After Launch Of ‘Spoke-Shore Strategy For GCC’, KDEM Launches ‘Mangaluru Technovanza’

* Platform By Karnataka Digital Economy Mission Under Beyond Bengaluru Initiative

* Announcing Mangaluru -The Emerging Tech Cluster

With upcoming Bengaluru Tech Summit 2021, the Government of Karnataka and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) under Beyond Bengaluru initiative in the city of Mangaluru launched a big event called ‘Mangaluru Technovanza’. The program is aimed at enhancing growth in the IT /ITeS, Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO), Electronic System Design Manufacturing (ESDM), and Telecom sector industries located in emerging technology clusters in Tier II & III cities across the State. ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ is an initiative of KDEM and the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka. Earlier this month, the first ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ conclave was held in the cities of Hubbali and Mysuru.

The Beyond Bengaluru Event was inaugurated today in Mangaluru with a host of dignitaries such as Hon’ble Minister Ms. Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon. Minister Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T, and Minister for Higher Education, Skill Development; Sri Mohandas Pai, Co-Founder and Chairman at Aarin Capital;  Sri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Vision Group on Information Technology; Sri. Prashanth Prakash, Chairman, Startup Vision Group, GOK and Partner at Accel; Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi, Co-Founder, Managing Director, Novigo Solutions Private Limited; Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, MD & CEO, Lahari; Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy, ACS Dept. of Electronics, IT, Bt and S&T; Sri. B.V. Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission; Mr. Prashanth Shenoy, Director, Mangalore Infotech Solutions; Sri. Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India; Mr. Harshil Mathur, CEO RazorPay; Mr. Rohith Bhat, CEO & Founder, Robosoft and K S Viswanathan, Vice President, NASSCOM.     

Bengaluru in the last two decades has emerged as the most preferred destination for investments by leading Indian and global multinationals. The Beyond Bengaluru initiative of KDEM will contribute to Government of Karnataka’s existing efforts to move the technology and innovation related activity to the cities beyond Bengaluru. The Government of Karnataka has already taken a number of steps and rolled out several initiatives aimed at enhancing the ecosystem in these cities, leading to an increase in demand from IT/GCC/ESDM companies for workforce in Tier II & III cities.

In India, 30% of the overall GDP is driven by the digital economy.  With the aim to attract at least 100 GCCs by 2025, KDEM announced Mangaluru as ‘A Strategic IT Destination’ at Mangaluru Technovanza held in the city. This initiative of the Beyond Bengaluru mission of KDEM, will focus on attracting and setting aspirational goals for GCCs as well as hosting IT companies. It aims at creating employment opportunities for 10,00,000 (direct and indirect) candidates by 2026. The Beyond Bengaluru initiative aims to attract and host 5000 IT companies and start-ups by 2026 in the Mangaluru, Mysuru and Hubbali clusters.          

Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon'ble Minister Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T, and Minister for Higher Education, Skill Development inaugurated the KDEM Mangaluru office at COEL and announced the launch of FutureDigitalJobs@Mangaluru with 1000 positions in partnership with FUEL and Talential Global for fresh Engg graduates to get jibs in good companies. Speaking at the event, he said, “Through this initiative, new engineering graduates in tier 2 and tier 3 cities will have the opportunity build successful careers. Candidates selected through this initiative in the Mangaluru Cluster will also be provided launch pad training, specific to the job roles. KDEM office will facilitatae all companies to expand their businesses and work with Govt to provide all necessary support. As a part of the initiative to develop ‘Mangalore: An emerging Tech Cluster’ , select companies have been recognized and MoUs have been signed between KDEM and Shayadri, CEOL, IFSCA, Sapientury, and Gigvista.”

Speaking at the Inaugural program Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary- Department of Electronics, IT-BT & S&T said, “KDEM has shown that a strong partnership can be developed between Industry and government and both will work hand in hand to resolve the issues, built digital infrastructure and grow digital economy. Early results are coming where we have offices in Mysore, Hubballi and now in Mangalore. Our aspiration to create employment opportunities for 10,00,000 (direct and indirect) candidates by 2026 is possible. Further, the Beyond Bengaluru initiative is a harbinger to ushering dividends from IT, ITES, BPM & Electronics sector along with employment creation in tier 2 & 3 cities of Karnataka”

Mr B.V. Naidu, Chairman Karnataka Digital Economy Mission addressing the gathering explained that last two decades, Off-shore strategy has helped many GCC to come and create their off-shore Hubs in Bangalore.  Now the time has come for these hubs to be supported by ‘Emerging Tech Clusters’ and create their spokes at locations beyond Bengaluru such as Mangaluru, Hubli and Mysuru. This strategy will help IT companies and GCCs expand to these emerging clusters where the Talent is available. KDEM will help in creating such a transformation.

