UPL Wins The Best Patent Portfolio Award In Rhe CII- Industrial IP Awards 2020

 

UPL Ltd. has won the Sixth CII Industrial Intellectual Property Awards aimed at recognizing and celebrating enterprises that have embraced IP generation and protection to fuel their business and economic growth. UPL Ltd. has always put the farmers’ needs first and created products and services around fulfilling their requirements.

UPL has won the award in the category of Best Patent Portfolio, Large (Lifesciences/Pharma) for its pioneering Intellectual property (IP) research and innovation. An example of UPL’s major research and innovation include sustainable products such as Zeba and services such as Adarsh Farm Services which have proven successful at the grassroots level.

Dr. Vishal Sodha accepted the award at a virtual ‘CII International Conference on IPR & CII Industrial IP Awards’ on behalf of UPL during the felicitation ceremony. He stated “At UPL, our focus is completely on sustainable development including efficient utilization of the natural resources and adapting and building resilience to climate change. All of which bears testimony to our ability to make products and services available to farmers; that help fuel the new age of farming – Farming 3.0 around the globe. At UPL, we are proud to put the farmers’ needs first and create products and services around their requirements. Our relentless focus on innovation has helped us to launch new products every year. UPL holds over 1,500 granted patents and pending 2,500 applications that satisfy farmers’ needs across geographies”

The purpose of these CII-IP awards is to encourage organizations to foster a culture of Intellectual Property and its commercialization, bring the achievements of private enterprises into the public domain, set up linkages with academic and research institutions in India and abroad, inform the government about IP-driven enterprises and engage such enterprises in policy making exercises.

Earlier during the year, in November 2020, UPL was unveiled as the recipient of the annual South and South East Asia Innovation Awards at the Innovation Forum held by Clarivate Plc using patent data from Derwent World Patents Index™ (DWPI) and Derwent Patent Citations Index™ (DPCI). It also bagged the prestigious accolade in the field of Intellectual Property Rights at an event organized by Social Talks and recognized by NITI Aayog Darpan, India and was recognized for 'Excellent Contribution in the Field of Patents'. The company has also won CII’s Industrial IP Award in Patent and Trademark Large Enterprises Categories in 2019 and was also recognized as the top Indian Company for Creating Global Brand by Indian Patent Office 2019. UPL was awarded the prestigious WIPO Users Trophy by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva. All of these recognitions is a testimony to UPL’s pursuit to create agriculture products and services to support farmers globally.

UPL’s Chief Technology Officer, Adrian Percy stated “We continuously strive to make our formulations and processes environmentally friendly, using progressive innovation.  ZEBA, for instance, is a granular soil applied starch-based technology, working much like a sponge. Distributed in the rooting zone, each micro granule is able to absorb many times its original weight in water, and release it back to plants as and when they need it. This water management and interaction with essential water-soluble nutrients, is the key to reducing the amount nutrients being lost into the environment, thereby reducing any negative impact on environmental and human health.”

Hero Motocorp Further Strengthens Its Presence By Appointing New Distributors, Partners In Central America

Hero MotoCorp Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has reinforced its presence in Central America by appointing new distributor partners in Nicaragua and Honduras, with aggressive expansion plans for both countries.

Hero MotoCorp has lined up a slew of new launches, including its range of premium motorcycles, in both countries and will also expand its network with extensive customer touch-points and flagship stores in key markets.

Grupo Pellas – one of biggest economic groups and the leading motorcycles, cars and trucks company in Nicaragua with 107 years of experience – has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of Hero MotoCorp in the country.

The Company has appointed Movesa S.A., as its exclusive distributor in Honduras. Movesa S.A. is one of the most important companies in Honduras with 14 years of experience in the motorcycle market.

