HCL Concerts Launches ‘The Carnatic Quest’ – A Hunt for the Next Carnatic Music Stars

HCL Concerts, a platform aimed at identifying, nurturing and supporting the next generation of talent in the Indian classical performing arts space, today unveiled ‘The Carnatic Quest.’ A one-of-a kind contest,‘The Carnatic Quest’aims at identifying, young prodigious Carnatic musicians across five broad categories including Carnatic vocal, Veena, Violin, Flute and Percussion instruments (Mridangam, Ghatam andKanjeera).Winners of the talent hunt program will be provided an opportunity to perform for the millions of music enthusiasts that follow the HCL Concerts platforms and HCL Music users (a mobile app offering one of the most comprehensive collection of classical music for free).

The Carnatic Questwas conceptualized jointly by HCL Concerts and Chennai based Rhapsody Music Foundation, founded and run by acclaimed ClassicalPianist Anil Srinivasan. It is intended to emerge as a virtual musical pilgrimage, attracting both, conservative and contemporary lovers of Carnatic music while encouraging and promoting the Indian classical music and performing arts.

Sundar Mahalingam, Chief Strategy Officer, HCL Corporation said “At HCL Concerts, we are constantly trying to innovate to bring great music and performances to our followers. The Carnatic Quest is yet another initiative that will allow us to identify the next-generation of Carnatic music stars and showcase their talent to our broad audience-base. At the same time,we will also leverage our multiple platforms including the physical or digital performance platforms and HCL Music app to bring recognition to the talented winners of the program. We look forward to seeing some great entries and winners emerging out of the entire process.”

Classical Pianist, Anil Srinivasan said, “Carnatic music is considered as one of the oldest systems of music in the world. Its aficionados are spread across the world. With ‘The Carnatic Quest’ the aim is to identify prodigious talent from across India and provide them a platform that is global in reach and scale. We atRhapsody Music Foundation are excited to be a part of this journey with HCL Concerts, allowing me to give back to the art while also ensuring that the genre continues to flourish by nurturing new talent.”

The Carnatic Quest will include the following multi-stage talent identification program: -

·         Invitation for entries – Artists can send across their entries in five categories, i.e. Carnatic Vocal, Veena, Violin, Flute and Percussions (Mridangam, Ghatam and Kanjeera) from across the county at https://www.hclconcerts.com/the-carnatic-quest/till  October 31, 2020.

o    There is no application fee

·         Identifying talented performers – Entries will be evaluated by Rhapsody Music Foundation and shortlisted musicians will be contacted for second round.

o   There will be three rounds and results of each round will also be published on the Facebook page of HCL Concerts

·         Winners Announcement – One winner each from Carnatic vocals, Veena, Violin and Flute, along with three winners from Percussion will get an opportunity to perform atthe HCL Concerts platform.

About HCL Concerts: 

The conservation and promotion of India’s art and cultural heritage is very close to HCL’s heart. To this end, HCL has been organizing HCL Concerts for 22 years, dedicated to nurturing and promoting talent rooted in the glorious heritage of Indian classical performing arts. Concerts under the umbrella of HCL Concerts are organized in Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Nagpur, Madurai, Chennai and Bengaluru in India and in New York and San Francisco in the US regularly throughout the year. Over 600 artists have graced this platform and have contributed towards reinvigorating the Indian classical performing arts.

Over the years, more platforms have been developed to contribute to the growth of the Indian performing arts ecosystem. Most notable of these are HCL Concerts Baithak - a series of live, virtual performances by accomplished and upcoming Indian classical music and dance artists, HCL Concerts Soundscapes – showcasing the independent and inclusive music from across the Indian landscape including  genres like Sufi, Folk and Indie-pop; the HCL Music Mobile App, allowing music lovers across the world a chance to enjoy the most comprehensive collection of classical music from the comforts of their home for free, and HCL Digital Concerts, a talent identification and nurturing program aimed at showcasing talented and upcoming classical performing artists to a global audience through a digital medium.

