The Premiere Of 8119 - Miles The Film At Net5, An OTT Platform From February 5, 2021

Miles is a captivating film of Gabriel D’Selva, a mechanic from Goa, and his companion Anil Nair, the two struggling immigrants to reach their destination – the United Kingdom. A thrilling story by Liverpool based Indian film-maker Joe Eswar and his team of the unusual journey through the infamous 8119 Miles with pit stops that include Ulaanbator in Mongolia, Atrau in Khazakstan, Istanbul and Erzurum in Turkey, Sofia in Bulgaria, Cologne in Germany, Belgium and finally the UK.

Releasing exclusively on Net5 an OTT platform on February 5th, 8119 Miles, as its title suggests is a road movie, shot in several countries. Gabriel’s life’s greatest ambition is to travel to the UK. He tries several times to secure a visa but gets refused. Desperation leads him to find a travel agent who is also an illegal immigration specialist- Ram Kumar. Mr Kumar organises Gabriel’s journey across an old route used by Illegal Immigrants in the 80s to travel from Asia to Europe. As the adventure begins, Gabriel gets a new companion, a bankrupt film producer who’s trying to flee from his debtors- Anil Nair. The Duos journey shapes up from the coast of Goa through the Mongolian Steppe through the Silk Roads of Central Asia through the oblasts of Russia to Joseph Stalin’s Georgia. From Georgia, the story evolves through Ottoman Turkey and spreads its wings across Europe. Cultures, ideas and concepts are all incorporated into a journey that leads the protagonist Gabriel D’Selva and his companion Anil Nair through a road less taken these days. The reason for Gabriel’s journey is the suspense of the film, and the outcome of his travel is yet another matter of curiosity to the audience. To watch the movie, download the Net5 App from Google Playstore or Applestore & its also available on www.net5.in

Hero MotoCorp Sells 4.85 Lakh Units Of Motorcycles And Scooters In January 2021

Hero MotoCorp has sold 485,889 units of motorcycles and scooters in January 2021. The sales include a total of 449,037 motorcycles and 36,852 units of scooters. In comparison, the automaker sold 501,622 units of two-wheelers in the corresponding month of 2020. The figure includes 494,432 motorcycles and 7,190 units of scooters. What's interesting to note here is the fact that overall scooter sales have gone up significantly from last year.

While sales in the domestic market stood at 488,069 units last year, for 2021 the numbers dipped to 467,776. While the domestic sales tumbled, exports shot up significantly from 13,553 units in January 2020 to 18,113 units in January 2021.

To further consolidate its presence in the foreign markets, the company has appointed new distributor partners in Nicaragua and Honduras, Central America.

The company has also recently announced that it has surpassed the significant milestone of 100 million (10 Crores) units in overall production even since Hero started manufacturing two-wheelers. The 100 millionth bike, the Xtreme 160R, was rolled-out of the Hero’s manufacturing plant in Haridwar, in the northern Indian hill state of Uttarakhand.

To mark the occasion, the two-wheeler maker also introduced six celebration edition models. The new bikes include - Splendor+, Xtreme 160R, Passion Pro and Glamour and two scooters - Destini 125 and Maestro Edge 110. Hero further announced that the new bikes will be available for purchase from this month (February 2021). 

CRN® Names Trend Micro As One Of The Coolest Cloud Companies For 2021

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), the leader in cloud security, today announced that it was named one of the 100 Coolest Cloud Companies for 2021 by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company. This annual list recognizes the leading cloud technology providers in five critical categories: infrastructure, monitoring and management, security, storage, and software.  

The list not only honors exceptional technology suppliers, but it has become a trusted resource for solutions providers looking for cloud technology providers to partner with — presenting a list of the companies best-positioned to support their cloud service needs.  

This year’s 100 Coolest Cloud Companies were selected by the CRN editorial team based on two key deliverables: companies’ demonstrated commitment to working with channel partners; and their innovation in product and service development.  

