BITS Pilani Announces Admissions To Work Integrated Learning Programmes

* The programmes promise industry-relevant higher education experience to working professionals, without taking a sabbatical

* In last 40 years, BITS Pilani's WILP has enabled over 87,000 working people to pursue industry relevant higher education degree programmes

BITS Pilani, an Institution of national repute, is known for providing technical education of the highest standards, and is well recognised for its innovations in education and strong links with industry. The institute has announced its next cycle of admissions for its Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) that are designed for and offered to only working professionals looking to upgrade their educational qualifications in industry-relevant technology and management domains.

BITS Pilani's WILP has enabled over 87,000 working people to get industry-relevant higher education qualifications without taking a career sabbatical for over the last 40 years. The curriculum is continuously being innovated and refreshed to reflect the latest developments in technology and trends within industry. With the aim to provide the highest quality experience and commitment to transparency WILP gives opportunities to upgrade your career and stay relevant.

Prof. G. Sundar Director Off-Campus Programmes & Industry Engagement, BITS Pilani, said “While working professionals strive to excel in highly technical and challenging careers, we aim to provide them with the highest quality education experience relevant to their specialisation along with opportunities to upgrade and stay relevant, and that too without having to take any career breaks.”

WILP includes a range of programmes from B.Tech. , M.Tech., M.Sc., MBA and Diplomas offered exclusively for working professionals in industry sectors such as IT & ITES, Automotive, Manufacturing, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, and BFSI. The programmes use a Continuous Evaluation System that assesses the learners over convenient and regular intervals. Such a system provides timely and frequent feedback and helps busy working professionals stay on course with the programme.

These Higher Education Programmes for working professionals are offered in high demand areas for many key Industry sectors. IT & ITES Sector Employees can pursue programmes with specialization in trending domains like Data Analytics, Business Analytics, Internet of Things, Embedded Systems, Security, Networks & Cloud, Fintech, Software Engineering, Infrastructure Management etc.,

The Manufacturing sector professionals can pursue programmes that enable them to specialize in domains such as Automotive Electronics, Automotive Engineering, Design Engineering, Digital Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Quality Management, and Manufacturing Management etc. WILP also offers a range of technology and management programmes for the pharmaceutical & health care sector employees as well.

Key highlights of the programme:

●        With technology enabled synchronous classes conducted mostly on weekends or after business hours. Working professionals can pursue these programmes without any career break.

●        These programmes lead to award of degrees, or diplomas in science technology/engineering, and management domains

●        The education delivery methodology is a blend of classroom and experiential learning. Experiential learning consists of lab exercises, assignments, case studies and work-integrated activities.

●        Participants who successfully complete the programme will become members of an elite & global community of BITS Pilani Alumni

**Working professionals who are keen to apply to these programmes can do so online by visiting the BITS Pilani’s work integrated learning programme web site https://bits-pilani-wilp.ac.in/

The Last date for application is 6th December, 2021**

About BITS Pilani Work Integrated Learning Programmes:

India has a large and qualified professional workforce, which must and will continue to grow in size, complexity, and quality. Given the nature of modern professions, and the acquired reputation of Indian professionals in these roles, continual learning and higher educational qualifications are necessary tools for the nation to succeed within, and compete globally. Work Integrated Learning Programmes of BITS Pilani (WILP) are degree/diploma/certificate programmes which are developed and conducted by BITS Pilani in association and jointly with organizations representing various industry sectors.

About BITS Pilani:

BITS Pilani is an Institution of national repute, known for providing technical education of the highest standards and is well recognized for its innovations, and strong links with industry. It is consistently ranked as the best private engineering & technology institution by leading ranking agencies and publications. MHRD, Govt. of India, in August 2018 announced BITS Pilani as one of the first six Institutions of Eminence in the country. It is one of the few universities that has created an institutionalized framework for achieving a vibrant environment that successfully inculcates an ambience for experiential and cooperative learning and education. BITS Pilani views education as a continual engagement and experience, and ensures that the learning experience is integrated seamlessly not only across its classrooms and laboratories, but also in the industry, as exemplified by its Practice School, and Work Integrated Learning Programmes.

