PPS Mahindra Showroom Inaugurated with Mahindra Thar in Bengaluru; Next-Gen Digital Showroom with Virtual Reality Experience

PPS Mahindra grand entry in the IT city, Bengaluru located in Central Business District at 1 Sobha Mall in Church Street with the all-new Thar being made available in one of the best “New format, Next-generation compact digital Showroom to take customer experience to the next level”. This is a new concept of compact SIS showroom that redefines customer experience, thanks to digital technologies and interventions. PPS Mahindra is offering its customers to test drive the Thar in an Off-Roading Track to experience the capabilities of the Mahindra Thar in real challenging terrains at Giddenahalli, Magadi Road. 

The Showroom In Showroom (SIS) compact showroom provides a differentiated customer experience, a synthesis of next-level technology with a physical environment by integrating the virtual world with the real on a phygital (physical+digital) platform. In fact, it is built on the foundation of providing convenience, transparency, and personalization. Apart from the new look and feel, the compact SIS showroom will harness the power of digital aides for immersive customer experience, with uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity, luxurious Customer Lounges and Re-Fuel counters add to customer delight.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Rajiv Sanghvi, Executive Director, said "It gives us great pleasure to partner with Mahindra and extend our 60+ Years association with Mahindra to Bangalore and look forward to fortifying our relationship further with Mahindra and our customers in Bangalore. Our business environment is changing at a breathtaking pace in view of new technologies and enhanced customer expectations. To enhance the customer purchase experience in today's digital age, we are committed to deliver this world-class showroom that combines traditional and digital tools to offer a seamless sales experience to our customers.”

Mr. Gaurav Gill, Ace Rallyist was also present for the inauguration of the showroom and he commented “I am very happy to be part of this launch, the high-end SIS concept is quite unique and gives customers a real immersive experience and tools to personalize their cars.”

Seamless Customer Experience

·         High-end Display Area – A display zone for high-end SUVs comes with an immersive virtual reality experience for the customer, along with TV screens for mirroring. 

·         Additional convenience with embedded screens and virtual reality with mirrored displays. 

·         This zone also has specially trained Relationship Managers for a personalized experience. 

Sales Assistance aided through digital Interventions

·         This ensures clutter-free space and paperless interaction through

·         An industry-first virtual reality experiences, giving the real on-road feel factor

Tablets - To capture customer information & provide an immersive demo to the customers and 

Dress Yourself ‘Mahindra Style’ unit for merchandise and accessories zone.

Hair loss in Women Due to PCOS Gets More Effective Treatment: Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology Study

The QR678 hair growth factor formulation has been found to be effective in treating pattern alopecia in women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), according to a prospective study by Dr. Debraj Shome, Celebrity Cosmetic Surgeon and Dr. Rinky Kapoor, a Dermatologist heading The Esthetic Clinics™ across India. QR678® hair growth therapy was invented by Dr. Shome and Dr. Kapoor.

The success of this study is a major breakthrough for the cosmetic beauty industry. Hair is an important feature of a woman’s personality and when hormonal imbalances lead to PCOS and its side-effects of hair loss along randomized hair growth on the body it takes a hard hit on the self-esteem, image, and confidence of a woman. Around 20-30% of the women with PCOS suffer from female pattern hair loss. Cosmetic surgeon and the brainchild behind the QR678, Dr. Debraj Shome also believes that “this opens up a brand new world for the field of cosmetology in India. This solves one of the many beauty related issues which will be a game-changer for the beauty industry for women.”

This study was conducted with the agenda of evaluating the efficiency of the QR678® and QR678 Neo® therapy for the cure of female alopecia and PCOS. Using a broad range method 20 women between 25 to 50 years of age with PCOS female patterns with Grade I & II Ludwig scale were chosen for the study. A solution of QR678® was administered in the scalp of the patient, with a 3-week interval between eight such sessions. Using standard global photography for evaluation marked improvement was noticed after eight sessions. The study showed the 20 women had 11.66 fewer vellus hair, 13.77 more terminal hair, and hair shaft diameter was 2.86 μm broader than at baseline. “This successful study has highlighted the potential for hair loss remedy for women suffering from PCOS. If further trials and consequent studies are successful we intend to create more awareness about the same in space of gynecology where PCOS and related issues are dealt with”, says Rinky Kapoor. This was the first study using QR678® and QR678 Neo® in patients suffering from PCOS.

