Aakash Institute Student Pullela Lalit Ritwik From Bengaluru Becomes State Topper By Securing Karnataka Rank 1 In IOQB Exam

In an impressive result, Pullela Lalit Ritwik from Aakash Institute’s HSR Layout branch in Bengaluru has topped the prestigious Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Biology (IOQB) Exam. He has secured Karnataka state Rank 1 in IOQB which is the second stage exam of the Indian National Level Science Olympiad. The examination is organized by the Association of Teachers in Biological Sciences in association with Indian Association of Physics Teachers and Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE). Each year over 30,000 students of 12th Standard or below, sit for this examination.  

IOQB is intended for students of 12th standard, though 11th standard students are also allowed to give the examination. There is a designated statewise quota according to which the students are selected for the next stage. Further all students scoring greater than 80% of the average of the top ten scores at national level (called as Merit Index Score) get automatically selected irrespective of the statewise quota.  

Congratulating Pullela Lalit Ritwik on the impressive results, Mr Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) said: “We are very proud of our student who has achieved an exemplary result even in this tough situation. We would like to congratulate him on clearing IOQB exam 2021. This is a huge step towards achieving his NEET/JEE dreams. We would also like to thank the parents for extending support. The credit goes to the hard work put in by our students and faculties as well as the quality test preparation imparted at the institute. I wish them all the best for the next round.” 

On the basis of performance in IOQB, the top students in the merit list are selected for Stage III Orientation Camp (OC) in biology. The selected team undergoes a rigorous training programme at HBCSE in theory and experiments. Special laboratories have been developed at HBCSE for the purpose of experimental training. Resource persons from HBCSE and different institutions across the country train the students. 

The Olympiad programme culminates with the participation of the Indian students (4-6 in each subject) in the International Olympiads.   

Aakash Institute aims to help students in their quest to achieve academic success. It has a centralized in-house process for curriculum and content development and faculty training and monitoring, led by its National Academic Team. Over the years, students from Aakash have proven selection track record in various Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams, Competitive and Olympiads. 

About Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) 

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) provides comprehensive test preparatory services for students preparing for Medical (NEET) and Engineering Entrance Examinations (JEE), School/Board Exams and Competitive Exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads. The “Aakash” brand is associated with quality coaching and a proven student selection track record in various Medical (NEET) and JEE/Engineering Entrance Examinations, Scholarship exams & Olympiads. 

With over 33 years of operational experience in the test preparatory industry, the company has a large number of selections in Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams and several Foundation level Scholarship exams/Olympiads, a pan India network of 200+ Aakash Centers (including franchisee), and an annual student count of more than 250,000. 

The Aakash group has investment from Think & Learn Pvt Ltd (BYJU'S) as well as by world's largest Private Equity firm Blackstone.  

upGrad Earmarks USD 250 Million For M&A And Non-Linear Growth

* Aims to consolidate leadership in global higher Edtech 

Riding strong on its non-linear growth strategy, South Asia’s largest higher edtech, upGrad has earmarked USD 250 Million for M&As over the next 7-9 months. Recent reports claim that upGrad would cross Half-a-Billion USD Annual Revenue run rate by March'22 and is looking to raise close to USD 400 Million at a valuation close to USD 4 Billion.

Despite being the youngest in joining the Edtech bandwagon, upGrad has built out a strong tech platform and deep immersive learning experience with high touchpoints to capture close to 70% of the Indian Higher Education market for working professionals. This stealth approach of operating under the radar, coupled with the rare combination of founder-funded for the full first leg, has helped upGrad focus on their core vision.

This year upGrad went out for their maiden fund raise with Temasek and IFC and closed a cumulative USD 160 Million raise, and at a valuation just south of being a unicorn. It is uncommon in EdTech for the founder group to still own close to 78% of the company leaving a lot of room for growth, capital raise, and also to use stock as a strong M&A currency.