Mangaluru being a preferred destination for businesses across several industry verticals will play a key role in the digital transformation and development in the state. As a part of the event, Mohandas Pai, Co-Founder and Chairman at Aarin Capital highlighted the potential of Mangaluru for the Tech Industry in the New Normal, as a driving force for the future digital economy and businesses in India.

The event included two engaging fireside chats on Technology and Design.  The one by Mr Sanjeev Gupta with Sri. Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India and Sri. Sandeep Kamalasanan, Managing Partner, Unit9 explored the topic of Future Tech in AVGC. The second Fireside chat between Sri. Krishnamoorthy K, CEO, IESA with Sri. Vinay Shenoy, Managing Director, Infineon Technologies focused on Design house under Beyond Bengaluru initiative what next?

Further, the event also included a series of panel discussions by industry heads – Mangaluru as “The FinTech Hub”; Remote, Return or Reinvent: Defining the Next Hybrid Engagement Models; Reskilling or Upskilling workforce - Role of Technology in Education; and Startups – Son of Soil /Entrepreneurship Development @ Mangaluru focused on the future of cluster cities and technological changes in business across sectors, promising a level-playing field in new business opportunities and investments for cities like Mangaluru.

Industry experts who presided the event shared their views on areas of technological interest like Fin-Tech, EdTech, Agri-tech, artificial Intelligence, and the concept of Industry 4.0. The first event in this series ‘Impact & Innovation @ Hubli’ successfully concluded on October 5, 2021 at Hubli with the inaugural address by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sh. Basavraj Bommai. The second event ‘The Big Tech Show’ @ Mysuru was a success, held on October 25, 2021, before culminating into the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS 2021) event, scheduled for 17th to 19th November.

The Bengaluru Tech Summit 2021 is scheduled to be held in its virtual avatar between November 17 and 19th, 2021 with its central theme "Driving the Next". BTS 2021 will witness the coming together of Global Leaders, Indian Corporate, R&D and Start-Ups from IT, Deeptech and Biotech deciphering the future, showcasing next-gen technologies, forging partnerships and alliances.

Details of the Panel Discussions

Mangaluru as “The FinTech Hub” was addressed by Mr. Harshil Mathur, CEO, RazorPay with key panellists such as Mr. Miten Sampath, Founder, Cred; Mr. Anup Pai, CEO, e-Samudaay; Mahabaleshwar Bhat , MD & CEO, Karnataka Bank; Mr Joseph Joshy, CFO, IFSCA, GOI; and Timmana Gouda, Founder, Managing Director, Whatsloan. The panel was moderated by Mr. Ananth Pandit, Director at Gana Yantrika Enterprises Pvt Ltd. 

Remote, Return or Reinvent: Defining the Next Hybrid Engagement Models was addressed by Mr. Rohith Bhat, CEO & Founder, Robosoft with panellists such as Mr Parminder, Head of Policy, Wipro; Mr. Prashant Mishra, IAS, Managing Director, MESCOM; Mr Jose Jacob Kalayil, Chairman, Indo American Chamber of Commerce, Karnataka; and Ms Shuchika Sahay, Chief HR Officer, Firstsource. The panel was moderated by Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi Co-Founder, Managing Director, Novigo Solutions Private Limited

Reskilling or Upskilling workforce - Role of Technology in Education exploring the role of Digital Education in creating a Future-Ready Workforce was addressed by K S Viswanathan, Vice President, NASSCOM. The panellists included Mr Rupesh Tripathi, Partner and Head of People at KPMG Global Services; Mr. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education; Mr. Abhimanyu Saxena, Founder Scaler Academy; Mr. Anilesh Seth, Co-founder and CEO, GigVistas; and Mr. Vinesh Menon, CEO, Ampersand Group. The panel was moderated by Mr. Johnson Tellis, CEO Technical Career Education.

