AMS-IX, Sify To Open Four New Internet Exchanges In Indian Market

AMS-IX, the world leading Internet Exchange, and Sify (NASDAQ: SIFY), India’s most comprehensive ICT service & solution provider, today announced the expansion of their footprint of internet exchanges in India. The new interconnection hubs are going to be situated in Kolkata, Noida, Hyderabad and Chennai. 

With close to half the population that is internet savy, India is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for digital consumers and businesses in the world. AMS-IX and Sify are commited to enhancing the quality of the Internet in India by increasing connectivity through public peering. The partnership between AMS-IX and Sify started with the launch of a neutral and independent Internet Exchange in Mumbai. By expanding to the digital hotspots of Kolkata, Noida, Hyderabad and Chennai,  Sify and AMS-IX seek to enhance the quality of network interconnections in these regions as well.

Peter van Burgel, CEO, AMS-IX said, “Last couple of years we saw tremendous growth in India with traffic nearly doubling in a year time. By expanding to four new locations AMS-IX and Sify Technologies are delivering on their promise to bring high quality and value-for-money connectivity to the region.”

Harsha Ram, Head – Network Business, Sify, said, “With this partnership with AMS-IX, Sify seeks to give content, application and service providers wider options to interconnect with each others across the metros of the India thereby optimizing latency and cost and significantly improving user experience.

The new Internet Exchanges in Kolkata (AMS-IX Kolkata), Hyderabad (AMS-IX Hyderabad), Noida (AMS-IX Noida) and Chennai (AMS-IX Chennai) are expected to start operations in 2021. In addition, AMS-IX India will be rebranded as AMS-IX Mumbai with the existing Sify Airoli DC as the new node.

All exchanges will be built using the AMS-IX (IX-as-a-service) solution that allows partners to rapidly set up and run Internet Exchanges. Customers will be able to connect and exchange traffic via dedicated ports with speeds of 1, 10 or 100 Gbps, which allows them to reduce latency and save costs.

About Sify Technologies

A Fortune 500 India company, Sify Technologies is India’s most comprehensive ICT service & solution provider. With Cloud at the core of our solutions portfolio, Sify is focussed on the changing ICT requirements of the emerging Digital economy and the resultant demands from large, mid and small-sized businesses. 

Sify’s infrastructure comprising the largest MPLS network, 10 top-of-the-line DCs, partnership with global technology majors, vast expertise in business transformation solutions modelled on the cloud make it the first choice of start-ups, incoming Enterprises and even large Enterprises on the verge of a revamp.

More than 10000 businesses across multiple verticals have taken advantage of our unassailable trinity of Data Centers, Networks and Security services and conduct their business seamlessly from more than 1600 cities in India. Internationally, Sify has presence across North America, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Sify, www.sify.com, Sify Technologies and www.sifytechnologies.com are registered trademarks of Sify Technologies Limited.

About AMS-IX

AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange) is a neutral member-based association that operates multiple interconnection platforms around the world. Our leading platform in Amsterdam has been playing a crucial role at the core of the internet for more than 25 years and is one of the largest hubs for internet traffic in the world with over 9 Terabits per second (Tbps) of peak traffic. Connecting to AMS-IX ensures customers such as internet service providers, telecom companies and cloud providers that their global IP traffic is routed in an efficient, fast, secure, stable and cost-effective way. This allows them to offer low latency and engaging online experiences for end-users. AMS-IX interconnects more than 1000 IP-networks in the world. AMS-IX also manages the world’s first mobile peering points: the Global Roaming Exchange (GRX), the Mobile Data Exchange (MDX) and the Internetwork Packet Exchange (I-IPX) interconnection points. 

Eatfit Signs Cricketing Star Devdutt Padikkal As Brand Ambassador

Eatfit, one of India’s largest healthy food platforms, today announced Cricketer Mr. Devdutt Padikkal, as its brand ambassador. This strategic association with the cricketing star will be for four years. 