Commenting on the development, Sanjay Bhan, Head, Global Business, Hero MotoCorp said “Honduras and Nicaragua are key markets for us in Central America and our expansion plans clearly showcase this. We are also very happy to have partners such as Grupo Pellas and Movesa S.A. who will enable us to expand our footprint in both the countries. Through our new products and extensive customer touch-points, we aim to reach out to the youth in these countries who are looking for premium and stylish two-wheelers.”

Hero MotoCorp’s refreshed product portfolio in Honduras will include two new products – the XPulse 200 that has been highly successful across the globe since its launch in 2019 and the new Hunk 160R (Xtreme 160R in India).

Hero’s comprehensive product portfolio in the country ranges from commuter to premium motorcycles including the Eco 150, Hunk 150, Hunk 190R, Hunk 160R and XPulse 200.

Hero MotoCorp’s refreshed product portfolio in Nicaragua will also include the XPulse 200 and Hunk 160R.

Hero’s comprehensive product portfolio in the country ranges from commuter to premium two-wheelers, including the Splendor iSmart 110, Ignitor 125, Eco 150, Eco 150TR, Hunk 150, Hunk 160R, Hunk 190R, XPulse 200 motorcycles and Dash 125 scooter.

Both the XPulse 200 and Hunk 160R have received great customer response in many South American countries already.

The Company will also offer a 4-year warranty on all products and will also ensure parts/service availability for all products. With appealing design and performance, Hero MotoCorp’s comprehensive product portfolio promises to deliver quality engineering with an unmatched ride experience to its customers in Honduras and Nicaragua.

Hero MotoCorp’s products are designed and developed at its two world-class Research and Development centers - the Center of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, India and the Hero Tech Center near Munich, in Germany.

Tata Motors Group Global Wholesales At 2,78,915 In Q3 FY21; Grows By 37% Over Q2FY21

The Tata Motors Group global wholesales in Q3 FY21, including Jaguar Land Rover, were at 2,78,915 nos., higher by 1%, as compared to Q3 FY20.

Global wholesales of all Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles and Tata Daewoo range in Q3 FY21 were at 90,365 nos., lower by 4%, over Q3 FY20. 

Global wholesales of all passenger vehicles in Q3 FY21 were at 1,88,550 nos., higher by 4% as compared to Q3 FY20. 

Global wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover were 1,19,658 vehicles (**JLR number for Q3 FY21 includes CJLR volumes of 17,078 units). Jaguar wholesales for the quarter were 22,466 vehicles, while Land Rover wholesales for the quarter were 97,192 vehicles.

**CJLR – It is a JV between JLR and Chery Automobiles and is an unconsolidated subsidiary for JLR.

Jaya Jamrani Appointed Vice President – Marketing At Castrol India

 

Castrol India Limited, India’s leading automotive lubricants company, announced the appointment of Jaya Jamrani as vice president – marketing effective from 1 January 2021 to lead Castrol’s marketing function for India.

Jaya, an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, has spent over a decade across various verticals in Castrol both in India and globally, after a stint with Unilever. Her broad-based experience and understanding of changing consumer needs has helped her lead some iconic campaigns for Castrol like the Castrol CRB Truck Aasana and Castrol Super Mechanic, drive successful media and content partnerships including Castrol Activ Scooter Girl in the City and Castrol POWER1 Roadies as well as steer strategic associations like the Castrol-3M collaboration. 

Sandeep Sangwan, managing director, Castrol India, congratulated Jaya on her appointment, and said, “I am delighted to welcome Jaya as the vice president - marketing for the India business. Along with her strong knowledge of our business and proven ability to drive results, Jaya can be credited with some of our successful purpose-led marketing and influencer-advocacy campaigns in the recent past. I look forward to her contributions as we aim to strengthen our position as a leading lubricants brand in the Indian market and drive the Castrol brand to newer heights pivoting from products to integrated solutions.”

In her new role, Jaya will lead the marketing strategy for India across business segments, including forging strategic partnerships for growth.