Kedaara Acquires Majority Stake In GS Lab, A Player In Digital Product Engineering Services

* NASSCOM expects India’s engineering R&D sector to grow at a CAGR of 13% to US$ 65bn by 2025

Great Software Laboratory Private Limited (“GS Lab”), a leader in digital product engineering services, today announced the acquisition of a significant majority stake in the company by Kedaara, a leading private equity firm. GS Lab has grown at a stellar rate of 20%+ over the last five years.Investment from Kedaara will enable GS Lab to:

Accelerate business growth by leveraging global relationships of Kedaara and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (“CD&R”), a global private equity firm and JV partner of Kedaara,

Deliver digital product engineering services to a wider pool of customers across Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), enterprises, and digital-native companies globally, and

Continue to focus on leading-edge technologies to meet the digital needs of customers and create an enriching work environment for all employees.

“Over the past 18 years, we have scaled GS Lab into a 1600+ person innovation-led organization,” said Shridhar Shukla and Sunil Gaitonde, the co-founders of GS Lab. “The investment by Kedaara will enable us to further build on our strengths and take advantage of the growing need for innovative software and digital solutions across industries globally and in India, by leveraging Kedaara and CD&R’s extensive network and relationships.”

Sunish Sharma, Co-CEO & Managing Partner of Kedaara, and Parin Mehta, Managing Director of Kedaara, said, “Digital transformation is one of the key investment themes for us, and we are very excited to partner with the GS Lab team to support their continued development of outstanding digital software products for their clients worldwide. Shridhar, Sunil, Atul and the senior leadership team have truly built a strong platform at GS Lab with exceptional product engineering capabilities, focus on innovation and partnerships with world-class clients.”

Digital product engineering services is a high-growth sector globally. According to NASSCOM[1], India’s engineering R&D sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% to US$ 65bn by 2025, up from US$ 31bn in 2019. This growth is being fueled by rapidly accelerating digitalization across all industry verticals. India is uniquely positioned to tap into this opportunity and support global MNCs with their digital transformation efforts, given a strong focus on innovation, a large and diverse talent pool, and the ability to provide differentiated service delivery. GS Lab is at the forefront of this digital transformation, functioning as the innovation engine for ISVs, digital-native startups, and enterprises globally.

Pramod Bhasin, Operating Partner, Kedaara, and former President and CEO, Genpact, said, “It is quite clear that digital is becoming the core differentiator for businesses across the board globally. With a strong product DNA and IP-led culture, GS Lab is very well positioned to be one of the premier digital engineering service providers based out of India.”

GS Lab works through the entire software development cycle, from ideation through design, development, execution, deployment, and support. Its team of engineers and product architects offer cutting-edge capabilities in cloud, identity management, security, IoT, AI/ML and data sciences to its clients across sectors. The company differentiates itself through its strong innovation-led R&D culture with an extensive set of IP-driven in-house accelerators. 

“We are very pleased to partner with Kedaara for continuing GS Lab’s growth journey,” said Atul Narkhede, the CEO of GS Lab. “We have built a culture of technological innovation and client centricity. Kedaara has significant experience in scaling businesses while retaining the same entrepreneurial ethos and are an ideal partner for the organization’s next phase of growth.”

DC Advisory acted as the sole financial advisor to GS Lab on the transaction.

About Kedaara

Kedaara is an operationally oriented private equity firm pursuing control and minority investment opportunities in India. It currently advises / manages over ~US$ 3.9 billion through investments in several market leading businesses across a variety of sectors including consumer, financial services, pharma/healthcare, technology / business services and industrials. Kedaara’s operating partner model comprising former CEOs with proven track records of building market leading businesses that enables businesses to realize their full potential. Since its inception, Kedaara has remained singularly dedicated to its stated strategy of focusing on investments built through trust-based relationships with best-in-class entrepreneurs and management teams across secular fast growing end markets. Kedaara was co-founded by Manish Kejriwal, Sunish Sharma and Nishant Sharma and combines the strengths of a well-networked, highly experienced local investing and operating team, with the experience of their strategic partner, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a global private equity firm whose investment model blends financial skills with operating expertise.

