Epson Maintains No.1 Position In The Indian Inkjet Printer Market

* 10-year anniversary of EcoTank printers in India sees consolidated sales achievement of 5 million printers

Epson, a world leader in digital imaging and printing solutions, has once again secured the No.1 position in the Indian Inkjet printer market, according to the latest data published by market intelligence firm IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, 1Q2021. Epson has been leading India’s Inkjet market since 2017.

In FY20 (April 2020-March 2021), Epson captured 40.85%* of the overall Inkjet printer market [InkTank + Ink Cartridge printers] based on unit shipment. Epson sold 766,965 printers during the 12 month period. In the first quarter of CY 2021, the most recent results indicate Epson’s market share was 50.85% for the overall Inkjet market.

Epson announced that its EcoTank printers are also marking two significant milestones, that of having completed 10 very successful years in India and during this time having achieved a consolidated sale of over 5 million EcoTank printers. In 2011, Epson introduced the concept of InkTank printing to the world announcing the sale of Epson L100 Inkjet printer and the L200 All-in-One printer – the world’s first integrated ink tank system printers. These printers were conceived to cater to the requirement of typical cost conscious consumers in India and around the world. Since then, Epson has seen great success with its EcoTank printers and has continued to innovate and provide affordable, yet high performance printing solutions to help customers lower their cost of printing.

“We are delighted to retain our No.1 position in the Indian Inkjet market despite the changing landscape brought on by the pandemic. We have seen an accelerated change in business and customer behaviour and expectations resulting in cost, environmental and social issues gaining traction. Sustainability is a fundamental requirement for achieving this. Our EcoTank printers with Heat-Free technology are developed keeping in mind our vision to provide products and services that reduce costs and environmental impact. Epson will remain committed to using its original technology to create new value and change the way we live and work,” said Mr. Siva Kumar, Senior General Manager, Inkjet Printers at Epson India.

Epson continues to highlight the formidable advantages of low print cost, high page yield and the environmental benefits of its patented Micro Piezo Heat-Free technology in its EcoTank range of printers. Epson’s Heat-Free Technology is a revolutionary technology that helps consume less power, compared to Laser printers, thereby saving money and the environment. The company has also recently renewed the Environmental Vision 2050, a statement of its environmental goals for 2050, to achieve sustainability and enrich communities as it seeks to become carbon negative and underground resource free by 2050.

In the upcoming years, Epson’s focus will remain on reducing the environmental impacts of products and services and in supply chains, achieving sustainability in a circular economy and advancing the frontiers of industry through creative, open innovation while contributing to international environmental initiatives.

* Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripheral Tracker, 1Q2021

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson will become carbon negative and eliminate the use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. https://global.epson.com/

About Epson India

Epson India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in the year 2000. Epson products address the needs of homes, businesses and commercial enterprises as those of consumers with specialized needs in India. With a commitment to providing products and services that surpass people’s expectations, Epson India today has an enviable reputation for quality and value. Headquartered in Bangalore, the company markets and supports Epson Inkjet Printers, Inkjet All-in-Ones, Point of Sale Printers, 3LCD Projectors, Scanners, Large Format Printers, Robots and Dot-Matrix Printers. In all of these categories, Epson is either the No. 1 or No. 2 brand in India and growing fast. https://www.epson.co.in/

Power. Play. The New BMW 5 Series Launched In Indian Market

 
* Best-in-class performance: Powerful engines with quickest in segment. 

* Innovative technology: Most advanced driver assistance systems.

* Sportier design: New kidney-grille and lighting technology.

* Heightened luxury: Bespoke interiors and exclusive upholstery choices.

* Unparalleled comfort: Adaptive Suspension and ergonomic seating.

* #TheNew5 #THEnew5 #BMW5Series #SheerDrivingPleasure

The new BMW 5 Series has been launched in India today. Locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, the car is available in one petrol (BMW 530i M Sport) and two diesel variants (BMW 530d M Sport and BMW 520d Luxury Line). Bookings can be made at all BMW dealerships from today onwards.