Jaya Jamrani said, “I am humbled by this opportunity to lead marketing for the iconic 100-year young brand that is Castrol. The future promises to be just as exciting as we continue on our transformation agenda with the evolution of lubricants usage and shifts in attitudes towards mobility and convenience.”

About Castrol India: Castrol, is one of the world’s leading lubricant brands and has a proud heritage of innovation and fuelling the dreams of pioneers. Castrol India Limited is one of India’s leading lubricants company and has established itself as a pioneer and innovator in the Indian lubricants industry. Its iconic brands such as Castrol CRB, Castrol GTX, and in more recent times power brands like Castrol Activ, Castrol MAGNATEC and Castrol VECTON, are used by millions of consumers and customers across the country. The company also has a presence in select segments like High Performance Lubricants and metalworking fluids in industries as varied as automotive manufacturing to mining to machinery and wind & energy.

Castrol India has a large manufacturing and distribution network in India with three manufacturing plants and a distribution network of 350 distributors who sell to consumers and customers through over 100,000 retail outlets. Castrol sub-distributors also reach additional outlets in rural markets whilst Castrol India also directly services over 3,000 key institutional accounts.

Besides providing world-class products and services, Castrol India is focused on safety, compliance and quality as its number one priority.

FSS And India Post Payments Bank AePS Partnership To Promote Financial Inclusion

FSS (Financial Software and Systems), a leading global payment processor and provider of integrated payment products, today announced partnering with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to promote financial inclusion among underserved and unbanked segments. As part of the collaboration, IPPB will use FSS’ Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) to deliver interoperable and affordable doorstep banking services to customers across India.

FSS’ AePS solution combines the low-cost structure of a branchless business model, digital distribution, and micro-targeting that lowers acquisition costs and improves reach. This strategic partnership offers significant opportunities to bring millions of unbanked customers into the  financial mainstream. Currently, there are nearly 410 million Jan Dhan accounts in India.  A primary reason for low usage of banking and payment services is the challenge of accessibility in rural areas and the cost of maintaining active accounts — including transaction and transport— outweigh the benefits. In rural and peri-urban areas, the average time to reach a banking access point potentially ranges between 1.5 and 5 hours, compared with the average of 30 minutes in urban areas.

Leveraging its vast network of over 136,000 post offices, and 300,000 postal workers, 

IPPB has been setup with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable, and trusted bank for the common man in India to deliver banking at the customer’s doorstep.  With the launch of AePS services, IPPB now has the ability to serve all customer segments, including nearly 410 million Jan Dhan account holders, giving a fresh impetus to the inclusion of customers facing accessibility challenges in the traditional banking ecosystem.

Speaking on the tie-up, Mr.Krishnan Srinivasan, Global Chief Revenue Officer, FSS said, “We are proud to be IPPB’s technology partner in this monumental nation-building exercise. The collaboration is evidence of FSS’ deep payments technology expertise and commitment to bringing viable, market-leading innovations that promote financial deepening. FSS’ AePS solution combined with IPPB’s expansive last mile distribution reach empowers citizens of the country with a range of digital payment products and advance India’s vision towards less-cash economy.”  

“Through the vast reach of Department of Posts network along with the advent of the interoperable payment systems to drive adoption, IPPB is uniquely positioned to offer a range of products and services to fulfil the financial needs of the unbanked and the underbanked at the last mile. Having launched AePS services, the Bank has become the single largest platform in the country for providing interoperable banking services to customers of any bank. The strategic partnership with FSS provides us with an opportunity to expand the portfolio of financial services and improve customer experience whilst maintaining operational efficiency, thus building a digitally inclusive society,” said Mr. J. Venkatramu, MD & CEO, India Post Payments Bank.

The infrastructure created by IPPB addresses the accessibility challenges faced by customers in the traditional banking ecosystem. It fulfils the Government’s objective of having an interoperable banking access point within 5 KM of any household and creating alternate accessibility for customers of any bank.