Startups – Son of Soil / Entrepreneurship Development @ Mangaluru was closest to home that celebrated and spoke about the successful start-ups that Mangaluru has offered to the state and the industry. The panellists included Mr. Rohith Bhat, CEO, 99Games; Mr. Subodh Shetty, CEO, Prasanna Technologies; Mr. Suyog Shetty, CEO Niveus Solutions; Mr. Dikshith Rai, CEO CodeCraft Technologies; and Mr.Venkatesh P V, Director, Brevera Technologies. The session was moderated by Mr. Iqbal Mohammad, Founder MD Semnox Solutions.

About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)

With an objective to increase the share of Digital economy in the state, the Government of Karnataka set up the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), a Section-8 organization, which acts as a knowledge bridge between the industry and the government. To meet the objectives, KDEM has been working towards the five focus areas, viz. IT Products & Services, BPM & GCC promotion; Innovations & Start-ups; ESDM; Beyond Bengaluru; and Talent Accelerator.

The Beyond Bengaluru Program

The Beyond Bengaluru program of KDEM, in particular, is spearheading the objective of proliferating the growth of digital economy in clusters beyond Bangalore. This is done for select identified clusters in the state by developing and facilitating a product-based ecosystem. Building a community of key industry players, entrepreneurs, start-up owners, academia, accelerators, and student community, the Beyond Bengaluru program of KDEM is steering towards getting investments and generating employment in the State.

ICICIdirect Launches e-ATM For Mutual Funds For Instant Liquidity On MF Redemptions

* Instant payout of 50-70% of redemption value

* Facility available even post market and banking hours

ICICIdirect, an online platform for investments, protection and loan products, today announced the launch of a revolutionary new offering, e-ATM for Mutual Funds, wherein customers will get instant payout on their MF redemption orders, against 2-4 working days in the normal cycle.

With e-ATM for MFs, ICICIdirect customers get payout within 30 min of redemption. Clients would get redemption of 50-70% of their MF redemption value within 30 minutes, and balance amount as per the payout cycle of the fund, which can be 2-4 working days. Maximum redemption is capped at INR 10 lakh per customer right now. If client redeems amount after 7:30 pm s/he will get the redemption at 10 am the next working day.

Mr. Kedar Deshpande, Head - Retail Distribution, ICICI Securities, said “After the success of our e-ATM for equities, which provided instant liquidity on sale of shares, our customers had been seeking a similar facility for mutual funds as well. We are happy to introduce ICICIdirect e-ATM for MFs which is available even post market and normal banking hours, and hence will be of great use in meeting urgent and last minute liquidity requirements. For retail investors, access to money is a very important consideration while making their investment decisions. Their ICICIdirect account is almost like an ATM, wherein they can withdraw money within 30 mins of their share and MF sale. This is a very strong value proposition we offer.”

e-ATM for MFs can be availed by resident individuals holding their equity, debt, and liquid schemes in demat units. It is also available for domestic schemes with international exposure. The facility comes at a nominal cost.

About ICICI Securities

ICICI Securities Limited (I-Sec) is a subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd. The company began its operation in May 1995 and continues to grow its operation through expanding its client base and providing different type of services.

I-Sec operates www.icicidirect.com, India’s leading virtual financial supermarket, meeting the three need sets of its clients- investments, protection, and borrowing. Through its four lines of businesses -- broking, distribution of financial products, wealth management and investment banking-- I-Sec serves customers ranging from the retail and institutional investors to corporates to high net-worth individuals to government.

I-Sec is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). For details, visit: www.icicisecurities.com

Goodknight Gold Flash And Kareena Kapoor Khan Partners For Digital Film, Urges Protection Against Malaria And Dengue

Goodknight, India's leading household insecticide brand, has partnered with actress Kareena Kapoor Khan for a new digital film to create awareness around mosquito-borne diseases. The film was showcased for the first time on Kareena’s Instagram account. Through this initiative, Goodknight and Kareena wants people to be cautious against malaria and dengue. The film features Goodknight Gold Flash which is India’s most powerful liquid vapouriser that protects against mosquitoes, hidden in the corners of homes, threatening the health of families.

Kareena Kapoor Khan is one of the most followed superstar in India. A protective mother and wife, the actress is extremely cautious about the health and wellbeing of her entire family.  Kareena herself is a regular user of mosquito repellent solutions for her family.  Thus, the partnership between Kareena and Goodknight works well as the brand itself is committed to ensure families are protected against mosquitoes. 