“Since day one, our sales model has been selling through the channel - that has not changed. However, as market dynamics and the needs of our partners change, so does our partner program. With cloud becoming increasingly relevant, we’ve refreshed our channel program to enable and reward our partners for their cloud business,” said Louise McEvoy, vice president of US channel for Trend Micro. “I’m proud of the work the Trend Micro channel team has done to grow this business through the channel and proud of our partners for growing their cloud business alongside us. I’m humbled by this recognition, as it is a great validation of these efforts.” 

With the launch of Trend Micro Cloud One, the company has launched a security services platform for organizations building in the cloud, delivering the broadest and deepest cloud security offering in one solution. It enables customers to secure their cloud infrastructure with clarity and simplicity. 

“We are thrilled to be selected, once again, as one of CRN’s Coolest Cloud Companies for 2021.  The award affirms our position at the top of the industry in cloud security, all the while remaining in close contact with our channel partners to ensure their overall success,” said Wendy Moore, vice president of product marketing at Trend Micro. “Trend Micro’s Cloud One™, our new security services platform for cloud builders, will help our partners simplify their end customer’s hybrid and multi-cloud security. This, in return, adds both a cloud portfolio and services opportunities for our valued partners.” 

CRN’s 100 Coolest Cloud Companies list is featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/cloud100. 

About Trend Micro 

Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Leveraging over 30 years of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro enables resilience for businesses, governments, and consumers with connected solutions across cloud workloads, endpoints, email, IIoT, and networks. Our XGen™ security strategy powers our solutions with a cross-generational blend of threat-defense techniques that are optimized for key environments and leverage shared threat intelligence for better, faster protection. With over 6,700 employees in 65 countries, and the world’s most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com. 

About The Channel Company 

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace..

JK Tyre Enters Into A Synergic Partnership With Natrax For Development Of Wet Grip Test

• The track to be used by JK Tyre for product testing upon completion

Indian tyre industry major & market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) towards the development and polishing of Wet Grip Test Track at NATRAX Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh.

NATRAX is one of the state-of-the-art automotive testing and certification centers under NATRIP, a flagship project of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. NATRAX consists of 16 test tracks, covering aspects such as speed, braking, off road, comfort, sustainability, noise, friction etc. The Wet Grip Test Track will be used to test the safety aspect of tyres that includes Wet Grip as per ECE R117 regulation, Wet Braking, Peak Brake Force Coefficient (PBFC), etc.

Being the pioneer in tire testing, JK Tyre houses facilities ranging from static to highly dynamic tests, and also has the capability to conduct regulatory tests to performance level tests. It also uses state-owned testing centers under NATRIP (National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project) across India to perform both subjective and objective vehicle level tests. The company is constantly upgrading their test facilities that includes modernization of existing equipment and adding new equipment to meet the emerging needs of OEMs and regulatory requirements (national & international).

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. VK Misra, Technical Director, JK Tyre and Industries said, “We are honored to be part of the government’s flagship project towards building competencies in automotive sector that are at par with the global standards.  We have been working towards driving innovation and tech-excellence in the Indian tyre industry. With our experience and expertise, we are rightly placed  to lead this project with NATRAX.”

Upon completion, JK Tyre will be testing its future range of revolutionary products at the Wet Grip Test Track located at NATRAX Pithampur.

Over the past four decades, JK Tyre has been at the forefront of driving innovation and excellence in the tyre industry through the introduction of ground-breaking technologies and products that cater to diverse business segments in the automobile industry. The company launched first ever ‘Smart Tyre’ technology and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) by offering TREEL sensors.  

JK Tyre’s unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art Global Research and Technology Centre – the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysuru, which houses latest and world class testing facilities.

JK Tyre & Industries Limited

The flagship company of JK Organisation, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd is amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world. Pioneers of radial technology, the Company produced the first radial tyre in 1977 and is currently the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. The Company provides end-to-end solutions across segments of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, farming, Off-the-Road and two & three-wheelers.

A global force, JK Tyre is present in 105 countries with over 180 Global distributors.  The Company has 12 globally benchmarked ‘sustainable’ manufacturing facilities - 9 in India and 3 in Mexico – that collectively produce around 35 million tyres annually. The Company also has a strong network of over 4000 dealers and 550+ dedicated Brand shops called as Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels.

