Salarpuria Sattva Employs Native Labours to Keep the Construction Momentum On

In a bid to reiterate its commitment towards quality construction and on-time project handovers, Salarpuria Sattva Group, employed 600+ native labourers’ at their projects across Karnataka to boost the real estate sector, during this COVID breakout. This will not only help in continuum of production, investment, labour and native supply chains in the state, but it will also be instrumental in revival of the real estate sector, sooner than anticipated.

With millions of workers migrating to their hometowns, continuing the momentum at the construction sites has been a constant challenge for the developers. In a grim scenario like this, while Govt. is taking measures to uplift the present economic situation, companies across industries will have to be proactive and  self-sufficient.

Being at the forefront of the real estate industry, Salarpuria Sattva, decided to tap into the indigenous manpower of Karnataka and neighbouring states, by employing labour in the construction sites across their projects.

Commenting on the same, Mr. Bijay Agarwal, MD, Salarpuria Sattva, said, “The pandemic has impacted industries across every domain including real estate. Amidst this major economic slowdown, we feel that the need of the hour should be employment and demand generation. Therefore, we have decided to take charge of the situation and empower our indigenous manpower in order to narrow the project delivery margin as much as possible. We hope this will not only help us in handing over projects on time, but also will help ease the labour shortage in Karnataka and neighbouring states, and help them to survive during this unprecedented time.”

This labour clutter has been divided into different sets, basis their skills in masonry, carpentry and interiors. Considering the present situation, the company is prioritizing projects and engaging native labour for completion and handover. All proactive safety measures like screening, sanitization, social distancing etc., are undertaken at sites for the safety of the workers.

About Salarpuria Sattva Group:

Present over the past 3 decades, Salarpuria Sattva Group has grown into one of the most trusted builders in the country today. Headquartered in Bengaluru, India, it also a well-known name in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Coimbatore, Jaipur and Goa. The Group will soon be expanding its presence in Mumbai. With 48 million sq.ft spaces completed consisting of world class commercial spaces, cutting edge tech parks and elegant residences, 36 million sq.ft under construction and 32 million sq.ft in the planning stage, Group is one of the leading developers in India today. Salarpuria Sattva’s flagship commercial project and Asia’s Best IT Tech Park- Knowledge City is located in Hitec City, Hyderabad. The Group’s other cutting edge upcoming projects in Hyderabad include: Knowledge Capital, Knowledge Park and Image Towers (a unique project for gaming and animation industry with world class facilities, in P.P.P model with Telangana State  and industrial infrastructure corporation). By further expanding into various ventures such as co-working, co-living, education, aerospace, embedded technology, hotels, facilities management and warehousing, the Group today stands tall as a frontrunner, shaping India’s growth story. The Group’s unwavering adherence to quality has given it the “trusted” tag among builders in the country, renowned for its “A Stable” CRISIL rating.

Hyderabad to Host Medtronic’s Largest Global R&D Center Outside the U.S. with INR 1200 Crore Investment

 Medtronic plc, the global leader in medical technology, has decided to invest INR 1200 crores in scaling up and expanding the current R&D center into a state-of-the-art engineering and innovation center in Hyderabad. Medtronic Engineering & Innovation Center (MEIC) will be the largest global R&D center outside of the United States for Medtronic. This investment planned over 5 years will provide a boost to Telangana’s MedTech plans and cement Hyderabad’s position as the Medical Devices hub in India.

The Government of Telangana and Medtronic have been in discussion for the last two years regarding the modalities of investment. During his visit to the United States in 2016, Hon’ble Minister for Industries & IT Shri. KT Rama Rao and his team of officials from Government of Telangana had a meeting with Mr. Omar Ishrak, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Medtronic. The partnership was finally announced today via a virtual meeting with Mr. Omar Ishrak, Mr. Geoff Martha, Medtronic CEO, Mr. Bob White, EVP and President, Minimally Invasive Therapies Group (MITG), Madan Krishnan, Vice President Indian Subcontinent and MITG APAC, Mani Prakash, Vice President R&D, MITG, Subu Mangipudi Vice President RGI Quality & MEIC and Divya Prakash Joshi, Sr Engineering Director & Site Leader, MEIC Hyderabad. Among others with the Minister included Principal Secretary Shri. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS and Director for Life Sciences Shri. Shakthi Nagappan from Govt. of Telangana.

