Plum Launches Lite - Health Benefits Membership For Early Stage Startups, SMEs And Gig Workers

* Offers instant activation for teams as small as two; for a monthly subscription as low as Rs 85/ month

Plum, an employee health insurance platform, today announced the launch of Plum-Lite - a comprehensive group health benefits membership exclusively for early stage start-ups, SMEs and gig workers/ freelance consultants. The membership will offer new-age health insurance covers, doctor consultations and Covid19 treatment covers for companies with teams as small as two members and for a premium starting as low as Rs. 85 per month.

For any early stage business, thinking of health benefits from day one is a challenge due to accessibility, affordability and usability. Current employee health plans have only been available for larger teams requiring a minimum of 10 members. Through Plum’s new Health Benefits Membership, bootstrapped teams starting with just two members can get covered. The price point starting at Rs. 85 (per member/ per month) is less than a meal or a single doctor consultation. Plum has further made it possible to avail this membership through monthly subscriptions; this ensures that bootstrapped businesses do not have to lock-in a large annual investment. 

The membership covers, health insurance upto Rs 5 lakhs, unlimited doctor consultations, weekly wellness sessions, dental and vision checkups, mental wellness consultations and Covid19 treatment claims. It also covers employees, spouse and kids and has a zero human touchpoint leading to instant activation.

On the launch of Plum-Lite, Plum’s new Health Benefits Membership, Abhishek Poddar, Co-founder and CEO, Plum, said, “Plum is on a mission to make health benefits and comprehensive employer<>employee insurance available to the most underserved segments. Our first launch in this space is for early stage startups, SMEs and gig workers/ freelance consultants. We aim to create a wellness-first behaviour in workplaces that care. Further, this launch also fulfils Plum’s goal of insuring 10 million lives by 2024 as it is our endeavour to ensure no one remains un/ under-insured due to unaffordability or lack of access.”

Insurance penetration amongst the 6.3 crore SMEs and 15 million gig workers in India is extremely low despite their prominent contribution towards the growth of the Indian economy. The launch of Plum-Lite reiterates Plum’s commitment on augmenting health insurance penetration among early stage startups, SMEs and gig workers/ freelance consultants.

Plum recently partnered with Razorpay Rize to offer exclusive group health benefits to early stage startup founders and aims to cover over 1 lakh new businesses and entrepreneurs. Plum has set strong roots in the fast-growing startup ecosystem in India and currently works with 1000+ startups including unicorns like Unacademy, Slice and Groww that think insurance-first. The company is backed by Tiger and Sequoia.

About Plum

Plum is an employee health insurance platform which provides health benefits to corporates. The company is on a mission to accelerate the adoption of health insurance in India by making employee health insurance accessible, affordable, and usable for employees. It is re-imagining the health insurance stack and accelerating the penetration of health insurance in India to 100%. The platform enables real-time insurance design and pricing to enable companies to buy insurance in 3-clicks besides offering employees hassle-free claims experience through an integrated digital process. Plum aims to reach a milestone of 10mn lives insured by 2024. Plum is backed by Tiger and Sequoia and its customers include Clevertap, Simpl, Epifi and 1000+ startups that think insurance-first. 

Godrej Appliances Improves Food Safety For Consumers With Advanced Nano Disinfection Technology In Its Frost Free Refrigerators

* Targets expanding its Health & Hygiene led appliance offerings to 30% of its portfolio

* 100% surface sterilization inside air flow duct and 95%+ germ removal from food surfaces

* Reiterates its commitment towards consumer health by extending disinfection technologies across surface disinfection, room air conditioning, laundry, dishwashing to now refrigeration

Godrej Appliances, part of Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, has been strengthening its product offerings in line with the consumer shift towards more health and hygiene consciousness. To cater to this increasing demand, the brand has introduced advanced ‘Nano Disinfection Technology’ to its range of frost-free refrigerators, for which the company has also filed a patent.

The environment we live in today is prone to germs and consumers are increasingly concerned about it.  Godrej Appliances wants to ensure that the food people are consuming is as healthy as possible, especially in today’s scenario where our food changes many hands before it reaches us and even the air around is prone to germs. The Nano Disinfection Technology uses a special Anti-Germ Nano coating in the air flow duct of the refrigerator. The air passing through this duct gets disinfected and as it circulates, it controls microbial activity in the enclosed refrigerator compartment, further disinfecting food surfaces in the refrigerator. This technology has been tested to deliver 100% surface sterilization at the duct and an average of 95%+ food surface disinfection against germs. The clear reduction in microbial activity helps ensure better food preservation, keeping it fresh and healthy for longer. Unlike regular refrigerators which reduce microbial growth with cooling, the disinfection technology goes a step further in sanitizing the air in the refrigerator and therefore the exposed food surfaces against any germs which may be present on it.