Conceptualized by Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, the digital film features Kareena in her original avatar- being concerned about her kids. She talks about how stepping out without a mask is dangerous as we are still fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s equally important to stay protected indoors from a hidden enemy- mosquitoes. Even though you can’t see them, they are hidden in corners of your house and their one bite is enough to cause diseases like dengue and malaria. However, the actress reveals her solution to keep her home protected. She relies on India’s most powerful liquid vapouriser - Goodknight Gold Flash, which ensures the elimination of mosquitoes through its unique technology which automatically releases flash vapours to knock down mosquitoes.

Commenting on this collaboration, Sunil Kataria CEO - India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Kareena Kapoor Khan for this awareness driven piece of communication which is credible and effective. Mosquito-borne diseases are currently surging across the country and what people don’t realise is that even one mosquito can be a threat to the family’s heath. Through this film, our intent is to reach out the masses across target groups and create awareness. Simultaneously highlight how Goodknight Gold Flash can help and empower households against mosquitoes. Apart from being one of India’s most followed and revered celebrity, Kareena symbolizes a commitment to ensure her family is healthy and protected. As a brand, we too share similar vision to ensure happy moments of families are protected uninterrupted.”

Sharing her perspective on the association, Kareena Kapoor Khan, said, “The pandemic has taught all of us to put family and health first above everything else. Seeing any family suffering from dengue and malaria pains me the most. I wouldn’t want my family or anyone else to go through the illness. Creating awareness and cautioning people is my humble effort along with Goodknight Gold Flash to ensure that people stay safe. I urge people to adopt basic precautions that can go a long way to make the country free of mosquito-borne diseases.”

Commenting on the film concept, Steve Priya, VPs & Executive Creative Directors, Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, said, “We’re all constantly aware of the invisible threat outside. And we will take every single precaution to stay protected for quite some time to come. But we forget that inside our homes too there’s a threat that’s constantly hiding. The dengue causing mosquito. And we may not even be able to spot it.We collaborated with one of India’s most loved and famous mom to create awareness and share our message of protection. To make sure that every home stays truly safe by switching on Goodknight every day.”

With upgraded heating technology and visible efficacy, Goodknight Gold Flash is a game changer in the liquid vapouriser category in India. The product comes with normal and flash mode, backed by a unique chip-based technology that switches between these modes automatically. Goodknight Gold Flash releases vapours for the first 30 minutes and then, automatically switches back to normal. The powerful yet simple repellent guarantees protection against mosquitoes, hidden in secret corners of homes, threatening the health of families.

Link of digital film: https://youtu.be/39UP93kKfNU &

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVj5khwoudS/?utm_medium=copy_link

About Godrej Consumer Products Ltd: 

Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. As part of the 124-year young Godrej Group, we are fortunate to have a proud legacy built on the strong values of trust, integrity and respect for others. At the same time, we are growing fast and have exciting, ambitious aspirations. 

Today, our Group enjoys the patronage of 1.15 billion consumers globally, across different businesses. In line with our 3 by 3 approach to international expansion at Godrej Consumer Products, we are building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal wash, hair care). We rank among the largest household insecticide and hair care players in emerging markets. In household insecticides, we are the leader in India, the second largest player in Indonesia and are expanding our footprint in Africa. We are the leader in serving the hair care needs of women of African descent, the number one player in hair colour in India and Sub-Saharan Africa, and among the leading players in Latin America. We rank number two in soaps in India and are the number one player in air fresheners and wet tissues in Indonesia. 

But for us, it is very important that besides our strong financial performance and innovative, much-loved products, we remain a good company. Approximately 23 per cent of the promoter holding in our Group is held in trusts that invest in the environment, health and education. We are also bringing together our passion and purpose to make a difference through our 'Good & Green' approach to create a more inclusive and greener India. 

At the heart of all of this, is our talented team. We take much pride in fostering an inspiring workplace, with an agile and high performance culture. We are also deeply committed to recognising and valuing diversity across our teams. 

Shikha Gupta, Ex-Creative Director, Swiggy, Now Joins slice As Its New Creative Head

slice, India’s largest credit card challenger start-up, today announced the appointment of Shikha Gupta as its Creative Head. 