Highlighting upGrad’s non-linear growth strategy, Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder, and Chairman, upGrad commented, “We continue to build a very strong, integrated, connected model in Higher Education across multiple geographies. Personally, I am a strong believer that the whole is always bigger and more valuable than the sum of the parts.  Outside of cash, we see a very strong value currency in our stock to look to merge/acquire companies with exceptional founders who will join us as fellow entrepreneurs to build this out over the next decade.”

Screwvala added that upGrad has identified specific segments as well as target companies, two of which will be announced over the next 60 days, which include:

(a)    Platform and high touch digital learning experience that will add to what upGrad pioneered in the last 6 years.

(b)    Global play in immersive short form learning.

(c)     First mover advantage and scale players in emerging markets with huge potential in countries including Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

(d)    Till date, upGrad’s focus has been on high ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), Deep Learning. However, now with the entire world and its 1 Billion Knowledge workers, as well as another 250 Million Higher Ed enrollees, as a global edtech major, upGrad will also look at the high traffic, low ARPU players to kickstart its large product offering in short formats and soft skills market - leading to a subscription platform.

(e)    Marketplace for pathway and emerging models for international learners.  

(f)  OPM (Online Program Management) play – While Screwvala claims that upGrad is not a great fan of this model, but they see helping fast track upGrad’s partnership with universities at scale and around the world.

(g)   Strategic long-term tie-ups with universities to partner for LifeLongLearning.

(h)  Human intervention will continue to be high in online education and so, will see a massive play in the Coaches and Mentors ecosystem, and few interesting developments emerging here.

“With these, we are adding the right pieces at scale for upGrad’s strong growth,” Screwvala concludes on his long but seemingly focused approach for upGrad’s massive growth.

About upGrad

upGrad is South Asia’s largest online higher edtech company offering 100+ courses in collaboration with top-notch global universities like Duke Corporate Education (US), Michigan State University (US), Liverpool John Moores University (UK), Deakin Business School (Australia), Swiss School of Business Management, (Geneva), IIT Madras (India), IIM Kozhikode (India), and others. Founded in 2015, the international edtech leader has impacted over 1 million total registered learners over 50+ countries across the world.

upGrad has ranked No.1 in the LinkedIn Top Startups India 2020 list. This is the third time in a row that upGrad has been featured in the LinkedIn Top Startup list after 2018 and 2019. It is also amongst GSV Global EdTech 50 and has ranked amongst the Top 50 in the FT Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies 2021.

Vodafone Idea Foundation Gives Away Scholarships To Teachers In Karnataka To Support Online Education Drive Across India

* 9 Teachers in Karnataka received scholarships of Rs. 1 Lakh each to enable access to online teaching tools

Vodafone Idea Foundation, the CSR arm of Vi, announced the results of its Vodafone Idea Scholarship 2021 for teachers and distributed scholarships of Rs. 1 Lakhs each to 9 teachers across Karnataka. The results for Student Scholarships 2021 will be announced shortly.

The current edition of Teachers’ Scholarship has been won by 110 teachers from the states of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Nagaland, Orrisa, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

The Vi CSR Scholarship initiative aims to bridge the social and fiscal divide that teachers and students face in terms of availability and accessibility to the necessary resources that help them to excel. Last year, 200 teachers and 2500 students were rewarded with scholarships which they used for necessary resources teaching and learning.

Speaking on the initiative, P. Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited said “Vi is committed to leverage its technology expertise and network to create social impact at scale. Focused on taking learning and education to financially constrained communities and rural population, we developed digital tools to enable accessibility education for both teachers and students. In times of the pandemic, our scholarship programme is helping students and teachers get resources to invest in technology tools and their education. Some of the teachers have pooled the funds to digitalize an entire classroom to engage their students, further widening the reach of the programme. We believe this will go a long way in spreading the light of education and further enhance employability of people, thereby also reducing poverty in the country.”