NSDC and Khan Academy India Partner to Offer Free Foundational Mathematics Courses for Indian Youth

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has partnered with Khan Academy India to offer free courses on mathematics foundation and numeral literacy skills for Indian youth.  As part of the collaboration, Khan Academy has curated 2100 minutes of online courses in English and conversational Hindi language, which will be available to learners through NSDC’s eSkill India portal.

The courses focus on a range of foundational math concepts and numeral literacy that are applicable in major vocations and professions. Beginning from the basics of numbers and integers to more advanced topics like fractions, statistics and geometry, the courses offer flexibility to learners to choose concepts that would be most applicable to their work, and complete them at their own pace.  The courses are designed especially for the disadvantaged youth who have significantly lower learning in reading and mathematics. 

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Manish Kumar, MD and CEO, National Skill Development Corporation, said, “We believe that numeracy skills or basic math calculations form the basis of all vocations.   Our partnership with Khan Academy will not only enrich eskill india’s repository of online courses, but will also help in building foundational skills for youth, thereby improving overall learning outcomes.”

Sandeep Bapna, Managing Director, Khan Academy India said “We are very excited about this partnership as it is in alignment with our goal of leveling the playing field and ensuring all learners have access to world-class educational content. With the help of NSDC, we hope to reach millions of young adults and provide them access to foundational math resources that help build a superior understanding of basic math concepts and numeracy skills. The shared objective is to empower more young adults in the nation to upskill at their own pace and excel at their work.”

NSDC’s digital skilling initiative eSkill India aggregates digital learning resources for over 28,000 hours across various sectors and regional languages, providing the next generation of learners with the technology and skills needed to prosper in a digital economy. It offers 600+ e-learning courses through its partnerships with leading knowledge providers such as LinkedIn, Simplilearn, upGrad, Saylor Academy among others. eSkill India provides learners a platform to explore online skill-courses anytime, anywhere. The portal leverages technology to enable skill seekers accelerate their learning through methods like virtual learning and remote classrooms.

Khan Academy India is a not-for-profit organization, with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for millions of learners in India. Khan Academy’s mastery learning system allows students to learn at their own pace. With its content available on the web and app, one can learn from anywhere, anytime. Khan Academy has over 10,000 videos and 50,000 exercises in a range of academic subjects, including math, biology, chemistry, physics, history, economics, finance, grammar, preschool learning, and more. All resources are available in English, Hindi, Hinglish, Kannada and Gujarati.   In India, Khan Academy has worked closely with various education institutions, State Governments and Public Schools to democratize access to world class education resources. This includes the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV), Kendriya Vidyalayas, Govt. of Delhi, Govt. of UP and Govt. of Karnataka.

Discovery Plus Gears for a Mega-October; Drops 34 New Shows on the Streaming Platform

Discovery Plus, India’s first aggregated real-life entertainment streaming app, offers thousands of hours of exclusive content across 40+ genres including Science, Adventure, Military, Survival, Food and Lifestyle. The fastest growing streaming platform is all set to enter the month of October with 34 new titles, across a variety of genres, while also adding breadth to the interest categories currently available on the app. Discovery Plus will introduce two new categories, History and Nature, which include content ranging from war, biopics, civilizations, natural history, medical sciences and more.

Highlights:

* Icons:

The 8-part Discovery Plus exclusive BBC series celebrates the achievements of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Seven well-known faces will each front an hour-long documentary arguing the case for four people, from a different field of human excellence, including leaders, explorers, activists, scientists, entertainers, sports stars and artists & writers including Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Ernest Shackleton and Charlie Chaplin among many others.

