STT Global Data Centres India Unveils An Experience Centre For Data Centre Skill Development In Bengaluru

 

·  The Experience Centre was inaugurated by Smt. K. Ratna Prabha, IAS (Retired.) Former Chief Secretary, Chairperson of Karnataka Skill Development Authority, Government of Karnataka

·  The centre combines classroom learning with on-the-job training in a live simulation environment to enhance employability among students

·  Through this initiative, STT GDC India in association with Schneider Electric, endeavours to bridge the skill gap in the industry

STT Global Data Centres India (STT GDC India), as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, today unveiled an Experience Centre at its STT Bengaluru DC 3 facility in collaboration with Schneider Electric India Foundation (SEIF). The Experience Centre located in STT GDC India’s Centre of Excellence was inaugurated by Smt. K. Ratna Prabha, IAS (Retired.) Former Chief Secretary, Chairperson of Karnataka Skill Development Authority, Government of Karnataka. This initiative aims to address the existing skill gap in the industry and provide students with practical training on data centre-related projects in a live simulation data centre environment. This unique corporate citizenship initiative by STT GDC India aims to help students build essential skills for a career in the data centre industry and support their overall development through life skills coaching as well.

Smt. K. Ratna Prabha, IAS (Retired.) Former Chief Secretary, Chairperson of Karnataka Skill Development Authority, Government of Karnataka, shared her views and vision for the project, “A great push for the data centre industry has poised it to become the fastest growing segment in India, given the rapid rise in data generation and the country’s evolving digital ecosystem. The Experience Centre will ensure that the segment keeps growing and shall address the lack of skilled workforce in this space across India. The vision we hold for the state and eventually for the entire country is to better enable our youth by helping them harness relevant skillsets and raise their employability prospects.”

On the unveiling, Mr Sumit Mukhija, CEO, STT GDC India said, “As a leader in the data centre colocation market, we have always believed in pioneering initiatives that add value to the ecosystem. Skilled manpower has been a persistent challenge faced by the industry that needs to be addressed.  Our Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru is a vital step in that direction. The purpose of this Experience Centre at our Centre of Excellence is to provide a platform for interested candidates to up-skill in alignment with industry requirements complete with practical learning opportunities, thereby enabling them to increase their employability quotient.”

Skill shortage, especially in technology powered industries, is evident in every sector of the economy. To reduce the demand supply gap of entry level skilled workforce in Data Centre Industry, Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and STT GDC India have come together to provide vocational training in this field. This is in alignment with Schneider Electric’s commitment to SDG 8 of decent work and economic workforce and skill India mission of GOI.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Anil Chaudhry, CEO- Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd. & Zone President, Greater India said, “As we move towards a more electric and digital future, it has become critical to ensure that our youth are equipped with the necessary skills, opportunities, and training required, to support this digitised economy. With the launch of the Experience Centre at the STT GDC India Centre of Excellence (CoE), we aim to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of skilled workers in the Data Centre industry as well as contribute towards the socio-economic recovery which our country aspires for. Through this collaboration with STT GDC India, we seek to reach out to every segment of the society with the necessary training and education programmes required for tech empowerment and sustainable livelihood.”

Schneider Electric believes that access to energy and digital is a basic human right. The company has been working towards empowering the people from financially disadvantaged background for inclusive growth through its social commitment-SEIF. The aim of the foundation is to help people change their lives through access to energy. The Schneider Electric India Foundation focuses on education, entrepreneurship, employment, electrification, and emergency.

Raising the bar to upskill industry talent

STT GDC India has formally partnered with Don Bosco Tech Society (DB Tech) and Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), two leading institutes in Bengaluru, and over 50 students have been shortlisted from each institute for the training program combining classroom with experiential learning at the Experience Centre.

Features of the Experience Centre housed within the STT GDC India Centre of Excellence for data centre skill development and its training program include:

·         A total of 11,000 sq. ft. of area housed in the STT Bengaluru DC 3 facility dedicated to training and development provides a live simulation experience which will allow participating students to derive valuable hands-on experience with relevant equipment.  This allows students to gain an in-depth understanding combined with practical knowledge that would put them in good stead to navigate various operational scenarios in their future jobs.