Shikha comes with over 13 years of experience & was featured in Impact Magazine’s Top 50 most influential women in 2020. In her previous role as the Creative Director at Swiggy, she helped the team to scale up and delivered some notable creative campaigns for the brand. Prior to this, she was associated with brands and agencies like Urban Ladder, Rediffusion, ideas@work, and Grey Worldwide to name a few.

Commenting on this development, Shikha Gupta, Creative Head, slice, said, “As a brand built by and for the new generation who are always seeking for the simplest and coolest experience, slice is doing all the justification for the mission to demystify the world of finance. I’m excited by the creative challenge this poses and look forward to making slice one of India’s most-loved brands.”

Shikha’s appointment comes at a crucial point, as slice is scaling up the business. The brand rolled out its first ad campaign highlighting the key USP of its super card - its speed. The campaign demonstrated why slice is the card of choice for millennials & Genz.

About slice:

slice is India's largest credit card challenger to pay bills, manage expenses, and unlock rewards. Our members love us and swear by us. We're reinventing how traditional credit cards work by offering a simple and transparent app to help our members transact easily. We have about 4 million registered members with an average age of 27, making us a market leader in a fast-growing segment.

Oh, btw, we offer upto 2% cashback on every transaction, and our members have the option to convert monthly bills payable into 3 installments, with no extra charges. Yup, you can count on us.

For more information, visit: sliceit.com

FlexiLoans Makes It To Visa, MetLife Foundation ‘Inclusive Fintech 50 Cohort’ For 2021

* 48% of lending are to customers in Tier-II and Tier-III towns

* India’s top  SME-focused digital NBFCs growing at a CAGR of 500%

* 1200 crores + of disbursements to over 40,000 loans across 1600+ locations through 100%

* Largest embedded finance players in India with more than 120 partners like Amazon, PayPal, PineLabs, Flipkart, Mswipe, Xiaomi

* Flexiloans Top 50 Global Startups Driving Financial Inclusion and Resilience

FlexiLoans.com, India’s leading MSME-focused digital lending platform has been named a winner of the 2021 Inclusive Fintech 50 (IF50) for helping micro-enterprises grow by providing small business loans at the click of a button. 48% of its loans are to customers in Tier-II and Tier-III towns with 53% of the customers taking a business loan for the first time ever.

The 2021 IF50 awards recognize the top 50 inclusive fintech startups across the globe that are helping low-income customers and micro and small enterprises not just respond to the pandemic, but rebound, rebuild and recover after the past year’s devastation. IF50 is sponsored by Visa, MetLife Foundation, and Jersey Overseas Aid & Comic Relief, with support from Accion and IFC.

FlexiLoans, India’s fastest-growing MSME-focused Fintech NBFC, was selected among a pool of 300 plus applications received across the globe. With this, FlexiLoans joins a marquee group of 50 transformational FinTechs globally.

In its efforts to fuel “Atmanirbhar Bharat “growth, FlexiLoans has emerged amongst India’s top  SME-focused digital NBFCs growing at a CAGR of 500% with more than 1200 crores + of disbursements to over 40,000 loans across 1600+ locations through 100% digital origination and zero branches. The firm raised Rs 150 crore in an equity and debt funding round led by the Sanjay and Falguni Nayar Family Office in Oct 2020.  The firm has raised a total of Rs 500 crore in equity and debt funding so far. 

In the last five years of its inception, FlexiLoans.com has solved the MSME growth capital problem with its unique end-to-end digital sourcing, underwriting, and servicing technology. The company receives over 100,000 applications per month, largely from Tier III and Tier IV cities in India, and is currently disbursing at a run rate over Rs. 850 crores. Its business is powered by a large loan origination system making it one of the largest embedded finance players in India with more than 120 partners like Amazon, PayPal, PineLabs, Flipkart, Mswipe, Xiaomi, etc. using their lending services.  Its Co-lending platform ‘Bi-frost’ now has over 7 co-lending banks and NBFCs that seamlessly participate in funding the MSME customers originated and assessed by FlexiLoans.

Manish Lunia, Co-Founder, FLexiLoans.com said, "We are overwhelmed and delighted to be recognized as an 'Inclusive Fintech' amongst so many strong contenders globally. The award recognizes our mission and efforts to deliver accessible credit to MSMEs even in the most challenging of times such as the pandemic. This award will fuel the fire in our team to deliver on our mission of helping India’s MSMEs grow, prosper, and drive our country forward. Our approach puts the customer at the center and creates products around them by understanding their needs, hopes, and aspirations. We’re working hard on developing our products and growing our company to make a positive impact, so we’re very happy to receive this recognition for what we’re doing.”