JK Tyre’s unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art global research and technology centre – the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysore, which houses some of the world’s finest technologies and techniques.

JK Tyre launched India’s first ever ‘Smart Tyre’ technology-and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) which monitors the tyre’s vital statistics, including pressure and temperature. The company recently rolled out its 20 millionth Truck/Bus Radial tyre becoming the first and the only Indian company to achieve this milestone.

It is the only Indian tyre manufacturer to be included in the list of Superbrands India in 2019 for the seventh consecutive year. JK Tyre has been conferred the Sword of Honour for Safety across its plants by the British Safety Council,UK. The company entered the Limca Book of Records with the country’s largest off-the-road tyre - VEM 04.

JK Tyre is also synonymous with motorsport in the country. For over three decades, the Company has relentlessly worked towards shaping India’s positioning as the motorsport hub of Asia, developing the right infrastructure for the sport and promoting young talent in the arena.

IT, Healthcare, Ecommerce Will Be Three Big Employers In 2021; Virtual Working To Be A Dominant Trend At India Inc: TimesJobs Survey

India Inc. proved to be a ‘rider of the storm’ in 2020 as it adopted the digital nuances overnight to ensure work continuity, said most HR managers in a new TimesJobs survey. E-recruitment portal TimesJobs surveyed 1,735 HR managers working in different industrial sectors and startups to understand the HR learnings from 2020 and the skill roadmap for 2021. Here is the data that proves that India Inc. sustained it all:

* Hiring stalled: Most (63%) HR managers admitted that their hiring plans derailed in 2020, followed by 26% who said they hired, but in fewer numbers

* Digital roles preferred over mass roles: Roles ensuring digital continuity grew, Digital Marketers (28%) and Customer Relationship Managers (18%) topped talent demand as claimed by most HR managers

* New roles became prominent: The demand for roles as Back-end Developers (28%), Data Science & Analytics (22%) and Cyber Security (16%) toppled the need for all other roles in most firms

* Tech savviness preferred by hiring managers: Other than core skills, tech-savviness (ranked 1st) topped the soft skills preference of employers, emotional intelligence followed (ranked 2nd)

* Upskilling was the name of the game: Most (68%) employers encouraged their workforce to upskill through various ways as discounts on certifications, in-house training etc

* Upskilling in Digital Marketing most popular: Most employees preferred to gain a certification in Digital Marketing (21%), followed by Data Analytics (12%) said the HR managers

* AI baffled recruiters: Most recruiters (36%) faced the skills gap while dealing with Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning-led apps or softwares

Summarising the findings of this survey, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “2020 was the year of ‘digital’ and a ‘resilient India Inc.’ in the true sense. Our survey shows that most employers (28%) - irrespective of their domains - hired Digital Marketers, and most (21%) claimed that their employees preferred Digital Marketing for upskilling. This shows how quickly the corporates and their workforce transitioned from their traditional realms and adopted the digital mannerisms to thrive in the virtual working environment. Similarly other digital-led and digital-focussed job roles and skills grew and this trend will continue in 2021 too.”

In the same survey, TimesJobs asked the HR managers to outline the workplace trends for 2021. Here are those findings:

●       Work from home for one more year: Most Indian firms will continue working from home in 2021 too, followed by those who said they would be extending this to at least two years

●       Virtual working to become a permanent trend: Most (58%) of the surveyed HR managers said that the en-mass work from home will be a future trend at their workplace

●       Virtual working will dominate the hiring pattern: The potential of remote working will impact future hiring, said 51% HR managers, followed by 21% who said ‘no’ to this possibility

●       IT will be the biggest employer in 2021: The IT domain will hire most professionals in the coming year (voted as 1st), followed by Healthcare (voted 2nd) and E-commerce (voted 3rd)

About TimesJobs:

TimesJobs is a platform to help competent professionals enhance their career growth. With over 25 million registered jobseekers across the board and more than 60 million page views every month, it is the most preferred career portal among ambitious and talented professionals who want to make smarter career decisions that accelerate their career progression.