Arjun Mathur Pledges to be an Organ Donor; Comes On-Board for MTV-ORGAN Daan in Association with Knowledge Partner ORGAN India

Popular actor Arjun Mathur has come on-board as the Cause Ambassador for MTV’s noble initiative – MTV-ORGAN Daan, in association with knowledge partner ORGAN India, an initiative of the NGO Parashar Foundation, that aims to drive awareness around the cause of Deceased Organ Donation in India. Having seen the impact of Organ Donation closely in his life, Arjun wishes to encourage the young minds to bust the myths, pledge to sign-up as an organ donor and help those in need, after they are gone.

For Arjun, organ donation is not just a cause but an issue his family has closely encountered and overcome. It all began with his elder brother succumbing to an ailment that left him in need for a kidney. Despite the best efforts, they had to wait for years to get the right donor given the abysmal rate of Deceased Organ Donation in India. With no help in hand, Arjun’s father decided to step in and donate his kidney, until this year, the miracle happened. In early 2020, the actor’s family managed to find the right match and his brother was operated on. Arjun’s strong sense of gratitude for organ donors makes him come forward for MTV-ORGAN Daan to trigger a change in the youth mindset and break myths around this noble cause.

Commenting on the initiative, Arjun said, "Organ Donation is a cause I feel strongly about. It’s disturbing to see a noble cause like this still being clouded by myths and misinformation that is leading to reluctance and apprehension amongst people. It is about time we, as a society work towards fixing this issue and trigger a positive change. MTV ORGAN Daan is a pioneering campaign that urges people to spread awareness and pledge to be an organ donor. I have also signed up as an organ donor with ORGAN India, with whom I have been associated with for a long time. I want to do my bit and couldn’t be more grateful to be the Cause Ambassador for an initiative that deserves serious attention.”

Launched during the Joy of Giving Week, MTV-ORGAN Daan - Your One Time Pass (OTP) to Heaven, in association with Knowledge Partner ORGAN India, an initiative of the NGO Parashar Foundation, aims to educate the masses about the current scenario of Organ donation in the country, spread awareness with the right and relevant information. With a strong meld of humour and quirk at its core, MTV has curated this campaign through a series of interactive posts, infographic and brand films, around the prevalent Indian belief that ‘Punya/Good deeds are a gateway to Heaven’ and Organ Donation can surely help one reserve a spot up there. This call to action thereby aims to encourage sign ups as organ donors on http://www.mtvorgandaan.com.

Official Data suggests that One Organ Donor can save up to 8 lives. * That’s the power of this precious gift of life. Imagine what we can achieve if majority of us choose to do the same. So, without further ado, pledge to make a difference, stand out and get your heaven ka One Time Pass (OTP) with MTV ORGAN Daan!!

*Source: ORGAN India

L&T Technology Services Reports Q2 Net profit of ₹166 Crore, Up 41% QoQ in Q2FY21

 

L&T Technology Services Limited (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), India’s leading pure-play engineering services company, announced its results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Highlights for Q2FY21 include:

* USD Revenue at $178 million; growth of 4.1% QoQ

* Revenue at ₹13,138 million; growth of 1.5% QoQ

* EBIT margin at 13.7%; up 160 bps QoQ

* Net profit at ₹1,655 million; growth of 41% QoQ

* Interim Dividend of ₹7.5 per share; Record date October 27, 2020

During the quarter, LTTS won 8 multi-million dollar deals across all industry segments including 3 deals with TCV of USD15mn plus and another 3 deals with TCV of USD10mn plus. Revenues from digital and leading-edge technologies stood at 49% during the quarter.

“We had a strong quarter with broad based revenue growth and an improvement in operating margin performance, in line with what we had guided. Steady order bookings and a healthy pipeline across all segments gives us confidence that the growth momentum will continue.

Customers are accelerating the deployment of digital engineering projects to enable business continuity and drive scale. LTTS with its highly differentiated skillsets in Plant Engineering is thus rightly positioned to provide solutions around virtualization, 3D Modelling and digital twin, that allows it to partner with customers on transformational programs.

Our efforts to build a Platforms and Solutions practice has started to see better traction in the marketplace with customers demanding solutions that provide enhanced safety and remote productivity in the context of the pandemic. LTTS’ solutions such as i-BEMSTM Shield - a smart campus framework, and AVERTLETM - a predictive maintenance solution for touchless plant operations, have seen multiple wins in Q2 and the pipeline looks exciting. 

