This Children's Day Gift Your Child A Secure Future Across India

Children’s Day is celebrated across India on 14th November on the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. This year we have double celebrations, Diwali and Children’s day, on this Day.  The best gift ever for a child is the financial planning at an early age. Right from the beginning, a parent must focus on understanding a child’s needs with respect to their higher education cost as well as college fees and other expenses. As the child starts having dreams and aspirations, parents too along with their children must explore, identify and pursue the best available options to aid and nurture their dreams for a safe, sound and accomplished future. This process can also include involving and educating their ward about the secure routes and options for their future journey.

Investment for children has always been a challenge for parents because in this task they need to prepare today for a better tomorrow. And parents today are more aware of the opportunities and means at their disposal to re-write the traditional methods of parenting. Ms. Anjali Malhotra, Chief Customer, Marketing, Digital and IT Officer, Aviva Life Insurance suggests few ways to secure and invest for child’s future.

Start planning early

While millennial parents today are resourceful and have a lot of readily available information, yet, most of them continue to be poor financial planners with majority of them having little or no financial planning about their child’s higher education. Due to this, often, they do not have enough saving and end up going in debt paying for their child’s higher education. Hence, it becomes imperative, in today’s time to start planning finances early to ensure that, neither the parents nor their child face any obstacle in their path to realize their dream.

Educate your child and ensure holistic development

Parents are considered the first teachers of their children. However, apart from teaching children the difference between right and wrong, parents must take a step ahead and do more to ensure a secure financial future for their children. For example, parents can have regular financial conversations with their children. This Children's Day can be a good opportunity for parents to start giving investment lessons to their children. While in early childhood, parents can talk about simple things like income, spending and saving, later parents can include important lessons about banks, fixed deposits, savings bank accounts and recurring deposits as well as various government schemes as well as the importance of having a good insurance plan to secure their financial future.

Know your child’s interest and talent

Millennials are the driving force of our nation, rising beyond conventional opportunities and treading the lesser travelled career-paths. Today, opportunities have diversified and there are so many more career and growth options available that what was available earlier. But to ensure a child’s happiness and success, it is imperative for the parents to identify their child’s inherent talent and then to hone it accordingly. In order to know their dreams, talents and aspirations, parents should explore structured aptitude assessments that include expert guidance and can be used to understand the cognitive skills and capabilities of their kids. Aviva Kid-O-Scope is one-of-a-kind online platform that helps parents identify their child’s inherent talent at an early age. Today’s millennial parents want nothing but the best for their children and this is just the kind of tool that can help them ensure a bright future for their children. The education cost calculator that comes with this platform also helps parents plan their finances for their child’s higher education.

Invest in Child Insurance plans

This Children’s Day do something that remains with your child forever. Gift your child an insurance plan which not only helps build a secure fund for her education but also safeguards her dream career. The earlier you secure a child insurance plan, the bigger the amount of funds you can save to ensure the protection of the child’s future, if life takes a sudden turn. Most plans offer convenient premium terms to individuals. Therefore, you can mostly choose from monthly, half-yearly, or annual payments. These insurance plans also have tax benefits associated with them. This makes a child insurance plan not just a form of saving and planning, but also one for investment purpose.

In conclusion, it is best if you prepare for your child’s future as much as you take care of their present. One should have a contingency plan in place beforehand to ensure that your child has a happy and prosperous life. 

Bayer Sets Up New Insecticide Manufacturing Plant in Vapi, Gujarat

* New plant in Vapi will produce Ethiprole, an active ingredient used in insecticides for crop protection

* Will meet domestic demand in India and export to global markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America

* Set up with an investment of € 24 million, the plant’s annual production capacity is 1,500 metric tons

Bayer has inaugurated a new plant at its Vapi site in Gujarat. The plant will manufacture Ethiprole, an active ingredient used in insecticides for crop protection products. Set up with an investment of € 24 million (₹200 crores), the plant’s annual production capacity is 1,500 metric tons. It will cater to domestic demand in India and export to global markets across Asia Pacific and Latin America.