·         A comprehensive curriculum that taps on STT GDC India’s deep industry experience and extensive reach will cover all the key areas relating to data centre operations including mechanical, electrical, electronic and building management systems.  This has been developed by a team from STT GDC India in close collaboration with the faculty of the partnering institutes. 

·         Behavioural and soft skills training will also be embedded in the course content to ensure a holistic learning experience and industry readiness amongst the participating students.

·         STT GDC India has proposed to initiate a mentor-mentee program where STT GDC India and potential partners assigns mentors to small groups of students to guide and coach them through the initial phase of their careers.

·         An accredited Data Centre Professional Certificate will be awarded to students upon successful course completion and qualifying test results. 

·         A defined process and criteria for potential employment placement in data centre providers, potential partners or other adjacent industries will also be established for trained students.

The training can also be leveraged for suitable opportunities in other sectors such as commercial retail spaces, on-premise IT Infrastructure management across enterprises and high-end facilities management.

Commending the initiative, Father George Mathew, Executive Director, DB Tech said, “I am personally monitoring this initiative and plan to take it to the next level and other cities as well. At Don Bosco Tech, we have shortlisted 23 technically qualified students who got selected post a rigorous process and interviews and currently undergoing training at the Don Bosco Tech Facility at Bengaluru. Don Bosco Tech and STT GDC India have formed a committee and the team is working closely in driving this initiative.”

“We are truly grateful to STT GDC India for supporting this initiative and providing the necessary infrastructure and equipment enabling us to empower our youth and allow students to have a live data centre knowledge and experience,” said Mr. B.V. Sudharshan, Dy. MD, Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), Bengaluru.

Both institutes have set up the required processes, roadmap, and evaluation methodology as proposed and documented by STT GDC India. The Experience Centre at the STT GDC India Centre of Excellence will further supplement the institutes’ classroom infrastructure as required, providing valuable practical experience in a simulated data centre environment, given the adverse impact it would have on business continuity.

About ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India)

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India) (STT GDC India), a majority owned subsidiary of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres is a market-leading data centre service provider with the largest data centre footprint in the country. Since 2004, STT GDC India has been managing the country’s largest raised floor area and critical IT load of over 130 MW, with now 18 facilities across eight major cities serving over 1,000 customers, including many Fortune 500 companies. Its mission-critical solutions comprise of best-in-class offerings delivering industry-leading uptime to its customers. STT GDC India now operates three of the country’s largest data centre facilities in Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru. 

Bitex Partners With Onfido For Instant And Secure KYC For Crypto Investors Globally

 

* AI powered automatic facial similarity detection to authenticate customers in real time; prevent fake users from joining Bitex platform

With volatility emerging as a major concern around digital assets like Bitcoins, implementation of strict Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures have gained significance. To provide instant and secure KYC for its exchange and wallet, Cryptocurrency Exchange Bitex has partnered with Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered global identity verification and authentication platform Onfido.

Through the automatic facial similarity detection tool, the exchange will enable instant match of the identity proofs to the selfies submitted by customers to establish their real identity and reduce on boarding from 48 hours to less than 2 minutes. In addition to seamless customer experience during on-boarding, Bitex ensures strict compliance of AML policies by preventing fake users from joining the platform.

Through this partnership, Bitex will also verify identity documents from over 189 countries, making the exchange more accessible to both Indian and global cryptocurrency investors. Bitex provides trading in prominent cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash among others to encourage users to refrain from experimenting in lesser-known digital assets.

Bitex Founder and CEO Monark Modi said, “While technology and digital currencies are changing the way people undertake transactions, the knowledge and awareness levels of cryptocurrency among investors is still low. This increases the chances of people falling prey to scams and frauds. With Onfido’s AI powered solution Bitex enhances KYC and AML compliance on the exchange and wallet to provide a secure platform for users to invest and trade in cryptocurrency.”

Onfido uses AI and Machine Learning (ML) to safeguard cryptocurrency exchange users from hacks, scams and phishing. It identifies high-risk users for Bitex to prevent illegal activities on the exchange or the wallet.