Making the announcement Mr. Omar Ishrak, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Medtronic said, “Research and Development leads to innovation and innovation is crucial to our growth strategy. Medtronic’s investment in India is a testament to our commitment to the region and we are proud to be collaborating with the Government of Telangana on this major investment in the country. The expansion of MEIC will help us serve the Medtronic Mission to use medical technology to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for patients around the world, which is also aligned with the government’s vision to improve access to healthcare for patients in India.”

During the virtual meeting, Mr. KT Rama Rao briefed the Medtronic leadership team on various initiatives taken by the Telangana Government to promote Medical Devices sector and the developments over the last few years. While recalling memories of his meeting with Mr. Omar Ishrak in the U.S., he congratulated him for taking over as the Executive Chairman of Medtronic and Chairman of the Board of Intel and congratulated Mr. Geoff Martha on his appointment as the new CEO of Medtronic.

Mr. KT Rama Rao said, “We are delighted that Medtronic has chosen Hyderabad as its largest R&D base outside the U.S. and intends to create about 1000 jobs in the next few years. It is indeed a great honour for the city to host this center and it is a testimony to Hyderabad’s growing prowess in the medical devices sector. Government of Telangana is committed to the growth of med-tech in the state and we see this partnership with Medtronic as a pivotal one. We will work with them to ensure this center will continue to contribute to their remarkable efforts to improve healthcare globally.”

During the conversation, Mr. KT Rama Rao alluded to how the story on India for India and India for the world is getting stronger with recent turn of global events and assured them of all support from the State Government for the company’s growth plans and aspirations in India.

Commenting on the announcement, Madan Krishnan, Vice President Indian Subcontinent and Minimally Invasive Therapies Group APAC concluded saying, “At Medtronic, invention and innovation are vital so that we can help enhance therapy outcomes for people with chronic diseases. MEIC conducts advanced engineering R&D and product development in the areas of design, analysis, advanced hardware- software development and testing. The futuristic vision of Govt. of Telangana and access to great infrastructure has enabled us to make this investment in Hyderabad. I’m confident that this major investment would create many job opportunities in healthcare and help energize the medical devices innovation ecosystem in India.”

VN Finance Announces Small Ticket Loans – ‘Shramik Loan’ and ‘Rozgar Loan’ for Migrant Workers and Financially Excluded

Small Loans 

* 24X7 service; Within 1-day loan disbursal; minimal no of documents

* Funds even for those who cannot provide security or existing assets

In sync with the Prime Minister and RBI Governor’s clarion call to provide credit/ loans to the financially excluded and the unbanked, VN Finance, a tech-enabled NBFC, has announced small ticket loan offerings – ‘Shramik Loan’ and ‘Rozgar Loan’ for migrant workers and financially excluded small business men and women on the eve of Independence Day 2020. In the aftermath of Covid-19 and the problems faced by lakhs of people, VN Finance's approach is to deploy 24X7 service and disburse loans within a day with the least number of documents and hassle-free interaction using technology.

The ticket size of the loan starts from Rs. 25,000 onwards. Those people, who need unsecured loans and have no security or no existing assets, can directly (or through intermediaries) approach VN Finance and share their creditworthiness and repayment capacity. They will get the funds at the best of terms to achieve their dreams.

VN Finance also offers Secured Loans such as Loan Against Property, Loans against Gold Jewellery and Loans against Inventories. Every business needs ongoing working capital and this requirement keeps increasing with the growth of business. VN Finance's professional team fully understands business needs and provides funding against the goods and inventories already lying in the shops/godown. The small business owner just needs to furnish the inventory list, its value and their needs.