Devdutt Padikkal is the new cricketing kid on the block — a left-hand batsman, who oozes passion and confidence. He started playing the sport at the age of 11 and slowly climbed up the ranks to carve a niche for himself. Starting from 2014, he has represented Karnataka state in under-16 and under-19 and India in the under-19 tournaments. He has recently risen to fame due to his continued success playing with the Bangalore team in India’s most loved cricket tournament.

Sharing his thoughts on the association, Ankit Nagori, Co-Founder EatFit, said: “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome Devdutt Padikkal to the Eatfit family. This collaboration will foster and strengthen the brand as well as chart new growth trajectories for Eatfit. Mr. Padikkal’s unwavering commitment, youthful exuberance and passion for the game will certainly establish a connect with our target audience. His aura is in perfect line with the brand identity we are trying to carve for Eatfit and we hope that our customers resonate with this collaboration. We are excited to work on some fun campaigns with him.”

Speaking about the brand association Devdutt Padikkal said: “I am thankful to Eatfit for getting me on board as their brand ambassador. I admire their passion and commitment to transforming the healthy food landscape in India. Their constant efforts to make healthy food cool and delicious at the same time is something that connects with me. I am proud to be associated with one of India’s most trusted and dependable food platforms and cannot wait to be a part of their future campaigns.”

The partnership between Eatfit and Padikkal will be managed by the latter's management agency, Flipside Sport. Padikkal will represent the brand in all marketing campaigns for the next four years as the company aims to expand to 10 more cities in that timeframe.

About Eatfit

Eatfit is one of India’s largest healthy food platforms. The company serves a wide range of bold food options while retaining the honest, clean, and healthy aspect that Eatfit has been known for since 2017. The company currently operates 15 outlets. Headed by Ankit Nagori, co-founder of Curefit, Eatfit aims to expand the reach and acceptance of healthy food across the nation. At its core, the company is all about making healthy food fun, delicious and honestly Indian.

In 2020, Eatfit was hived off as a separate entity from Curefit. Since then, it has been operating independently to capitalise on India’s growing cloud kitchen segment.  

Eye Care Tips For Holi Festival Amid COVID19 Pandemic Across India

By Dr. Seshachalam Nitin, MBBS, MS, Cataract & Lasik Surgeon, MaxiVision Super Speciality Eye Hospitals, Hyderabad

Holi- the festival of colours is almost upon us. Like last year, the cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic hangs over the festival this year too. Though the vaccination programme has commenced; it will take some time before a large section of our population is vaccinated.

Considering this, and the recent surge in the number of positive cases, we all have to keep our guard up and prevent spread of the dreaded virus by following social distancing norms and maintaining high levels of personal and public hygiene. In my opinion, it would be best to avoid playing Holi this year or just playing it indoors amongst the family members. However for those who still do go out and play, it is important to do so safely by avoiding large gatherings, wearing masks at all times and frequent sanitization to avoid any bitter experiences.

Though the festival of Holi has been enjoyed by people of all ages from time immemorial, gone are the days when only flowers and vegetables were used for making colours. Synthetic chemical colours  have become the order of the day. Although people have become Increasingly conscious about using natural and organic colors, a lot of people still use the inexpensive synthetic colors which are easily available in the market.

Eyes are amongst the most sensitive and the most vulnerable parts of the body, especially during festivals like Holi.Playing holi safely should be the first priority. I am listing a few points of caution below. These eye care tips should also be explained to children to keep them aware and alert on how to keep their eyes safe.

Not taking care of your eyes when playing with colours during Holi can result in eye irritation or allergies or even temporary blindness.

Eye care tips for a safe and joyful Holi:

USE SUNGLASSES

The first and utmost important step is to cover your eyes. Sunglasses should serve you very well for this purpose. If someone smudges color on your face, the first thing you should do is to close your eyes and will be best to cover your eyes with your palms.

