Cyient Launches Its First Global Management Consulting Practice

* With Cyient Consulting, the company will codesign bespoke, practical, performance-based business transformation solutions for enterprises across industries to enable sustainable growth

Cyient, a global engineering, manufacturing, and digital technology solutions company, today announced the launch of its management consulting practice under the umbrella of Cyient Consulting. This marks Cyient’s first foray into this space.  The global management consulting services market is expected to cross $1.2 Trillion by 2025.

Commenting on the launch, Krishna Bodanapu, Managing Director and CEO, Cyient, said, “Our move towards consulting as an offering is an important step towards executing our S3 strategy roadmap. We have been engaged with clients across industries in solving their engineering problems. The Cyient Consulting practice will allow us to leverage our engineering domain expertise to solve business critical problems for our clients. I am confident that we can add immense value with the consulting practice that will engage clients transcending functions and businesses.”

Nicola Kleynhans, Global Head of Cyient Consulting, says, “We are excited to help our customers create sustainable value for their stakeholders. We will leverage industry best practices and our proven methodology to deliver business transformation across areas of organization effectiveness, board and governance, asset optimization, and digital transformation."

Cyient’s consulting practice will offer the following services:

Organization Effectiveness – Support transformation for optimal effectiveness to deliver strategy and results for all stakeholders

Board and Governance – Engage, develop, and adopt value-oriented governance models and frameworks to optimize their processes for an organization

Asset Optimization – Accelerate operational and asset productivity and performance by improving strategies, capabilities, processes, and systems

Digital Transformation – Design and implement digital solutions to optimize technology applications

For more details about Cyient Consulting, https://www.cyient.com/consulting

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) is a leading global engineering, manufacturing, and digital technology solutions company. We are a Design, Build, and Maintain partner for leading organizations worldwide. We enable our customers across industries to apply technologies imaginatively to solve problems that matter and stay ahead of the curve. We are committed to designing tomorrow together with our stakeholders and being a culturally inclusive, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable organization.

Full-stack Agritech Platform DeHaat Raises US$115 Million In Series D From Sofina, Lightrock And Temasek

DeHaat, the technology-based platform offering end-to-end agricultural services to farmers in India, today announced it has raised US$115 million in Series D funding, led by Belgium based investment firm Sofina and Lightrock India. Temasek co-invested in the round, with participation from existing investors Prosus, RTP Global, Sequoia Capital India and FMO. Dexter Capital and Vertices Partners were the advisors of this funding round.

Shashank Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, DeHaat said, “We at DeHaat are on a mission of building the world’s largest Agritech platform. We have raised US$ 157 million from marquee investors in the last 30 months and our team has grown to a brigade of 850+ professionals with deep expertise of Growth & Strategy, Supply chain, Technology & Agricultural science. Last 7 months have been phenomenal with 5x growth for DeHaat. Hence we are now well poised to replicate the success in all major agriculture clusters of India in next 12-15 months.”

Based in Gurgaon and Patna and founded in 2012 by IIT, IIM & NIT alumni Amrendra Singh, Shyam Sundar, Adarsh Srivastav & Shashank Kumar, DeHaat is a technology-based business to farmers (B2F) platform that offers full-stack agricultural services to farmers, including distribution of high-quality agricultural inputs, customised farm advisory, access to financial services, and market linkages for selling their produce.

With an aim to drive efficiency & transparency in this US$ 350 billion industry, DeHaat has been building a digitised network of farmers as well as last-mile service providers & providing direct access to farmers through its physical as well as digital platform.

DeHaat has currently built a rural retail network of more than 3,000 DeHaat microentrepreneurs for last-mile delivery as well as aggregation, serving more than 650,000 farmers located across Bihar, UP, Jharkhand & Odisha. DeHaat has now started expanding to new geographies like MP & Rajasthan with a complete 360 degree set of agri offerings for farmers.

