MAHE, India McGill University, And Mayo Clinic Come Together For Virtual International Symposium On Tuberculosis

Manipal McGill Program for Infectious Diseases, a joint collaborative of  Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India, and McGill University, Canada, Department of Infectious Diseases of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and Mayo Clinic Center for Tuberculosis, USA  who share the common vision of improving care of TB worldwide, have come together to hold this Virtual International Symposium on Tuberculosis.

‘The Clock is Ticking’ is the theme for this year’s World Tuberculosis Day, which is observed on 24th March every year, commemorating the historic Day, when Robert Koch, the Nobel Laureate announced in 1882 the discovery of tubercle bacillus. World Tuberculosis Day to raise awareness regarding Tuberculosis and bring various stakeholders together to act cohesively towards the goal of TB elimination. The theme of World TB Day 2021 - ‘The Clock is Ticking’ –conveys the sense that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.

In the Virtual International Symposium, around 500 participants from across the globe are expected to take part. International TB experts Dr Madhukar Pai and Dr Dick Menzies from McGill University, Dr Zelalem Temesgen from Mayo Clinic Center for Tuberculosis, Dr Guy Thwaites from Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Vietnam, Dr Claudia Denkinger from Heidelberg University Germany, Dr Mahadev Rao and Dr Kavitha Saravu from Manipal Academy of Higher Education will be deliberating on burning topics in Tuberculosis. The topics selected will have direct impact on diagnosis and management of patients with tuberculosis such as advanced molecular diagnosis, precision therapy in tuberculosis, treatment of Latent TB infection, multidrug resistant tuberculosis, and improving patient outcomes in tuberculous meningitis. The Vice Chancellor Lt Gen Dr Venkatesh will inaugurate the Symposim and Dr P L N G Rao will be the guest on honor.

ITC Signs MoU With Karnataka Government For Watershed Development Covering 1 Million Acres

* Scales up PPP model to ensure water security for stakeholders

ITC Limited, one of India’s leading multi-business conglomerates and a global exemplar in sustainability, has entered into a partnership with the Government of Karnataka to execute a Watershed Development Programme, covering over 1 million acres and 100 watersheds in across the state. 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ITC’s Social Investments programme, Mission Sunehra Kal,and the Karnataka Watershed Development Department on 5th March, 2021 will be in effect for three years. The agreement is part of the state government’s “Watershed Development for Drought Proofing” programme which aims at covering 1.16-million acres of watershed area in 29 districts.

Focusing on capacity enhancement of government officials involved in the project, ITC will create a consortium of experts to train the team to apply the Company’s drought proofing framework for planning, implementation and monitoring of the programme. While ITC will contribute towards meeting the cost of experts, training, capacity building and value addition for drought proofing, the government will bear the cost of the drought proofing activities. A project management committee, with the Commissioner of the Watershed Development Department as Chairperson and ITC as Convenor, will oversee the functioning of the project. 

This recent MOU is a part of ITC’s Sustainability 2.0 agenda which encompasses forging meaningful public-private-people partnerships that synergise individual sector expertise to amplify impact and reach. ITC’s Sustainability 2.0 initiatives also aim at building climate resilience of farmers by ensuring water security. ITC’s largescale Water Stewardship initiativeaims at ensuring water security in the country through a combination of demand-side and supply-side interventions. Its Integrated Watershed Development initiative cumulatively covers over 1.1 million acres in 37 districts in 14 states. Nearly 20,400 rainwater harvesting structures have created potential freshwater storage of 3.68 million kilolitres, which is over 3 times the net water consumed by ITC’s operations. To enable rapid scaling up of its programmes, ITC has also entered into 44 Public-private-people partnerships in watershed development with various governments and NABARD. ITC’s interventions to promote water use efficiency in agriculture has led to water savings of 20% to 45% in crops like wheat, rice, sugarcane and banana in a short period of time. 

Karnataka is a pioneer state in watershed development in India.  The Govt of    Karnataka launched the programme “Watershed development for Drought Proofing” in 100 drought-hit and low groundwater taluks by covering an area of 1.16 million acres in the state using Land Resource Inventory (LRI) and it's precision farming recommendations. 