For further information about Kedaara, please visit: https://kedaara.com

About Great Software Laboratory Private Limited

GS Lab is a provider of digital product engineering services, helping ISVs and enterprises build, deploy and manage their digital products. Over 18 years, GS Lab has engineered 350+ software and digital products for its customers. Their innovation-led culture and client-centric engagement model helps GS Lab craft solutions for its clients in a nimble and agile manner. Headquartered in Pune, GS Lab has engineering centers across India, the USA and the UK, and services clients across technology, telecom, communications, networking, healthcare, financial services, real estate, and various other industries. The company works with ISVs and enterprises, both large market-leading organizations as well as emerging innovators, to enable them to develop and manage new digital products.

For further information about GS Lab, please visit: https://www.gslab.com/

Nutanix Names Dominick Delfino As The New Chief Revenue Officer

* Adds Experienced Global Sales Leader with Proven Track Record of Accelerating Growth and Strong Execution

Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), a leader in hybrid multicloud computing, today announced the appointment of Dominick Delfino as Chief Revenue Officer, effective December 6, 2021. Delfino will be responsible for leading the Company’s worldwide sales organization including sales engineering, sales operations, inside sales, OEM sales, and channel sales.

“Dom is a talented leader with a proven track record of scaling businesses, has a strong history of delivering on go-to-market strategies and sales growth, and is an ideal fit for our company culture,” said Rajiv Ramaswami, President and CEO of Nutanix. “Dom’s global sales and industry leadership experience, combined with his innate understanding of what customers want and need, will be invaluable to our continued growth and success as we help our customers navigate to a hybrid multicloud future. I have known Dom for almost twenty years, and I look forward to working closely with him as we expand our go-to-market presence, deliver on our long-term financial goals, and drive value for our stakeholders.”

“I have long admired Nutanix for its industry-defining technology, strong customer-centric culture, and large market opportunity,” said Delfino. “I’m excited to join this talented team to deliver exceptional customer satisfaction and drive revenue growth. Given the simplicity, flexibility, and resilience of Nutanix’s powerful Cloud Platform, I see tremendous opportunity to build on Nutanix’s strong foundation and continue expanding its loyal partner and customer base.”

Delfino brings more than 20 years of global sales experience, having led software sales and system engineering teams at multiple technology and software companies. Most recently, Delfino was Chief Revenue Officer at Pure Storage, where he was responsible for leading and growing the sales organization while developing differentiated go-to-market strategies. Prior to that, Delfino spent six years at VMware, most recently as Senior Vice President and General Manager for all VMware sales in the Americas. While at VMware, Dominick had extensive experience selling VMware’s Cloud Foundation and VSAN solutions. Prior to that role, he led VMware’s worldwide sales specialist teams for networking, storage, cloud management, and cloud foundation. Previously, Delfino spent 14 years at Cisco leading its data center and virtualization technology strategy and pre-sales systems engineering globally. Delfino has a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from the State University of New York Morrisville.

For more information about Dominick Delfino go here:

About Nutanix

Nutanix is a global leader in cloud software and a pioneer in hyperconverged infrastructure solutions, making clouds invisible, freeing customers to focus on their business outcomes. Organizations around the world use Nutanix software to leverage a single platform to manage any app at any location for their hybrid multicloud environments. Learn more at www.nutanix.com or follow us on social media @nutanix.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Releases Inaugural ESG Report

* Report highlights the Group’s commitment and ongoing performance towards carbon-neutral data centre operations by 2030

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), a leading data centre service provider headquartered in Singapore, has published its inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, providing a comprehensive overview of the Group’s approach, programmes and performance across three key pillars. These include Decarbonisation, a Safe, Secure and Inclusive Workplace, and Ethical & Responsible Operations.

“As an enabler of digital infrastructure across our global operations, we know that climate change has only further underscored the need to optimise our energy efficiency, source our energy responsibly and minimise our resource usage,” said Bruno Lopez, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres. With our inaugural ESG report, we reaffirm our commitments to providing reliable, resilient and responsible digital infrastructure across all our existing data centre platforms, even as we expand to new geographies.”