The new BMW 5 Series is ready to strengthen its leading position with immense style and numerous updates. Enhancing its sporting appeal is the most powerful performance in the segment. Cutting-edge technology comes into play with multiple driver assistance systems such as Remote-Control Parking, BMW Head-up Display, Reversing Assistant, Parking Assistant, BMW Gesture Control. An interior brimming with luxurious refinements and added comfort make each journey a pure indulgence.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “For 50 years, the BMW 5 Series has enjoyed an unrivaled position globally and has set the benchmark in Sheer Driving Pleasure. This iconic business athlete has now evolved to be younger and smarter. The new BMW 5 Series is an individualist within the premium executive segment. It’s fresh design accents, best-in-class performance and cutting-edge technology will bolster its status as the only car to excite a winner – one who is always ready for ‘Power Play’!”

The car is available at attractive introductory prices (ex-showroom) as follows –

BMW 530i M Sport                                                                   : INR 62,90,000

BMW 520d Luxury Line                                                               : INR 63,90,000

BMW 530d M Sport                                                                   : INR 71,90,000

Price prevailing at the time of invoicing will be applicable. Ex-showroom prices inclusive of GST (incl. compensation cess) as applicable but exclude Road Tax, Tax Collected at Source (TCS), RTO statutory taxes/fees, other local tax cess levies and insurance. Price / options are subject to change without prior notice.  For further information, contact an authorised BMW dealer.

The new BMW 5 Series is available in new exciting colours. Offered for the first time - Phytonic Blue metallic and Bernina Grey Amber effect. Other colours are Alpine White and Black (Non-metallic) & Mineral White, Carbon Black, Black Sapphire, Glacier Silver, Bluestone (Metallic). Upholstery: BMW 530i features the new perforated Sensatec trim with contrast stitching. BMW 520d features Natural Leather Dakota upholstery. BMW 530d features refined ‘Nappa’ leather upholstery with diamond stitching. Interior trims: BMW 530i offers new-M specific Aluminium Rhombicle Smoke trim and individual high gloss Satin Chrome. BMW 520d offers fine-wood trim with an exclusive pearl chrome finish. BMW 530d offers M specific Aluminium Rhombicle Smoke trim.

Online bookings done till 24 July 2021 will enjoy an attractive offer on limited units of M Sport variant. These cars will come with a discount of up to 50% on a selected range of exclusive M Performance accessories curated for the BMW 5 Series. Customers can now choose from a wide range of options that can further enhance the sporty aesthetics of the car and customize to their liking at an extremely attractive price point.

Thanks to BMW India Financial Services, customized and flexible financial solutions can be designed as per individual requirements. BMW 360˚ offers exclusive financial packages with great value and absolute peace of mind. Customers will enjoy a hassle-free ownership experience with low monthly payments starting at INR 49,999*, assured buy-back of up to 4 years and flexible end of term options. Service Inclusive and Service Inclusive Plus further reduce cost of ownership. Customers can choose from a variety of service plans according to duration and mileage. The packages cover Condition Based Service (CBS) and maintenance work with plans ranging from 3 yrs / 40,000 kms to 10 yrs / 2,00,000 kms. The service packages are lowest in the segment starting at INR 52,000 for a 3-year period. (*T&C apply)

The new BMW 5 Series.

The exterior design of the new BMW 5 Series is headlined by immense presence and exquisite sporting style with large, clean and tautly drawn surfaces. The new bold BMW kidney grille and new slimmer full-LED Adaptive headlights ensure a considerable visual impact from the front. Newly added BMW Laserlight (in M Sport variants) distributes light perfectly up to 650 meters and is unique in this vehicle segment. Distinct wheel arches give a luxurious and dynamic appearance to the car’s side profile. At the rear, the real eye-catcher is the brand-new L shape light graphic that emerges from the taillight in a three-dimensional form. A broad rear with clean horizontal lines emphasises the width.

