Airtel Appoints Neeraj Jha As Head Of Corporate Communications And Corporate Affairs

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider, has appointed Neeraj Jha as Head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs. 

Neeraj Jha will report to Gopal Vittal – MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel Ltd. and will be responsible for leading Airtel’s brand advocacy, reputation and communication efforts. In addition, he will provide oversight and support to the other Bharti Group entities.   

Neeraj Jha brings with him over 24 years of experience across journalism and industry. Prior to joining Airtel, he was Head of Corporate Communications and Company Spokesperson at HDFC Bank. During his 14 years tenure at the Bank, he leveraged elements like the business and digital capabilities of the Bank, its management depth and human face to build a strong image and leadership position for the Bank. 

“We are pleased to have Neeraj on board to spearhead Airtel’s corporate reputation mandate. I am confident his rich experience will add immense value to Airtel.” said Gopal Vittal.  

On his appointment, Neeraj Jha had this to say, “I firmly believe I’ve joined a culture, an ethos that’s committed to the cause of connecting the nation, its people, households and businesses. From healthcare to education to entertainment, it brings this and much more today to the lives of millions of people making them better, easier and more productive. Airtel is an iconic brand that generations in the New India have grown up looking up to. I'm humbled and honoured to be part of it.” 

Neeraj can be reached at neeraj.jha@airtel.com. 

About Bharti Airtel 

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its mobile network covers a population of over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated telecom provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. At the end of December 2020, Airtel had approx. 458 million customers across its operations. Airtel’s portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1Gbps, converged digital TV solutions through the Airtel Xstream 4K Hybrid Box, digital payments through Airtel Payments Bank as well as an integrated suite of services across connectivity, collaboration, cloud and security that serves over one million businesses. Airtel’s OTT services include Airtel Thanks app for self-care, Airtel Xstream app for video, Wynk Music for entertainment and Airtel BlueJeans for video conferencing. In addition, Airtel has forged strategic partnerships with hundreds of companies across the world to enable the Airtel platform to deliver an array of consumer and enterprise services.  

Chicago Pneumatic India Launches Permanent Magnet Motor Compressors From 10-100 HP Range, Titled As CPMV & CPVS PM

* New products are CPMV & CPVS PM range screw compressors with Permanent magnet motor compressors

Chicago Pneumatic a part of Atlas Copco group in India, today launched two new product variations in their Permanent Magnet motor compressors– CPMV and CPVS range. Equipped with a proven energy saving technology of permanent magnet motors, the products offer an increased reliability, maintenance free operation and energy savings upto 45%.

The key industry segments such as General Engineering, Manufacturing, Grain sorter, Pharmaceutical, Steel & where pneumatic and screw compressor applications come into play will benefit from these compressed air solutions. The new products with highly engineered innovation are intended towards enhancing customers’ productivity, reducing energy consumption, and offering higher uptime and reliability. The products are available across the country to fulfil the demand of customers even in shorter duration through the distributors.

Andy Prabhakar, General Manager - Brand Portfolio at Atlas Copco, said, “At Chicago Pneumatic, we are proud to be able to cater to the customer with solutions created only with durable parts, ensuring efficiency of products & services, backed by timely maintenance offerings. The new range of CPMV series screw air compressors for extensive usage in various industries, is a result of Chicago Pneumatic continued commitment to offer products to the customers that are simple enough to be user-friendly, reliable, and efficient. Our commitment has always been to ensure that the products and parts are easily available and serviceable, no matter in which part of the country your business is.” 

As a part of their existing portfolio, the company also offers a Prominent range of screw compressors, oil free air compressors, CNG compressors, air treatment solutions, piping solutions and everything required for a complete compressed air system, refrigerant dryers, line filters, air receivers and piping solutions.

Chicago Pneumatic: The Chicago Pneumatic company was founded in 1901 when innovator John W. Duntley patented the first single-valve pneumatic hammer. In the same year, steel magnate Charles M. Schwab invested heavily in the company, giving it a flying start and opportunities for further expansion. Since then, we have enjoyed many decades of collaboration with customers and business partners, based on technology and trust.

To mark our proud legacy and shape our inspiring future, an updated visual identity is being launched along-side of many celebratory activities planned during the year.