STT GDC has also recently participated in the inaugural auction of a portfolio of high-quality carbon credits hosted by Climate Impact Exchange (CIX) in Singapore. Through the auction, it has successfully secured 25,000 tons of carbon credits that will offset approximately 15% of the company’s emissions in Singapore.

“Climate issues are a rising concern for many businesses and consumers. As Singapore pushes the envelope on sustainable development, it is imperative for the ecosystem to come together to make a collective impact and bring positive change. Sustainability has always been a core priority for our business and we have pledged to be carbon-neutral in our data centre operations by 2030. The CIX Alpha Auction represents an exciting opportunity for us to make a difference as part of our overall global ESG strategy and we are excited to join forces with other like-minded organisations to strengthen the marketplace and spearhead lasting change for future generations,” said Lopez.

2020 ESG Report Highlights:

Decarbonisation

* Pledged to transition its data centre operations to be net carbon-neutral by 2030

* Energy Efficiency: Over the year, STT GDC has achieved 43% carbon-free energy usage across its operations. In Singapore, it has installed a 2,000 m2 rooftop solar photovoltaic system at its latest data centre, STT Loyang. In addition, it has signed additional renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) to increase renewable energy penetration from 32% to 51% across its India business in the coming years. In the UK, the company has renewed and expanded contracts to procure 100% renewable energy.

* Green Buildings: Newly constructed buildings will be LEED Gold certified as a minimum. In Thailand, STT GDC built the first LEED Gold data centre whereas in Singapore, it achieved both LEED Gold and BCA-IMDA Green Mark Platinum certifications for the STT Loyang data centre.

* Water Stewardship: STT GDC regularly implements water usage efficiency programmes such as non-chemical treatment of the cooling tower at its STT Tai Seng data centre in Singapore, which allowed an estimated 7,300 m3 of environmentally friendly water to be discharged into the sewerage system without polluting the environment. In India, STT GDC had also pioneered a unique reverse osmosis (RO) plant in Chennai, allowing 40 kilolitres (kL) of blowdown water to be reused each day.

Fostering a Safe, Secure, Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

* Diversity and Inclusion: STT GDC boasts a diverse leadership with women making up a third of the management team (32%) in 2020. It plans to make further strategic plans regarding the critical topic of diversity in 2022.

* Labour Rights and Safety: As part of the Group’s drive towards world-class Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) performance, STT GDC has recorded 10.4 million hours worked in its construction program without serious incidents. STT GDC has also achieved zero work-related injuries within its operational data centres and zero high-consequence injuries throughout 2020.

* Building Industry Talent and Expertise: In India, the company launched the STT GDC India Centre of Excellence in 2021, providing career pathways for local students and upskilling industry talent.

Ethical and Responsible Operations

* Robust Governance: In addition to ensuring 100% of its employees formally acknowledge and commit to anti-corruption and ethics policies annually, STT GDC also ensures that 100% of its suppliers formally acknowledge the Group’s code of conduct.

* Fostering Local Communities: Launched in 2018, STT GDC’s Lakhpati Initiative is a community-centric approach where the Group builds enabling infrastructure based on farmers’ feedback. The programme has since engaged with over 1,000 households in India, helping them to generate a sustainable income

STT GDC’s inaugural ESG Report is based on the Group’s financial year from 1 January to 31 December 2020, covering all operations (data centres and offices) under STT GDC’s control during the year (i.e. Singapore, India and the UK). Read more about the ESG initiatives or download the full report.  

About ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India)

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India) (STT GDC India), a majority-owned subsidiary of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, is a market-leading data centre service provider with the largest data centre footprint in the country. STT GDC India has been managing the country's largest raised floor area and critical IT load of over 190 MW, with now 21 facilities* across nine major cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Noida serving over 1,000 customers, including many Fortune 500 companies. Its mission-critical solutions comprise best-in-class offerings delivering industry-leading uptime to its customers. STT GDC India now operates three of the country's largest data centre facilities in Pune, Chennai, and Bengaluru. 