Launched last year, these scholarships entitle teachers as well as students to access Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) covering a list of permissible expenses. The scholarships are on merit based for teachers and merit-cum-means based for the students. The selection process is entirely online, overseen by an independent jury, including eminent educators, representatives of civil society organizations.

COVID-19 has brought about changes to the education system that have impacted teachers in multiple ways. Teachers who were used to the traditional teaching methods using blackboard, chalk, books, and classroom teaching have had to rapidly adapt to the new age digital teaching methods. This programme commends the grit and determination that they have shown in this. They have not only adapted the situation well but also aided the students in these unprecedented times. These scholarships will further aid teachers to use the money to buy laptops that will make it easier for them to take classes online and facilitate e-learning. It will also help them build an environment of digital learning in their communities.

One of the recipients of the Vodafone Idea 2021 Scholarship, Mohamed Ismail, Science teacher in Alipur, Karnataka, said “I was really excited when I was informed of my selection for the Vodafone Idea Teachers Scholarship. As a teacher I believe, students understand better through visuals than text, so the first thing I purchased with the scholarship amount was a good quality laptop, color printer and a projector. I further plan to purchase some books for our school library, especially NEET, JEE coaching books so that I can help students in their preparation. With these equipment I am sure I will make my class better and useful for my students. I am very thankful to the Vodafone Idea foundation for helping us in this difficult pandemic situation. It is very difficult for a teacher like me to purchase such expensive gadgets. I am also thankful to them for helping so many students by providing them with financial support.”

Vodafone Idea’s CSR conducts transformative programmes in the domain of Education, Agriculture, Women Empowerment and Technology across different pockets of India.

About Vodafone Idea Foundation:

Vodafone Idea Foundation believes that our mobile communications technologies can address some of the most pressing humanitarian challenges and our responsibility is to utilize our innovative mobile technology in mobilizing social change and improving people’s lives. The Foundation focusses on addressing challenges relating to agriculture, education, health, equality and access. We are committed to enable people and technology to drive innovation, disseminate knowledge, and create shared value to improve lives. We work in partnership with key charities, development agencies and the community to drive social change on a large scale in India.

Nokia G20 With Three Days Of Battery Life And Three Years Of Security Updates, Launches In India

 

·         Love it: Do what you love for longer with three days of battery[i] and a 48MP quad camera with ZEISS optics

·         Trust it: Three years of security updates and two years of OS upgrades guaranteed

·         Keep it: Signature Nordic design means durability and beauty that’s built to last

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announced the launch of Nokia G20 in India.

The new G-series of Nokia smartphones, represents the perfect balance of delivering on all your daily needs through relevant and user-centric technology.Equipped with our longest ever battery life of three-days,the Nokia G20 comes with the trusted Android promise - three years of monthly security updates to help keep your data as secure as possible along with two years of OS updates. With its 48MP quad camera that includes wide-angle and macro lens, powerful AI imaging modes, OZO audio and ample storage, the Nokia G20 is an on-the-go creative studio.

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President, HMD Global:

“The Nokia G20 is one of our most important launches in 2021. It offers our fans a holistic device with great performance thanks to our unique Android promise as well as our superior build quality that together give you a device that’s built to last. We have designed and built this device by keeping in mind the requirements of the modern smartphone users, i.e. premium design, latest features and uncompromised security. At HMD, we have a human-first approach towards innovation, which manifests in the smartphones that we make. We know that you love your smartphone, you want to trust it with your data, you want to keep using it for a long time – with the Nokia G20 you get a phone that goes the distance, a phone that you can love, trust and keep.

The Power of Three

Powered by the Mediatek G35 processor, The Nokia G20 brings the reliability of three days of battery life which will enable you to do more, connect more and create more, without worrying about running out of power.The pre-installed Android™ 11will enable you to use and switch between multiple apps in a seamless manner. It also includes improved security features such as face and side fingerprint unlock.HMD Global’s commitment to provide three years of monthly security updates and two years of software upgrades, ensures that Nokia G20 will be your trusted partner – one which you will love, trust and keep for a long time.