Atlas Copco (India) Ltd.: Started operations in 1960, and has over 15 offices across India, the registered office being at Pune. Atlas Copco (India) Ltd. had over 2 000 employees and revenues of INR 3000 CR as on 31st March 2020.

Deendayal Port Trust To Sign MoUs Of Rs. 3,823.70 Crores At Maritime India Summit 2021

Deendayal Port Trust (DPT), one of the major port trusts in India will sign 15 MoUs of Rs. 3,823.70 crores at “Maritime India Summit 2021”scheduled to happen on 2nd to 4th March 2021.

These MoUs will be majorly signed between DPT and IOCL, EMAMI, and AEGIS Power Supply. MoU will also be signed with Timber Association to develop furniture park and Coast Guard Jetty. Apart from these DPT will also sign MoUs for the greenery of the port area and construction as well.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is also in process of finalizing more than 44 MoUs to be signed in conjunction with the summit. These MoUs will be signed with different coastal states and stakeholders of the sector. The MoPSW is looking forward to closing over 400 MoUs during the Maritime India Summit 2021.

These MoUs are focused on attracting investment, skilling, and generating employment in the sector. The signing of these MoUs will help in streamlining the process of ship maneuvering resulting in more business to the ports and economic stability to the sector and its stakeholders.

The MIS 2021 will provide a unique platform that will have a physical and virtual presence of prominent shipping and transport ministers/ dignitaries from across the world. Maritime States of India will participate in the Summit through dedicated sessions. The Summit will also include an exclusive CEOs’ forum and various thematic/ breakout sessions. 

Great Lakes Institute Of Management Hosts Narayana Murthy As Part Of Its ‘Distinguished Thought Leadership Series’

* The Padma Vibhushan awardee sheds light on key topics like entrepreneurship, state of Indian I.T sector, role of luck among others~ 

Padma Vibhushan Mr. Narayana Murthy, Founder, Infosys graced Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai in a virtual fire-chat session organized by the institute. Mr. Murthy addressed a strong audience of 750+ participants and shared his insights based on the experience and observations over the years. 

During the session, Mr. Narayana Murthy touched upon some key topics. He started off with his definition of an entrepreneur and explained that entrepreneurs come with bright and powerful ideas.  His latest venture is all about unleashing the power of young Indian minds. He highlighted few qualities than an individual should possess to become an entrepreneur. Some of these qualities include competency, leadership, learnability and a sound value system. He further elaborated and said that an entrepreneur should transform the power of ideas into job and wealth creation. He then touched upon the topic of whether the Indian I.T companies have moved up in the value chain system? He said that, Indian companies have been doing work that is of high value for their customers and are now focusing on higher per capita productivity. But the sector still remains as reactive problem solvers which needs to change and a more proactive approach is the need of the hour.  

He then spoke about the role of using luck to one’s advantage. Hard work plays a key role in shaping your career. He said, ‘’Chance favours the prepared mind’’. When you fail as an individual, it is important to introspect your failure, analyse, decide on the next step and then act accordingly. He then spoke about how entrepreneurs can handle multiple roles in their initial stages of entrepreneurship. He was quick to add that his philosophy of choosing a team is to pick bright youngsters, review constantly and give them an opportunity to grow. He also emphasized on developing checklists and have constant dialogue with the team which can help and improve upon what you are doing at that point of time. High learnability, discipline and hard work are keys to enhance productivity. Mr Murthy also said that, he personally prefers learnability over experience for skills.  

He next addressed the concern wherein I.T. sector pays higher remunerations than some other sectors and we are losing great talent in the sectors. He addressed the companies from different sectors and said, they need to sit down and ensure that the workplace provides a learning experience. Companies should visit campuses and sell jobs to students and provide better compensation. He added that, students nowadays prefer careers where there is learning involved. Also, curriculum in colleges need to keep pace with the industry demand and in-company training programs should be a key area of investment for the companies to groom talent. He then stressed upon the New Education Policy and rued the lack of constant research and innovation in Indian educational institutions. He mentioned that the New Education Policy (NEP) is certainly going to improve the quality of education. He called for a change in the mind-set of the society and said that the focus should be upon instilling curiosity, problem solving, open-mindedness, respect other’s opinions and not afraid of learning among the youngsters. He said that there is a need to embrace these traits in our cultures and then change will follow.  