Elgi Equipments Posted PAT Of Rs.51.6 Crores For The Sept 2021 Quarter

Elgi Equipments Ltd, manufacturer of air compressors, posted a PAT of Rs. 51.6 Crores for the September 2021 quarter compared to a PAT of Rs. 33.2 Crores in the same period in 2020-21, on a consolidated basis. The standalone PAT for the quarter was Rs. 56.9 Crores as compared to a PAT of Rs. 29.8 Crores in the same period in 2020-21.

Consolidated sales for the quarter was Rs. 652 Crores as against Rs. 480 Crores in the corresponding quarter in 2020-21. Standalone sales for the quarter was Rs. 416 Crores compared to Rs. 265 Crores for the same quarter in 2020-21.

But for Australia and South East Asia which faced a resurgence of COVID related disruptions, the Company’s performance has been good across markets.

Raw material commodity prices increased repeatedly and frequently during the first quarter. With commitments made to government related orders, for supplying compressors for oxygen generators as well as longer gestation for price corrections in the markets, margins shrunk significantly.  However, we expect that price correction and cost management would result in gradual recovery of the margins. 

Sales of the Company’s automotive business bounced back to pre-COVID stage and increased by 45% when compared to the corresponding period of 2020-21. 

Outlook for the third quarter - 2021-22

The performance in the second quarter is expected to continue in the third quarter as well. 

About ELGi: Elgi Equipments Limited is a global air compressor manufacturer with a broad line of innovative and technologically superior compressed air systems. ELGi has consistently worked towards ensuring that its customers achieve their productivity goals while keeping the cost of ownership low. ELGi offers a complete range of compressed air solutions from oil lubricated and oil free rotary screw compressors, oil lubricated and oil free reciprocating compressors and centrifugal compressors, to dryers, filters and downstream accessories. The company’s portfolio of over 400 products has found wide application across industries. For further information on the organisation and its products - visit http://www.elgi.com

Design N Develop & Milano Opens Its 1st Retail Store In Bangalore

Design N Develop by DANUBE HOME,the leading lifestyle brand inFurniture, Garden, Home Décor –Home Furnishings, Sanitary, Hardware, Electrical and Tiles brand. Also, complete Home Interior Solutions from Design N Develop by Danube Homefrom Middle East entered the Indian market with a bang with the launch of its 1st Retail Store in Bangalore in collaboration with Shah Global.

Present on the occasion were Honorable President for Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Mr. D.K. Shivkumar, Mr. Ismail Mohammed- Former Additional Secretary LAW GOK, Dr Shanawaz N Khan CEO SHAH GLOBAL along with other senior management of the group & team.

The retail store is located at HBR layout, Bangalore. Sophisticated in every detail, the well-designed store occupies an area of 12000 square-feet with stand-alone concept and looks quite bigger than its size because of its design and layout which exemplifies the quality design and class of Milano. The showroom exhibits wide range of Loose Furniture from different parts of the world, Italian designed Bath Fittings, Hardware, Electrical products, Home Interior Solutions, Home Theatre which offers a touch and feel experience to all its customers who are looking for some affordable luxury products. Also providing first of its Home Theater solutions where customers can experience and feel Live Home Theater.

Shubhojit Mahalanobis, Director Danube Home& Danube Hospitality Solutions said “We have a robust expansion for our experience centre, and we are hoping to have a great response from this store for Design & Develop &Milano in the country in Bengaluru. We shall ensure our global commitment of exemplary service standards is carried forward in the Indian sub-continent”.

He further added: “Since, this is a business consisting of products, which are mostly sold once touched and felt by customers. This store is just the beginning of the entire vision and we are optimistic that our targeted customers, builders and the consultant of the city shall appreciate our collection and act as our catapult for our business.”

Dr Shanawaz N Khan CEO SHAH GLOBAL said: “We are excited with the partnership and confident to carry forward the legacy of Danube Groups product and its customer service excellence. We will continue to build on our momentum in this important area of business., People are becoming creative, it lets people be productive, I’m excited with one more extension of our company. We are honoured and positive for good business growth. The team looked optimistic and confident as they posed with the elegant Italian products of their brand.”