Harvinder Singh GM APAC at Onfido said, “Onfido’s unique Software Development Kit (SDK) provides for glare and blur detection, and gives real-time feedback to help users submit only high-quality pictures for document verification. Further, the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) auto fills data from identity documents and into the sign up form, reducing time taken for on boarding.”

About Bitex

Founded in 2018, Bitex is a digital currency exchange and a professional trading platform. Bitex started its operations in the United Arab Emirates and is now expanding its operations overseas starting with India. With advancements in Blockchain technology and the digital currencies, Bitex recognized the need of a platform that can provide a unique experience for investors.

Bitex is a fully regulated and compliant financial exchange and values customer data and protection to its core. It follows a stringent Anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) policy. Bitex has partnered with Trackwizz for AML Screening solutions. Trackwizz Anti Money Laundering helps financial institutions against money laundering and terrorism funding. It enables some features like transaction monitoring, risk rating, screening and insider trading related operations and is in full compliance with Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) and similar anti money laundering regulations. Some key clientele of Trackwizz are NSE, HDFC Securities, ICICI Securities, Zerodha, Sharekhan and Coronation.

About Onfido

Onfido is setting the new standard for digital access. The company digitally proves a user’s real identity using artificial intelligence (AI), by verifying a photo ID and comparing it to the person’s facial biometrics. This means businesses can verify their users without compromising on experience, conversion, privacy, or security.

Recognised as a global leader in AI for identity verification and authentication, Onfido is backed by TPG Growth, Idinvest Partners, Crane Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures, M12 - Microsoft’s venture fund, and others. Onfido has raised $200m in funding, and with approximately 400 team members across seven countries, is enabling digital access for some of the largest companies around the world.. 

Zoho Corp Completes 25 Years, Plans For The Next 25 And Beyond

* Transnational localism, supporting self-reliant economies, long-term R&D, and building the full tech stack will pave the way forward

Zoho Corporation, the Chennai-headquartered company that was incorporated in 1996, has completed 25 years of being a global technology provider, and has shared the direction in which the company will move over the coming decades. Over the years, the company has diversified, with three brands serving different markets, starting with IoT platform (under WebNMS), enterprise IT management (under ManageEngine) and  cloud platform and applications (under Zoho).

"Zoho has been built on values and convictions. We do not measure our success in numbers, but the impact we have had on our employees, their families, customers, industry, ecosystem and the local communities," said Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Co-Founder, Zoho Corp. "Our purpose has been to create opportunities for those who don't have them, build compelling products for our customers, and serve geographical locations that have not been served before. We want to continue being a catalyst for change, inspiring others and emerging as a top technology leader, all the while serving those whom we impact more broadly and deeply."

Path forward:

1. Transnational localism and self-reliant regional economies: Transnational localism is about being rooted and connected. Zoho's growth will be rooted in closely working with and serving the local communities around the world, while staying connected through shared knowledge and culture. The company will support regional economies become self-reliant through opening offices in rural or non-urban areas, local hiring, partnerships, investments, and adopting the local culture.

2. Knitting a distributed workforce with remote work tools and strong culture: Zoho will follow a hub-and-spoke office model, moving towards a decentralised and globally-distributed workforce. In such a remote and hybrid work model, every business app becomes a collaboration app. The company will, therefore, invest in messaging and A/V technologies. Zoho will also focus on maintaining the company culture, bringing employees together through a sense of shared value and purpose.

3. De-layering the tech stack: Zoho will continue to invest heavily in R&D initiatives with a focus on creating vertically integrated tech stack. In the coming years, Zoho expects the value of tighter vertical, horizontal and contextual integrations to grow. Vertical layers, historically, have been separate with vendors focusing on individual layers. Zoho expects these separated layers to shrink (or de-layered) leading to better efficiencies and customer experience. This can only be achieved through significant R&D efforts, which Zoho will continue to put in.

Plans for India

As part of its efforts on transnational localism, Zoho will open more satellite offices (20-30 seaters) in rural and non-urban areas across India.

Continuing its endeavours on rural revival, the company will undertake infrastructure projects in villages where it has opened offices, and invest in long-term R&D projects aimed at building capabilities and knowhow.