The Vapi site is an integral part of Bayer’s commitment towards the Government’s vision of ‘Make in India’ that aims to promote job creation and build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure, ensuring sustained growth of the Indian economy. Inaugurated in 1994, the Vapi site employs 1,200 full time employees and is Bayer’s largest global synthetic pyrethroids production facility, with nearly 80% of the production exported to USA, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan and Australia. Spread over 85 acres, the Vapi site manufactures 11 active ingredients and 11 intermediates for use in crop protection, animal health and home & garden applications.

“The agriculture sector is currently the largest end-user of Ethiprole, which is emerging as one of the best insecticides for a variety of crops. With our new insecticide plant, we will fulfill domestic needs for Indian agriculture and also export to global agricultural markets. India is one of Bayer’s key growth markets in Crop Science and with this strategic investment, we aim to further enhance our global competitiveness in agrochemical manufacturing and supply chain,” said Narendra Shah, Director, Bayer Vapi Private Limited.

“The new plant at Vapi will expand Bayer’s global production volumes for Ethiprole and enable us to introduce innovative products to help growers secure their yields and grow healthier, high-quality crops,” said Dr. Udo Schneider, Head of AI Manufacturing Product Supply, Crop Science at Bayer AG.

Ethiprole-based insecticides have been in use since 1994. In 2010, Bayer expanded its portfolio of Ethiprole insecticides to include broad acre crops such as sugarcane, soybean, corn and cotton. In rice, they are used extensively for control of three major insect pests – hoppers, weevils and stinkbugs.

Ethiprole can not only eliminate insect pests from standing food crops in the field, it can also extend the shelf life of crops such as peanuts, citrus fruits, wheat and corn during storage. Ethiprole’s mode of action involves a rapid breakdown of the insect’s central nervous system, thus preventing damage to crops and minimizing the spread of diseases from insect carriers.

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. Capital expenditures amounted to € 2.9 billion and R&D expenses to € 5.3 billion.

Trane Introduces New Suite of Solutions in India to Reduce Virus and Bacterial Spread in Buildings

Trane®, a brand of global climate innovator Trane Technologies, and a leader in HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning), announces it has launched a new suite of air cleaning solutions in India. The solutions apply advanced technologies to help reduce pathogens and other contaminants in indoor environments, including particles, gases and viruses. The technologies are PCO+UVGI (PhotoCatalytic Oxidation+ UltraViolet Germicidal Irradiation), high voltage electrostatic filtration, and Trane Catalytic Air Cleaning System (TCACS). 

As India enters the reopening phase of Unlock 6.0, these innovative solutions will help people get back to offices and popular hangout places like malls and restaurants with added safety and comfort during the pandemic. As a trusted partner, Trane is assisting its customers, including building owners, to improve indoor environmental quality, in line with guidelines on preventive measures from the India’s Ministry of Health and ASHRAE’s guidance on Indoor Air Quality. 

According to Kishor Patil, Trane Technologies HVAC & Transport, India & SAARC country leader explained, “As an American originated multinational company, Trane has a long history of industry-defining innovations for indoor environmental quality and sustainability, going back to 1913. We are committed to helping communities and businesses create safer, healthier and more efficient indoor environments during this pandemic, and beyond.  As the nation works towards opening the economy while keeping people’s health and wellbeing at the center, we are confident that our new solutions help support this objective. “ 

“We have made great strides in enabling businesses build healthier and more efficient environments with Trane. Our newly launched solutions not only can reduce the spread of a variety of bacteria and many viruses, but also improve air quality by effectively degrading toxic and harmful gases and odors, and filtering particulate matter in the air.” Kishor added. 

Healthier Indoor Environments with Trane’s Lab-Tested Solutions 

Trane's latest suite of innovative Air Cleaning Systems uses both PCO +UVGI along with high voltage electrostatic filter technology. The combined filtration and PCO+UVGI help remove pathogens and particulates from the air in all types of buildings. 

Photo-Catalytic Oxidation (PCO) technology uses ultraviolet radiation to create powerful agents to oxidize many biological contaminants and break them down. In this process, these harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are converted to simpler chemicals, such as carbon dioxide and water.  

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) has a dual purpose. Its primary function is an energy source for the catalytic reactions of the PCO process, while it also provides a germicidal effect on microorganisms by using ultraviolet light in the “C” band (UVC) to inactivate a wide range of micro-organisms, including fungi, bacteria and viruses commonly found in buildings.  