About IF50

Inclusive Fintech 50 identifies promising early-stage fintechs driving financial inclusion around the globe through a competitive process led by an independent panel of judges from venture capital, technology, and financial services. Applicants are assessed on the degree to which their target market includes underserved people or businesses, and whether their innovation offers a new value proposition, shows early-stage traction, and can have a noticeable impact on the more than 3 billion financially underserved people globally. Inclusive Fintech 50 is sponsored by Visa, MetLife Foundation, and Jersey Overseas Aid & Comic Relief, with support from Accion and IFC. The initiative is managed by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI).

About FlexiLoans:

FlexiLoans.com has been ranked amongst the top 100 fintech innovators globally and is one of the Leading Digital Lending Platforms started with a vision to provide "Loans at a click" to SMEs while solving their problem of accessing quick, flexible, and adequate funds. It uses proprietary technology and risk models that focus on advanced analytics and surrogate methods for scoring customers.

Having over 120 partnerships with Ecosystem players such as Flipkart, Amazon, PineLabs, and PayPal, it has been at the forefront of providing lending solutions to MSME ecosystems in India. www.flexiloans.com offers comprehensive details about its products and services. 

Honeywell Solstice Low-Global-Warming-Potential Technology Reduces Global Greenhouse Gas Emission

* Sustainable refrigerants, blowing agents and aerosols have resulted in potential reduction of more than 250 million metric tons of CO2 to date

* As one of the key signatories to the Kigali Amendment, India has committed to cutting down the use of HFCs by 85 percent of their values in 2024-26[1]

Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) announced today that global adoption of its Solstice® low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants, blowing agents and aerosols has avoided potential release of the equivalent of more than 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to eliminating the potential emissions from more than 52 million cars per year.

Honeywell’s breakthrough Solstice® hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) technology, which helps customers lower their carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency without sacrificing end-product performance, is used in various applications, including refrigerants for supermarkets, air conditioning for cars and trucks, blowing agents for insulation, propellants for personal and household care and solvents for cleaning solutions.

Honeywell has already invested a billion dollars in research, development, and new capacity for the technology, having anticipated the need for lower-GWP solutions to combat climate change more than a decade ago..

To strengthen the Make in India footprint, the Honeywell India Technology Center (HITC) opened a refrigerant technology development center in February 2017 to support local and regional OEM partners in designing, incubating and testing new refrigerants, while helping them transition to lower-GWP alternatives.

“The successful deployment of safe, lower GWP alternatives such as Solstice is critical to meet phasedown targets for higher-GWP materials that were agreed to in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” said George Koutsaftes, President, Honeywell Advanced Materials. “Honeywell will continue to support the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Solstice line includes:

Solstice yf, an ultra-low GWP refrigerant for automobile air conditioning systems that is currently used in more than 100 million vehicles globally and is expected to grow to 125 million vehicles over the next few years.

Solstice N40, with a GWP approximately 60% lower than legacy hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, is the world’s most adopted, lowest-GWP replacement refrigerant for 404A in the supermarket industry, with more than 60,000 installations in supermarkets across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA), an ultra-low GWP solution used in a variety of rigid foam insulation applications, including residential and commercial refrigeration equipment, spray foam, pour-in-place insulation, and insulated metal panels.

Solstice Propellant, a non-flammable, low GWP solution for aerosol applications, including personal care products, pressure dusters, lubricants and cleaners, and disinfectants.

Solstice ze, an energy efficient, ultra-low GWP refrigerant, has been adopted by heat pump manufacturers to deliver low-carbon and energy cost savings in groundbreaking projects throughout Europe. And Solstice zd, an ultra-low GWP solution is currently used to cool the Channel Tunnel, reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of the landmark railway tunnel.

“India is the world’s third-largest energy consuming country, and per one study[2], space cooling is likely to consume around 56% of the total primary energy supply by 2027-28,” said Hitesh Mehta, Regional General Manager, Advanced Materials, Honeywell India. “The use of our Solstice ze solution in sustainable heat pump technology that replaces fossil-fuel based heating is an economical solution for customers to maximize energy savings and reduce carbon emissions.”