As per the company, DeHaat has a strong commitment to continue investing in the technology. Earlier this year, it acquired Farm Guide - a SaaS based platform to provide satellite-based insights & advisory to farmers. The current tech team has grown to 120, building unique AI/ML based solutions related to crop advisory, last mile supply chain traceability & B2B SaaS agritech platform for input sellers as well as output buyers.

Yana Kachurina, Principal, Sofina said, “Through our due diligence, we became convinced that DeHaat is bringing substantial value-add to the farming community in India. The uniqueness of its full-stack approach combined with the “phygital” go-to-market strategy further reaffirmed our view that the company is on track to become a significant player in the farming industry in India.”

Vaidhehi Ravindran, Partner at Lightrock India said, "We have been following DeHaat’s progress through the years and are impressed with their steep growth trajectory combined with a strong network of micro-entrepreneurs. Through innovative social engineering and tech-led execution, DeHaat has built the largest first mile network for farmers and is well positioned to help transform agriculture by improving yields and farmer income. ”

DeHaat has emerged as the largest Indian agritech player with its unique full-stack approach while connecting all types of agri businesses (input sellers, output buyers, cattle feed manufacturers, financial institutions, warehousing companies) to the farming community. There are more than 850 unique agribusiness entities currently active on the platform, which are getting last-mile access through the DeHaat platform in a transparent and efficient manner. The company has raised this round within nine months of the last round, and has completed two strategic acquisitions so far for inorganic growth. Institutional investors Omnivore Partners and Pi Capital (family fund of Narrottam Shekhsaria Group) who invested in the first institutional round in 2019 have exited partially in the current round.

Vi Dials-Up #SpeedSeBadho Campaign With Ookla Speedtest Award For India’s Fastest Mobile Network

* Integrated campaign to run during ICC Men’s T20 World Cup & on surround

Ookla®, the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, has awarded Vi as the Fastest Mobile Network in India basis the Speedtest Intelligence® data for Q1-Q2 2021*. Taking this forward, Vi, India’s leading telecom operator, has launched its next leg of the #SpeedSeBadho campaign.

Commenting on the award, Doug Suttles, CEO of Ookla said “Speedtest Awards, presented by Ookla, are reserved for an elite delegation of network operators that have delivered exceptional internet performance and coverage within a market. It is our pleasure to present Vi with the award for Fastest Mobile Network in India. This recognition is testament to their exceptional performance in Q1-Q2 2021 based on Ookla's rigorous analysis of consumer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest."

In the Post Covid-19 World, businesses and individuals have relied heavily on telecom operators for secure and reliable connectivity. The world has shifted towards digital and network speeds have become one of the most crucial factors. With the ever evolving lives and needs, the latest #SpeedSeBadho campaign reasserts Ookla’s validation of Vi powered by GIGAnet as the fastest mobile network of India.

With an aim to build awareness, the Vi campaign focusses on various stories that depict how network plays an important part in one’s life by enabling people to do their task in a faster way and get ahead in life. 

Commenting on the campaign, Avneesh Khosla, Chief Marketing Officer, Vi said “Vi has been consistently offering the fastest 4G experience for many quarters and with our continued efforts to provide superior experience, it is now the fastest mobile network in the country, as verified by Ookla. We believe in helping our customers thrive in the digital era - be it for learning & development, work, entertainment or just about anything. With our latest #SpeedSeBadho campaign, we narrate stories of how Vi GIGAnet - India’s fastest mobile network, helps customers do things faster and get ahead in life by solving for challenges and unlocking opportunities. The stories showcase how when & where there is speed, there is a way.”

The campaign comprises of 3 TVCs which showcase the power of Vi GIGAnet, the fastest mobile network, in resolving some relatable issues we face in our daily lives.

The first TVC focuses on a wedding planner and her intern who has to work on last-minute changes, completing the décor on time. With the help of Vi, India’s fastest mobile network, she is able to do so seamlessly. Link to the TVC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRq4orh5fOo

The other 2 TVCs will be launched in the course of the campaign.