These solutions are applicable for both new buildings and retrofits in a wide range of environments, such as business centers, healthcare facilities, offices, educational institutes, and industrial sites. The solutions can be installed in multiple ways, such as plug-in mounting, internal and external full cross-section.  

As tested, the PCO+UVGI solutions are effective in improving indoor environments with more than 99% effectiveness in removing both H1N1 virus and microbial contaminants (e.g. Staphylococcus albus bacteria). Separately, high voltage electrostatic filter has the capability to remove 99.9% of PM2.5 “respirable” particles. 

In addition, Trane's solutions have low air resistance and almost no additional impact of energy consumption air-conditioning systems, making them sustainable options. 

Trane as A Trusted Partner for A Better Indoor Air Quality  

As people focus more on indoor environmental quality (IEQ), especially during the ongoing global pandemic, Trane's industry leading solutions have been well-received. To date, Trane has received more than 3,000 enquires in the Asia Pacific region and more than 230 orders from customers across different industries. 

In India, some leading companies in IT services and real estate have shown their trust in Trane Air Cleaning System, and have installed the solution for their employees, customers and consumers.  

Additional Information  

There is evidence from The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and other sources that HVAC technologies can mitigate the risk of exposure to infectious aerosols in built environments; however, the transmission and mitigation of COVID-19 in buildings is yet to be tested and confirmed. 

About Trane

Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. 

About Trane Technologies

Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation.

Radiance Renewables Chooses Prescinto to Monitor its Solar Asset Portfolio Performance

Prescinto Technologies, a leading data platform used to improve performance of solar energy assets announced that Radiance Renewablesa developer of cost-efficient, renewable energy solutions for commercial, industrial and residential customers, will be leveraging Prescinto as its primary monitoring and performance analytics software partner. Prescinto’s unique ability to aggregate data from all types of energy sources into one single analytics platform will enable Radiance to monitor its solar asset portfolio efficiently 

Prescinto will provide an Enterprise level software to Radiance Renewables that will collect renewable energy plant data, apply data science models to identify causes of underperformance & suggest work-orders to the plant crew to rectify problems and increase generation. By aggregating all project data on a single analytics platform, Prescinto will help Radiance improve the productivity, quality and the consistency of their asset management process. 

Speaking on the partnership, Mr Amit Kumar Mittal, SVP & Head of Operations at Radiance Renewables  said, “We have chosen Prescinto to be our Digital Partner for our solar asset portfolio that we intend to expand aggressively in the coming 2-3 years. Prescinto was onboarded after a rigorous selection process that included both national & international players. Prescinto’s advanced analytics tools allow problems to be identified at portfolio, plant & device level. Another distinguishing feature that was in favour of the Prescinto platform was its customized dashboards & reporting tools/technology. Our association with them so far has been seamless & we would continue to partner with them in our growth aspirations.”  

Puneet Jaggi, Founder and CEO at Prescinto said, “At Prescinto, we believe in unlocking the true potential of people and assets through actionable intelligence using our deep understanding of the Clean Energy domain and technology. While the industry is at the data capture and visualization stage, Prescinto provides actionable intelligence to improve generation and RoI based on advanced analytics and Big Data. Instead of being a cost centre to the CIO, Prescinto acts as a profit centre to the CEO. We are excited to partner with Radiance Renewables and help them in their digital transformation seamlessly.” 

With its patent pending platform, Prescinto conducts root cause analysis on generation loss and provides actionable intelligence to improve generation resulting in higher RoI for plant operators/owners. The platform also provides a unified interface, Computerized Maintenance & Management System (CMMS), for capturing status on action items, accessing document repository and capturing non sensor data points. 

About Radiance Renewables:  

Radiance Renewables Private Limited (“Radiance”), incorporated in 2018, is a developer of low-cost, renewable energy solutions for commercial, industrial and residential customers helping them to simultaneously save money and achieve their sustainability goals. Radiance Renewables integrates in-house development, operational management and asset financing expertise to optimise life cycle cost of ownership and competitiveness. It aims to develop 1.5 GW of solar, wind, hybrid or storage capacity in the next three to five years under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT or OpEx) model. Radiance is poised to play a pivotal role in achieving this target of 40 GWs rooftop solar power and is committed to contribute towards the overall aim of 175 GWs renewable energy capacity. Radiance Renewables is a 100% subsidiary of the Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF), an alternative investment fund managed by EverSource Capital. 