Interior of the new BMW 5 Series blends contemporary elegance with driver-focused cockpit design. It provides the ideal environment for driving pleasure and comfortable ride over long distances. High-quality materials, bespoke upholstery and precise workmanship lend a modern, premium ambience. For the first time, perforated Sensatec upholstery is being offered in the BMW 5 Series (530i) that creates a luxurious impression with contrast stitching and fine quilting. BMW 520d offers Natural Leather Dakota upholstery and BMW 530d offers an even more refined ‘Nappa’ leather upholstery with diamond stitching. Seating in the new BMW 5 Series further enhances comfort for all occupants, at the front and at the back. Electrically adjustable Comfort Seats (530d) for driver and passenger provide perfect position. On the other hand, Sports Seats (530i) with leather covers, sports leather steering wheel and specific trim strips augment the sporty feel. Ergonomically optimised Lumbar Support enables vertical and lateral seat adjustment for a relaxed journey. Adding to the sense of space is the standard large glass sunroof. Ambient Lighting Package with six dimmable designs creates an atmosphere for every mood. Welcome Light Carpet, which is projected from the side sill, welcomes passengers in glamorous style. The car has four-zone automatic climate control with extended features and SYNC function.

Thanks to unrivalled BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, the petrol and diesel engines meld maximum power with exemplary efficiency and offer spontaneous responsiveness even at low engine speeds, with best-in-class acceleration figures. The 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine of the BMW 530i generates maximum output of 252 hp and peak torque of 350 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in just 6.1 seconds. The 2-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine of the BMW 520d develops maximum output of 190 hp and peak toque of 400 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in 7.3 seconds. The 3-litre 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine of BMW 530d produces maximum output of 265 hp and peak torque of 620 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in 5.7 seconds, making it the quickest car in executive sedan segment.

The eight speed steptronic sport automatic transmission performs smooth, almost imperceptible gearshifts. For even greater driving pleasure, it comes with steering wheel paddle shifters and cruise control with braking function. Adaptive Suspension with its individual electronically controlled dampers offers exceptional precision and improve the drive and handling dynamics. The damper response settings vary according to the mode selected with the Driving Experience Control switch, that allows driver to choose between different modes to suit the driving conditions - Comfort, Sport, ECO PRO and Adaptive. M Sport variants offer an extra Sport+ mode for a sportier driving experience.

Modern cockpit concept BMW Live Cockpit Professional with BMW Operating System 7.0 includes 3D Navigation, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument display behind the steering wheel and a bigger 12.3-inch Control Display. The occupants can operate several functions simply by speaking to their BMW Virtual Assistant. Hands do the talking with BMW Gesture Control that recognizes six pre-defined hand movements for control of a number of functions. The smartphone holder integrated into the centre console allows inductive, Wireless Charging for mobile phones. Wireless Apple CarPlay® / Android Auto ensures seamless smartphone connection with the car to access several functions. Harman Kardon Surround Sound System conjures an engrossing treat for the ears. High-end 16 speaker system with woofers generates an impressive audio experience in all seats and is unique worldwide in the automotive sector. BMW Head-Up Display (530d) projects all information relevant to the journey directly into the driver's field of vision. BMW Display Key allows drivers to keep in contact with their car round the clock.

The new BMW 5 Series presents best-in-class cutting-edge driver assistance systems. Parking Assistant Plus with Surround View Camera makes parking in tight spots easier. Newly introduced Reversing Assistant provides unmatched support in reversing out of a parking spot or through narrow driveways. It keeps a record of the last 50 meters driven and assists by taking over the steering. With the Remote-Control Parking function, a driver can manoeuvre the vehicle into a narrow parking space from outside using the BMW Display Key. The Comfort Access System makes it possible to open all four vehicle doors without using the key. The new intelligent Tyre Pressure Monitoring System warns about a drop in air pressure.

BMW EfficientDynamics includes features such as 8-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission, Auto Start-Stop, Brake-Energy Regeneration, Electronic Power Steering, 50:50 Weight Distribution and ECO PRO mode in Driving Experience Control. BMW Safety technologies include six airbags, Attentiveness Assistance, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), electric parking brake with auto hold, side-impact protection, electronic vehicle immobilizer and crash sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounting and emergency spare wheel.