A Creative Studio to capture your Life Moments, a beautiful device for your Lifestyle

The new Nokia G20 comes with a 48MP quad camera and 8MP front camera. It also has an impressive 6.5” HD+ screen,with a teardrop display and a handy brightness boost. Along with the OZO spatial audio, the Nokia G20 is the perfect tool for the modern creators who need seamless technology experience and utility for unleashing their creativity and passion.

With superior build quality and refined, simple and elegant Nordic design, the Nokia G20 has a lightweight, slim-line, durable casing which will be available in two unique colours – Night and Glacier. All Nokia handsets undergo rigorous testingthat can handle the wear and tear impact of daily usage in your fast-paced life. The Nokia G20 is not only pocketable and easy to hold, its 3D nano-textured rear cover ensures that it doesn’t slip away from your hand easily.

Love it, Trust it, Keep It

The Nokia G20 has been designed and built to become your everyday companion that you can trust and rely on, for years to come. With innovative features, durable builds and ongoing software and security updates, it will provide uncompromised performance and usability to you. 

Variants, pricing and availability

The Nokia G20 will be available in Night and Glacier colour options,with RAM/ROM of 4GB/64GB,at a recommendedbest buy price of INR 12,999.The Nokia G20will be availableon Nokia.com/phones and Amazonstarting 15thJuly.

The pre-booking for Nokia G20 will start on Amazonand Nokia.com from 7th July, 12 pm IST.

Offer on Nokia G20

Customers who pre-book the Nokia G20 on Amazon or on Nokia.com/phones, can avail a discount of INR 500* on the price of the device OR avail of a special offer of INR 2099* off when they buy the new Nokia G20 and Nokia Power Earbuds Lite together.

*T&C apply.

The Cosmopolitan Globalist Set For Digital Transformation By Leveraging Quintype's Platform

* The global media house, The Cosmopolitan Globalist (@cosmo_globalist on twitter) is set to launch their website with the Bold CMS from Quintype.

Targeted at global audiences who need to understand and analyse consequential events, with a local touch, depth and flair, yet with a distinctly global perspective, The Cosmopolitan Globalist (CG), is a venture started by passionate journalists from across the world, using Quintype’s Bold CMS as its core technology platform.

“We wanted to transform the Cosmopolitan Globalist from a newsletter into a global media platform with a modern, elegant, and sophisticated look. But we had complicated requirements. Our readers and correspondents live in every time zone of the world. We use many different reporting formats: written, audio, visual; narrative, graphic, illustrated.

“We often run multi-part series, by multiple authors, treating topics from the Covid19 pandemic to global energy security, so we needed a platform that allowed us to present and illustrate these stories attractively and link them together in a way that made visual sense. We wanted our work to be archived, in an intelligent way, and searchable. We knew we needed advanced SEO. We needed the ability to run stories in more than one language. The platform had to be scalable, because our readership will grow exponentially. We wanted all of this to be organized and presented in a way that made intuitive, visual sense to our readers. And it was just as important that the platform be intuitive enough, on the back end, that everyone on our team—no matter who or where they were—could learn how to use it quickly and without too much handholding. We want everyone who works for us to spend their time reporting the news, not fighting the website.

“In other words, the platform had to be complex enough to achieve all these objectives, but simple enough that even new hires could figure it out in less than a day. These were tough requirements, so we looked at many options and compared many systems. Quintype’s Bold CMS was our very clear choice. We can’t wait to unveil the new site to our readers,” said Claire Berlinski, Editor-in-Chief at The Cosmopolitan Globalist.

With Claire Berlinski in Paris and Vivek Y. Kelkar in Mumbai heading the editorial team, CG provides educated, erudite, and credible reporting and analysis from around the world, treating issues of global import. It is not nationalist, partisan, narrow-minded, or provincial, but cosmopolitan and worldly in its outlook and attached to 18th century Enlightenment ideals.