About half of Honeywell’s investment in new product introduction research and development is directed towards products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers, such as Solstice. This aligns with the company’s commitment to become carbon neutral in its facilities and operations by 2035, building on a track record to sharply reduce its greenhouse gas intensity as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals.

Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice® and Genetron® brand names for a wide range of applications including refrigeration and air conditioning for buildings and automobiles.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements. We identify the principal risks and uncertainties that affect our performance in our Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Kalyan Jewellers’ 150th Showroom Launched In Delhi NCR Market

* Showroom inaugurated by regional brand ambassadors of Punjab, West Bengal and & Kerala

Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted and leading jewellery brands, today launched its brand new showrooms at Noida The Great India Place GIP Mall and Vegas Mall, Dwarka. Inaugurated by Kalyan Jewellers’ regional ambassadors Wamiqa Gabbi (Punjab), Manju Warrier (Kerala) and Ritabhari Chakrobarthy (West Bengal), these outlets usher the brand towards the milestone of 150 showrooms across India and Middle East, reflecting its wide footprint across markets.

On the occasion of the launch, Wamiqa Gabbi, Kalyan Jewellers’ regional brand ambassador for Punjab said, ‘During my association with Kalyan Jewellers, I have been a part of many showroom inaugurations, but the ones we are launching today are especially special, as it marks the 150th showroom occasion.”

Manju Warrier, regional brand ambassador for Kerala added, “I have been a part of the Kalyan Journey since 2013, and I consider it a matter of personal pride and happiness that I am here for this landmark moment.”

Regional Brand ambassador for West Bengal, Ritabhari Chakrobarthy added, “After visiting the Kalyan showroom in West Bengal and now in Delhi, I have to add that I really admire the vast range of the collections here, and the hyper-local designs that are specially curated according to the region. I look forward to being a part of the journey where Kalyan Jewellers reaches new heights in the years to come.”

Talking about the new showrooms, Mr. TS Kalyanaraman, Chairman & Managing Director – Kalyan Jewellers said, “Today, marks a very special moment for us – with these two new showrooms in Delhi NCR, Kalyan Jewellers is at the golden milestone of 150 showrooms across India and the Middle East. Being a customer-first brand, our priority has always been giving our patrons maximum value from their purchases, and our showrooms reflect this focus with their extensive product range as well as the safe and best-in-class shopping experience they offer to everyone who visits us. We would like to reiterate our commitment to patrons as we continue expanding our footprint across our key markets.”

As part of the launch offer, customers at these showrooms will be able to maximise the value of their purchases with offers that include up to 25% cashback on VA or making charges of gold jewellery with VA starting as low as Rs. 199/- per gram. On diamond jewellery as well as on precious and uncut stone jewellery, a 25% cashback & a 20% cashback on stone charges is also applicable. Cashbacks can be availed in the form of instantly redeemable vouchers, and these offers are valid until 30th November, 2021 at showrooms across India. Customers can also opt for the Gold Rate Protection plan, by paying 10% advance on their intended purchase value.

With Kalyan Jewellers’ ‘We Care’ COVID-19 guidelines, the company has instituted the highest level of safety and precautionary measures across operational showrooms to safeguard the health and safety of both customers and staff alike.

Customers will also be able to avail the benefits of Kalyan’s new 4-Level Assurance Certification on gold jewellery. While jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers goes through multiple purity tests and are all BIS hallmarked, the 4-level assurance certificate promises customers payment on the value of purity mentioned in the invoice during exchange or resale. Also, it ensures free lifetime maintenance of ornaments at any Kalyan Jewellers’ showroom in the country.

Kalyan Jewellers will offer its patrons Muhurat, the bridal jewellery line curated from across India along with exclusive sections featuring Kalyan’s popular house brands such as Vedha (heritage jewellery), Tejasvi (Polki jewellery), Mudhra (handcrafted antique jewellery), Nimah (Temple jewellery) and Glo (dancing diamonds). Other sections at the showroom include Ziah (Solitaire-like diamond jewellery), Anokhi (uncut diamonds), Apoorva (diamonds for special occasions), Antara (wedding diamonds), Hera (daily wear diamonds) and Rang (precious stones jewellery). Kalyan Jewellers will draw from its portfolio of over one lakh contemporary and traditional designs and will offer selections for everyday as well as bridal wear and festive occasions.

*T&C Apply