Tanla Platforms: Undisputed Leader In Domestic Market; Eying Global Expansion With ‘One Platform’ Strategy

We attended Tanla Platforms' investor and analyst meet in which it gave insights about growth plans, industry landscape, international expansion and 'one platform' strategy. The highlights of the meet:

Strong industry tailwinds: CPaaS industry in India is expected to grow 3.5x over 2020-23, from ~$320mn in 2020 to ~$1.1bn in 2023. Global CPaaS market is expected to reach ~$47bn by 2023. The addressable market is evolving as enterprises and CPaaS players continuously innovate, broaden their offerings, acquire new capabilities through M&A, and create new use cases. Further, the Covid-19 crisis has led to the digitization of activities like commerce and business transactions, resulting in a surge in demand for CPaaS.

Undisputed leader in Indian enterprise messaging market: Tanla (Karix) is the undisputed leader in the Indian enterprise messaging market with over 30% market share. The next three competitors have a combined market share below 30%. Tanla serves ~1,300 enterprise clients in India and at least 6 out of 10 customers across major industries (BFSI, e-commerce, retail, social media, DTH, Pharma, government, etc.). The company derives 60% of its revenues from Top-50 customers. It added 250+ new customers in FY21 and has executed its land and expand strategy very well by ensuring growth from existing deployments, cross-selling of new products and upselling of products.

Adopting 'one platform' approach for global ambition: The company has adopted 'one platform' approach, under which the capabilities of Karix, Gamooga and Trubloq will be integrated with recently launched Wisely platform for international expansion. Tanla believes that the encryption capabilities of Wisely platform will be the key differentiator as enterprises are looking for more secure means of communication. The Wisely platform is developed on Microsoft Azure. The company has so far on-boarded clients such as HDFC Bank, Union Bank of India, Axis Bank and Free Charge on the Wisely platform.

Trubloq - DLT/GRC platform - adds highly profitable new revenue stream and stickier relationship with telcos: Trubloq, Tanla's blockchain-based stack, is built to solve the unsolicited commercial communication in accordance with the TRAI Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR). The SMS and OTPs, when sent by enterprises, are checked against the templates pre-registered by them on this blockchain platform. Tanla has on-boarded 33,710 enterprises, processed over 200bn transactions since its commercial launch in Sept'20 and enjoys 62% market share. Recently, Tanla partnered with Etisalat and Du to implement a new regulation on mobile spam policy in the UAE.

Outlook and valuation: We remain positive on the CPaaS space and medium-term growth outlook of Tanla, considering growing needs of digital communications, expanding product offerings, scope of margin expansion with product mix change and operating leverage, and healthy cash generation (negative working capital cycle and low capital intensity). We have coverage on Route Mobile (Buy; TP - Rs1,820) while do not have active coverage on Tanla.

Fast growing e-Tailer DealShare Launches “DealShare Dost”, Disburses More Than INR 8 Lakhs To Customers In 2 Months

* More than 30000 registered consumers enrolled on to the program and have shared for sharing referrals/offers with their circle

* Plans to on-board 1 lakh consumers by December 2021

DealShare, one of the fastest growing e-tailers, who is anchoring the concept of community group buying in India, today announced that their referral program DealShare Dost has enabled more than 26,000 customers to earn regular income. The program helps customers to earn up to INR 30,000 per month, while buying household essentials. All that a customer needs to do is to refer another person. Launched two months ago, the program has garnered significant interest from all the 35 cities that DealShare operates in and the company has already rolled out more than INR 8 lakh as cash rewards to the consumers.  

Elaborating about the initiative, Mr Vineet Rao, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, DealShare, said, “DealShare Dost is an extension of the brand’s belief and efforts to offer our customers, the low- and middle-income group, with products and initiatives that add value to their daily lives. What concerns this community of consumers i.e. Bharat – the middle to low income group and the new to internet user group, is to have the opportunity to save more without compromising on the quality of their purchases. DealShare has enabled consumers to avail this since our inception in 2018. Now with DealShare Dost, we have taken the value addition that we offer to the next level. We have enabled them to buy quality products at price points that they can afford and also an opportunity to earn, through a ‘simple click and re-share mechanism. In fact, it is a win-win situation and we are confident the program will be a game changer for the e-commerce industry. Most of these registered referral consumers are from the Sec C/D/E socio economic background and earn an average income of INR 15000 to INR 20000 per month. Through this program they can easily double their income and improve their lifestyle. With the right efforts, we are optimistic that we will be able to have 1 lakh registered partners by the end of this year”.