Zoho will further expand and develop its school in Tenkasi to educate local children in their local language and contribute to serving local communities through various initiatives. Similar projects will be undertaken in other rural and non-urban areas.

The company will continue to build and expand its product portfolio across its brands from India to serve the global market.

25 Years of Impact

Ecosystem Impact

"Heartiest congratulations to the entire team of Zoho for completing 25 amazing years of innovation, creating impact, and inspiring the world in India’s leadership in technology. For India to bring a sustainable change across the ecosystem, it needs to build a product mindset. This milestone is a testimony to India’s tech prowess which is not just restricted to services, but we absolutely have what it takes to make a difference in the world of products. NASSCOM is proud of our partnership with Zoho and we wish the entire team a huge success for the future," said Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, India.

Customer Impact

"We have been a Zoho customer for more than 12 years now, and use a variety of their apps. We partially credit Zoho for the success that our business has seen over the past decade; they have been vital to our rags-to-riches journey, helping us with digital transformation. Today, we cannot imagine running our business operations without Zoho. Some of the best things about Zoho are its passion for customers, incredible support and ever-growing features. Zoho did not just transform our business, but has also inspired us to be like them," said Rohit Gadia, Founder and CEO, CapitalVia Global Research Limited.

"Integreon has been associated with ManageEngine for more than 8 years now. During that period, we have seen how much technology has become part of our daily routines. In today’s business environment, strong and reliable tools to manage the technology infrastructure can boost efficiency, leading to increased return on investment. The value added by Integreon’s IT support team using ManageEngine software goes beyond IT operations. It benefits all the business stakeholders, including technicians and end users. That has enabled Integreon to get ahead of the competition," said Sanjeev Jain, Chief Information Officer at Integreon.

Partner Impact

"We partnered with Zoho in 2011 to help our customers set up and optimise their sales processes and other business functions, and fell in love with Zoho’s products. Zoho provides the entire spectrum of horizontal business apps that organizations need to run their business. We started out by building industry-specific applications on Zoho’s platform such as solutions for travel agencies, real estate agencies, developers, training providers, law firms, and professional service companies. Today, with over 700+ customers in 70+ countries and a team of 30, I feel like we’re just getting started. It’s fulfilling to see how our customers are making such fantastic use of this incredible suite of apps. Zoho has been a great partner and a great product engineering company," said Arnab Bandyopadhyay, Founder and CEO, GoldenLion Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd.

"Softcell is proud to have been associated with ManageEngine for almost two decades now. Working closely with ManageEngine, we have successfully helped hundreds of customers overcome challenges and address risks in the area of security, service management, compliance and governance. ManageEngine is one the key growth drivers and pillars for Softcell's technology and consulting business," said Sunil Dalal, Managing Director at Softcell Technologies Global Pvt Ltd.

Zoho Schools of Learning Impact

"Zoho taught me how to learn independently and with fun, while seriously building world-class products. With ever-changing technology, we have to be always on our feet; Zoho gives me that environment and the freedom to achieve it. Before I joined Zoho Schools of Learning, 16 years ago, I had never even touched a computer, and now I am the product manager for one of top-selling products of Zoho without having a degree to my name. Zoho Schools has shown me that path, and my colleagues have encouraged me, and they have never judged me for my age. Mobile, cloud, AI, and many other new technologies have emerged; however, the culture that has brought me here has always persisted," said Saran Babu, Product Manager, Zoho Creator (1st batch of ZSL).

"When I was in Class VIII, I heard the word 'software' from my neighbours who were a software engineer couple. I did not have exposure to computers, but since then I wanted to be a software engineer. I knew I had to complete MCA to be one, but women in my family were homemakers, and did not have jobs. Zoho Schools of Learning came as a life-changing career option. People around me discouraged the idea because I was good at academics and they wanted me to join a college. However, my mother, a superwoman, supported my decision and encouraged me. Eventually, things fell into place. Today, everyone praises my mother for that decision and for showcasing me as a role model for the next generation of women in my family. Not only am I financially stable and independent, but I have also become confident both professionally and personally," said Sandhiya Lakshmipathy, Product Manager, Jambav (1st batch of ZSL).