The high visibility 360-degree campaign, conceptualized by Ogilvy, illustrates Vi’s continued commitment towards enabling customers to excel and will be seen across diverse media including TV, OOH and Digital.

Sharing his thoughts behind the campaign, Kiran Antony, CCO, Ogilvy South said, “This is the third campaign we are doing on ‘SpeedSeBadho’. Earlier 2 campaigns had a very different look and feel where we showed people thriving using Vi network. So when the brief came for this campaign, the challenge was to make it look different from the other 2 campaigns. We have used an interesting treatment where there are almost 35 shots in a 30 seconder. It’s like a short film condensed in 30 seconds”.

The 10 Week long campaign went live on 23rd October, 2021 during the start of Super 12 stage matches of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

GIGAnet is built on 5G architecture and is the result of the largest network integration completed in record time and the first-of-its-kind spectrum refarming exercise in the world.

*Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data of India for Q1–Q2 2021. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission

About Vodafone Idea Limited

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is India’s leading telecom service provider. The Company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G, 3G, 4G and has a 5G ready platform. With the large spectrum portfolio to support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The Company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence. The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

The company offers products and services to its customers in India under the TM Brand name “Vi”.

For more information, please visit: www.MyVi.in and www.vodafoneidea.com

Ookla® is the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence, testing applications and related technologies. Speedtest®, Ookla's flagship network testing platform, collects hundreds of millions of measurements about the performance and quality of networks around the world each day.

Operators, businesses and government agencies alike rely on Ookla for unparalleled and immediate information on the state of networks and online services. Ookla’s portfolio of enterprise solutions also includes Downdetector®, which provides real-time analysis of status conditions and outages across industries such as network services, finance and gaming.

Ookla is a part of Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD), a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity and martech. Ookla’s headquarters are located in Seattle, WA with additional offices around the world. More information is available at www.ookla.com.

SMB Neobank FloBiz Ropes In Manoj Bajpayee As Brand Ambassador For myBillBook

* Manoj Bajpayee will feature in the brand’s ‘Business Ko Le Seriously’ campaign across all media platforms for the next one year 

FloBiz, a fast-growing neobank for Indian SMBs announced its association with Padma Shri awardee actor- Manoj Bajpayee. The Bengaluru-based fintech aims to accelerate its outreach to the SMB sector and promote the adoption of its flagship product myBillBook - a simple to use GST billing and accounting software - with Manoj Bajpayee as the brand ambassador. 

FloBiz will release a set of ad films, the first of which launched featuring Manoj as a businessman with satirical takes on the day-to-day problems that business owners face while running their enterprises, particularly invoicing, collection of pending receivables and inventory management. The ‘Business Ko Le Seriously’ campaign highlights how digital solutions can improve performance and power growth in a small business. Created by Tilt Brand Solutions, the campaign will go live across several media platforms, including OTT, TV, OOH, social media, websites and mobile applications. 

Commenting on the association, the renowned Bollywood actor said, “Most of the products and services we consume daily are offered by small and medium businesses in our country. However, these SMBs have been historically underserved when it comes to dedicated digital tools and financial services. And so, I was personally very impressed with FloBiz’s mission to accelerate the growth of SMBs by providing technological solutions and curated services via their product myBillBook. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to go digital is paramount for businesses, and myBillBook is easily one of the most suited applications to cater to this need.” 

“When the FloBiz team approached me with their ‘Business Ko Le Seriously’ campaign idea, it piqued my interest instantly. The scripts were witty and funny, the production team was reputable, and the company’s mission was sincere. I’m glad to partner with them in promoting their brand,” he added. 