In this program, customers can share deals and offers with their community/friends/family, over Whatsapp/Facebook by simply clicking and re-sharing the offer. Once the referred person purchases a product on DealShare, the referee consumer can earn incentives. The incentives can be redeemed either as discounts on the platform or as cash, which will be deposited in the bank account of their choice.

Sharing more details about the mechanism of the referral program, Mr Sourjyendu Medda, Founder, Chief Business Officer and Chief Finance Officer, DealShare, said, “Our product assortments are home essentials which every household requires and hence our Dosts need not do any hard selling. The product utility makes it very easy to gain.  Through this program a consumer who does regular referrals can earn up to INR 30000 in a month. This is a one of a kind referral program structured to give buyers a straight up cash incentive. What more, it is not just for the first order the referring person stands to gain, customers who are part of the program get a commission on every order that their referrals make, making the program a steady stream for income generation.”

Currently, there are more than 30000 registered consumers who are actively participating. DealShare’s overall consumer base is currently close to 25 lakh and the company is adding 150,000 customers every month with a focused approach in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and NCR.

This new model will also enable the brand to amplify their growth and market expansion strategy at a low marketing costs. “Incentive driven consumer initiatives like these are very lucrative as they help to multiply the consumer base and expand reach and footprint to the right audience, without the need to incur high marketing costs. Not just this, the initiative has also influenced an increase in the average cart value of everyday purchases. The average cart value jumped from INR 500 to INR 800 in the last one year and with the spending potential of consumers increasing further, this will continue to spike in the coming year as well”, added Mr Medda.

Naresh, a DealShare reseller from Ahmedabad, who has earned more than to INR 40,000, shared his recent experience, “I work in a factory in Ahmedabad. My earnings are around 12-15k/month. I use DealShare to buy my daily grocery items because of the discounted prices.  It was 2 months ago that I heard about DealShare Dost Program, so I registered myself. I also started sharing deals from the DealShare app with my friends & family on Whatsapp. The average earning that I make through DealShare in a month is close to INR 25,000. The lockdown had affected my earnings drastically but now I am able to supplement the same.”

DealShare recorded a 5X growth in FY 20-21 fiscal and in March 2021, the company crossed annual GMV run rate of $150M fulfilling more than 10 lakh orders and serving 3 lakh customers, despite the disruption in the ecosystem due to the pandemic. Operating on a discovery led model, DealShare allows customers to not only buy for themselves, but also to share deals with their friends encouraging community commerce. 

About DealShare: DealShare is an incredibly disruptive e-commerce model objectified towards re-inventing e-retail for next billion internet users. Currently, DealShare is present in 25+ cities and towns across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka and it plans to expand to 100+ cities in 2021. The company has acquired more than 20 lac consumers and adding lacs of new consumers every month. DealShare caters to about 35 thousand orders on a daily basis. Since their inception, their focus has been to procure products from local manufacturers and provide them with a platform to digitize their business and compete with lead brands. At present, DealShare has partnered with 1000 brands of which 70% are local and regional brands. They are also planning to add 5000+ local brands to their portfolio in 2021. 

WealthDesk Raises Funding From Former Blackstone Partner And Co-Head Of India PE, Mathew Cyriac; Closes Pre Series A round At $3.2 M

* Targets the massive retail investor opportunity in India

* In the first half of 2021, WealthDesk doubled its partners from 25 to 50 including top brokers, advisors and research partners on its platform

WealthDesk, India’s pioneering Investment Technology platform, has raised funding from investor, and former Blackstone Partner and co-head of India PE, Mathew Cyriac, in his personal capacity. With this final tranche, WealthDesk has closed its Pre Series A round at USD 3.2 million. Earlier this year, WealthDesk had raised the first tranche of their pre-Series A funding from individual investors including senior leaders from global banks, market participants and other top corporates.