Employee Impact

"I was brought up in a strict disciplinarian family where freedom was limited. In Zoho, I learned that freedom brings responsibility. I started my career with Zoho 23 years ago as a software engineer, and over the years, I've worked on different products, serving different markets and industries, across different geographies. The freedom and trust provided by Zoho allowed me to learn and experiment on cutting-edge technologies, giving me and my team the confidence to build a real-time collaborative word processor that could compete with giants like Google and Microsoft. Zoho Writer was the first product to have been launched under the Zoho brand, our foray into the SaaS market. Even after 15 years, we continue to innovate and improve Writer, bringing in out-of-the-box document workflows. Zoho has also taught me how empathy can make a difference, and help in delivering value. When you prioritize people, you are bound to be successful in all that you do," said Shyamala Ramesh, Program Manager, Zoho Writer.

"I joined Zoho in 1999, and have now worked at the company for more than half of my life. I am a techie, and finding an opportunity to work in a product company back then was fortuitous. There are several products where the code I wrote for the first version is still in use 20 years on. This is my life's work. Over the years, I've done product development, design reviews, database scaling, handled customer escalations, analysed industry and market trends, decided product roadmap, reviewed technical documentation and webpages, interacted with customers, and even acted as a spokesperson. At no point have I been pigeonholed into a role. I've had the freedom to change teams and choose challenging problems to work on. The flexibility and opportunity to reinvent myself multiple times is something that only a company with a culture like Zoho could have offered," said Rajalakshmi Srinivasan, Director, Product Management, Zoho.

About Zoho

With 50+ apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting and back office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho Corporation is one of the world's most prolific software companies. ManageEngine is the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation. Established and emerging enterprises-including 9 of every 10 Fortune 100 organizations-rely on ManageEngine's real-time IT management tools to ensure optimal performance of their IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, applications, desktops and more.

Zoho is privately held and profitable with more than 9,000 employees. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with international headquarters in Chennai, India. Additional offices are in the United States, India, Japan, China, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates. Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. More than 60 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho every day to run their businesses, including Zoho itself.

SEBI Approves @Paytm UPI Handle; Paytm Payments Bank Now Enables Fast & Seamless Applications For IPO

 - @Paytm UPI handle now allowed users for IPOs powered by Paytm Payments Bank superior technology

- PPBL registers the lowest technical decline rate of 0.02% as compared to all UPI remitter banks & 0.04% as compared to all UPI beneficiary banks, as per the NPCI report

- Benefits millions of Paytm UPI handle users to invest in capital markets across any stockbroker

- Aims to encourage digital users to apply for IPO and build a strong wealth portfolio

India's homegrown Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) announced that it's @Paytm UPI handle has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to enable fast and seamless payment mandates for IPO application. This move benefits millions of users to invest in capital markets through various brokerage platforms using their @Paytm UPI handle. PPBL is the largest UPI beneficiary bank and has one of the best technology infrastructures for processing UPI transactions. As per the latest NPCI report, it registers the lowest technical decline rate of 0.02% as compared to all UPI remitter banks & 0.04% as compared to all UPI beneficiary banks.

Paytm Payments Bank has also entered into a partnership with Paytm Money to enable payment mandates for IPO applications. Paytm Money is India's growth enabler for wealth products and is on a mission to bring 10 million Indians to equity markets by FY'22. The platform's stockbroking offering is helping to bring in more active direct equity investors in an underpenetrated segment. It aims to open over 3.5 lakh demat accounts by year-end and expects 60% of users to be from small cities. It is focused on wealth creation with investments in Initial Public Offers (IPOs) and has made the process of IPO application completely digital & simple.

Besides Paytm Money, @paytm UPI will soon be activated across all brokerage platforms. The ease of making payments seamlessly in a secure manner will help in promoting IPOs as a wealth product and encouraging more new users to begin their journey in building a healthy portfolio.