We continue to invest in design labs; in Q2, we opened a state-of-the-art EV lab to work on technologies that will improve the performance and endurance of electric vehicles. Our EV practice is seeing good traction across top Auto OEMs and suppliers”, said Dr. Keshab Panda, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services Limited.

Industry Recognitions:

·     Everest Group has positioned LTTS as a Leader in the Development, Verification & Validation, Deployment and System Integration Industry 4.0 Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2020

·   Recognized as Most Innovative Tech Company of the year, Most Exemplary Employer (COVID-19 response category) and Best Brand Experience of the Year in the 17th Stevie® International Business Awards

·   Honored with Silver for Best Workplace Practices at the annual Financial Express BrandWagon Ace Awards 2020

·    Won the Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Award for Best Advances in Talent Acquisition Process and Employee Engagement

Patents

At the end of the second quarter, the patents portfolio of L&T Technology Services stood at 550, out of which 404 are co-authored with its customers and the rest are filed by LTTS.

Human Resources

At the end of Q2FY21, LTTS’ employee strength stood at 15,902.

About L&T Technology Services Ltd

L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) is a listed subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited focused on Engineering and R&D (ER&D) services. We offer consultancy, design, development and testing services across the product and process development life cycle. Our customer base includes 69 Fortune 500 companies and 53 of the world’s top ER&D companies, across industrial products, medical devices, transportation, telecom & hi-tech, and the process industries. Headquartered in India, we have over 15,900 employees spread across 17 global design centers, 28 global sales offices and 52 innovation labs as of September 30, 2020.

13 Year Old BHIS Student Develops Educational Buddy – EDDY to Improve Online Learning

Online learning has become the new normal and children are finding ways to cope with this new format of learning. Husein Hakim - a 13 year-old grade VIII student of Billabong High International School, Santacruz - has taken his passion for coding to create an innovative, educational mobile app EDDY, to help make available e-books, assignment submissions and recorded classes.

Speaking about how he got this idea, Husein said, “I saw a need-gap/ problem and started working to make a solution to address this need. EDDY can help students easily access resources for learning. With recorded classes, students have the liberty to go back and refer to videos for knowledge enhancement. The teachers of Billabong International High School Santacruz guided me and their constant motivation helped me fine tune and realize my idea of developing and launching EDDY.”

Nikhat Azam, Principal, BHIS Santacruz added, “At Billabong High International School, the learning ethos is directed towards enabling our students to reflect & hone their strengths and true passions. The end goal is to ensure they find their ‘north star’ the one thing they are truly passionate about. Most activities, projects & initiatives are designed to ensure learning that stimulates problem-solving, creative thinking and a growth mind set. These achievements and ‘new innovations’ by our students are testimony to our efforts as a school have been successful in providing them with a thriving environment. The out-of-the box thinking, confidence and ability to be a solution seeker and a collaborator, is the hall mark of Billabong High International School which makes it a very special school.”

Husein has been working towards creating solutions to problems he sees around him and he was a runner-up in a design championship in 2019 and in 2020. Husein wants to move ahead with programming language such as Java so that he can enhance the app and add better features. He wants to connect Eddy to a server to allow the app to function so that it is available to everyone.  His dream is to work with one of the big 5 technology corporations and possibly start something of his own, as he learns the ropes of the business.

About Billabong High International School:

Billabong High International School came up as a step forward in the journey to fire the imagination of children in 2003; we now have 35 schools in India and Maldives. Its goal is to create high interest and rewarding learning experiences that will stay with children for the rest of their lives. Giving a purpose to learning and allowing children to be thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers will result in natural and integrated development of knowledge, skills, and thinking. Billabong High International School offers the ICSE, IGCSE and CBSE boards, from preschool through Grade 12.

Bank of Baroda, Accenture Completes Technology Integration of Former Vijaya Bank Branches

* 21 million customers of Vijaya Bank now have access to Bank of Baroda’s banking services

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Bank of Baroda have successfully completed the technology integration of the former Vijaya Bank’s branches with Bank of Baroda – part of the post-merger integration of the first three-way merger of public sector banks in India. Accenture is now helping align former Dena Bank’s IT systems with Bank of Baroda.

The merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda in 2019 created the country's third largest public sector bank. Upon completion, the combined technology architecture will help the merged entity seamlessly integrate its India-wide customer service and business operations network of nearly 9,000 bank branches and more than 12,000 ATMs.

In its role as lead technology partner, Accenture developed the blueprint for consolidating the IT systems of the three banks and is overseeing the execution of the technology integration strategy, which includes data migration, application and data center consolidation, as well as business continuity management. With the completion of the Vijaya Bank migration, around 21 million customers from across 1,900+ Vijaya Bank branches have been seamlessly migrated to Bank of Baroda. The migration was executed remotely during the ongoing pandemic with no impact on business continuity.

Sharad Saxena, Chief Technology Officer, Bank of Baroda said, “Our technology integration goal is to offer uninterrupted customer services while paving the way for the next-generation banking experience across the merged entity. Accenture’s role in the consolidation of the technology infrastructure of former Vijaya Bank with that of Bank of Baroda has helped us offer a smooth, hassle-free experience to our customers during the migration. The integrated technology architecture gives former Vijaya Bank customers the ability to opt for Bank of Baroda’s entire suite of offerings, while continuing to use their existing payment instruments until further notice.”

“Technology plays a pivotal role in successful post-merger integration and unlocking value for all stakeholders,” said Sonali Kulkarni, Lead – Financial Services, Accenture in India. “With this collaboration, our objective has been to minimize disruption to the employees and customers across the three banks, while enabling business continuity.”

In 2018, Bank of Baroda collaborated with Accenture to develop and maintain an Analytics Center of Excellence (ACoE) – a software platform with a central data repository that can store up to a petabyte (a million gigabytes) of company data, and is powered by leading data technologies and techniques such as predictive analytics.

About Bank of Baroda:

Bank of Baroda (“The Bank”) established on 20th July 1908 is a State-owned banking and financial services organisation, headquartered in Vadodara (earlier known as Baroda) in Gujarat, India.

Bank of Baroda is India’s leading public sector bank with a strong domestic presence supported by self- service channels. The Bank’s distribution network includes 8,950+ branches, 12,000+ ATMs, 1,200+, self-service e-lobbies and 18,000 Business Correspondents. The Bank has a significant international presence with a network of 100 branches/offices of subsidiaries, spanning 20 countries. The Bank has wholly owned subsidiaries including BOB Financial Solutions Limited (erstwhile BOB Cards Ltd.), BOB Capital Markets and Baroda Asset Management India Ltd. Bank of Baroda also has joint ventures for life insurance viz. IndiaFirst Life Insurance Co. Pvt. Ltd. and India Infradebt Ltd., engaged in infrastructure financing. The Bank owns 98.57% in The Nainital Bank. The Bank has also sponsored three Regional Rural Banks namely Baroda Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank, Baroda Rajasthan Gramin Bank and Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank.

Raymond Launches VIRASAFE – The Widest Anti-Viral Range of Fabrics for Suiting and Shirting

* First to introduce an exhaustive range of anti-viral fabrics with over 600+ options

* Proven to have anti-viral agents, Virasafe effectively deactivates viruses and bacteria

* Virasafe range offers the finest range of Suiting and Shirting fabrics that is an ideal choice for Service professionals

* A 360 degree high decibel media campaign along with a TVC and a thrust on digital piqued consumer interest

* Virasafe is available in The Raymond Shops and Multi brand outlets across the country

Raymond, India’s leading textile and apparel manufacturer and retailer received an encouraging response for its latest anti-viral range of fabrics called Virasafe. This latest addition to Raymond’s exhaustive product range offers highly effective range of shirting and suiting anti-viral fabrics that are ideal for daily use for corporate professionals, service professionals and medical professionals. Being the preferred fabric brand for millions of Indians, Raymond believed that introducing high performance range of anti-viral fabrics is a strong reassurance for consumers as they resume their daily work lives. Research shows that viruses can remain active on textile surfaces for up to two days. The fabric is 100percent effective on Avian Influenza (HSN1), SARS Corona Virus (COV – P8-P11) and INFLUENZA Virus (H1N1).