The technology was tested at an NABL accredited lab. The 24 hour food surface disinfection lab tests were conducted against select set of commonly found germs like eColi, Salmonella etc and on different foods - exposed tomato, exposed bread, curd and cut apple – things which one commonly finds in the refrigerator. This advanced technology is proprietary to Godrej Appliances.

Earlier this year, Godrej Appliances introduced the T-series Air Conditioners with a special Nano-Coated Anti-Viral Filtration Technology which disinfects 99.9%* viral and bacterial particles coming in contact with the Nano Coated Filter surface; Godrej Eon Dishwashers with technologies such as Anti-Germ UV-Ion Technology, Steam wash and Anti-bacterial filters to eliminates bacteria and disinfect dishes; and 5 Star BEE rated Godrej Eon Magnus Washing Machines with GermShield Technology that disinfects 99.99%+ germs* and covid virus*. Godrej also offers advanced medical refrigerators for vaccine preservation and advanced freezers for medical cold chain and has been part of India’s covid vaccination drive. Last year, the company also launched Godrej ViroShield, a UVC based disinfecting device to eliminate covid virus and germs from surfaces of almost all daily usage articles.  (*Conditions apply. Know details of test at godrej.com/Godrej-appliances).

Commenting on the new launch, Kamal Nandi, Business Head and Executive Vice President – Godrej Appliances, said, “We are committed towards offering our consumers better health and hygiene solutions across all our appliances portfolio and have been exploring technologies. Since the last year, we have introduced multiple products with cutting edge technologies for germ protection. Encouraged by the response on these offerings and our continuous consumer interactions which reveal a clear need for food disinfection inside refrigerators, we launched the Nano Disinfection technology in our refrigerators. With this technology, we aim to strengthen our market position and increase our health-oriented solutions to 30% of our overall portfolio by next year.”

Further, Anup Bhargava, Product Group Head -Refrigerators, Godrej Appliances, added, "The Nano Disinfection Technology introduction is a significant benchmark in Indian refrigerator industry. The Nano Disinfection Technology is available in the recent new introduction of Godrej Eon Valor Convertible Refrigerator which also comes with fridge freezer 4-in-1 Convertible technology, and Cool Balance Technology with advanced air flow design that keeps your food farm fresh for upto 30 days.  The disinfection technology will soon be available in the entire Frost Free Range.”

The machines are available in 244-350 liters capacity starting from Rs. 29,000.

About Godrej Appliances:

Godrej Appliances, a business unit of Godrej & Boyce, is one of the leading Home Appliances players in India. Godrej & Boyce was the first Indian Company in 1958 to manufacture Refrigerators and since then Godrej Appliances has expanded its portfolio across many other categories like Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Microwave Ovens, futuristic Thermo-electric cooling solutions, Air Coolers, Deep Freezers, highly specialized Medical Refrigerators and more recently, UVC Technology-Based Disinfecting devices and Dishwashers, all powered by the driving philosophy of 'Things Made Thoughtfully’.

This thought extends from human-centric design to planet centric design. Environment is a core value at Godrej. Both manufacturing units of Godrej Appliances became the first in the country to win the coveted Platinum Plus Green Co certification for their pioneering green manufacturing practices. The brand takes pride in not just its carefully designed products and environment-friendly technologies, but also best in class after-sales service delivered through over 680 service centers and more than 4500 SmartBuddy service experts spread all over the country.

To learn more visit : https://www.godrej.com/godrej-appliances

Medtronic Engineering And Innovation Center Is Now Great Place To Work-Certified From November 2021 To November 2022

* Certification reflects High-Trust, High-Performance Culture within the organization

Date – Medtronic Engineering & Innovation Center (MEIC) today announced that they have been Great Place to Work – Certified, the world’s most trusted authority and a Gold Standard in identifying and recognizing great workplace cultures, across various organizations of different sizes. MEIC earned this acknowledgement by surpassing the Trust Index© Employee Survey threshold under the category of ‘Large Organizations’ (more than 500 employees).

This is how MEIC fared across key parameters in the Great Place to Work® Trust Index© survey:

91% employees feel management is honest and ethical in its business practices.

97% feel this is a physically safe place to work.

91% feel employees can take time off from work when they think it’s necessary.

93% feel employees are treated fairly regardless of their race or caste, gender and sexual orientation

93% are proud to tell others they work here.

94% feel good about the ways we contribute to the society.

91% feel people celebrate special events around here.

92% feel when you join the organization, you are made to feel welcome.

“This is a badge of honor that validates the culture we have created for ourselves at Medtronic Engineering and Innovation Center as well as the exemplary experience our employees have had since the Center’s inception. We believe that when people from different cultures, diverse backgrounds, and points of view come together, innovation is the result — hence creating better outcomes around the world for patients, healthcare professionals as well as communities where we live and work,” said Divya Prakash Joshi, senior director and site leader, Medtronic Engineering and Innovation Center, Hyderabad.

This certification now enables MEIC to be further considered for the Great Place to Work’s Best Workplaces List. Additionally, MEIC is now also eligible for India’s Best Workplaces for Women recognition.