Satish Gupta, MD & CEO - Paytm Payments Bank Ltd said, “It has been our constant endeavour to weave the convenience of seamless digital payments to all aspects of the lives of our users. By enabling @paytm UPI to apply for IPO we are giving millions of investors the ease of seamless, secure, and rapid payments to help enhance their financial portfolio. We believe that every Indian has a right to access capital markets and benefit from the burgeoning list of successful companies which are listing in the stock market. This presents a big opportunity and we intend to make the process more accessible to our fellow citizens. This is aligned with our mission to drive financial inclusion across the country.”

By investing in IPOs investors get an edge as they are part of the company's business journey right from the start, therefore as the business grows so does the investor's wealth. Based on this year’s IPO data, it can be conveniently said that India represents a huge appetite for IPOs. From FY 2021, the country’s stock exchanges (both NSE and BSE combined) witnessed around 24 IPOs and raised proceeds worth Rs.48,493 crores in total from the capital markets. Some of the most successful IPOs of FY 2021 were Burger King, Happiest Minds, Indigo Paints, and Mrs Bectors Food Specialities which had over 100% listing day gains. Within these, Burger King and Happiest Minds were oversubscribed by 156.65 times and 150.98 times and have delivered a listing day return of 130.67% and 123.49% respectively as per NSE’s data. The IPO market is expecting to have many big names come to the retail market for new offers like Zomato, LIC, Kalyan Jewellers and many more. 

The Circular Economy Can Help Reduce Vehicle Lifetime Emissions By Upto 75% By 2030: Accenture And World Economic Forum

* The automotive industry must take swift action now to decarbonize and prepare for increased mobility demands

The adoption of circular economy practices combined with accelerated electrification in the automotive industry has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 75% and non-circular resource consumption by up to 80% per mile by 2030, according to a report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN), the World Economic Forum, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The report, “Raising Ambitions: A new roadmap for the automotive circular economy,” is based on an Accenture analysis that finds mobility demand — in terms of both passenger miles and predicted vehicle stock — is expected to increase 70% globally by 2030. The automotive industry can prepare for this demand, while also decarbonizing to contribute to limiting global warming to less than 1.5°C, by achieving circularity through the lens of energy, water, waste, materials, vehicle lifetime and use.

“Circular cars will be a key building block to serve the growing mobility demand, while at the same time reducing resource consumption and carbon emissions to a level that is truly sustainable,” said Axel Schmidt, a senior managing director at Accenture who leads its Automotive industry group globally. “While many vehicle manufacturers have already set net-zero goals toward carbon neutrality, the roadmap for automotive circularity must be a core element of this transformation and ambition.”

According to the report, circularity in the automotive ecosystem can be accomplished through four key transformation pathways:

Achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the whole vehicle lifecycle (e.g., low-carbon materials and assembly, integration with energy grid.).

Enable resource recovery and close material loops (e.g., end-of-life disassembly and reverse logistics, electric vehicle battery recycling).

Increase the lifetime of the vehicle and its components (e.g., subscription-based ownership, re-use and remanufacturing at scale).

Ensure efficient vehicle use over time and occupancy (e.g., vehicle/mobility on demand).

“The circular car is now on its way to becoming a core component of the automotive future,” said Christoph Wolff, global head of mobility and member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum. “Companies across the industry must consider how technology and business levers can maximize the resource value of the car, minimize life-cycle emissions and unlock new opportunities along the value chain.”

The primary barriers to circularity in the automotive industry are related to customers and use patterns, business models, production methods and technology, and regulatory hurdles. The report outlines key recommendations to overcome challenges along the automotive value chain:

Agree on a common framework for guiding and measuring progress.

Realign the profit motive for the automotive ecosystem away from selling products toward selling mobility and other services.

Create data standards, reporting frameworks and transparency measures that foster circularity in vehicle design development, life-cycle management and end-of-life processing.

Start piloting radical solutions now and target to leapfrog existing product development cycles.

Secure policy support for systemic transformation.

The report is the result of Accenture’s work with the World Economic Forum Circular Cars Initiative (CCI), which consists of 40-plus member companies and organizations from the automotive value chain, jointly laying out a systemic approach to automotive sustainability and circularity. The goal of the initiative is to foster collaboration and kick-start a system transformation toward a circular economy.