“It’s always a pleasure to support a dynamic group of journalists. We are delighted to have The Cosmopolitan Globalist team on our platform and look forward to extending our support to them in their journey.” said Chirdeep Shetty, CEO, Quintype India Pvt. Ltd.

Quintype’s headless CMS Bold supports CG’s wide scale collaborative efforts, enabling faster and efficient workflows, omni channel distribution, scheduled publishing, auto-posting on social media, social media messages, storywise SEO reports, access controls, rich multimedia support among others. 

Quintype offers solutions where they take care of the technology heavy lifting while the publishers may focus exclusively on content. The Bold CMS is popular for being able to wear many hats and for reducing repetitive work. It also makes the workflow more effective and ensures the team with a secure and healthy website. A CMS like Bold promises to be excellent for teams like The Cosmopolitan Globalist.

For enquiries related to Quintype, please contact vineet@quintype.com

About Quintype :

Quintype was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Bangalore, India with a global clientele of marquee publishers across USA, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. Quintype's award-winning multi-lingual, digital-first publishing solutions empower content creators to deliver superlative experiences to their readers, every single time.

Tata Motors Takes The Premium Quotient In Its Passenger Vehicles To Next Level With Launch Of The #Dark Range

Tata Motors, one of India’s leading automotive brands, today announced the launch of the #Dark range which includes - India’s safest premium hatchback Altroz, India’s first GNCAP 5star rated car - the Nexon, its premium SUV with the Land Rover DNA - the Harrier and India’s highest selling passenger electric car – the Nexon EV.

Harrier #Dark launched in Aug’19 took the style & premium quotient of the Harrier to the next level. It provided a compelling package to customers who were looking for a Bold, Sophisticated & Stylish SUV. The Dark theme on the exteriors & interiors created a unique identity for Harrier Dark. Other changes like distinctive dark finishes, special Blackstone Matrix dashboard & premium Dark upholstery were well appreciated and helped Harrier Dark stand out in the crowded SUV segment. As part of the New Forever Philosophy, Tata Motors is extending the #Dark franchise to the two other aspirational brands in the portfolio.

The Dark range is now available at dealerships and is open for bookings. All Tata Motors authorised dealerships are decorated in the Dark theme for customers to indulge into this exclusive experience. Additionally, to add aesthetics and accentuate the styling, the Company is also introducing exclusive merchandise, which will consist of #Dark branded premium leather jackets and T-shirts. Furthermore, keeping absolute safety in mind the Company has also introduced a tyre puncture repair kit, as a priority customer offering, to increasing the convenience quotient in the range.

Commenting on the launch of this exclusive range, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head Marketing, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “Harrier #Dark which was launched as a limited edition product initially, did extremely well and on popular customer demand became an integral part of the Harrier portfolio. It offered an exciting & unique package to the customers. We are confident that the extended dark range is equally compelling and cater to customers who are looking for bold & stylish cars this festive season.”

About the Dark Range

Altroz Dark: Altroz has always been appreciated for its futuristic design and style. Altroz Dark, the new top of the line variant comes in a new Cosmo Black exterior body colour with dark tint finish on R16 alloy wheels and premium dark chrome across the hood. The Granite Black interior theme with metallic gloss Black mid pad and the leatherette upholstery with deep Blue Tri-arrow perforations and deco blue stitching, all add to the premiumness of the Altroz Dark. The #Dark mascot on the exterior and the Dark embroidery on the front headrest accentuate the theme. The Altroz Dark will be available in the top variant XZ+ for petrol (NA and iTurbo).

Nexon Dark: The Nexon in its #Dark avatar sports new Charcoal Black R16 Alloys, #Dark mascot, Sonic Sliver highlights on the body along with matte Granite Black cladding to accentuate its exterior. The interiors offer special dark interior pack, premium leatherette upholstery with Tri-arrow perforations on seats and door trim. The front headrests sports special #Dark Embroidery in line with the theme of the interiors. The new Nexon Dark will be offered in XZ+, XZA+, XZ+(O) & XZA+(O) variants, in both petrol & diesel fuel options.