* Planet Earth I & II:

Sir David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries. Experience the world from the viewpoint of animals themselves. From spellbinding wildlife spectacle to intimate encounters, Planet Earth takes you closer than ever before.

* Blue Planet I & II:

Sir David Attenborough narrates a natural history of the oceans in this nature documentary series. From the intense heat of the tropics to our planet's frozen poles, through to its unexplored depths, Blue Planet reveals new worlds and extraordinary never-seen-before animal behaviours.

* Top Gear

‘Top Gear' presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May embark on more exciting challenges as they test the latest, coolest, fastest cars on the market in a brand-new series of the world's biggest and most explosive car show. Join the boys as they head to Italy for a supercar shootout and try their hand at choreographing a movie car chase.

* The Ganges with Sue Perkins:

Sue Perkins undertakes an epic, personal journey to the source of India's Ganges River in the Himalayas, meeting hermits and holy men to understand the sacred nature of this river. The series also showcases Sue Perkins on a rather interesting tour of the Patanjali facility with Baba Ramdev.

* Joanna Lumley’s India:

Visit some of the most picturesque places of India through the eyes of the British actress Joanna Lumley as she returns to the country of her birth, India, for a deeply personal Journey. She witnesses religious ceremonies in glorious temples, travels to the Himalayas, meets Dalai Lama and explores Rajasthan, Delhi and her birthplace Kashmir in ‘Joanna Lumley’s India’.

* The Birth of Empire - The East India Company:

Dan Snow travels through India in the footsteps of the company that revolutionized the British lifestyle and laid the foundations of today's global trading systems.

* The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler:

At the heart of the story of Adolf Hitler is one gigantic, mysterious question: how was it possible that a character as strange and personally inadequate as Hitler ever gained power in a sophisticated country at the heart of Europe, and was then loved by millions of people? The series answers just that.

* Ancient Worlds:

Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles traces the development of Western civilization, from the first cities in Mesopotamia to the fall of the Roman Empire. In this six-part series, Miles travels through the Middle East, Egypt, Pakistan and the Mediterranean to discover how the challenges of society were dealt with and fought over in order to maintain a functioning civilization

* Seven Ages of Starlight:

The show tells the story of the stars, from red giants and supernovae to black holes, and how discovering their tale has transformed our own understanding of the universe.

About Discovery India:

Discovery Communications India, country’s leading real life entertainment player, is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content through its portfolio of 14 channels including Discovery Channel, Discovery HD, Animal Planet, Animal Planet HD, TLC, TLC HD, Investigation Discovery, Investigation Discovery HD, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Kids, DTamil and sports channels Eurosport and Eurosport HD.  The company recently launched India’s first aggregated real-life entertainment streaming app Discovery Plus. Available on Android, iOS and on the desktop / mobile web and Fire TV, the app offers more than 40,000 hours of content, across 40+ genres including Science, Adventure, Food and Lifestyle, in the language of your choice.

Bengaluru Traffic Police & Honda 2Wheelers India Inaugurates 1st Safety Driving Education Centre in Karnataka

* Now traffic rule violators of Bengaluru will get free Road Safety Awareness Training by Honda

* Honda to provide a 2-hour free of cost training to all traffic rule violators of the city while ensuring social distancing & safety measures in the New Normal

* Honda’s safety instructors to educate on important topics of traffic rules & road discipline

After successfully sensitizing over 1.9 lac learner license applicants & traffic rule violators across 7 states, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) in association with Bengaluru Traffic Police announced the start of ‘Road Safety Training’ exclusively for traffic rule violators of Bengaluru.

In order to sensitize the traffic rule violators on driving rules & regulations, road signs and driver’s duties on road, the Traffic Police Department of Bengaluru has given responsibility to Honda to initiate a road safety awareness training programme for all two-wheeler & four-wheeler challan holders of the city. Honda’s skilled instructors will train all the violators at Traffic Training and Road Safety Institute (TTRSI), Thanisandra, Bengaluru with all safety measures & social distancing norms.