Dr. Venkatesh M.V, Commissioner, Watershed Development Department, Government of Karnataka stated – “ITC Ltd through its CSR Programmes is implementing Watershed development programmes in many parts of the country in general and Karnataka in particular. We felt that they can add value to the programme, so partnered with ITC Ltd who will do trainings on drought-proofing & support for the programme Implementation. This would be a unique Public-private partnership in the state for watershed development”.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr Ashesh Ambasta, Executive Vice President & Head Social Investments, ITC Limited said: “For years, ITC has been at the forefront of water stewardship programmes in India and our efforts have been focussed on scaling up integrated watershed development projects across different states. Our initiatives are aligned with Government missions like Jal Shakti Abhiyan and More Crop Per Drop. It is a matter of immense satisfaction to be able to partner the State Government of Karnataka. We are delighted to be able to support the Government in its laudable endeavour to tackle water stress.”

NITCO Unveils Tile Slabs In 8x4 Feet - Made In Italy For Indian Market

* The NITCO Made in Italy Collection is one of its kind, available in large sizes of 8x4 ft, and the only tiles in India suitable for heavy duty areas like shopping malls, airports etc . 

NITCO Ltd, India’s trendsetter brand, unveiled its wide range of Made In Italy tiles that are environment friendly. Globally certified as COVID-19 sanitisation resistant, these tiles have the highest durability and unique Italian designs that captivate all the senses. The collection boasts of a range in all sizes from small, medium to extra large, (2x1 ft, 2x2 ft, 2x4 ft to 8x4 ft) covering all popular colour ranges from Marble, Stone, Cement and the Nuevo Italian Look, a modern mix typology. 

To top it all, the new range of large format tiles comes with the best in class latest technology, in 6mm thickness (8x4 ft), along with the highest strength and durability in the industry, higher than any existing tile. This combination of full body unglazed tiles, made with only natural clay and usage for heavy duty areas like shopping malls, airports etc. is the only-one-in-India feature.

The 3 new XL designs in the Made In Italy Collection are available in interesting colors like Azul (Blue), and Black & White Graphite. This collection allows customers to experiment with bold shades both in residential and in public projects.

Italian precision technology makes these tiles technically superior and the right choice for usage across all application areas such as outdoors, commercial areas, and residential, for both wall and floor applications.

The Mumbai-based company had previously launched its first set of Made In Italy tiles - Aeon, Earth and Nordic. 

Vivek Talwar, MD, NITCO, said, “We are happy to launch our new collection of Made In Italy tiles. These tiles are available in a variety of sizes, with 8x4 ft being the largest. These are not just COVID sanitisation resistant but also uplift the aesthetics of any space. We are confident our customers will love this collection that boasts of the unmatched Italian excellence. 

The Made In Italy tiles collection can be explored on www.nitco.in.

About NITCO

Nitco Limited (NSE: NITCO, BSE: 532722), established in 1953 by Late Mr. Pran Nath Talwar, is India's prominent floor and wall solutions company. NITCO, one of the most widely recognised brands, is the only company in the world with presence in all three surfaces: namely, tiles, marble, and mosaic, with a comprehensive product range in each category. The prime mission of the Company is to always offer cutting-edge designs and products that are the choice of discerning architects and consumers. The Company differentiates itself by being a creative surface partner to its clients, by suggesting the most appropriate functional designs and product solutions that match specific applications. The Company also prides itself as the provider of the best natural marble slabs in the industry, with unique capabilities for processing natural marble to optimise form factor and costs. Headquartered in Mumbai, NITCO's pan-India presence is facilitated through display centres, franchisees, and a retail network spread across the country. NITCO enjoys a sizeable client base overseas and exports to over 40 countries.