Founded in 2016, WealthDesk is an investment technology platform that captures the entire Asset Management & Advisory value chain from portfolio creation on top of Equities and ETFs, productizing these into investment products called WealthBaskets, which are Stock and ETF portfolios, that are now available to retail investors on top of broking. WealthDesk also enables large scale distribution through broking partners with strong network effects.

In the past 6 months, WealthDesk has already doubled the number of advisors & research partners, and brokers on its platform to 20 and 30 respectively. WealthDesk continues to onboard 3-5 partners every month. WealthDesk has also launched a deep integration with 63 moons technologies for its product, ODIN Connector. This partnership with ODIN allows new brokers from metros, tier 2 cities and beyond to onboard themselves onto the WealthDesk platform within a week, and gain access to WealthBasket portfolios. WealthDesk has also launched a comprehensive and detailed Portfolio Analytics and Optimization tool called Optimiser in partnership with OpenQ by Quantech Capital. The tool will help investors optimize their portfolio in a disciplined and process-oriented manner.

Founder of Florintree Advisors and Ex Blackstone Partner and co-head of India PE, Mathew Cyriac, has recently completed the successful IPO listing of Hyderabad-based precision engineering solutions company MTAR Technologies. Post this success, Mathew continues to look for strategic investment opportunities in the Fintech sector and is looking to take at least two more companies public this year. Mathew has also invested in several tech startups and has made three fintech investments, Cashe, CityCash and Mobikwik.

Commenting on the funding, Ujjwal Jain, Founder & CEO, WealthDesk said, “We are very excited about this investment from Mathew Cyriac. Mathew is known to be a far-sighted investor and his association with WealthDesk validates our vision and strengthens our capabilities to disrupt asset and wealth management in Indian with large scale distribution capabilities. We believe there exists a “100 million investors” opportunity in India, and Mathew’s guidance will enable us to seize this opportunity effectively.

We plan to use this funding to hire great talent, invest in R&D and further build out the technology to expand business, i.e. platformization of Asset and Wealth Management on top of Broking, as this will be the future of the Investment Management Industry. We are also keen to continue to work on the Optimiser tool which will help vertical integration and ARPU expansion significantly. On the B2C front, we will focus on offering premium WealthBasket portfolios at a low cost by leveraging our technology and distribution strengths.``

Commenting on this association, Mathew Cyriac said, “Fintech is at a very interesting stage in India. I am very excited about WealthDesk because the company’s growth is being powered by the trifecta of strong vision, unparalleled domain knowledge and industry-leading tech capabilities and they are building a strong ecosystem. Ujjwal’s expertise on the subject combined with his passion and energy reflects in the commitment and vision he has for the company and the ecosystem. I am keen to partner this young team in its efforts to redefine the dynamics of asset and wealth management in India bundled with Broking.”

Tata Motors Ltd Announces New Changes To Its Board Of Directors

Tata Motors announced that Mr Guenter Butschek who had informed his desire to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons, will therefore be stepping down from his role as CEO & MD from June 30, 2021. He will continue as a consultant to the company till the end of this fiscal year.

Mr Chandrasekaran said: “I would like to thank Guenter for leading Tata Motors successfully over the last 5 years and creating a strong foundation for the future. I look forward to his continued inputs as a consultant to the Company.”

Mr Guenter Butschek said: “Leading Tata Motors over the last 5 years was an exciting experience. The business fundamentals are stronger, and we are well positioned to leverage the opportunities in both Commercial and Passenger Vehicles. I look forward to my continued association with the company as a consultant in the coming months.”

Pursuant to this, Mr Girish Wagh is being appointed as the Executive Director to the Board of Tata Motors Ltd from July 1, 2021.

Tata Motors’ domestic business has successfully transitioned to a Business Unit structure with the Commercial Vehicles Division headed by Mr Girish Wagh and the Passenger Vehicle Division headed by Mr Shailesh Chandra. The Executive Committee is an experienced leadership team that has been successfully scripting the turnaround of the company and will continue to drive the business.