“The automotive industry along with the mobility sector will have to profoundly change if it is to provide for the forecasted 2.5x fold increase in road transport demand by 2050 at net-zero carbon emissions”, said Thomas Deloison, director of mobility, World Business Council for Sustainable Development. “We believe that the Circular Cars Initiative will help to find the collaborative pathways to accelerate this transformation.”

For more information and to view a copy of the report, please visit: accenture.com/AutoWEFreport.

About the Research

The World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development formed the Circular Cars Initiative (CCI), which takes a systemic approach to accelerate the transformation to automotive sustainability. It looks at how technology and business levers can maximize the resource value of the car, minimize life-cycle emissions and unlock new opportunities. Within the CCI, 40 companies from the automotive value chain, several research institutes, international organizations, governmental bodies and think tanks are charting the course toward a zero-emission future through new technology, materials innovation, efficient vehicle usage and full life-cycle management. The CCI represents the first organized industry effort to systematically address the opportunities and challenges of circularity, with an eye toward fundamentally remaking automotive value chains and business models.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 514,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. 

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Upstox Joins IPL As The Official Partner From April 9, 2021

The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) today announced Upstox, one of India’s leading and fastest-growing digital brokerage firms, as an official partner for IPL, which will begin on April 9th, 2021. This will be a multi-year partnership.

Founded with the vision of making financial investing easy, equitable, and affordable to all Indian investors, Upstox provides online investments in Stocks, Mutual funds, Digital Gold, Derivatives, and ETFs for both investors and traders. Backed by marquee investors such as Tiger Global, Upstox currently has over 2.8 million customers.

Mr Brijesh Patel, Chairman, IPL, said  "We are pleased to have Upstox on board as an official partner of the Indian Premier League 2021. As one of the most-watched cricket leagues in India, IPL along with Upstox, one of India’s fastest-growing digital-trading platforms, can create a huge impact on the audience, especially the millions of Indian youth who are financially independent and looking for more options to manage their portfolios."

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Ravi Kumar, Co-founder & CEO, Upstox said "We are thrilled to partner with BCCI for IPL 2021. In India, Cricket is more than just a sport. It is an important part of our culture and social life, with a huge fan-following, especially by the millennials. IPL has paved a bold new direction to Indian cricket in the last decade just like Upstox, which is revolutionizing finance in India. This is what sparks a natural connection between both the brands. With this integration of sports and finance, we intend to spread financial awareness across the country."

For the first time in the history of IPL, a brand in the Stock and Mutual Fund sector would be partnering at large to create awareness about this category.

About Upstox: 

Upstox was founded with the vision of making financial investing easy, equitable, and accessible to all Indian investors. It offers online investments in Stocks, Derivatives, Commodities, Currencies, Mutual Funds, and ETFs for investors and traders. It has also ensured full transparency in pricing by offering zero brokerage* on Equity Delivery trades and up to Rs. 20 per order* for Intraday, F&O, Commodities, and Currencies..

Snap Inc. Rolls Out Its New Entertainment Platform For User-Generated Content - Spotlight In India

Snap Inc. today announced Spotlight, its new entertainment platform for user-generated content within Snapchat that saw over 100M users in January, is now live in India. Spotlight surfaces the most entertaining Snaps from the Snapchat community all in one place and will become tailored to each Snapchatter over time based on their preferences and favorites.

Snapchatters are some of the most expressive and creative mobile storytellers in the world and Spotlight gives them an opportunity to share their creations broadly. With over 5 billion Snaps created each day, Spotlight empowers the Snapchat community to express themselves and reach a large audience in a new way.

Spotlight was designed to entertain the Snapchat community while living up to Snap’s values, with their wellbeing as a top priority. Spotlight content is moderated and doesn’t allow for public comments. Snaps submitted to Spotlight must respect Snap's content guidelines to receive distribution.

Snap’s $1m a day program will also be available in India, celebrating and rewarding the creativity of local Indian Snapchatters and offering a chance for creators to earn a share of a $1M USD daily fund. Snapchatters must be 16 or older, and where applicable, obtain parental consent to earn. Check out details in our Terms.

Spotlight is now available in India, Mexico, and Brazil, having launched in 11 countries previously (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France).

About Snap Inc.

Snap Inc. is a camera company. We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.