Honda’s 6th Safety Driving Education Centre in India at Bengaluru was inaugurated by Dr. B. R. Ravikanthegowda (IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Bengaluru) in the august presence of Mr. Vivek Taluja (Deputy General Manager, Regional Office South, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.) along with the other senior dignitaries from state government and Honda 2Wheelers India.

Sharing his thoughts on the new road safety awareness training program, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Senior Vice President - Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Road Safety is a major concern in India. It is alarming that Karnataka, with more than 41,000* road accidents in 2018, positioned 4th in the state wise ranking of road accidents occurred across India. As a responsible two-wheeler manufacturer, we believe that creating aware and safe road users is integral for safety of all. Through this program, we aim to sensitize the traffic rue violators of Bengaluru by training them on crucial subjects like traffic rules, road signs and necessary safety measures so that they become responsible road users and thank Bengaluru Traffic Police for extending their support to us.”

About Road Safety Training at Bengaluru

Aimed at bringing behavioural change in riders & drivers of Bengaluru, Honda’s road safety instructors will conduct 3 training sessions per day. The 2-hours free of cost training program will educate traffic rule violators through a theory session on road rules, road signs & markings, riding gear & posture explanation and safe riding etiquettes.

This will be followed by a training on Honda’s virtual road safety simulator which increases an individual’s risk prediction ability on roads before actual riding. All participants of Road Safety Awareness Training program will receive certificate of participation thus enabling them to pay-off their challan.

In the new normal of COVID-19, Honda safety instructors are adhering to strict Government guidelines to ensure safety of participants with correct social distancing. Right from sanitization, temperature check at entry point to maintaining minimum 6 feet distance between applicants inside the classroom, to certificate handover and exit, Honda’s entire road safety awareness program is developed keeping contactless learning a priority.

Honda’s Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts in Road Safety promotion:

As a responsible corporate, Honda is actively contributing to spread road safety awareness and has educated over 86,000 people in Karnataka through its regular activities & awareness camps in schools, colleges & corporates.

Sensitizing people of all age groups, Honda has made 36 lac Indians aware on road safety through its 14 adopted traffic training parks (2 in Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Yeola, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ludhiana, Coimbatore, Trichy, Karnal & Thane); training to learner license applicants & traffic rule violators at its 4 traffic parks (Karnal, Bhubaneswar, Trichy & Coimbatore) & 5 safety driving education centres (Vishakhapatnam, Ranchi, Kozhikode, Vijayawada & Una) & activities for schools, colleges, corporate & societies.

Furthermore, Honda is also spreading road safety awareness digitally through its flagship Road Safety E-Gurukul started in May’20 and has educated over 1.27 lac people across 83 cities and 19 states & UTs. Together, with the support of civil society, Honda is making all efforts to ensure that Indians are safer on roads as India continues to unlock further in the times to come.

Bentley Systems Announces the Acquisition of NoteVault - Provider of Voice-Based Field Automation

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software and digital twins services for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, today announced the acquisition of NoteVault, a San Diego-based provider of voice-based field automation for construction management. The acquisition expands Bentley’s SYNCHRO digital construction environment with industry-leading mobile field applications to track and manage labor, materials, and equipment. Together, these comprehensive offerings further extend the value of digital twins across construction management, enabling projects to combine immersive 4D models of the construction progress with detailed up-to-date reports on resource expenditures, enabling more effective management of cost, schedule, and risk, leading to better project outcomes.

NoteVault’s reporting automation solutions are used widely by both large and small construction companies across the global ENR Top 400 Contractors. Designed to simplify and accelerate job site information collection, NoteVault’s SaaS solution is deployed via mobile devices, uniquely offering natural language automated speech-to-text, augmented with automated machine learning, and human transcription to ensure accuracy. Because NoteVault has been engineered specifically for construction site mobile field reporting, it recognizes construction-specific language for accurate transcription, and enables automated translation so non-native English speakers can submit daily reports more easily using their native language. With NoteVault on their mobile devices, construction professionals can help synchronize status reporting effortlessly while saving time and money, reducing the risk of contractual disputes.

