Toyota Kirloskar Motor Joins Hands with Alva’s Institute of Engineering and Technology for Faculty and Student Skill Development Initiatives

In line with its unwavering commitment to contribute to Skill India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alva’s Institute of Engineering and Technology (AIET), Moodbidri, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka. TKM through its training arm, Toyota Learning and Development India initiated the tie-up with AIET. The initiative is focused on sharing Toyota’s best practices with the faculty, bridge industry-academia gap and equip students with employable skills.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Mohan Alva, Chairman, Alva's Education Foundation said, “We are happy to associate with Toyota Kirloskar Motor which has been at the forefront of skill development initiatives. With this tie-up, we aim to develop our students with the vision of ‘Molding better tomorrow through educational, cultural and sports excellence.’ The long-term training programs will augment practical knowledge and exposure of our students, thus making them industry-ready technicians with desired skillsets and competencies.

The course comprises 90 per cent practical exposure to Toyota’s skill practices and 10 per cent emphasis on theoretical aspects. A total of 180 hours of the syllabus is planned under this program, of which, 110 hours will be imparted at TKM’s factory premises and 70 hours will be covered in the college.”

Sharing his thoughts on the tie-up, Mr. G. Shankara, Associate Vice President, Human Resources and Services Group, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “In continuation of TKM’s vision to ‘Grow India and Grow with India’, we intend to further enrich the quality of students in India with a spirit to constantly learn, share knowledge and improve all our stakeholders. The uniqueness and focus of this effort is to develop students’ body and mind apart from improving their fundamental skills. For this, TKM has curated some dedicated initiatives like Toyota Technical Training Institute, Gurukul Skill Development Center and National Manpower Excellence Center to provide rightful skilling to the youth.”

Under the MoU, the program will focus on developing the faculty and students from Engineering, Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and Master’s in Social Work (MSW) streams. Students will be trained basis a semester-wise skill enhancement plan. Engineering students will be trained in topics like lean manufacturing principles, automobile technology, industrial safety, environment management system, total quality management, supply chain management, automobile welding, car painting, mechatronics, automation and robotics, xEV technologies etc. MBA and MSW students will have sessions on principles of management, strategic human resources management, organizational behaviour, recruitment and selection, HR analytics, compensation and benchmarking, employee engagement among others.

Considering the current COVID-19 situation, students will be trained through virtual sessions and instructor-led sessions. Later, students will be imparted skill training coupled with hands-on-experience at TKM’s factory premises as well as in the college premises. Trainers are certified by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Japan and Asia-Pacific Global Production Center (AP-GPC), Thailand.  A pool of more than 300-plus trainers with shop floor experience and global exposure will provide training to the students. Further, Toyota Master Class Series and Certificate Courses will also be made available to the students to help hone their skills.

Birlasoft and AmCap Insurance Announces Successful Go-Live of Submission Automation Portal

Birlasoft Ltd [BSE: 532400, NSE: BSOFT], part of the USD 2.4 billion diversified, The CK Birla Group, today announced it has successfully gone live with the Submission Automation Portal for American Capital Assurance Corp (AmCap Insurance).

AmCap Insurance was looking to transform their underwriting operations around submission intake and management. There has been a steady rise in submissions volume and with state expansion planned, AmCap Insurance realized that process automation in conjunction with an intuitive web portal would alleviate the challenges in submission handling workflow. The Submission Automation Portal automates the intake process, data extraction, submission prioritization, and routing with OCR and eligibility. Integration with email and other internal systems facilitates better underwriter- agent collaboration and seamless data exchanges.

Shilpa Bhandari, SVP & Global Head, BFSI, Birlasoft, said, “I would like to congratulate AmCap Insurance for the smooth release of Submission Automation Portal. We are proud to partner with AmCap Insurance in their journey to innovate and achieve excellence in underwriting operations. This platform provides a strong foundation for AmCap Insurance to generate high underwriting profitability and superior customer service to their agency partners and customers.”