The antiviral treatment/finishes on textiles can significantly reduce the risk of transmission and contamination and curbing the spread of viruses. Speaking about this latest innovation, Ram Bhatnagar, VP & Head - Sales & Distribution, Sales said; “We have received an overwhelming response from our Trade channel and institutional buyers for Virasafe range. This is a testimony to our product innovation and the trust we have built over the years. As the market is opening up, we are optimistic that this anti-viral fabric will receive the traction as people are increasingly getting cautious and buying products that provide adequate protection in the new normal.”

Virasafe offers all-day protection from viruses and Germs due to the built in Silver Technology effective on a large range of microbes. The fabric finish is approved by USFDA, USEPA, and NSF making it an ideal choice in terms of safety. Raymond has launched an exhaustive range of over 600+ range of suiting and shirting fabrics priced from Rs.487 onwards available in all Raymond stores and leading multi brand outlets across the country.

About Raymond Limited

Raymond is India’s largest integrated worsted suiting manufacturer that offers end-to-end solutions for fabrics and garmenting. Over the years, Raymond has been synonymous with quality, innovation and market leadership. It has some of the leading brands within its portfolio – Raymond Ready to Wear, Park Avenue, ColorPlus, Parx, Raymond Made to Measure amongst others. Raymond has one of the largest exclusive retail networks in the country with over 1500 stores across 601 towns.

Raymond also has presence in FMCG sector through Raymond Consumer care that offers wide range of products in men’s personal grooming category and personal hygiene. The group also has presence in engineering and auto components across national and international markets. In 2019, Raymond has also forayed into the realty sector through the launch of its maiden project ‘aspirational district’ spread across 14 acres housing 3000 residential units.

Having enjoyed the patronage of over a billion consumers, Raymond as a brand has been consistently delivering world class quality products to its consumers over the past nine decades.

Voot Select’s Marzi Earns Aahana Kumra ‘Best Actress’ at Nationals of Asian Academy Creative Awards

* Marzi is an intriguing crime thriller that explores two tales of a fateful date night. Starring Rajeev Khandelwal and Aahana Kumra, the series is a Voot Select original

* Aahana Kumra triumphed at the 3rd Asian Academy Creative Awards winning the national award for Best Actress In A Leading Role

A glittering award ceremony celebrating Asia Pacific’s leading cinematic performances, the Asian Academy Creative Awards through a virtual event, announced the list of national winners of its 3rd edition. Touted as the epitome of success for artists, this award is looked upon by fans across the continent and signifies artistic dominance. In a major coup across the leading categories of this gala, Aahana Kumra bagged the national award for ‘Best Actress In A Leading Role’ for her phenomenal performance in Voot Select’s Original series Marzi.

Ecstatic about her big win at the 2020 Asian Academy Creative Awards, Aahana Kumra said, “When I read the script of Marzi, I immediately knew it would emerge to be a game changer. The character of Sameera Chauhan will always be closest to my heart. This is a milestone win for me and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without the love from my fans and support from the entire cast and crew of Marzi. I would like to thank Rajeev for being a phenomenal co-star, Radhika Anand for penning this marvelous script, Anil Sir and of course Bodhi Tree Productions for bringing this fabulous concept to life. And last but not the least, a big thank you to Voot Select for giving me a fantastic platform to showcase my talent. I look forward to delivering more of such impactful performances and will continue to dedicate myself to each character that I bring alive on screen.”

Based on the novel 'Liar' which is written by the BAFTA and Emmy nominated Jack and Harry Williams, Voot Select’s original Marzi  is a crime thriller that follows a web of lies and betrayals through a date night which leaves everyone conflicted on who is speaking the truth. The series has a rating of 7.3 on IMDB and is an odyssey of the marvelous slate of originals available on Voot Select. Launched on 3rd March, the OTT platform has captivated viewers across all age groups with its diverse content lineup. Voot Select released six originals this year namely Asur, Marzi, Illegal, The Raikar Case, Crackdown and the shot and conceptualized in lockdown series - The Gone Game. Each show has garnered significant ratings from critics and praise from viewers leaving them eager to know the next original which is to be released on the platform. 

Aahana Kumra and Rajeev Khandelwal starrer Marzi can be streamed worldwide only on Voot Select.