Mohit Kakkad, Director & Founder, VN Finance, said, “We stand committed to our vision of changing the society by helping people to follow the dreams by easy and quick financing. We are focusing on the segments who cannot afford to wait and cannot meet or understand the complex and time-consuming processes of conventional lenders. We work tirelessly to develop delivery mechanisms with technology to make our disbursal process easy, efficient and widespread. We plan to expand aggressively in Mumbai MMR region, Maharashtra State and gradually across India.”

VN Finance is also developing a network of banking intermediaries, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), NGOs and correspondents who can help facilitate credit to migrant workers, unbanked and financially deprived business men and women. Since the target segment is not necessarily highly literate and educated in technology, VN Finance is using technology to help them and the financial intermediaries in the easiest of ways.

Mohit Kakkad firmly believes that if India has to achieve financial inclusion in the true sense, NBFCs such as VN Finance have to play a significant role in enhancing financial literacy, seeking minimal collateral, shorter processing time and building distribution network while grappling with lack of credit history, absence of formal identity, cyclical income and paper work.

The Union Government and regulators have taken various initiatives such as Basic savings bank deposit account (BSBDA), Lead banking scheme (LBS), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and set up payments’ infrastructure like BHIM, UPI, DBT to jumpstart the process of financial inclusion. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-24, announced that public credit registry has to be made fully operational by March 2022 so that authorised financial entities can leverage the same for assessing credit proposals. NBFCs can also access and analyze data from Google Pay, Walmart-owned PhonePe and Whatsapp Pay (to launch soon).

About VN Finance

VN Finance Pvt. Ltd. (VNF) is an innovative financial company Incorporated in March 2019 as a Non-Deposit taking NBFC (ND). The company is founded by 31-year old Mohit Kakkad with a vision to use technology to provide finance to hitherto unbanked section of society. The company is mainly engaged is providing the small and medium size ticket loans on secured and unsecured basis. Unsecured loans are being provided based on creditworthiness and repayment capacity of the borrowers. The senior management of the company consists of senior leaders from banking industry and mentored by some of the highly qualified professionals. VN Finance has put in place an interest rate policy, adopted by the Board, taking into account relevant factors such as, cost of funds, margin and risk premium, etc and determine the rate of interest to be charged for loans. It has a robust KYV Policy, Fair Practices Code and Corporate Governance Policy.

HATCH 2020 Online Event by St.Francis College, Koramangala on August 12, 2020

 * Online meeting of the Global Learning Community to discuss ‘Educating the Next’

* Release of the Publication ‘Hatch 2020 – Educating the Next’ with over 100 Educational Institutes & Thought Leaders across the globe.

St. Francis College, Koramangalawill release the debut publication ‘Hatch 2020 – Educating the Next’ together with a panel discussion featuring thought leaders from across the globe on the 12thAugust 2020 from 10 to 12 noon via an online webinaraligned with the UN International Youth Day.

The publication is a step forward to unite and collaborate with the global learning community under once platform to shape future leaders and most importantly sustain a positive mindset during the period of Covid-19. It is also a platform to share best practices, insights and how educationists can come together and further the cause of education.

The publication will be released by noted personalities such as:

* BomanIrani – Indian theatre & film actor

* T. R. Parasuraman – President of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce& Whole Time Director – Toyota Industries Engine India Pvt. Ltd.

* Dr. Joseph V.G -  Honorary Consul General, Republic of Maldives – Bengaluru & Chancellor, Garden City University

* IndrajitLankesh– Indian Film maker & producer and publisher of LankeshPatrike.