APPLY A GOOD MOISTURIZER

Apply a good moisturizer or cold cream around your eyes to avoid getting any colour. Coconut oil can also be used for this purpose. The cream acts as a shield from Holi colours because of it’s oily cream base. It protects the direct contact of colour with skin and also helps in the washing of color post festivities.

DO NOT WEAR CONTACT LENSES

Another important thing is to avoid wearing contact lenses while playing Holi. There are chances of color getting trapped between the lens and the eye which can be very harmful. In case you still go ahead and play Holi with lenses on, please dispose of them thereafter.

AVOID RUBBING OF EYES

If colour gets into your eyes, the first thing you should do is rinse your eye with clear running water, preferably cold, two to three times. If it is   causing any irritation to avoid rubbing the eye. Rubbing may aggravate the situation, best will be to visit an Ophthalmologist for further treatment.

TIE YOUR HAIR

Tie your hair while playing Holi. If the hair gets wet it will stop the colour from dripping into your eyes. It is a basic and effective eye care tip while playing Holi. Also, oil your hair before you go out to play as it makes washing off the color easier.

USE NATURAL COLORS

Synthetic colors contain toxic heavy metals like lead which can cause pink eye, eye allergies, or even abrasions on the eye surface. Avoid them for a safe Holi.

AVOID WATER BALLOONS

One of the favourites during Holi is the water balloons. However, these can be dangerous as they can cause blunt eye trauma.

Do follow the tips and share them to have a happy and safe Holi!

IRM India Signs MoU With Eduvanz For Knowledge Partnership To Strengthen Indian ERM Ecosystem

* Both organisations to collaborate on a range of knowledge exchange platforms

India Affiliate of Institute of Risk Management (IRM India), the world’s leading professional body for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) qualifications, has announced a comprehensive and far-reaching knowledge partnership with Eduvanz, one of India’s leading NBFCs that enables students to Study Now, Pay Later at 0% interest rates. The organisations will collaborate on a range of thought leadership initiatives, including research papers, webinars, industry insights, and opinions and analyses, among others for driving the importance of Enterprise Risk Management in the Non-Banking Financial Sector.

Discussing the agreement, Mr. Hersh Shah, CEO, India Affiliate of Institute of Risk Management, said, “As we continue to rebuild our economy nearly a year after the pandemic lockdown, it is critical for Indian industry to retrospect and incorporate learnings from 2020, to secure businesses against future crises. Enterprise Risk Management provides a robust, strategic road map to empower organisations to achieve this. At IRM India, it is our mission to propagate this knowledge, and ensure that our nation can combat similar challenges successfully, going forward. As the globally-preferred professional body for ERM qualifications, we hope to make an impact at the grassroot levels, and this partnership with Eduvanz will go a long way towards bolstering our efforts to build a greater understanding of Enterprise Risk Management in the NBFC sector, and to educate industry leaders and students about the business value of managing risk in a holistic way.”

Speaking about their partnership, Mr Sukesh Tandon, Chief Risk Officer - Eduvanz, further added, “As a young company, Eduvanz has always given prominence to risk management practices. Our strategy to focus on holistic enterprise risk management proved itself when we were able to sail through the initial days of the pandemic with minimal impact on our operations. Where large banks were forced to slow down, we switched to work-from-home without a hitch, and continued with our lending operations. Over the years, we have also seen risk management evolving in the Fintech sector, from the crisis in 2019 when banks ceased lending to NBFCs, to the current practice of risk-sharing with Fintechs and NBFCs. 

Post-COVID, maintaining seamless business operations is a bigger challenge for organisations over growth or profitability. In the coming days, holistic risk practices will be the core of all business strategies for organizations, whether large or small. The agility and adaptability to the ever-changing environment will determine the success or failure of enterprises in the coming days. 

By partnering with a leading global enterprise risk management body like IRM, we hope to create a wider awareness of ERM practices in the industry and among students.” 