“Digital twins continue to transform the way projects are delivered and operated. Inherent in every digital twin is a stream of continuously updated data, and for construction, automating the semantic interpretation of field reports can now be one of the richest sources of live project information. With the addition of NoteVault’s market-leading resource tracking capabilities, the SYNCHRO 4D construction environment delivers the most comprehensive construction digital twin solution available. We are excited to continue advancing the scope of construction digital twins,” said Dustin Parkman, vice president, project delivery, Bentley Systems.

Peter Lasensky, CEO, NoteVault, added, “Bentley’s vision for transforming construction through digital twins is the perfect vehicle to expand the reach and impact of our innovative voice-based field automation solutions. Updating 4D construction models through insights gleaned from our software for field-captured reporting fully extends the power of voice and positioning technologies together. Combining NoteVault and SYNCHRO is a natural next step in our overall mission, with Bentley, to drive greater efficiencies in construction.”

Hindware Italian Collection Launches Exquisite Range Of Contactless Sensor Faucets

Technology plays a crucial role as we navigate this new normal. Consumers have a renewed focus on health and safety which means they are ready to invest in technologically advanced products which aids in safety and cleaning practices. The current situation is clearly accelerating the adoption of touchless, contactless products. This is particularly important in bathrooms, at home, and outside, which is why consumers are shifting towards touch-free faucets in this new normal. Washing hands is a must in the New Normal and therefore Hindware Italian Collection has a launched a range of environment-friendly contactless sensor faucets are a blend of, unmatched technology and design.

Integrated with infrared sensor technology, the contact-free faucets activate water flow through the autofocus reliable sensors and inhibit skin contact ensuring maximum hygiene and safe water access. Intelligent sensors detect the user, react precisely to the user's hands and no part of the fitting needs to be touched with water flow starting and stopping automatically. The intuitive and self-adjusting sensors automatically measure its surroundings and allow water flow only when needed. The touch-free operation is not only hygienic and comfortable but also helps in reducing cost and are environment friendly. The inbuilt water flow control enables automatic shut-off, thus achieving extra water efficiency.

Apt for residential and commercial spaces, all products in the range are equipped with an easy installation mechanism. 

FluidThe fluid with an infrared sensor, is an intelligent touch-free faucet for the modern world. It regulates the water output for single cold water supply, thus enabling touch-free operations. Enthused with elegance, its suave design is further accentuated by the chrome-plated brass finish.

Price: INR 11990

Availability:  Across all Brand Stores and trade

Bathroom-ShotBalancing the perfect blend of style and substance, the Immacula range of faucets come in three distinct variants. The pre-installed vandal-resistant aerators offer more protection and durability. The Tall Body Tap and the Wall Mounted Spout, both have mouth operated sensors for precision, while the Sensor Faucet is equipped with an infrared sensor. These splash-free faucets are available in chrome-plated brass body for an enhanced aesthetic appeal

Price:

Wall Mounted Imaacula– INR 12990

Sensor Tap Imaacula – INR 11990

Tall Body Immacula – INR 12990

Availability: Across all Brand Stores and trade

FloraThe Flora, with its mouth-operated infrared sensor, is available in two variants - Short and tall. It comes with a 1200 mm braided, flexible tube for easy installation. The new-age faucet is AC+DC battery-powered for durability and optimum performance. The chrome-plated cast brass body and brass spout provide an appealing aesthetic, while the innovative engineering ensures water conservation.

Price:

Short –INR 8590

Long – INR 9590 

Availability: Across all Brand Stores and trade

The I Sense faucet comes equipped with dual sensors. Inspired thinking and innovation-led, the infrared sensors can be used for a short term while long duration requirements can be met with a wave at the side sensor. The wave sensor has a three-minute-long pre-programmed water flow. Additional tech elements such as LED overheating warning, 660mAh rechargeable lithium battery, and magnetic charger adds to the practicality.

Price: INR 4990

Availability: Across all Brand Stores and trade