The operation of FSS’ AePS solution is based on agents performing transactions on behalf of customers using a tablet, micro-ATM or a POS device. The system is device agnostic and can accept transactions originating from any terminal. Customers of any bank can access their Aadhaar-linked bank account by simply using their fingerprint for cash withdrawal, balance enquiry and transfer of funds into an operating IPPB account, right at their doorstep. FSS’ AePS exposes APIs to third parties to develop an expansive services ecosystem and extend a broad suite of financial products and tools including micro-insurance, micro-savings, micro-finance, mutual fund investments, enabling the bank to further services adoption among low and moderate-income consumers.

About FSS

FSS (Financial Software and Systems) is a leader in payments technology and transaction processing. FSS offers an integrated portfolio of software products, hosted payment services and software solutions built over 29+ years of experience. FSS, end-to-end payments products suite, powers retail delivery channels including ATM, POS, Internet and Mobile as well as critical back-end functions including cards management, reconciliation, settlement, merchant management and device monitoring. Headquartered in India, FSS services leading global banks, financial institutions, processors, central regulators and governments across North America, UK/Europe, Middle East, Africa and APAC. About India Post Payments Bank

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by Government of India. IPPB was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on September 1, 2018. The bank has been set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man in India. The fundamental mandate of IPPB is to remove barriers for the unbanked & underbanked and reach the last mile leveraging a network comprising 155,000 post offices (135,000 in rural areas) and 300,000 postal employees.

IPPB’s reach and its operating model is built on the key pillars of India Stack - enabling Paperless, Cashless and Presence-less banking in a simple and secure manner at the customers' doorstep, through a CBS-integrated smartphone and biometric device. Leveraging frugal innovation and with a high focus on ease of banking for the masses, IPPB delivers simple and affordable banking solutions through intuitive interfaces available in 13 languages.

IPPB is committed to provide a fillip to a less cash economy and contribute to the vision of Digital India. India will prosper when every citizen will have equal opportunity to become financially secure and empowered. Our motto stands true - Every customer is important; every transaction is significant, and every deposit is valuable.

Teradata Vantage Now Available In The Microsoft Azure Marketplace

Teradata (NYSE: TDC), the cloud data analytics platform company, today announced an additional purchasing channel for Teradata Vantage on Azure: the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing software applications and services for use on Microsoft Azure, one of the industry’s most productive and trusted cloud platforms.

Teradata customers interested in using Vantage on Azure – the modern cloud platform that unifies data warehouses, data lakes and analytics into a single connected ecosystem – can now subscribe to Vantage on Azure using a pre-existing agreement with Microsoft. By subscribing to Vantage on Azure through the Marketplace, customers can draw down 100 percent of their Teradata spend against their Azure commitment. Purchases made via Azure Marketplace also significantly help streamline billing and procurement for joint Teradata-Microsoft customers.

“At Teradata, we’re focused on making things easier for our customers – whether that’s helping them solve their most complex data challenges at scale or simply making it quick and easy to find, buy and deploy the world’s leading platform for cloud data analytics,” said Brian Wood, Director and Cloud Advocate at Teradata. “For companies that prefer the worldwide footprint, scalability, reliability and agility of Microsoft Azure, we now offer a one-stop shopping experience for Vantage via a pre-approved and preferred purchasing channel. Through Vantage on Azure, joint Teradata-Microsoft customers can more easily perform analytics on all available data, with as much scale as needed to drive the business forward.”

Vantage on Azure is delivered as-a-service, so companies can start small and elastically scale compute and storage independently, and only when needed. The combination of pricing model flexibility with software tier choice enables Teradata’s cloud customers to match analytic features and performance with diverse business requirements.

Teradata Vantage is the leading hybrid multi-cloud data analytics software platform that enables ecosystem simplification by unifying analytics, data lakes and data warehouses. With the enterprise scale of Vantage, companies can eliminate silos and cost-effectively query all their data to get a complete view of their business.

The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling finished Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications and premium datasets. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.