IRM India and Eduvanz will collaborate on different platforms to spread awareness about ERM. This will include webinars, panel discussions and other events, research, white papers and analyses, and industry insights and experiences, all of which will enable Indian industry to adopt ERM seamlessly and efficiently, and make informed decisions while managing risk. Under the partnership, Level 1 and level 2 qualified IRM India students will also have access to opportunities of working at Eduvanz, including availing zero-cost student loans.

About India Affiliate of Institute of Risk Management (IRM India)

Headquartered in the UK, the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) is the world's leading professional body for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) qualifications. IRM has been driving excellence for over 30 years with members across 143 countries. With 360 exam centres in India, candidates can join a professional community of risk leaders by pursuing IRM’s 5-level qualifications with designations that are globally recognized. IRM qualified students and members are working with companies across the globe including Acies Consulting, Swiss Re, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, PwC, EY, Deloitte, Barclays Bank, ANZ Bank, Mastercard, HSBC, IFC - World Bank Group, AIG, BBC and many other organisations.

About Eduvanz

Eduvanz is an NBFC Fintech that enables learners to Study Now and Pay Later in small easy on the pocket instalments. The core objective of the company is to make education accessible to all learners across K-12, Test-Prep, and Upskilling & UG/PG segments. Eduvanz offers a point of sales payment solution for institutes that helps them provide instant finance thereby helping them boost enrolments. They use proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) based algorithms and predictive analytics to provide loans based on the future employability of learners. Using the mobile app, end-to-end processing from Loan Application to Credit Assessment to Disbursal happens completely online in a matter of a few hours.

Backed by Sequoia Capital and Unitus Ventures, the company was co-founded in 2016 by Varun Chopra, an IIT Madras alumnus, and Raheel Shah, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Eduvanz has financially empowered over 20,000 learners and partnered with 350+ Institutes. They have a presence across 20 states, 240+ cities, and cover over 25+ skill industries. Achievements include winning Wharton 2018 Economic Start-up India Competition, selection by Oracle as part of their Accelerator Cohort, part of the Champions of Change organized by Niti Aayog and PMO, and among Top 13 startups of Maharashtra Fintech.

Samsung Baker Series Microwaves To Take Your Love For Baking And Healthy Cooking To A New Level

* The 2021 Baker Series microwaves offer features that were earlier available only in high-end convection microwave models

* The new range comes with intuitive touch panels, glass finish and extremely sleek design; available in attractive Clean Pink colour

Samsung, India’s most trusted consumer electronics brand, today announced the expansion of its kitchen appliances range by launching the Baker Series microwaves that come with industry first features such as steaming, grilling and frying with pro-level convection features that will appeal to young millennials who have turned into home chefs and are adopting healthy eating habits.

Along with world-class technology, this sleek and stylish looking range – also includes models in Clean Pink colour – enables the evolved home chef to make extremely delicious desserts, crispy, oil-free snacks and steamed dishes in the Baker Series microwaves, which was earlier possible only in high-end convection microwave models.

As people are spending more time at home, several of them love to try their hands at cooking and baking. The Baker Series microwaves are a must-have for any contemporary kitchen and perfect to help consumers explore the hidden chef in them.

“Besides working from home and studying from home, a new trend that we are seeing is people baking and trying new recipes at home. People across the country, especially millennials, donned their chef’s hat as they spent more time at home and restricted eating out. To address consumers’ renewed passion for cooking healthy and delicious food at home, we have launched Baker Series Microwaves with industry first Home Desert, Steam Cook and Grill Fry features in the entry level segment,” said Sandeep Singh Arora, Senior Director, Online Business, Consumer Electronics, Samsung India.

With its elegant and sleek design, more intuitive controls, distinctive handles, glass finish body, these microwaves have been carefully crafted to make them aesthetically appealing, blending perfectly with the modern urban modular kitchen decor.