Speaking during the event, Dr. Suresh Ramanathan, Dean, Great Lakes Institute of Management, said “We are honoured to have the magnanimous presence of Mr. Narayana Murthy. His wisdom, knowledge, experience and vision is unparalleled and today’s event was a chance for our students to pick on his thoughts and learn from the man himself. His idea of originality, problem-solving, creativity, importance of values and sense of balance can truly go a long way in shaping our society and empower the youth of tomorrow. I also want to thank our esteemed audience who were part of this momentous occasion and we will continue to invite leaders who can be a source of inspiration for our students and other generations.” 

PGI.S, The Premier Global PUBG PC Esports Festival Hosted By Krafton Kicks Off In South Korea

* The LAN/offline hybrid event offers a prize pot of $3.5 million USD and will be broadcasted in over 17 languages, including Hindi 

KRAFTON, Inc., responsible for entertainment properties such as PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG), launched PUBG Global Invitational.S(PGI.S) - a global LAN/online hybrid tournament where the world’s top PUBG PC esports teams will compete for a share of a $3.5 million USD prize pot. 

The event runs till March 28th , with 32 rosters from eight different regions participating in weekly showdowns with prize money increasing as the competition progresses. The tournament is primarily held offline at Studio Paradise in Incheon, South Korea, however due to the current COVID-19 situation, some of the teams will compete online from their home regions. 

Based on Rank Decision matches which took place from February 5-7, the highest ranked 16 teams participated in Weekly Survival matches on February 8 to battle it out for a place in the Weekly Grand Finals. Once a team wins a Weekly Survival match, they progress to the Weekly Grand Finals immediately - with their place taken by the next highest ranked team from Rank Decision Matches. The four top ranked teams at the Weekly Finals will take home a share of the prize pot. This process continues over eight weeks, with a one-week break in the middle for an additional PUBG esports tournament.  

The share of prize money offered in each weekly event will grow as the tournament progresses, and the team that secures the most earnings by the end of the event will be crowned champions. A full run-down of the PGI.S format and rules can be found here.

PGI.S schedule: 

Week 1 Weekly Survival Matches: Monday 8 February, Tuesday 9 February and Wednesday 10 February, starting from 15:30 IST.  

After the opening week, weekly Survival Matches will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 15:30 IST. 

Weekly Finals Matches: To take place every Saturday and Sunday throughout the event from 15:30 IST. 

Survival Tournament: March 5-7, a specialty tournament within PGI.S.

All matches will be broadcasted globally on various platforms in over 17 languages. For our passionate PUBG fans in India, KRAFTON has partnered with NODWIN Gaming to offer Hindi broadcasts via local streamers - Gamingpro Ocean, NODWIN Gaming, PAiN FyXs, Sparky Gaming and Ansh TY.

Cognizant Hosts Sixth Edition Of ‘Cognizant Health Challenge’ In The Midst Of Work-From-Home

* Over 18000 employees and their families take part in the fully-virtual eight-week challenge focused on ‘Wellness at Home’ 

Cognizant recently hosted the 2020 edition of the Cognizant Health Challenge, the company’s annual fitness initiative for its employees and their families. As the company’s employees continue to work from home, the eight-week challenge organized in partnership with HealthifyMe, India’s largest wellness app, was entirely virtual this year. More than 18,000 employees and 1,000 employee families across India participated in the challenge focused on “How to keep fit while being at home”.

As part of the challenge, 30 live webinars, including six on nutrition, eight exercise and workout sessions, and 11 mental health sessions were organized. Six 'Fun Friday' sessions saw celebrity guests such as tennis stars Somdev Devvarman, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Purav Raja and comedians Praveen Kumar and Jagan Krishnan, speak about physical and mental health and their own fitness regimens.

In view of the pandemic, the accent was on innovative indoor exercises such as yoga and indoor aerobics that can be done with minimal or no equipment. Employees collectively logged in over 1.70 lakh surya namaskar sessions, over 30,000 high-knee marching sessions, and about 10,000 skipping sessions. Disruptions to routines and social engagements caused by the pandemic have led to increased stress and anxiety. The health challenge therefore laid special emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. The challenge also included special workshops focused on parenting and emotional wellness for expectant mothers.