Availability

Teradata Vantage on Azure can be acquired via the Microsoft Azure Marketplace today, globally.

About Teradata

Teradata is the cloud data analytics platform company, built for a hybrid multi-cloud reality, solving the world's most complex data challenges at scale. We help businesses unlock value by turning data into their greatest asset. 

Cognizant Survey Reveals Indian Companies Weathered Through The Pandemic Much Better

 

* Survey reveals Indian companies, catalyzed by the pandemic, are most bullish on embracing digital ways of working

Indian companies generate 12% of their revenue from digital channels today, highest among all APAC countries

A recent market study by Cognizant reveals that while most Asian businesses were quick to respond to the pandemic—compressing many long-term digital projects into the space of weeks and months—and are therefore emerging stronger from the pandemic, Indian companies weathered through the pandemic much better than most of their regional and western counterparts.

Only 36% of companies in India (compared to the regional average of 44%) experienced slightly negative to a very negative impact on their business performance in 2020. According to the study, businesses in APAC and the Middle East have reached a point of clarity in terms of the real purpose of digital tools and made great strides in understanding what the human-machine balance of work should be.

To understand the changing nature of work, commerce and success in this new world, Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work surveyed 4,000 senior executives (1,200 from Asia Pacific and the Middle East, including 160 in India) across 23 countries and 14 industries: BFSI, Consumer Goods, Education, Healthcare (including both payers and providers), Information Services, Insurance, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media and Entertainment, Oil and Gas, Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Travel and Hospitality, and Utilities. The objective of the study was to gain insights into how organizations worldwide are gearing up for the second act of digital and why Asia seems to be leading the charge.

Key findings among Indian enterprises:

Indian companies are most bullish on embracing digital ways of working as 52% of them (highest among APAC countries) agreed that the pandemic had accelerated the adoption of new, digital ways of working practices.

Revenue from digital: Indian companies currently generate 12% of the total revenue from digital channels (highest among APAC countries). By the end of 2023, they aim to take their digital-driven revenues to 17%.

The top three forces that will have a strong impact on work in India by 2023 are hyper-connectivity as billions of people, machines, and devices become connected (49%), concerns about security and privacy relating to business practices (46%), and process automation (44%).

Human-centric skills will continue to gain prominence: Top five skills that will become more important in 2023 than they are today: Decision-making (62%), Analytical (54%), Learning (55%), Strategic Thinking (54%), and Communication (54%).

Three ways work will be transformed by 2023: Jobs to become more specialized (54%), we will work faster (50%), and work will require greater technical expertise (47%).

Top three technologies that companies are leveraging to augment business processes (from some implemented projects to widespread implementation): AI (40%), Sensors/ IoT (35%), and big data/ analytics (35%).

Machines will augment humans by taking over data-oriented tasks and providing insights for better decision-making. Top three tasks that machines will pick up by 2023: sifting large data sets to filter and identify errors or actionable items (25%), evaluation of options/recommendations to take decisions (23%), and execution of routine, rules-based decisions based on data inputs (23%).

Top three business benefits companies aim at achieving with the augmentation of processes by 2023: decision-making i.e. more informed, accurate, intelligent (70%), operational efficiency i.e. cost savings, increased output, improved asset and inventory management (62%), and customer experience i.e. interaction and personalization (59%).

“Although the digital revolution is 74 years old, it’s kicking into second gear now,” said Manish Bahl, Assistant Vice President, Center for the Future of Work, Asia Pacific, Cognizant. “The first phase saw the dominance of Big Tech giants in West leading the global digital agenda. The second phase will be marked by AI, automation, analytics and IoT – all of which are more aligned with industry and business strengths in Asia Pacific. The work ahead will be all about striking a balance between machine-driven and human-centric work. Even when machines can do everything, it will still be people who are the ultimate X factor.”

The full report can be accessed here: https://www.cognizant.com/whitepapers/the-work-ahead-asia-drives-digitals-future-codex6156.pdf