“The ‘Business Ko Le Seriously’ campaign is our first step towards creating a relatable and trustworthy brand for myBillBook, targeting ambitious business owners across the country. We’re extremely thrilled to join hands with Mr. Manoj Bajpayee to communicate our mission and the product’s value propositions to the small business community over the next one year. 

Manoj’s universal charisma and mass appeal, coupled with the inspiring story of his journey from a humble beginning to critically acclaimed fame, is sure to resonate with the SMBs. The team thoroughly enjoyed working with the incredibly talented artist, who brings such passion and conviction to his work”, said Rahul Raj, Co-founder and CEO of FloBiz. 

Link to the ad campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJlLZfYKj8 

Shriram Iyer, co-founder and chief creative officer of Tilt Brand Solutions, said, “The FloBiz team was very clear about the brief right at the outset. As a brand, they genuinely believe in the power of SMBs and their impact on our economy. However, while these business owners have big ambitions and strong drive, they lack the necessary technological tools that are otherwise available to bigger companies and corporations. This led us to realise that what the SMB owners need is a nudge in the right direction to propel their businesses by adopting a powerful software like myBillBook. 

In our series of three films featuring Manoj Bajpayee, we arrived at an articulation to launch the maiden campaign for myBillBook with ‘Business Ko Le Seriously’ as the core theme. Having a stalwart like Manoj on our side, we wanted to ensure that we utilise his inimitable sarcastic self that we know him for. We wanted to tell our audience that it’s no joke to run a business and that to grow the scale of business operations, SMB owners and entrepreneurs must adopt myBillBook to actualise the full potential of their enterprises successfully.” 

CREDITS:  

Agency: Tilt Brand Solutions 

Creative: Shriram Iyer 

Planning: Gulshan Singh  

Director: Satyajeet Kadam 

Producer: Siddharth Sanjay 

Production house: StudioT 

Since its launch in January 2020, myBillBook has been downloaded by over 6 million businesses to digitise invoicing, streamline bookkeeping and automate workflows. This simple yet elegant business software has become the companion of choice for business owners, with more than a million monthly active users who record over $1.1 billion worth of transactions on myBillBook every month. The fast-paced growth trajectory of FloBiz has resulted in two back-to-back fundraises for the company this year - $31 million Series B led by Sequoia Capital India and US-based Think Investments in September 2021 and $10 million Series A led by Elevation Capital and existing investors in March 2021. The company is also looking to triple its engineering, product and data teams within the next six months as it continues to develop and introduce more features on myBillBook. 

All the ad films featuring Manoj Bajpayee will also be released on all the social handles of FloBiz & myBillBook.  

Indo Count Industries Q2FY22: Reports Highest Ever Yearly Revenue & EBITDA

* Total Income Rs. 1,476* Crs +39%

* EBITDA RS. 267* Crs +61%

* PAT Rs. 202 Crs +105%

Indo Count Industries Limited (BSE: 521016) (NSE: ICIL), announced its un-audited financial results for the Second Quarter ended 30th September 2021.

H1FY22 Performance Highlights:

Total Income Rs. 1,476* Crs +39%

EBITDA RS. 267* Crs +61%

PAT Rs. 202 Crs +105%

EPS Rs. 10.24

ROE* 22.8%

ROCE* 26.1%

Commenting on the results, Mr. Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman said, “The Company’s intrinsic strength has been demonstrated by its operational performance in conjunction with consistent cash accruals.

The unprecedented supply chain challenges have been impacting the industry pervasively. At Indo Count, we have been able to arrest cost inflation through various measures and our dynamic approach is helping the Company to progress in response to market developments and pave the way for future growth.”

Volumes

Q2FY22 sales volume at 18.9 Mn meters and H1FY22 sales volume at 37 Mn meters

10% of Q2FY22 volumes has been shipped and in transit due to longer shipping duration thereby impacting sales volume for the quarter

* Despite challenges on increase in overall input costs, rising freight costs, unavailability of shipping containers and longer transit duration and Increase in Working capital due to investment in supply chain, the Company has been able to achieve Highest ever half yearly REVENUE and EBITDA

* The Company is optimistic to achieve revenue of Rs.3,200+ Crores.