Furthermore, these stylish looking innovative microwaves come with accessories such as glass steam cooker, round rack, and crusty plate. Its 99.9% anti-bacterial ceramic enamel interior makes the microwave durable and easy to clean.

Price and Availability

With advanced technology, enhanced functions and premium design features, Samsung has launched five models under the new Baker Series – two Grill Fry models and three Steam Cook models – that are available in 23 litre capacity. The range is available on Flipkart and Amazon, and Samsung’s official online store Samsung Shop, with prices ranging from INR 10,290 - INR 11,590. 

The new 2021 range of Samsung Baker Series microwaves come in Clean Pink, Pure Black and Clean Gray colours giving the aesthetics of kitchens a new and stunning enhancement.

Healthy Living with Samsung Microwaves

With consumer’s focus shifting towards health and hygiene, Samsung has introduced Baker Series microwaves that come in two variants: Steam Cook variant with auto steam function that come with glass steam cooker accessory and Grill Fry microwaves with Crusty Plate that enables oil free frying.

Both Steam Cook and Grill Fry microwave models come with a Home Desert feature for making delicious deserts at home in a jiffy.

Features of Baker Series Microwaves:

Home Dessert

Making microwave desserts like egg pudding, chocolate mud cake, banana bread, brownies and much more is possible with the touch of a button. Quick, easy & delicious!

Grill Fry

Grill Fry microwaves come equipped with a Crusty Plate which will enable consumers to perform frying without oil and enjoy oil free french fries, chicken nuggets, cheese sticks, chicken wings, potato chips etc.

Steam Cook

Steam Cook microwaves come with a Steam Cooker and the Auto Steam function allows one to steam vegetables, meat, fruits, eggs, porridge, rice, potatoes etc.

Hygienic & Easy Clean Interior

The 99.9% anti-bacterial, smooth and durable Ceramic Enamel is easy to clean and doesn’t discolour over time. It is highly rust and scratch-resistant, making the microwave last longer. Ceramic Enamel also ensures that cooking time is reduced, heat penetrates deeply and evenly, and all nutritional value is preserved.

Saves on Standby

Cook delicious meals while being energy-efficient at the same time. The ECO Mode significantly reduces energy consumption with the industry’s lowest standby power. When you are not cooking, the power used to maintain essential functions is kept to the minimum. So, you not only save energy, but you also save money while protecting the environment

Simple UX

Enjoy an intuitive and stylish way to cook. The Glass Touch control panel has just 6 essential buttons, which can be selected with a touch of your finger. And, being completely made of glass, it blends seamlessly with the front, mirroring the glass door, to create a minimalist yet stylish look.

New Design

The all-new Baker series from Samsung is elegantly designed to seamlessly blend and compliment your contemporary kitchen. Choose a microwave oven that perfectly matches your personal taste and the style of your kitchen.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. 

Spotlight On Ford India’s Drive For Zero Water Consumption In Manufacturing For World Water Day

* Ford continues to get closer to its long-term target of zero fresh water use in manufacturing; Saves billions of gallons of water with technology upgrades and efficient processes

* Ford’s Chennai Vehicle Assembly and Engine Plant brought fresh water consumption down to 1.17 m3 per vehicle – from 7.3 m3; Sanand plant has zero water discharge with 110,000 m3 rain water harvesting

* World Water Day, celebrated annually on March 22 since 1993, raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe drinking water

Of all water on the planet, only about one per cent is easily accessible fresh surface water available for consumption by the almost eight billion humans that inhabit it. Approximately 97 per cent is salt water, while the majority of remaining fresh water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers, or difficult to access ground water.

Two decades ago, Ford set out to reduce its per-vehicle water usage by an astonishing 72 per cent.

By 2013, Ford had already saved more than 10 billion gallons of water. In perhaps more digestible terms, that’s the same as 15,000 competition-sized swimming pools; or over 3 hours 40 minutes of thunderous Niagara Falls flow.