About Prescinto: Prescinto is an IIoT Platform designed for vendor agnostic connectivity and real-time insights for Solar plants. It is currently the most advanced solution in an industry which is still at the data acquisition and visualization stage. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including data acquisition & visualization, advanced analytics, and O&M automation, with a strong pipeline of IPs in the domain. Supported by a proven founding team, Prescinto has already demonstrated itself with customers like Macquarie (Stride Climate Investments), Essel Infrastructure, GMR etc, to achieve a traction of 3X annual growth reaching 8,000+ MW Solar Plants across 14 countries. For more information, visit: https://prescinto.com/  

Diwali Celebrations Begin on a Grand Note at Phoenix Marketcity

Phoenix Marketcity is all set to welcome its patrons with a gorgeous décor to make sure Diwali brings even more charm to the festivities. Diwali and Dhanteras are festivals of lights, celebration, happiness, and a time to indulge in shopping and soak in the festive spirit with family and friends. Keeping this in mind, Phoenix Marketcity has come up with “Royal Gazebo “– the dual installations at the mega mall are inspired by the royalty and richness of Indian heritage and jewels. The décor is infused with the core elements of Diwali with the intricacies of Indian architecture and jewellery design by using crystals, metallic shades, rich acrylic, lights and handmade flowers.

The outside installation offers a splendid impression of a royal gazebo, with its motifs inspired by Indian architecture. Rich and ostentatious in the truest sense of the words, the structure presents an awe-inspiring entry visual right outside the mall. The inside installation exhibits 2 swallow birds, representing love, care and affection towards family and friends, beautifully perched and encrusted with crystals on the surface!

People from across the city are thronging to catch a glimpse of the opulent décor. The bright colours and floral arrangements is stunning and a larger than life visual treat making it the perfect place and time to celebrate Diwali festivities with family and friends in royal style!! 

About Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru

Classified as a “Larger Lifestyle Engagement Destination”, Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru offers visitors an array of unforgettable experiences. With its truly international look and feel, tastefully done interiors, and the best of food, fashion, and entertainment from the world over, Phoenix remains ‘The’ destination for the premium discerning customers of the city as well as expats. With over 300 stores, representing an exhaustive mix of International, National and Regional premium brands, the mall offers the most comprehensive and compelling lifestyle shopping experience in Bangalore. More than just a Mall, Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru is in fact a veritable melting pot of fascinating cultures, beautiful clothing, and high-end couture. It is a city within a city, an urban space where retail, entertainment and leisure offerings co-exist.

Online Rummy Industry in Full Support of Regulating Online Gaming

This is further to the recent statement made by the Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mr. M. Sricharan Rangarajan informing the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the State Government was actively considering regulating the online skill gaming sector. While The Online Rummy Federation (TORF) welcomes this progressive initiative by the government, we want to ensure that any new regulation is not prohibitive and builds in protection for consumers and operations of legitimate operators.

The government is worried about the recent suicide reports related to online gaming. These recent events are of grave concern to TORF and its members. Over the last two years, TORF members have taken extraordinary and voluntary steps to self-regulate and give players the tools to play responsibly.

Key areas include

o   KYC verification

o   Minimum Age

o   Player Protection requirements,

o   Mandatory Responsible Playing features like setting daily monthly limits, self-exclusion etc.

o   Advertising guidelines,

o   No BOTS on sites

o   SSL level encryption

and other such requirements to ensure player experience is Safe , Fair and enables responsible gaming.

We strongly feel that the Government should regulate this sector to ensure only legitimate, legal operators who follow strict protocols are allowed to operate and a clear distinction drawn from those who try and operate above the law. Tens of thousands of players from Tamil Nadu enjoy playing online rummy safely and responsibly. Effective regulation will let the vast majority of the players who play responsibly continue to enjoy the game, protect the players that are vulnerable, and lead to substantial additional revenues for the government.