Mr Girish Wagh, President - Commercial Vehicles, Mr Shailesh Chandra, President – Passenger Vehicles and Mr Thierry Bollore, CEO – Jaguar Land Rover will continue to work closely with the Chairman, Mr N Chandrasekaran.

Women Global Leaders Show Incredible Resilience To Fight Pandemic At WITI APAC Summit

* An array of women leaders in the tech space including Arundhati Bhattacharya- Chairperson & CEO Salesforce India, Gargi Dasgupta- Director IBM Research/India, CTO IBM India & South Asia, Rohini Srivathsa- National Technology Officer (CTO) Microsoft India spoke at today’s roundtable session

Former health minister of Kerala, KK Shailaja, on Wednesday highlighted the important role women leaders played in checking the pandemic globally, bringing together tech innovation, compassion and presence of mind. During her keynote session at Women in Technology International’s (WITI) APAC summit, she said the incidents of the immediate past has proven that gender does really matter.

The former minister, whose efforts in controlling the spread of the coronavirus in Kerala had garnered global attention, said women leaders adopted a unique approach that proved to be both effective and humane.

K K Shailaja said, “As we reflect on the unfathomable losses sustained owing to the pandemic, gender inequality has set back the progress we have made in decades. And yet, women represent the bulk of unpaid and unvalued workers in healthcare, along the frontiers in other sectors. We are witnessing their incredible resilience, adaptability and strength in the most adverse situations.”

“We have seen women leaders adopt an approach that is considerate, caring and humane – often qualities that are dismissed as shortcomings in a leader. Yet, they have been successful in New Zealand, Taiwan, Finland and Germany, among other places – proving that gender DOES really matter.”

“The WITI Summit will contribute immensely to explore ways to integrate technology into our everyday lives and empower women and other marginalized communities with innovations in technology creating sustainable livelihoods and nurturing a life of respect and dignity to pursue their dreams and aspirations,” she added.

Detailing the technological innovations that played a major role in combating Covid 19 in Kerala, she spoke about how robots helped deliver hand sanitizers without any physical contacts and how apps helped in contact tracing. “Drones were used to track public movement by the state police. The telemedicine app launched by the Kerala Police in association with Indian Medical Association (IMA) facilitated free video consultation with doctors. Several mobile phone based geo-fencing solutions were also used to ensure effective quarantining. There were also a plethora of apps for home delivery of essential commodities.”

“Above all, the leadership associated with managing a coherent response to the uncertainty of the pandemic are built on one key factor: being there. Being visible and easily accessible to the teams was prime to inspire confidence and build trust,” she concluded.

The first day of WITI APAC Summit witnessed a power-packed CXO roundtable on ‘The Future of Women in APAC’.  The participants included Arundhati Bhattacharya- Chairperson & CEO Salesforce India, Elizabeth Xu- CTO, CP Group, Gargi Dasgupta-  Director IBM Research/India; CTO IBM India & South Asia, Rohini Srivathsa- National Technology Officer(CTO) Microsoft India, Rucha Nanavati- CIO, Mahindra Group. The discussion revolved around the obstacles that still plague women in the tech industry and the interventions that may be initiated to craft a better path for the future.

About WITI : Founded in 1989, US based WITI (Women in Technology International) is the leading worldwide authority on women in business and technology. WITI has consistently been a clear voice advocating for women’s contributions to industry, inspiring young women to pursue STEAM careers and actively working with industry partners to create a culture of inclusiveness and innovation. With 3000+ members in India, WITI community exists to serve the women in tech in India through various events, community partnerships and corporate engagement. WITI’s global reach surpasses 3 million professionals across North America, South America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Australia, through more than 300 partners, 50 domestic and 13 global networks. WITI delivers to its members leading edge, best practice tools, programs and platforms designed to increase innovation, competitiveness, and revenue. WITI is a unique organization which has spent 30 years developing digital platforms & partnerships designed to spotlight its partners and members, access to a global audience that is not available in other organizations. It would take joining/participating in many organizations to reach this audience.