Mrs. Anupam Nag Business Head-DnD Division (Karnataka) said: We are very excited with our one more Branch and its extension. The wide range of products displayed by us will enhance customer forbest choice with quality product and affordable pricing.

From Kitchen sinks, to luxury faucets, to rain showers, to accessories for special assistance, to sanitary ware and electric products, the brands is a one stop shop for all home, kitchen and bathroom fittings.

The brand has entered the market in collaboration with their local South India master distributer M/S Shah Global Impex.

About Milano:

Milano brand is wholly owned by Danube Group, which is originated in Italy and registered worldwide since 2006 and exhibits a range of sanitary ware, electrical products, tiles, water purifier and hardware. The brand is distributed in Africa, Europe, Asia, India and Sri Lanka, and has around 50 showrooms in the Middle East, more than 5000 distributors across the world.

About Danube Group:

Danube Group traces its origin through Danube Building Materials. Established in 1993, the company provides more than 50,000 products in stock and in-house value-added services in all of its multiple set of showrooms across the Middle East region and India. The company operates from its head offices in JAFZA with logistics facilities across the region which amounts to 5.5 million square feet. The group takes pride in not just designing and building but also nurturing a long-lasting relationship with their clients.

From a small trading firm, Danube has grown into one of the largest building materials companies in the region, with its diversified branches worldwide including UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and India, in addition to procurement offices in China and Canada. Danube has a team of 3,300 plus people working in strategic locations across the GCC and India.  And now slowly and steadily moving its footprints towards Property Development and home improvement.

26th Edition Of The European Union Film Festival To Feature Austrian Movie Little Joe And Belgium’s Lola

* 60 films in 37 languages from across Europe and India to be screened at the 26th European Union Film Festival; EUFF to pay homage to Indian cinema legend Satyajit Ray 

* Little Joe is a winner at 2019 Cannes Film Festival for Winner: Best Actress – Emily Beecham. 

* Lola has been awarded Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival 2021 Audience Award Best Feature 

* The festival began from 1 November. Audiences can register through the Festival Scope and the EUFF website  

The 26th edition of the European Union Film Festival is available in its virtual avatar till November 30th – featuring outstanding, award-winning European cinema that bring forth inspiring stories, all from the comfort and safety of our homes. It celebrates the diversity and depth of European cinema and culture. The festival’s main attraction would Austria’s English movie Little Joe and Belgique movie Lola. 

Little Joe follows Alice (Emily Beecham), a single mother and dedicated senior plant breeder at a corporation engaged in developing new species. She has engineered a special crimson flower, remarkable not only for its beauty but also for its therapeutic value; if kept at the ideal temperature, fed properly, and spoken to regularly, this plant makes its owner happy. Against the company policy, Alice takes one home as a gift for her teenage son, Joe. They christen it ‘Little Joe.’ But as their plant grows, so too does Alice’s suspicion that her new creation may not be as harmless as its nickname suggests. 

Lola is about an 18-year-old transgender, learns that she can finally have surgery, her mother, who is her only financial support, passes away. Abiding by her mother’s last wishes, Lola and her father, who are permanently in conflict and have not seen each other for two years, undertake a journey all the way to the Belgian coast. They realize the outcome of the journey may not be the one they were both expecting! 

Through November 2021, viewers and movie buffs can enjoy 60 outstanding movies in 37 languages across 8 genres that explore unique stories, experiences, and histories with artistic storytelling from across 27 Member States and associate countries, celebrating the most recent cinematic triumphs at Cannes, Locarno, San Sebastian, Karlovy Vary, and Venice, amongst others.  

The festival will also pay homage to legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, on his 100th birth anniversary, with the projection of the seminal Pather Panchali. A special contemporary Indian section, curated by the Dharamshala International Film Festival, includes six films in four Indian official languages namely Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam and Bengali. 

Access to the Film Festival  

Tickets for the Film Festival and related side events will be free for audiences. Audiences can register through the Delegation’s website and social media channels.  The Film Festival will run till 30th November. Once registered, viewers can log in at their convenience. Register here:  https://www.festivalscope.com/page/euff-india-a-window-to-europe/