Jurisdictions around the world that have chosen prohibitive measures over regulation have had to deal with a large underground economy. A case in point is the recent INR 1,000 crore gambling scam in Telangana which surfaced after it chose to ban skill gaming in 2017. In the absence of regulation, and in case of any prohibitive action that doesn’t draw a clear line between legitimate skill gaming and illegitimate operators, the government would unintentionally exacerbate the problem it is trying to solve by encouraging uncontrolled illegal online gaming.

The Government of Tamil Nadu should set up a committee to review, discuss and propose a regulatory framework for games of skill similar to Nagaland and Sikkim. A discussion for a proposal to regulate this industry can address many concerns including following key points:

1.  Setting time and monetary limits for players on a daily/weekly/monthly basis;

2.  Stronger KYC checks & social profiling of users to ensure that players are financially stable adults

3.  Strict advertising standards to promote gaming as entertainment and not a way to earn money

4.   An annual license fee and a player support contribution to help vulnerable players

TORF is committed to provide its full support to the government in creating a safe and responsible gaming industry. We have already made an official representation to the Honourable Chief Mister to kindly consider regulating the sector as a win -win solution.

EPL Limited to Acquire 72.5% Stake in Creative Stylo Packs Pvt. Ltd.

Highlights

* Part cash and part stock transaction: EPL to purchase 72.5% stake in cash, balance through shares.

* Strategic acquisition to strengthen presence in Beauty & Cosmetics categories.

EPL Limited (formerly known as Essel Propack Limited), the world’s largest specialty packaging company, today announced that its Board of Directors have approved the acquisition of Creative Stylo Packs Pvt. Ltd. in a part-cash and part-stock transaction. Creative Stylo Packs Pvt. Ltd. is an established manufacturer of corrugated boxes, laminated tubes, plastic co-ex tubes and caps-primarily serving personal care, cosmetic, pharmaceuticals and FMCG markets in India.

The transaction entails purchase of 72.5% stake in Creative Stylo Packs Pvt Ltd through cash. The remaining 27.5% stake will be purchased through issuance of EPL shares to the founders of Creative Stylo Pack post the merger. Mr. Bhavik Shah and Darshan Shah, the founders of Creative Stylo Packs Pvt Ltd. will join the EPL management team post the acquisition.

With this acquisition, EPL plans to make a much stronger play in the beauty and cosmetics categories which are growing rapidly. The richer product portfolio will allow it to serve both existing and new customers better, driving both volumes and value. The acquisition will also boost EPL’s plastic tube capabilities, which, combined with EPL’s strong equity in laminate tubes, gives the company a vibrant platform for growth. The transaction will accelerate revenue and EBITDA growth for EPL.

EPL’s Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Sudhanshu Vats, said: “EPL is committed to Leading the Pack; simultaneously driving market leading revenue growth as well as capital-efficient and consistent earnings growth. A stronger play in Beauty & Cosmetics is key to this vision. We believe that our acquisition of Creative will enrich our portfolio, enabling us to advance our ambition in personal care. This will also strengthen us further in AMESA (Africa, Middle East and South Asia), a key growth region for us.

He further added; “I am personally delighted to welcome Bhavik and Darshan to the EPL fold. Their entrepreneurial spirit and youthful energy will help us move forward with greater purpose & agility”.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bhavik Shah founder of Creative Stylo Packs Pvt Ltd, said, “Darshan and I are extremely proud of what we have created thus far through innovation and customer centricity and now we have an opportunity to continue and accelerate the growth path through the EPL platform.  We are really excited and look forward to working with the EPL team in furthering their cause of being a leading speciality packaging company in the World.”

EY was the exclusive financial advisor on the transaction. Trilegal was the legal advisor for EPL and Cyril Amarchand was the legal advisor for Creative. KPMG provided transaction advisory services.

About EPL

EPL Limited (formerly known as Essel Propack Ltd.) is the world’s largest specialty packaging company, manufacturing laminated plastic tubes catering to the FMCG and pharma spaces. Employing 3158 people from 25 nationalities, EPL operates through twenty state-of-the-art facilities in eleven countries, selling about 8 billion tubes per annum. 

With a market leading Oral Care volume share of 36% globally, EPL has units operating across the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Germany, Egypt, Russia, China, Philippines and India. These facilities cater to 5 core categories of Oral Care, Beauty & Cosmetics, Pharma & Health, Food & Nutrition and Home Care; offering customized solutions through constant innovations in materials, technology, design and processes.