Focus on B2C and D2C

Strongly moving towards B2C and D2C segment through high quality product offerings across varied price points, building visibility through digital campaigns and leveraging omni-channel & e-commerce distribution.

Focus on Brand Promotion in US, UK, Middle East, and India through 10 active brands

Innovation and technological capabilities along with licensed brands, patents, trademarks will further strengthen brand offerings

Awards & Accolades

The prestigious Mahatma Award 2021 India was conferred to Indo Count Foundation under CSR Excellence Category

Recognized as ‘Top Performer’ suppliers at Walmart’s Global Sourcing Sustainability Summit

Winner of 2 Gold Trophies at TEXPROCIL for the second consecutive year

Gold Trophy for the ‘Highest Export Performance in Cotton made ups-bed linen/bed sheets/quilts’

Gold Trophy for the ‘Special Achievement Award in Cotton made-ups’

Honoured with the Navabharat Group 'Healthcare CSR of the year' award 2021.

The recognition conferred to us by the Governor of Maharashtra, for our work towards Corporate Social Responsibility

About Indo Count Industries Ltd.

Indo Count Industries Ltd (ICIL), is one of India’s largest Home Textile manufacturers. Mr. Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman, has been ranked 10th amongst the India’s Best Top 100 CEO’s 2017 by Business Today. Under his leadership, the Company has focused on some of the world’s finest fashion, institutional and utility bedding & sheets and has built significant presence across the globe. Over the years, the Company has successfully carved out a niche for itself and has become a total bedding resource. The company’s annual capacity is 90 million metres. CARE’s credit rating is CARE A+ (Single A Plus; Outlook: Positive) for Company’s Long-Term Bank Facilities and CARE A1+ (A One plus) for Short Term Bank Facilities. ICRA’s credit rating is ICRA A+ (Single A plus; Outlook Positive) for Company’s Long-Term Bank Facilities and ICRA A1+ (A one plus) for Short Term Bank facilities.

Healthium Medtech Introduces Surgical Wound Dressing With Patented Infection Prevention Technology

 ·    TRUSHIELDTM NXT is a comprehensive wound care system that combines a 3D hydro cellular substrate and patented infection prevention technology to offer 360-degree wound protection

·     Patents in the U.S, Europe and India

·     Expands wound care portfolio. Aims to drive greater market penetration and availability in the wound dressing category

Healthium Medtech Limited (“Healthium Medtech” or “Healthium”), a global medtech company focused on products used in surgical, post-surgical and chronic care, today announced the launch of TRUSHIELD™ NXT surgical wound dressing, adding to its portfolio of patented products in the wound care and infection prevention segments. In addition to wound care, Healthium’s current product portfolio focusses on advanced surgery, urology and arthroscopy products covering 52,000 stock keeping units.

As of fiscal 2021, Healthium is India’s largest independent medical device company and second-largest company overall, in the surgical consumables market. In the non-captive surgical needles segment, it is the largest manufacturer globally, by volume and the third-largest company overall in urology collection devices market in the U.K, as on 31st March,2021. As of fiscal 2021, one in five surgeries conducted globally uses a Healthium product.

The announcement comes after Healthium’s acquisition of CareNow Medical last month. As of July 31, 2021, the company has 21 patents in India and 11 patents in the United States, and a further 22 and 6 patent applications pending approval in India and US, respectively. With the acquisition of CareNow, the company has acquired an additional portfolio of one patent each in India, US and Europe and one patent application pending approval in India.

TRUSHIELD™ NXT combines the advantages of a 3D hydrocellular substrate and patented infection prevention technology to offer a complete wound care system that provides 360 degree wound protection. It provides exudate and moisture management, while remaining waterproof. Its patented technology continuously inhibits pathogen growth with a unique non-leaching, non-depleting kill mechanism. It has patents in the U.S, Europe and India.

