India. The event which got stalled on account of the global pandemic is set to resume soon and the dates are expected to be out shortly.

About NPCI –

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was incorporated in 2008 as an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India. NPCI has created a robust payment and settlement infrastructure in the country. It has changed the way payments are made in India through a bouquet of retail payment products such as RuPay card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC Fastag) and Bharat BillPay. NPCI also launched UPI 2.0 to offer a more secure and comprehensive services to consumers and merchants.

NPCI is focused on bringing innovations in the retail payment systems through use of technology and is relentlessly working to transform India into a digital economy. It is facilitating secure payments solutions with nationwide accessibility at minimal cost in furtherance of India’s aspiration to be a fully digital society.

Hero Motocorp Hands Over Unique First Responder Vehicles to Community Health Centres in Alwar

As part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives towards the COVID-19 relief efforts, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, today handed over two first-responder vehicles to authorities at the Community Health Centres in Neemrana and Mundawar, in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. 

These unique and utilitarian vehicles will be useful for reaching out to patients in rural and remote areas and comfortably moving them to the nearest hospitals.  First Responder has been custom-built as an accessory on the powerful Xtreme 200R motorcycles of Hero MotoCorp.

The First Responder has been equipped with a full stretcher with a foldable hood mounted on the side, essential medical equipment such as a detachable first-aid kit, oxygen cylinder, fire extinguisher and other safety features such as LED Flasher Lights, foldable beacon light, emergency wireless public announcement system and siren.

The two First Responders vehicles from Hero MotoCorp were handed over to Shri Manjeet Dharampal Choudhary, Member of the State Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Mundawar (Neemrana), Alwar.

They have been designed and developed through a collaborative initiative by the engineers at Hero’s Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur and the New Model Centre (NMC) at the Company’s manufacturing facility in Gurgaon.

Hero MotoCorp is in the process of manufacturing several more of these First Responders, which will be handed over to local health authorities in other parts of the country.

SunnyBee Unveils India’s First Self-Checkout Grocery Store in Chennai

SunnyBee Market, a chain of food stores in Chennai has introduced India’s first-of-its-kind self-checkout store in Besant Nagar, Chennai, considering the need for a safe shopping experience by limiting contact and to improve overall speed of checkouts.

WayCool Labs – the technology arm of WayCool Foods & Products, a leading agritech firm based in Chennai has developed this custom solution for SunnyBee.

An integrated hardware and software solution, the self-checkout counter occupies a minimal 4 sq.ft. floor space with a built-in high-speed scanner, touchscreen panel, and a billing printer. The counter eliminates the need to interact with the store staff altogether. Shoppers scan their purchases on their own and place the scanned products in the conveniently hanging bags or use their own bags. With a single click on the touch screen to pay, a QR code will pop up on the screen. Customers scan this QR code on their mobile using any one of the numerous UPI payment methods such as GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.

This solution frees up the store billing staff to manage the store operations and improve customer service. The only place where there is an interaction with store staff is when staff will assist the customer for F&V produce to weigh, pack, and print/paste a barcode. The F&V bags with barcode can be scanned at the Selfie counter as well.

Sriram Sridharan, Business Head, SunnyBee Market said, “There has been a steady flow of shoppers as they look to stock up during these uncertain times. Though several retailers are open through the lock down with strict enforcement of safety measures, there is a sense of uncertainty among shoppers due to multiple interactions within the store. Hence, the self-checkout solution was designed, developed, and implemented in 15 days despite the lockdown. The initial response from customers is very positive and this is evident from their excitement to use the self-checkout counter every time they walk into the store.”

SunnyBee Market, founded in July 2015, is a one-stop premium food store that offers a wide assortment of more than 5,000 SKUs across multiple categories like regular & exotic F&V, Dairy, Staples, Indian and International foods. Operating 6 stores in Chennai, SunnyBee Market also conducts SunnyBee Santhai, a farmer and consumer connect platform where farmers sell their produce directly to consumers.

OYO and Unilever Partner to Lead the Way on Indian Hotel Cleanliness

Highlights

* Extension of OYO’s recently launched ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative to ensure customer and hotel employees’ safety with minimal touch Standard Operating Procedures

* The in-progress changes made by OYO may include additional deep-cleaning of high-touch surfaces, individual Unilever hygiene kits for guests as well as "last cleaned" charts and further social distancing practices at OYO properties

* Unilever will provide education for hospitality workers and products from its portfolio of trusted hygiene and sanitation brands to help OYO create a cleaner and more hygienic stay for OYO customers

* Partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, US, LATAM and Europe

OYO Hotels & Homes, one of the world’s leading hotel chains has partnered with Unilever, the global consumer goods company, to enhance OYO’s ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative with the help of Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene brands which will be used in the cleaning and disinfecting of OYO properties.

With higher hygiene standards, minimal-touch services, and enhanced credibility topping the list of customer requirements, Unilever’s R&D team will work with OYO to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of Unilever products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services. This global partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM and Europe.

Through this partnership, select OYO properties will have Unilever hygiene kits for guests and cleaning supplies for staff, including products from brands such as Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif.