Accenture To Acquire Imaginea To Accelerate Cloud Native Product And Platform Engineering Services

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Imaginea, a cloud native product and platform engineering firm that helps companies drive innovation through disruptive technologies to transform their businesses digitally and capture new opportunities.

Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in London and throughout India, Imaginea excels in using its world-class product and platform engineering skills and leads with a design-thinking approach steeped in innovation. The company currently advises more than 200 global clients to deliver cloud-first transformations. The acquisition adds approximately 1,350 cloud professionals to Accenture, bringing a highly skilled, cloud native, full stack engineering team with cloud data and cloud modernization skills across multiple platforms from Amazon Web Services, Azure and Google Cloud Platform.

“Imaginea will further enhance the global capabilities of Accenture Cloud First, which was created to help clients across every industry become ‘cloud-first’ businesses,” said Karthik Narain, global lead for Accenture Cloud First. “Cloud is an essential foundation of digital transformation. Leveraging cloud native capabilities helps companies transform experiences, harness advances in technologies like AI, robotics, edge computing and 5G, and break the limits on productivity and innovation to create sustainable value.”

“Our unique combination of cloud native and product engineering skills is why clients seek out Imaginea to help them solve complex problems by unlocking the power of new technologies,” said Vijay Pullur, co-founder of Imaginea. “Imaginea is excited to join Accenture in helping companies reimagine business and rebuild differently for the benefit of all — from their customers to our people to society at large.”

“Accenture’s differentiated value begins with our incredibly talented and dedicated people. Imaginea brings us an infusion of human ingenuity, supported by cloud technologies,” said Kishore Durg, global lead, Accenture Cloud First Integrated Cloud Services. “Imaginea is a noteworthy addition to Accenture, with expertise across leading cloud platforms. Imaginea puts us in an even stronger position to accelerate innovation across diverse industries, drive complex change and create lasting value.”

Powered by 70,000 cloud professionals, and a $3 billion investment over the next three years, the Accenture Cloud First group brings together unmatched depth and breadth of cloud expertise, industry cloud solutions, ecosystem partner capabilities, and assets that help clients realize greater value from cloud at speed and scale.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Rekha M. Menon, Chairperson and Senior Managing Director at Accenture in India on the announcement says, "India is recognized globally for its rich innovation capabilities, and Imaginea is an outstanding example of this potential. I look forward to welcoming our colleagues at Imaginea to Accenture in India, and we are confident that their industry-leading cloud and product engineering skills will add immense value to our clients across key markets as they build agile and resilient businesses for the post pandemic world.”

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 514,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises.

Privatization Of Banks, Higher Ceiling On FII In Insurance Sector, Zero-Coupon Bonds For Infrastructure Will All Stimulate Growth

Union Budget 2021 reactions from Mr. Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor

“Faced with the challenge of delivering rapid, inclusive, economic growth with heightened focus on health and welfare in an environment of economic contraction and sharp increase in fiscal deficit due to COVID, the Hon’ble Finance Minister has struck an remarkable balance between growth and fiscal prudence by setting pragmatic revised targets and glide path for fiscal consolidation. The emphasis on capital expenditure and infrastructure creation is sought to be largely realized through borrowing and asset monetization without resorting to any significant increase in taxation. The privatization of banks, the higher ceiling on foreign direct investment in the insurance sector, zero-coupon bonds for infrastructure, tackling the bank non-performing assets through a combination of an asset reconstruction company and an asset management company are all ideas that will stimulate growth. The budget makes a bold statement for a growth rate beyond Pre-COVID levels and renews government’s commitment to minimum government and maximum governance.

From an auto industry perspective, the long-awaited voluntary Scrapping Policy can help take older vehicles off the roads thus contributing to lower fuel consumption, pollution as also generating additional demand for cleaner new vehicles. The auto sector welcomes this announcement and is hopeful that for realizing full benefits there will be an early and full implementation of this policy. Further, at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we have continuously worked towards creating a self-reliant and competitive local manufacturing eco-system and are eagerly looking forward to the details of the Production Linked Incentive scheme that can potentially make India a part of the global supply chain for both traditional and advanced automotive technologies.”