The advanced wound care market expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.8%*.Dominated by traditional wound dressing such as cotton gauze, the Advanced wound dressing category has lagged in penetration because of high pricing of products and limited availability.TRUSHIELD™ NXT is non- adherent (does not stick to the wound and can be easily removed) and water proof with exudate management ability when compared to traditional wound dressing and reduces the need to repeatedly change dressings, thereby reducing costs

Speaking on the new product launch Anish Bafna, CEO and MD, Healthium Medtech, said, “We are excited to add TRUSHIELD™ NXT to strengthen our wound care and post-surgical care portfolio. Aligned to our vision “Access to precision medtech for every patient, globally”, TRUSHIELD™ NXT is manufactured to high quality standards at our US FDA registered plant. With our sales network reaching 90% of districts in India with secondary healthcare facilities catering to 40,000 surgeons across 18000 hospitals, we look to offering wider choices to our customers and delivering better standards in patient care, with innovative and quality products.”

Dr. Ashok Moharana, Chief Medical Officer, Healthium Medtech said “A successful surgery is complemented by a well- healed wound. TRUSHIELD™ NXT surgical wound dressing, enables healing through exudate and moisture management ability while  providing infection control with a patented technology that continuously inhibits growth of pathogen ( 99.99% kill rate against a broad spectrum of pathogen). The dressing is water-proof and does not adhere to the wound, for a trauma- less removal. We believe that with this new technology and our access, we will be able to benefit patients globally.”

*Frost & Sullivan report

About Healthium Medtech Limited:

Healthium Medtech Limited (“Company” or “Healthium Medtech”) is a global medtech company focused on products used in surgical, post-surgical and chronic care. One in five surgeries conducted globally uses a Healthium Medtech product. It is India’s largest independent medical device company and second-largest company overall, in the surgical consumables market. In the non-captive surgical needles segment, Healthium Medtech is the largest manufacturer globally, by volume. Healthium Medtech is the third-largest company overall in urology collection devices market in the U.K. With a vision to provide “Access to precision medtech for every patient, globally”, the Company has created extensive market access in India covering over 40,000 surgeons across 18,000 hospitals, reaching 90% of all districts in India, which have secondary healthcare facilities. It also is present across 80 countries.

The Company’s diverse portfolio includes 52,000 SKUs across Advanced surgery, Urology, Arthroscopy and wound care products. With a strong focus on R & D, the company has 8 high precision, integrated and scaled manufacturing facilities with global certifications and approvals like US FDA, C.E and ISO. Since fiscal year 2018, the company has sold30 new products including a patented portfolio of arthroscopy products. As on July 31, 2021, the Company had a total of 21 patents in India and 11 patents in United States, and a further 22 and 6 patent applications pending approval in India and US, respectively. In addition, it has acquired 3 businesses in the last 2 months to expand market reach and its product portfolio.

COAI jointly With 5GIF And 5G-ACIA Organised Webinar On ‘Next Steps To Accelerated Digital-Empowered Industrial Automation’

 

COAI, the representative body for the Indian telecommunications industry, today jointly with 5GIF and 5G-ACIA organized a webinar to discuss the tangible steps to accelerated Digital-Empowered Industrial Automation. The webinar commenced with a welcome address by Lt. Gen. Dr. SP Kochhar, DG, COAI, followed by presentation by Dr. Andreas Mueller (5G-ACIA General Chair) and Dr. Afif Osseiran (5G-ACIA General Vice Chair).

An expert presentation on Digital Twin and the Asset Administration Shell was given by Mr. Josef Eichinger, Board Member 5G-ACIA followed by presentation by Dr. Nagahanumaiah, Director, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute on Smart Manufacturing in addressing 4P (Product- Process-People-Production) challenges for optimized productivity in industry.