* Prof. J Philip – Founder & Chairman , Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME)

* FarzanehMajed – CEO & md, Partner Transform Alliance, UK

* Ashish Ballal - Former Indian Hockey Captain, Asia Game Gold Medalist, & Olympian

* RaginiPrajwal – Kannada Film Actor with recent movie hit ‘Law’

* Augustus Azariah – IBM India Pvt. Ltd

* Jalal ElNasser – Reginonal Manager – UTS Insearch University, Sydney, Australia

* RJ RiazBasha - Anchor, TV presenter, Big Boss contestant

* Ibrahim Khalil – Up by Levels – Dubai & Saudi Arabia

*  DJ Ivan - A DJ, music composer and host on a radio show Hotmix in Bangalore

* Samie – Alchrafi- Award-winning speaker, author and podcaster. Author of Business for Humanity.

* Br.Sayimon(Director)& Ms. Sameera Fernandes – (Director – Strategic Planning), St. Francis College, Koramangala

The panel discussion is moderated by Shekhar Vijayan.

Commented Br. Sayimon, Director, St. Francis College, Koramangala, “Our objective is to encourage the global learning community to come out with innovative ways to shape our future leaders. With plentiful insights into the publication, I am sure this can be a useful toolkit when framing policies and practices on the education front”.

Commented Ms. Sameera Fernandes, Director – Strategic Planning & Dean, St. Francis College, Koramangala, “SFC-publication is an ideal avenue for the learning community across the world to come together and contribute their ideas on the theme educating  next. The culture of inclusivity and collaboration is what the education sector should strive for moving forward.

Quite a few partners too have come forward which includes Talent 2 International Education Consultancy, Indigo Music, Bangalore Chamber of Industry &Commerce, Ecosol Global, India Today, Arivupro, Threadworks, Xavier Board of Higher Education in India and Catholic Club.

HATCH 2020 is an in-house e-publication aims at creating a new tomorrow with the global learning community. The publication brings together the highly valuable insights from principals, faculty and students in the form of articles and interviews.

Together with the learning community, we can build strong and safe world to live in. Watch us live on You tube, Face book, Instagram to support, enjoy and make a difference.

Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezyg76bWnpT9PWReAKLVsFwPG0hBeFNKGU9BhtTiJQ47z7Pw/viewform or log on to our website www.stfranciscollege.net

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Sameera Fernandes

Director – Strategic Planning & Dean

St. Francis College, Koramangala

Mobile: 97400 66551

Email: dean@stfranciscollege.net

ŠKODA Auto India Partners with PPS Motors to Expand its Footprint in Karnataka

 Summary

* ŠKODA AUTO’s new state of the art dealership facility in Bengaluru: PPS Motors boasts 4,500 sq. ft. of a modern showroom and 18,000 sq. ft. of premium service space, 70 plus technicians and staff members, 10 mechanical stations and body shop bays, and service capacity of 5,500 plus ŠKODA AUTO vehicles per annum

* The new dealership facility is the third outlet of the Czech marque, in Bengaluru, and aims to enhance the overall purchase and ownership experience for the ŠKODA AUTO customers in the region

* Under the ‘INDIA 2.0’ project, ŠKODA AUTO India will double its network penetration, and expand to 50 new cities, over the next three years

* ŠKODA AUTO celebrates 125 years of its glorious history and heritage the world over

With the inauguration of PPS Motors in Bengaluru, ŠKODA AUTO India aims to strengthen its position in Karnataka and push forward its campaign of establishing a strong foothold in the southern markets of our nation. The new state of the art dealership facility sports the new Corporate Identity and Design as a part of ŠKODA AUTO global redesigning process. The Czech auto manufacturer, under the purview of the ‘INDIA 2.0’ project, will have at least twice as many sales and service touchpoints, as it does today, by 2022.

PPS Motors is strategically located at 219/11, Ramana Maharishi Road, Palace Orchards, Sadashivanagar, Bellary Road and offers utmost ease and convenience across the region. The sales facility sprawls over an area of 4,500 square feet and accommodates at least four cars on display. A dedicated service workshop, located at 35, Kranthikavi Sarvagna Road, Sreerampuram, Okaluipuram, is spread across 18,000 square feet and houses ten mechanical stations and body shop bays. With 75 trained personnel, PPS Motors has a capacity to service 5,500 plus ŠKODA AUTO vehicles per annum.