Nexon EV Dark: The Nexon EV #Dark theme will be available on the Nexon EV XZ+ and the XZ+ LUX variant. These variants will adorn a premium Midnight Black exterior colour with Satin Black humanity line and beltline, #Dark mascot and an all-new Charcoal Grey alloy wheels. The interiors of the car are also accentuated with dash of Dark themed glossy piano Black mid-pad with premium dark themed leatherette upholstery with Tri-arrow perforations on seats and door trims, highlighted by EV Blue stitches (on the seats) and a leatherette wrapped steering wheel. The car will also get iTPMS (Tyre pressure monitoring system). Additionally, the Nexon EV XZ+ variant will have rear seat central armrest with cup-holders, 60:40 rear seat-split and adjustable rear seat headrests.

Harrier Dark: The Harrier #Dark offers all-new Oberon black colour with a tinge of deep blue adding to the stunning looks of Harrier. It also sports the bigger R18 Blackstone Alloys complimenting the sporty stance of the Harrier. On the interiors, Harrier #Dark offers a premium dark theme with exclusive touches to the key interior elements. It sports a complete dark upper environment in line with the latest trend in the premium luxury car segments. The Benecke Kaliko Leatherette upholstery carry a special Tri-Arrow perforations with deep blue undertone to it enhancing overall premiumness of the interiors. Also the front seat headrests sport a special #Dark embroidery complementing overall dark theme on the interiors. Harrier #Dark will be available in 3 trims XT+, XZ+ & XZA+.

Fanzart Unveils 3 Unique Fans For Smaller Spaces- Edge, Minion & Mini Cherry In The Indian Market

Innovative ideas take the forefront in Fanzart, one of India's first luxury fan brands. Taking innovation a step ahead, Fanzart has launched three unique fans for smaller spaces- Edge, Minion & Mini Cherry. Ideal for small homes and commercial spaces, all these fans look small but deliver powerful cooling and breeze.  

Tarun Lala, Director, Fanzart says “Smaller Fans for Smaller spaces, allow us to cover areas like walk-in wardrobes, dining tables, pooja rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and more. We find dodgy spaces in retail showrooms, restaurants and other hospitality related use cases as well. Mini-Cherry, Minion and Edge allow us to cover about 90% of those use cases. Not only do they solve the purpose of the breeze but also illumination with the addition of LED along with the convenience of a remote control.”

1. The Edge is a silent BLDC motor, 15-inch X 3 blade fan that can be mounted on the wall or the ceiling of any dodgy spaces. The Edge has already been used in kitchens, utility areas, walk-in closets/wardrobes, pooja rooms, family areas in residences as well as retail showrooms, commercial offices, restaurants and more. Price- Rs 19990

2. The Minion is a lovely 28-inch BLDC motor fan that comes with multicolor LED - making it perfect for walk-in wardrobes and the smaller rooms.  Price- Rs 19990

3. A 36 inch fan, Mini Cherry as a concept was introduced to compliment the very popular Cherry fan, so as to have Cherry fans in the living and Mini Cherry at the dining. Mini Cherry is also the perfect addition to longer dining tables where you don't use a fandelier, but instead have your heart set on multiple light chandeliers. The mini cherry adds a perfectly subtle addition, aesthetically as well as breeze wise. Price- Rs 22990.

These fans are available on www.fanzartfans.com and Fanzart Showrooms across or any of the 82 experience centers across India. 

About Fanzart

In the 9 years of its entry into the market, Fanzart has risen to prominence as a pioneer and leader in the luxury designer fans segment. With showrooms across the country, Fanzart is a name to reckon with in the luxury interior segment with its niche offerings. The products are also shipped internationally and have made a mark for themselves.