While an admirable target, Ford sought to do more, setting itself an aspirational long-term goal of using zero fresh water in its manufacturing. That target is still in Ford’s sights, and the company has already made considerable steps towards ensuring that the only fresh water use at its facilities is for human consumption.

At Ford’s Chennai Vehicle Assembly and Engine Plant (CVAEP), fresh water consumption is down to an incredible 1.17 m3 per vehicle – from 7.3 m3 per vehicle only a decade ago. Having identified an alternate source of grey water to treat for use in non-production activities, the smart water efficiency processes see it recycle almost 100 per cent of industrial waste water for use in manufacturing.

Ford’s Sanand Vehicle Assembly & Engine Plant in Gujarat has zero water discharge, with a 110,000 m3 rain water harvesting pond used for pallet washing, irrigation, and with plans in place to replace the cooling tower’s water with rainwater, too.

Ford’s Global Business Technology & Business Center in Chennai (GTBC) can also claim zero discharge, thanks to its 100 per cent reuse of treated wastewater for dual plumbing, horticulture, and cooling tower chiller. Ford GTBC – opened in 2019 – earned its Platinum green building rating at launch; the highest possible certification for sustainable buildings.

The globally recognized certificate not only factors in water conservation but also sustainable design, architecture, and building material resources; energy conservation including use of renewable energy resources; indoor environment quality; and innovation and development.

Similar efforts have been put in across Ford’s other manufacturing units globally.

ACC Limited Wins Climate Action Programme (CAP 2.0°) Award

* CAP 2.0° by CII is a recognition and capability enhancement programme for businesses to become climate resilient

ACC Ltd, one of the leading cement producers of the country, has been recognised for its efforts to reduce its CO2 emissions, with the Oriented Award at the Climate Action Programme 2.0° Awards.

CAP 2.0° by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a recognition and capability enhancement programme for businesses to become climate resilient. Based on a CII climate-maturity model and using the principles of business excellence framework, CAP 2.0° helps businesses to contract climate risks and exploit market opportunities. 

ACC won this award in the Energy, Mining and Heavy Manufacturing sector category. The award recognises the Company's continued focus on climate action, building a circular economy, and conserving resources and nature.

“Sustainable construction and environment conservation is our core corporate objectives. Through our consistent focus on sustainable business practices, we have emerged as one of the companies with the lowest carbon footprints in the cement industry. We are elated to have been recognised by CII CAP 2.0° for our climate action efforts and this will motivate us further to continue working towards building a greener planet.”, said Mr Sridhar Balakrishnan, MD & CEO, ACC Limited.

Sustainability is one of the defining factors for business excellence at ACC Ltd. As part of global cement major LafargeHolcim, the Company is committed to the Net Zero vision of the group, and is an industry leader in combating climate change through consistent commitment to sustainable practices.

ACC’s sustainability mission is defined by the Triple Bottom Line, which signifies accomplishing three interdependent and mutually reinforcing goals of economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

To further cement its position as a responsible manufacturer, ACC became a partner of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) which is a member-led programme of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

The virtual award ceremony of the CAP 2.0° recognition for 2019-20 was held on 17 March 2021. Shri Rameshwar Prasad Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest for the event.

Moving Indian industry into climate action, CAP 2.0° is a benchmark programme recognizing industry climate mitigation initiatives with the purpose of cascading learnings and encouraging quick scale up, thereby contributing to India's climate goals.

About ACC Limited:

ACC Limited, a member of the LafargeHolcim Group, is one of India’s leading producers of cement and ready mix concrete. It has over 6,400 employees, 17 cement manufacturing sites, 80 concrete plants and a nationwide network of over 56,000 channel partners to serve its customers.  With a world-class R&D centre in Mumbai, the quality of ACC’s products and services, as well as its commitment to technological development, make it a preferred brand in building materials. Established in 1936, ACC is counted among the country’s 'Most Sustainable Companies' and is recognised for its best practices in environment management and corporate citizenship.