Evade From Last Minute Bustle With These Quick Tips To Save Tax

We just have few days left in the current financial year and it is the time when we should get ourselves free from the daily chores to determine our tax liability. It is the time ask ourselves a question, have we done enough to optimize our tax outgo and maximize our tax savings? Believe it or not, most of us find out that there is still some effort left for the tax outgo optimization which calls for those last-minute investments. Tax optimization not only saves money in the present but also, with the right choice of investment instrument, leverage your efforts for building wealth for a financially secure future.

We generally tend to adjourn the steps required to take advantage under income tax to the last minute in spite of being conscious about the deadline which is March 31 every year. We are well aware of the fact that financial year (2020- 2021) has been difficult for us due to the COVID 19 Pandemic and its consequent lockdown. The lack of awareness about the plenty of practices which can save us from paying income tax at the last minute, results in the common mistakes by the taxpayers and being penitent about it.

For being sure that you make maximum savings on your income this tax season, stick to these last-minute tax-saving tips by Neil Karia, Chief Financial Officer Aviva Life Insurance:

Tax Rules

Before starting with the filing process, it is advisable to go through the tax regulations for the assessment year. There can be changes and new amendments which are pre-requisites for correct computation of right tax liability. The returns will depend upon the slabs under which the returns have been filed.

Identify the right Tax Filing form

There are seven ITR filing forms introduced by the I-T department. Therefore, it is key for one to know which form is to be used for the filing process. While it can be easily demarcated on the portal, however, it is essential to know about the different forms and its respective categories to ensure the filing procedure is accurate. Also, it enhances an individual’s know-how about the financial processes of the nation.

Keep Yourself and Your Family Secure with Proper Insurance Cover

Apart from personal expense, there are other investment options like ULIPs and conventional insurance plans to save tax. If you want to enjoy dual benefits of life insurance and market linked wealth accumulation, ULIP is the product for you. This kind of plan give you the option to invest in both equity and debt markets. As a consequence, they deliver better returns than other tax saver products. Simultaneously, the importance of selecting the right insurance policy cannot be ignored as they are intended to provide the proper risk cover. You can also choose health insurance which is another crucial investment. These plans provide you financial protection at the time of hospitalization and in addition to this it enables you to save tax under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act which allows you a deduction of up to Rs 25,000 for premiums paid and Rs 50,000 to people above the age of 60 years.

Save Tax, Invest Online, Release Worries and Utilize Section 80C

The Section 80C of the Income Tax Act not just allows you to save tax but also ensures that you are actively planning for your financial goals. It does this by offering a wide range of available financial instruments and by investing in the right instruments you can get tax deductions of up to Rs 1.5 lakh and make investments of the total amount. You have the option to choose for investments in Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Saving Certificate (NSC), Bank Fixed Deposits (FD), Life Insurance plans etc. You should opt for online investing as it ensures efficiency, seamless procedure and avoids any last-minute panic.

Apart from Section 80C and 80D, There Are Other Sections to Invest In

Don’t limit your investments to Sections 80C and 80D. There is a plethora of other relatively less popular investment options which let you save on your income tax. If you invest under National Pension Scheme it will give you extra benefit of Rs. 50,000. Moreover, your employer can contribute up to 10% of the basic salary and you can enjoy deduction for this contribution. These deductions are over and above 80C, 80CCC and 80D deductions. It has become very essential to plan for post-retirement during the active working times due to the increase in life expectancy. Tax deductions benefit of up to Rs. 10,000 is allowed under section 80TTA on interests on your savings bank account.

Claim Leave Travel Concession Without Travelling

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic we were forced to cancel our travel plans and were locked down at our places and for claiming Leave Travel Concession (LTC), one is required to travel within India. Government has come out with a scheme as a solution for this. Now a person can spend 3 times of his/her LTC eligibility on goods and services where GST rate of 12% or more is applicable. All the eligible spends between Oct 12, 2020 to March 31, 2021 will qualify for this benefit. One need to ensure to pay for goods and services using digital means like credit card, cheque etc. Spend using cash or where GST rate is less than 12 percent won’t qualify. This benefit is available to Govt as well as private sector employees. New Insurance policies taken during above period will also qualify for the benefit.