Commenting on the inauguration of the new facility, Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “To ensure preparedness for INDIA 2.0 launches, we at ŠKODA AUTO India are continually striving to expand our network reach, across the nation, so that not only more and more customers can experience our products but also enjoy easy access to our customer centric aftersales solutions. Bangalore is a key market for us in South India, and we are confident that our

partnership with PPS Motors will be pivotal for the brand and will further strengthen our foothold in Karnataka.”

Mr. Rajiv Sanghvi, Dealer Principal, PPS Motors Private Limited said, “We are delighted to partner with ŠKODA AUTO India and introduce a new dealership facility in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The modern architecture and streamlined business processes will provide the ideal backdrop for the presentation of ŠKODA AUTO products. With the global best practices and processes of Skoda Auto India and adapting them to suit our customers in the region we endeavour to create a lot of value for all our stake holder’s especially our customers to offer world service and customer care”

MODERN DEALERSHIP FACILITIES WITH STREAMLINED BUSINESS PROCESSES

With the highest priority given to functionality, clear orientation, and transparency, ŠKODA AUTO India has successfully rebranded its entire network of 83 sales and 58 service touchpoints across 69 cities across the nation. The Czech brand has invested over INR 1,200 million, along with its dealer partners, in the biggest rebranding campaign in its history in India.

In line with the ‘INDIA 2.0’ project, the corporate architecture, functional interiors, and rationalized business processes, aim to enhance the overall customer experience. The new dealership design architectural concept reflects ŠKODA AUTO’s philosophy expressed in the slogan: “Simply Clever with a human touch”.

The new architecture of the dealership facility is characterized by clear and simple shapes, a harmonious colour concept, modular design features, and a modern lighting concept. The new exteriors of the ŠKODA AUTO dealerships will be the brand’s powerful statement during both day and night - clear, transparent, modern, and open.

In addition to sustaining ŠKODA AUTO’s proven strengths, the company is placing an increasing emphasis on enhancing the emotional appeal of the brand. It is conveyed by the sophisticated and logical arrangement of all the key elements, business areas, customer zones, and the use of cutting edge technology.

The high quality materials, new design features, effective lighting solutions, architectural graphic elements, and warm wooden tones create an inviting atmosphere. Fresh hues, clarity, openness, and transparency - are the highlights of the new interiors of ŠKODA AUTO showrooms.

New Education Policy 2020 Encourages Holistic Education Through Sports and Play

Sportz Village, India's largest youth sports platform, is in support of the emphasis on holistic development of children in the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 announced by the cabinet. Once the NEP gets implemented, children will benefit from the focus on balanced and all-round development from an early age.  

Commenting on the new initiative by the Modi government Saumil Majmudar, Co-founder, CEO and Managing Director, Sportz Village said that, “The new National Education Policy is a welcome change at a time when the health, happiness and immunity of children are becoming increasingly important due to the pandemic. The new NEP includes several key points that are instrumental for the holistic development of a child. By eliminating the rigid separation between curricular and extra-curricular activities, the NEP acknowledges sports to be equally important as any other subject like English or Science, thereby increasing the Fun and Engagement that children desperately seek in a school." 

Mr Majmudar adds that through Play, children can develop physically, mentally and socially. And we have also found Play to contribute positively to academic outcomes, classroom behaviour and attendance levels. Moreover, assessment-specific reforms such as the development of the National Assessment Centre and tracking a child's progress based on learning outcomes are great initiatives as they focus on the learning progress, thereby focusing on the all-round development of a child. We expect that sports and play, will be delivered and assessed with the same rigor and structure as core academic subjects, thereby ensuring all children experience the magic of Play and Sport, and we develop a nation of healthier and fitter children through the school system. The emphasis on Vocational Education is also a great step towards all-round development of children and we hope children will be able to choose Physical Activity and Sports as a Vocational subject. We look forward to the translation of the policy to reflect in a more playful, fun and engaging school environment for children while meeting the adult goals of learning outcomes.