“Birlasoft’s contribution to the insurance industry has been phenomenal and we are happy to have them as partners in this journey. They are constant innovators in their space, helping their customers to be more productive with their innovations and cutting- edge business strategies. Currently, we have been collaborating with Birlasoft on a Submission Automation Portal which will not only help achieve excellence in underwriting operations, but propel a desired paradigm shift towards providing seamless service to our customers.” Said, Philip G Peterson III, Vice President and CAO, American Capital Assurance Corp.

Birlasoft has proven itself as a leading mid-tier Enterprise Digital company by carving out a premier position among the minds of global brands; catering to customers across verticals and providing personalized attention with its two-decades of experience in transformational projects. Birlasoft has been invested in industry centric domain solutions and partnerships. The company has successfully delivered projects for insurance customers in areas of core process augmentation, front to back office automation and customer experience. Birlasoft has proven experience in the insurance solutions suite portfolio comprising of various solutions for distribution, policy administration and claims business units. These specific portfolios help to improve collaboration between brokers and underwriters, boosting underwriting efficiency and fighting claim fraud.

About AmCap Insurance

American Capital Assurance Corp (AmCap Insurance) is an AM Best A- (Excellent) rated commercial office, residential, non-residential and flood insurance company operating throughout Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, the company plans to expand their geographic footprint to Georgia and North Carolina. For additional information, visit Amcapins.com or Twitter, @AmCapInsurance.

About Birlasoft

Enterprise to the Power of DigitalTM

Birlasoft combines the power of domain, enterprise and digital technologies to reimagine business processes for customers and their ecosystem. Its consultative and design thinking approach makes societies more productive by helping customers run businesses. As part of the multibillion dollar diversified The CK Birla Group, Birlasoft with its 10,000 engineers, is committed to continuing our 158-year heritage of building sustainable communities.

Tinder Announces Swipe Night in India: An In-App Interactive Event that Represents a New Way to Match

Starting on September 12th at 10 a.m., for 3 consecutive weekends, Tinder® will make its Swipe Night event available in India. Swipe Night, which originally launched late last year in the US, is a first-person, in-app, interactive event where Tinder members can swipe at key points in the experience to move the story forward and see where it takes them. Their choices dictate more than just the story; they also impact who they match with and what they might chat about once the epic journey ends. Swipe Night takes place live, right inside Tinder.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the power of conversational common ground powered by shared experiences. Social distancing along with stay at home orders turned our members into chatty and creative digital daters with 52% more messages sent globally (peaking on April 5) and swipe volume among members in India rising by 32%.

Swipe Night follows a group of friends, with Tinder members playing the protagonist, during the final hours before an asteroid hits Earth. As the story unfolds, members will be challenged with moral dilemmas and practical choices that impact what happens next and who they match with once the event ends.  But they’ll have to act fast: there are only seven seconds to make each decision.  Each week, key choices are added to a member’s Tinder profile so there’s plenty of material for post-apocalyptic banter.

“When lockdowns began, we saw an immediate increase in our members' engagement on Tinder, so we know we play an important role in their stay-at-home experience,” said Jim Lanzone, CEO of Tinder. “While the global health crisis continues, we believe Swipe Night can bring a welcome change of pace to our members around the world. We’re committed to driving innovation on Tinder that creates more ways to bring our members together, entertain them, and help them meet and get to know new people.”

Tinder tapped some of the biggest names in the business to make Swipe Night. The production was directed by 24-year old Karena Evans (Drake’s go-to music video director) and written by Nicole Delaney (Big Mouth, Netflix) and Brandon Zuck (Five Points, Facebook Watch).

Be sure to show up to the Swipe Night event every weekend in September, starting September 12 at 10 a.m. The weekly Swipe Night event will only be available until midnight Sunday.

Live Times & Dates as follows:

* Saturday September 12th starting at 10:00 - Sunday 13th at 23:59

* Saturday September 19th starting at 10:00 - Sunday 20th at 23:59

* Saturday September 26th staring at 10:00 - Sunday 27th at 23:59 

Swipe Night was originally launched in the US at the end of 2019 to rave reviews. During the interactive event, Tinder saw matches increase by 26% and messages increase by 12% as compared to a typical weekend.