To provide a cleaner and more hygienic experience to guests right from check-in to check-out, OYO has upgraded its cleanliness and hygiene protocols to suit the ‘new normal’ with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’. These include the following upgraded in-progress protocols using Unilever products:

* Deep cleaning and disinfecting in-room high touch zones: Disinfecting most frequently accessed touchpoints in the room like TV/AC remotes, phone, switches, door handles/knobs, bathroom surface & bath fittings, closets and all hard surfaces

* Hand hygiene products for guests: Alcohol-based hand gel will be made available at all key entrances, exits and high traffic areas for guests

* Sanitised common areas: Common areas (registration desk, lobby, elevators, business centres, dining rooms, etc.) will be cleaned at least four times a day

* Safety gear for staff: Hotel staff will be provided with personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves. Housekeeping staff will be required to wear required protective gear while cleaning rooms. It will be mandatory for all hotel employees to wear masks and gloves at all times 

* Restricting housekeeping during the stay: Guest rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guests. Housekeeping services/room cleaning will be performed only at checkout, or on-demand, when the guests are not present in the room as they may not prefer staff entering their room.

* Laundry & linen: Linens will be put in special, marked laundry bags and handled carefully to avoid potential contamination to surrounding surfaces or people. Linen will be changed at the guest’s request only. Linens will be laundered keeping in mind the high safety standards and best practices

* Encouragement of in-room dining: When ordering room service, guests will experience contactless delivery, with orders and single-use dishes placed outside their guest room door

Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO added, “As the world begins to travel again, we must all collectively ensure that health and safety remain the absolute priority. The scientific expertise of Unilever and assurance of their brands Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif are second to none and we are confident that our guests will have a quality and stress-free experience with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products. We’re pleased that by partnering with Unilever and providing their trusted products, we are able to help customers, as well as our staff, stay as safe as possible. With our committed asset owners, we are ready to host consumers across the world and we promise to give our customers the confidence to enjoy the OYO experience as we help drive higher standards in hygiene”

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever said, “With Hindustan Unilever’s long history in India, we are determined to do our part to protect lives and livelihoods and are glad to have found a strong partner in OYO who shares this vision. Through this partnership, Unilever is pleased to be able to help, through our known and trusted home and personal hygiene brands and education on correct use. We remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of millions across the globe, and keeping our communities safe during these times.”

Harshal Sharma, asset owner of two OYO properties in Gurgaon, India added, “As a hotel owner, my first priority is the health and safety of my guests and staff. I have been associated with OYO for over two years. Over the last couple of months, the OYO team has been on their feet, coming up with innovative solutions to ensure that the customer’s changing requirements due to the pandemic are followed. My property is one of the first to have introduced ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products and I am committed to continuing working closely with OYO to create a comfortable, safe and secure experience for my guests.”

With the Centre’s decision to open hotels in a phased manner, under Unlock 1.0, OYO, has begun welcoming guests across multiple states from June 8, 2020 onwards. Recently, OYO’s senior leadership including Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, Ankit Gupta, COO, Frontier Business, Abhishek Thard, Region Head - West II checked into various OYO Hotels in Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar among others to experience the ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative.

UNICEF India, SAP India Partner to Improve Employability of the Young

On World Youth Skills Day, UNICEF India today announced its partnership with SAP India to provide career counselling to young people in the country that will improve their employability skills in a COVID and post COVID era. UNICEF is collaborating with YuWaah (Generation Unlimited) under this initiative to provide digital education and occupational skillset to the underserved young people of the country.

Under the collaboration UNICEF – YuWaah – SAP will strengthen the following:

* Improve digital skills and life skills for young people

* Provide young people with career options.

* Reimagine the model in other states with the Government of India

* Impacting one million young people by the end of 2022

Young people living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable when it comes to career and employability opportunities due to limited access to information, training, opportunities or the skills to participate fully in India’s modernizing technology-driven economy. The national aggregate on learner-computer ratio is reported to be 1:89, suggesting an inequitable access[1] in rural schools. Evidence[2] suggests that technology solutions can be optimized better to address poor learning levels, low retention rates, poor life-skills, and gender inclusion.

“Quality education and digital inclusion have never been more important. COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of access to education and this couldn’t be more relevant to India which has the highest number of young people, said Alexandra van der Ploeg, Head of CSR at SAP. “Together with UNICEF in support of the UN’s Generation Unlimited initiative, we can use the power of innovation to solve social issues and help our youth through education, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship. In true SAP spirit, our unique partnership with UNICEF will not only maximize our collective impact but inspire young people in India and across the globe to help the world run better. After all, if our young people aren’t given the opportunities for skill development, they won’t be able to associate and support social causes that help in development of a nation,” she said.

“COVID-19 has led to disruptions in educational, economic and social spheres of life, that has thrown up many challenges for young people. The UNICEF – YuWaah – SAP India partnership will empower young people to help them harness their creativity, problem-solving and leadership to make a difference in their lives and in their communities. This partnership will address urgent challenges young people face by equipping them with life skills, social innovation and career guidance,” said Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India.