About Sportz Village: 

Sportz Village is India's largest youth sports platform. Established in the year 2003, Sportz Village has a philosophy of: (i) Improving the health and fitness of children, (ii) Getting everyone to experience the magic of sports. 

Five Key Sectors That Will See A Transformation With 5G Technology

 

By Mr. Preetham Uthaiah, EVP - Marketing and Strategy, Saankhya Labs

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a long lockdown, which has spurred a digital transformation in the economy. Education has gone truly digital with the advent of online classes and exams, doctors are providing consultations online, meetings are being conducted via video conferencing platforms and even international trade exhibitions have shifted to online webinars and events. As a result of this digital transformation, internet usage has surged extensively putting immense pressure on existing communication networks. A reliable and robust 5G communication network can help industries maximize this digital transformation. The SLA’s (service level agreements) and QoS (quality of service) that need to be met for some of the time-critical applications can be accommodated using 5G technology with some of its advanced features such as ‘Slicing’ and low latency communication that ensures that real-time communication happens without getting affected by the traffic loads.

Here are some key sectors that are bound to benefit from a 5G driven digital transformation -

1. Healthcare

The healthcare industry will immensely benefit from 5G networks. With increasing use of online consultations and tele-medicine, a reliable and faster connection is critical to effectively deliver remote healthcare services. The low latency and faster speeds which are a main feature of 5G will help in time critical telemedicine applications such as remote surgery and remote patient monitoring etc. Hospitals also transmit large amounts of patient data including large files like CT Scans and MRIs. Some hospitals like King’s College Hospital, UK; Sinchuan University Hospital, China and Samsung Medical Centre, South Korea are installing private Enterprise 5G solutions to support their IT networks.

2. Agriculture

In this emerging technological world, scientific farming techniques are being used to boost productivity in farms. These include use of Agri-IoT sensors for soil monitoring, water management, smart irrigation, crop health monitoring, drone-based farm management etc. Deployment of 5G networks will provide added benefit to manage these drones and get real time data from the sensors by effectively using the 5G networks

3. Construction

The real estate sector, which has for long been known for its offline operations, is set to transform itself with the advent of 5G technology. In its new avatar, virtual property tours using AR/VR technologies, as well as 3D printed models of homes will be a reality in aiding digital marketing and sale of properties. Powered by stable and fast networks with lower latency, 5G will also ensure the smooth functioning of various stages of the design process to include 3D architectural visualization and collaborative meetings with various stakeholders.

4. Auto

5G brings with it unprecedented speed and connectivity to make autonomous, or self-driving cars a reality. An autonomous car is expected to produce up to 25 GB data per hour. Current networks will not be able to handle such large volumes of real-time data. 5G networks will allow faster-than-ever communication and real-time data processing between vehicles, networks, infrastructure and even pedestrians.

5. Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector is becoming more and more autonomous. High speed connectivity is needed to monitor and direct robots working on the factory floor. Additionally, many factories are becoming more “smart” with IoT sensors being installed across the factory, sharing real-time updates to a central server. 5G technologies can provide network characteristics that are vital for the manufacturing industry. This technology will allow for increased flexibility, lower costs, and smaller lead times for layout changes and alterations at the manufacturing units, factory floor production reconfiguration etc. Large organizations like Worchester Bosch, Siemens, Ford Motors etc. are deploying enterprise 5G networks to streamline their operations. 5G is poised to aid manufacturing/production operations, helping them become more efficient, while also refining security and reducing maintenance and operating costs.

Hailed as an upcoming tech revolution, 5G promises advantages that will touch every aspect of our lives, from healthcare to education to products and services we buy and beyond!