Donation to Charity

Section 80G lets you avail the benefit of saving money that is donated to a certified charity. This shall be validated only when the certificate from the charity organisation is kept responsibly as a proof.

E-Filing is Easy Filing

Salaried employees can visit the Income Tax Department website to file their returns which has increased the magnitude of ease. If the filers are short of time or have any difficulty in filing returns, they can also seek help from financial consultants/advisors. Moreover, the new system by IT department has now enabled quicker refunds.

Some of the key documents to keep in mind for ITR filing

·         PAN card: individual’s professional identity

·         Aadhaar card

·         Form 16 from the employer/ employers in case of shifts in employer

·         Use Form 26AS

·         Proofs/ details of assets if case of income exceeding INR 50 lakh

·         Bank statements

·         Investment Proofs

Steer clear of Misrepresentation of Facts

It is essential to avoid misinterpretation of facts and procedures. Wrong facts, without any doubt, lead to a faulty computation of tax liability. It is important to be honest, and careful, especially to know that the data will be shared with the Government of India. One should try to be safe from tax saving tips/investment options set by unscrupulous/unauthorised wealth managers.

Income Tax Filing starts with such small steps and is crucial in making one financially responsible. With making the right decisions it also builds up one to know more about investment options.

Amazon Sale 2021: Crossloop Announces Special Offers On Crossloop Products This Holi Festival

Crossloop, India's designer audio brand offering exclusive range of designer earphones, speakers & charging cables, has announced special offers and massive discounts on Crossloop Gen TWS, Pro Series Earphones and Akorn and Volar speakers from 26th to 28th March 2021.

Focusing on the buying sentiment of consumers during the Holi sale, Crossloop is offering 30% discount on their flagship Crossloop Gen (TWS) which will now be available at a price of Rs 1,699 on Amazon in a limited period deal. Customers buying on Amazon will be able to purchase Crossloop Pro Series braided tangle free designer earphone at a price of Rs 499 earlier available for Rs. 549.

Also, Crossloop’s Volar and Akorn speakers will be available on Amazon at just Rs 799 and Rs 699 respectively in comparison to its earlier price of Rs 899 and 799.

Link - https://crossloop.co.in/pages/crossloop-all-products

Crossloop aims to bring the convergence of latest technology and chic design for its uber stylish consumers. The startup ensures affordability and performance on the high-end technology that it brings to the masses with its present and future offerings.

Tier II Pushing Up Online Western Womenswear Sales – Uptrend Healthy, Says Madame

Madame, India’s leading women’s western wear fashion brand for apparel, handbags, footwear, and accessories, has witnessed a significant growth in their online sales during the pandemic period of 2020. The online sales jumped from 2% of overall sales to nearly 10% with a continuing upward trend majorly contributed to by growth in Tier II and Tier III cities. Cities like Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Mohali, Noida, Jammu and Shimla were the high growth cities for the brand. Madame has been striving to continuously inspire young women to express their individuality and spirit through accessible fashion. In the recent past, the fashion brand launched the well-received Wonder Woman inspired collection in collaboration with Warner Bros coinciding with the launch of the movie featuring Gal Gadot in the lead role. 

With the revamp and modifications implemented to their exclusive online platform – www.glamly.com, Madame continues to provide personalized customer experience and is expecting a three-fold growth through online sales by 2025. The brand has also reinforced the need to strengthen the supply chain management with faster product delivery for international clients. In the future, a major share of the company’s overall revenues will be attributed to online sales only.

Commenting on the growth in sales, Shalvi Govil, Head -eCommerce, Madame said, “Online shopping emerged as a most sought-after shopping mode for many consumers owing to the pandemic. We at Madame had created a robust digital market penetration strategy and expanded our reach to multiple pin codes after a detailed research of our consumers. We realized that the demand for our brand was high, and if we delivered effectively, we could gain market share quickly. There is an enormous latent demand in Tier II and Tier III cities where women have the same aspirations as from the bigger cities, and Madame helps them express themselves uniquely through fashion”. Currently, buyers on Madame’s exclusive online shopping website, www.glamly.com, get their purchased merchandise within two days of purchase. Other online platforms which contribute to Madame’s online sales are Myntra, Amazon and Ajio. The brand is also available in 500+ retail outlets across India.