ABOUT TINDER

Tinder was introduced on a college campus in 2012 and is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people. It has been downloaded more than 340 million times and is available in 190 countries and 40+ languages. Tinder has 6.2 million subscribers and is the highest-grossing non-gaming app globally.

Medtronic Unveils New Innovation for Surgery: The Sonicision Curved Jaw Cordless Ultrasound Dissection System in India

India Medtronic Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), today announced the launch of the Sonicision™ Curved Jaw Cordless Ultrasonic Dissection System, which is a next generation ultrasonic dissection device that delivers the combined benefits of enhanced precision to surgeons with convenience and safety in the operating room.

Sonicision Curved Jaw Cordless Ultrasonic Dissection System is indicated for soft tissue incisions when bleeding control and minimal thermal injury are desired. The device can be used as an adjunct to or substitute for electrosurgery, lasers, steel scalpels in general, plastic, paediatric, gynaecologic, urologic, exposure to orthopedic structures (such as spine and joint space), and other open and endoscopic procedures. Access to the optimal device that is safe and allows for good precision and visibility for reaching tight spaces in the patient’s body is critical for surgeons while conducting these procedures in the operating room.

“Overcoming healthcare’s biggest challenges has been the driving force behind the development of our energy products for more than 50 years. Sonicision is a new age technology which is designed to enhance mobility in the operating room and enable a safer surgery.” said Madan Krishnan, vice president, India Medtronic Pvt Ltd and Minimally Invasive Therapies Group APAC. “Medtronic is committed to developing smart products and procedural solutions in the area of surgical innovation to improve clinical outcomes.”

The new Sonicision Curved Jaw Ultrasonic Dissection System is a cordless device which improves movement, mobility‡, and safety1 in OR. The device has a single button with dual-mode energy control which allows access to minimum and maximum energy modes so the surgeon’s eyes can stay on the surgical field2,# and the tapered curved jaw provides access in tight spaces.2,Ω When assembled, electrical power supplied by the battery pack is converted to ultrasonic energy in the generator. This energy is transferred to the active blade, which is used to accomplish the intended clinical use. All these features have been incorporated to empower surgeons to improve focus on patient and the surgery at hand.

About Medtronic

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies – alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

GlobalShala will be Sending Superhero U Contest Winners to Visit the UN Headquarters in New York, USA

 

Edtech venture GlobalShala has announced that they will be sending winners of their Superhero U contest to the UN Headquarters in New York, USA. The competition launched earlier this month for college and school students with curiosity and creativity to solve global challenges highlighted in the United Nation’s SDGs. Besides this, the company had earlier announced prize money worth $90,000 for the winners and up to a total of 7 final round winners will be announced across the globe.

The sole purpose behind the Superhero U competition was to cultivate a force of forward-thinking young leaders, where individuals are to invent a “Superhero” that essentially takes on universal challenges and strives to make the world a better place. Inspired by the United Nation’s SDGs, GlobalShala has crossed the boundaries with this initiative and has invited applications from across the globe to participate.

Talking about the competition, Anushika Jain, Founder & CEO, GlobalShala said “Sustainability is the driving force towards accomplishing economic and social development of every nation across the world. The United Nations have been the torchbearers for Sustainable Development Goals among international communities. We want everyone who participates to be a winner of the Superhero U competition at each round by demonstrating the most creativity, innovation, collaboration, and resilience that will win gift cards, micro-scholarships for college, and learning experiences valued at up to US$90,000 along with an opportunity for their ideas to be showcased and reviewed by top officials at UN. Geographically speaking, every continent, country, the state has its own set of differentiated sustainable development goals, and therefore each will have a different Superhero to tackle their problems for social good. Hence, taking into account the global perspective, we are planning to announce one winner from each continent, making a total of 7 final round winners who will be chosen to visit New York, USA. We hope to aspire individuals across the world to create their own Superhero and aim towards transforming these creative ideas into action plans for global development.”

Besides this, GlobalShala has also introduced an interesting referral program, where individuals can refer their family and friends and win Amazon gift cards worth $1000.