An expert panel comprising of various stakeholders, discussed the requirements from Operational Technology industry and readiness of Indian ecosystem partners to provide reliable connectivity, infrastructure, and services. The panellists also indulged in discussions on key applications for industrial automation and role of standardized solutions for accelerated uptake. The event witnessed participation from TSPs, Telecom OEMs, Manufacturing industry players, System Integrators who will play critical role in furthering Industry 4.0 in India to stimulate and accelerate the digitization road map of the industries.

In an era, where data is the currency of automation, optimization and profound transformation, the entire agenda of this event was to discuss the digital transformation goals on the level of enhanced efficiency, cost reduction, innovations, and the development of new revenue sources.

“For the manufacturing sector, the Government’s initiatives of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ allow small, medium and large industries to build capacity for Industry 4.0. For the agriculture sector, which constitutes approximately 70% of India’s population and is the prime source of livelihood for rural India, 5G is expected to bring significant benefits. With sensors monitoring crops, soil acidity, temperature and irrigation, farmers will have a wealth of information at their disposal to help take the right decisions. It is important to understand the benefits that 5G technology will bring. With 5G, Internet of Things, Machine 2 Machine coming to the fore, more data will flow within networks and ecosystems We are optimistic that 5G will be a gamechanger for India and will accelerate growth across industries. However, India is a price-sensitive market, and the effective spectrum pricing is critical to build a robust 5G ecosystem. To ensure timely and effective implementation of 5G services in India, spectrum pricing needs to be rational,” said Lt. Gen. Dr. SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI.

During the event Dr. Andreas Mueller General Chair, 5G-ACIA, shared his opinion stating, “After several years of preparatory work, during which 5G-ACIA has made significant contributions to the development and standardization of Industrial 5G, we are now approaching the stage where Industrial 5G will be put from theory to practice. Especially with the emergence of infrastructure components and end devices based on 3GPP Release-16, we will see a more widespread adoption of 5G in manufacturing across the globe. Release-16 is the first 5G standard that really makes a difference to the industrial domain. Key features include the support of non-public networks, time-sensitive networking (TSN) as well as ultra-reliable low-latency communication. Industrial 5G is still in its infancy, but there are certainly exciting times ahead of us”.

Sharing his thoughts during the event, Dr. Afif Osseiran General Vice Chair, 5G-ACIA, stated “The 5G-ACIA alliance has recently started to endorse test-bests and demos in 5G for connected industries and automation. It is an important milestone and a clear move from theory to practice when it comes to 5G supporting the manufacturing and process industries. We expect that the coming two years will see widening of commercial deployments of 5G in factories, including the availability of adequate devices supporting deterministic latency. Yet, we can say with confidence it is the onset of a 10 to 15 years long and exciting journey”.

About COAI

COAI was constituted in 1995 as a registered, non-governmental society. COAI’s vision is to establish India as the global leader of innovative mobile communications infrastructure, products and services and achieving a national tele density of 100%, including broadband. The association is also dedicated to the advancement of modern communication and towards delivering the benefits of innovative and affordable mobile communication services to the people of India.

About 5GIF

5G India Forum (5GIF) - an industry collaborative forum, was established to enable synergizing the national efforts and play a significant role in shaping the strategic, commercial, and regulatory development of the 5G ecosystem in India.

About 5G-ACIA

The 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) is the central global forum for shaping industrial 5G standards. 5G-ACIA members jointly prepare for the disruptive change 5G will bring, promote a better understanding of industrial needs, and gain insights into a highly attractive emerging market. 5G-ACIA provides a unique global platform for OT and ICT companies, academia, and all relevant stakeholders to influence 5G development and deployment in line with industrial imperatives. They make the results of their work directly available to 3GPP, the main standardization body for developing 5G. 5G-ACIA is a market representation partner of 3GPP and has the formal status of a working party of ZVEI – The Electro and Digital Industry Association.