Participants clocked in over 880 million steps covering over 6.75 lakh kilometers and burning a total of 843 lakh calories, resulting in a cumulative weight loss of over 4,500 kilograms. Employees used the HealthifyMe app to maintain an online food diary. Nearly 15 lakh food logs were recorded and over 11 lakh glasses of water were consumed by participants. Over 600 prizes including Apple Watches, Fitbits, BTWIN bicycles and Nutribullets were awarded to challenge winners and weekly lucky draw winners. 

“The wellbeing of our employees, which is our top priority even during normal times, has become a lot more critical as we navigate the challenges thrown up by the pandemic,” said Rajesh Nambiar, Chairman and Managing Director for India at Cognizant. “By continuing the tradition of Cognizant Health Challenge despite the changed circumstances, we have been able to not only help our employees and their families stay healthy, but also create vital moments of togetherness and camaraderie during these times of remote working and social distancing.”

The Cognizant Health Challenge is part of a whole host of employee engagement and wellness initiatives at Cognizant that span physical, mental and emotional wellness and allied topics such as financial management, parenting, relationship counselling and much more. With work from home becoming the norm, Cognizant was quick to adapt to a virtual model that includes self-paced courses, a dedicated Employee Assistance Program, and webinars to offer continued support for employees and their families as they get through the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Participant Quotes

“The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined lives in many ways, especially for working professionals.  The stress of the situation has taken a huge toll on physical and mental health of employees. Managing life and work and creating a balance needs discipline and motivation. When I think of the Cognizant Health Challenge, I am reminded of a quote I once read: ‘Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.’  The challenge drives all of us to be more disciplined with our health and work towards healthy lifestyle changes in exercise, diet, sleep and mental wellbeing. The challenge also pushes us and our teams beyond comfort zones, with a singular focus on long-term health.”

Ganesh Kalyanaraman, Senior Vice President, Cognizant

“I have been an active participant in the Cognizant Health Challenge since its inception. Over the years, the challenge has helped me acquire the discipline needed to achieve work-life balance and improve health and wellness parameters such as nutrition, hydration, exercise and sleep.  The challenge has something for everyone—from beginners who want to take their first steps towards a healthier lifestyle to seasoned marathon runners like myself. I have seen my colleagues acquire long-term, sustainable health solutions after participating in the challenge. And doing it is as a team multiplies the fun; your friends are there to encourage you all the way!”

V M Chinni Krishnan, Vice President, Cognizant

Placement Consultancies, Domestic Help Services And Paying Guests Topped Online Searches In January

A study undertaken by Sulekha.com, India’s leading AI-driven tech platform for expert services has unveiled interesting trends and insights about the service categories that have seen an increase in January 2021.

This study is based on visits and searches by nearly 3,00,000+ users across top 8 cities that landed on Sulekha in January 2021.

Key findings of the study:

* The Top 3 service categories that have seen a spike in online searches include Placement Consultancies, Domestic Help Services and Paying Guests.

* The top 5 cities that are leading in online searches across service categories include: Chennai Delhi and Bangalore followed by Hyderabad and Mumbai.

* In Chennai, the top 3 services that are leading include: Paying Guests, Domestic Help Services and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 20% since December 2020.

* In Delhi, the top 3 services that are leading include: Domestic Help Services, Placement Consultancies and Job Training. These services have grown by 21% since December 2020.

* In Bangalore, the top 3 services that are leading include: Placement Consultancies, Domestic Help Services and Paying Guests. These services have grown by 19% since December 2020.

* In Hyderabad, the top 3 services that are leading include: Domestic Help Services, Vehicle Rentals, and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 15% since December 2020.

* In Mumbai, the top 3 services that are leading include: Placement Consultancies, Vehicle Rentals and Job Training. These services have grown by 25% since December 2020.

* In Pune, the top 3 services that are leading include: Paying Guests, Placement Consultancies and Job Training. These services have grown by 18% since December 2020.

* In Kolkata, the top 3 services that are leading include: Job Training, Domestic Help Services and Vehicle Rentals. These services have grown by 15% since December 2020.

* In Ahmedabad, the top 3 services that are leading include: Job Training, Domestic Help Services and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 16% since December 2020.

Satya Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Sulekha.com, said, “It’s interesting to note the increase in online searches for services like Paying Guest stays and Domestic Help Services. Last year, due to the pandemic, people were extremely sceptical to allow domestic help and paying guests into their houses. But with the decline in COVID cases, these services seem to slowly get back on track.”