The competition has opened its doors wide for creativity and has allowed candidates to bring out the social entrepreneurship in them and catalyze their creative thinking and innovation to design their own hero in posters, comic strip, video, or video game formats featuring their hero to solve a global problem.

So far GlobalShala has received entries from over 50 countries for the competition and will be accepting entries till October 9, 2020.

To learn more, please visit: https://superherou.globalshala.com

About GlobalShala:

Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (mainly Education, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment), GlobalShala is providing learners across the globe a platform to express, experience, explore, and engage through various learning opportunities and internships to obtain quality jobs and sustainable economic growth through purposeful possibilities that will open up hopes and dreams of lifelong learners to make a good world better! 

Bayer Appoints Rachana Panda VP, Country Head for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability for South Asia

Bayer has appointed Rachana Panda as Vice- President and Country Head for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability for South Asia. As a member of Bayer’s South Asia Leadership Team, she will work across all of Bayer’s businesses in the region, in addition to collaborating with global teams to provide impetus to the group’s multiple initiatives in India.

D. Narain, Senior Bayer Representative for South Asia and Vice Chairman & Managing Director for Bayer CropScience Limited said, “At Bayer, we continue to build on our long legacy of over 100 years as a trusted partner for both India and South Asia. As we work towards delivering on our vision of ‘Health for all, hunger for none’, we are delighted to welcome Rachana on board. With her vast experience across sectors, she will play a pivotal role in enabling Bayer achieve its commitments to support society and business growth in the region.“

In her earlier role, Rachana was the Chief Communications Officer for GE South Asia. Over her career, she has also worked with companies such as Alstom, Alcatel and UTStarcom. 

Rachana Panda said, “I am excited to join Bayer with its rich legacy globally of translating its vision to reality for the benefit of society at large. I look forward to playing an integral part in this growth journey.”

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

Emirates Returns Over INR 9,985 Crore to Customers in Refunds

Emirates reveals that is has returned over AED 5 billion (US$ 1.4 billion) in COVID-19 related travel refunds to date, making strong and steady progress on its commitment to customers to complete pending refunds.

More than 1.4 million refunds requests have been completed since March, representing 90% of the airline’s backlog. This includes all requests received from customers around the world up until the end of June, save for a few cases which require further manual review.

Since the pandemic hit, Emirates has invested additional resources to ramp up its processing capability. The airline also continues to work with industry partners to facilitate refunds for those who have booked their Emirates flights through travel agents, this includes enabling direct refunds processing via global booking systems (GDS).

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “We understand that from our customers’ standpoint, each pending refund request is one too many. We are committed to honouring refunds and are trying our utmost to clear the massive and unprecedented backlog that was caused by the pandemic. Most cases are straightforward, and these we will process quickly. But there are cases which will take a bit more time for our customer teams to manually review and complete. We are grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding.”

As global travel markets slowly re-open, Emirates has gradually restarted its passenger operations around the world, always ensuring that it provides customers with a safe and smooth travel experience.

The airline has introduced a series of industry-leading initiatives to provide customers with additional reassurance and confidence when they travel – from bio-safety measures at every step of their journey, to free COVID-19 medical cover, and flexible booking policies.

Emirates currently offers flights to over 80 cities. Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

Destination Dubai: From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai is one of the most popular global destinations. In 2019, the city welcomed 16.7 million visitors and hosted over hundreds of global meetings and exhibitions, as well as sports and entertainment events. Dubai was one of the world's first cities to obtain the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai's comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Flexibility and assurance: Emirates' booking policies offer customers flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket by 30 September 2020 for travel on or before 30 November 2020, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and options, if they have to change their travel plans due to unexpected flight or travel restrictions relating to COVID-19, or when they book a Flex or Flex plus fare. More information here.

Free, global cover for COVID-19 related costs: Customers can now travel with confidence, as Emirates has committed to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until 31 October 2020 (first flight to be completed on or before 31 October 2020), and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination. For more details: www.emirates.com/COVID19assistance.

Health and safety: Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more information on these measures and the services available on each flight, visit: www.emirates.com/yoursafety.