Sumedha Jain, Director – Marketing & Communications said, “Madame is known for its stylish and comfortable clothing which getting wonderfully captured visually on the website and relates very well with the brand ethos. With a no-compromise policy, our website is designed to provide quality content that showcases the latest trends. Some product images also display elements of relaxation and fun which helps the customer to connect with the brand online too. Apart from our seasonal collection, image capsules have also been showcased on the website that models some of our exclusive collections like the Wonder Woman and Valentine’s themes. We expect our online sales to contribute upto 15% of overall sales by the end of this year”. 

Madame is also intensifying its market penetration through offline stores as well to have an integrated multi-platform approach combining online and offline sales points. 

About Madame

Madame, a women’s fashion brand of western wear was launched in 1993. It caters to a wide range of apparel, handbags, footwear, and accessories for women. The brand provides fast fashion in-trend merchandise, casual wear, and party wear. In-Line with its global image, currently, Madame has 150+ exclusive stores in metros, Tier I & Tier-II cities. Ever since the start of its first store in 2002, the brand has briskly grown across India the brand is available in over 500+ retail outlets across the country. The brand is vended through online markets including Myntra, Ajio, Flipkart and Amazon, and its own online store, Glamly.com. 

Eliminate Hesitations: Security Simplified For Building In The Cloud

* Trend Micro is one of the first security SaaS providers to offer flexible platform of cloud security services under single listing in AWS Marketplace, enabling self-service protection 

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a leader in cloud security, today announced the AWS Marketplace debut of its answer to the needs of organizations building in the cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS). A comprehensive platform, referred to as Trend Micro Cloud One, designed to protect across leading cloud-based environments with services designed for applications, network, workloads, file storage, containers and cloud security posture management.  

“We applaud Trend Micro for building security services suited for buyers who innovate on AWS and participate in the shared responsibility model,” said Kamlesh Talreja, General Manager, AWS Marketplace, AWS. “AWS Marketplace is the first cloud marketplace to offer Trend Micro Cloud One, enabling developers to access the flexible pricing, customizable contracts, and rapid deployment they need.” 

According to Gartner, “Enterprises are increasingly implementing hybrid data center architectures, with workloads spanning on-premises and public cloud IaaS providers and, increasingly, container-based implementations leveraging serverless functions. However, elastic, cloud-native-style applications have unique security requirements that are quite different from end-user-facing systems. To securely embrace the opportunities of public cloud and to support the speed and dynamism of cloud environments, workload protection solutions designed to meet these requirements should be used.” 

Many companies today have at least some presence in the cloud, including moving towards containers and serverless deployments.  

“AWS and Trend Micro got this seamless integration right. We can now focus on innovating while having confidence that Cloud One’s security is provisioned automatically with an audit trail for each instance of malware and vulnerability detection and integrity monitoring. Cloud One gives us the breadth and depth of services and the flexibility to switch on the functionality we need, when we need it,” said MJ DiBerardino, CEO, Cloudnexa. 

Trend Micro mirrors the self-service, pay-as-you-go procurement model offered by AWS. This simplifies everything related to cloud builds from volume negotiation to API integrations. Customers have the investment benefit of security flexibility as application designs evolve over time with the assurance not to overburden the organization’s security teams. 

“AWS Marketplace makes it easy for users to get the right tools for the job at hand. This new listing allows users to easily get the security tools they need for the applications they are building in the cloud,” said Trend Micro COO, Kevin Simzer. “Regardless of an organization’s structure or existing cloud footprint, our cloud services simplify the protection of everything being built in the cloud, while ensuring necessary regulatory compliance.”  

Future-proofing a business investment is a key decision that will benefit security teams, developers and procurement teams alike. As digital transformation continues, this procurement motion provides the flexibility to use as much of each service as needed, whenever it is needed, without managing multiple subscriptions. This is the true platform procurement experience. 

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.