Great Place To Work and Great Place To Work-Certified are trademarks of Great Place To Work Institute Inc. claimed as such and/or registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and elsewhere.

About Great Place to Work®

As a global authority on workplace culture, Great Place to Work has been studying employee experience and people practices across organizations for over three decades. Every year, more than 10,000 organizations from over 60 countries partner with Great Place to Work® Institute for assessment, benchmarking and planning of actions to strengthen their workplace culture. In India, the Institute partners with more than 1100 organizations annually, across over 22 industries, to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures™ designed to deliver sustained business results. Hundreds of CEOs and CXOs from India Inc. are part of the great place community that is committed to the vision of making India a great place to work FOR ALL.

About Medtronic

Bold thinking. Bolder actions. We are Medtronic. Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 90,000+ passionate people across 150 countries. Our technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Powered by our diverse knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and desire to help all those who need it, we deliver innovative technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day. Expect more from us as we empower insight-driven care, experiences that put people first, and better outcomes for all. In everything we do, we are engineering the extraordinary. For more information on Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), visit www.Medtronic.com and follow @Medtronic on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

Indira IVF Continues South Expansion, Adds Two Centres In Bengaluru

* Bengaluru’s Kalyan Nagar and Whitefield are the latest additions due to increase in demand

Indira IVF added two new centres in Bengaluru’s Kalyan Nagar and Whitefield locations, increasing its presence to 104 hospitals in India. The organisation is also present in JP Nagar, Rajaji Nagar and Indira Nagar, and operates in a hub-and-spoke model to provide ease of access to its patients across the city. The largest infertility treatment provider in the country, Indira IVF is set up in four more centres in Karnataka, including Mysore, Hubli, Gulbarga, and Belgaum. This expansion is a part of its plan to increase its spread across South India.

Indira IVF has helped more than 90,000 couples conceive since its inception in 2011. It has invested in the latest of technology – such as closed working chambers, electronic witnessing, microfluidics, as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning – that aids aspiring parents with their hopes to start a family. IVF specialists are trained in the Indira Fertility Academy to empathetically care for every patient and provide standardised treatment. The organisation has thus, notched exceptional success rates for its procedures and has aided 2900 couples in Karnataka with successful IVF cases.

Speaking on Indira IVF’s expansion, Dr Kshitiz Murdia – CEO & Co-Founder of Indira IVF said, “We are elated to extend our help to couples across Bengaluru in five centres now. Embarking on the journey of parenthood can be difficult and it has been our continued endeavour to make it easier for them. This is where our hub-and-spoke model comes in – our widespread OPDs are equipped to carry out routine tests and the patients need to check in to our main hospital only for major procedures. In Karnataka, we have 4 main centres and 5 OPDs till date.”

“We have a robust presence in the Northern and Western geographies of the country, and are now strategically increasing our presence in South India. In 2021, due to a surge in demand for IVF treatment, we added 4 more centres in the region – three of which are located in Karnataka. Over the next few months, we will inaugurate centres in Tumkuru, Bellary, Raichur, and Davangere. We plan to amplify our foot print in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala subsequently,” he added.

India has over 27.5 million infertile couples and only a small proportion of the population turns to medically-backed solutions for their infertility treatment due to low penetration of awareness. It is not only this; females usually face the brunt of the discrimination when they are unable to conceive whereas it may be due to constitutive conditions in the male or female partner, or even both.

Elaborating on the technology used, Mr Nitiz Murdia – Director and Co-Founder of Indira IVF said, “Technological developments in the realm of assisted reproductive technology has gone through exponential growth. There is now software that harnesses the knowledge of lakhs of cases to streamline the process and eradicate scope of human error, right down to choosing the appropriate embryo for implantation. These interventions have resulted in many couples conceiving in the first cycle itself. The global ART market is slated to grow with a CAGR of ~10% by 2026; with similar success stories and diffusion of awareness, we expect more couples to approach medical experts to meet their parental aspirations hence, attaining the projection.”

Armed with state-of-the-art infrastructure, Indira IVF handholds countless couples helping them navigate the often-complicated journey of infertility and ultimately realise their dream of starting a family altogether. Simultaneously, it also provides for counselling and offers facilities for egg and sperm freezing, a boon for several young men and women who choose to delay family planning until they are in their early forties.

About Indira IVF

Indira IVF is India’s largest infertility speciality clinics chain with 104 centres across the country, supported by a passionate workforce of over 2,000 people. Indira IVF performs about 30,000+ IVF procedures a year – the highest number in the country.

As a responsible leader, Indira IVF constantly strives to dispel the stigma, taboo, myths and misinformation about infertility. Indira IVF is also committed to developing and grooming talent for fertility treatments. Through the Indira Fertility Academy it collaborates with like-minded organisations and institutions to further this cause. Having perceived the potential of Indira IVF in the sector, TA Associates, a leading global equity firm from the U.S., invested in the organisation in 2019.

Indira IVF was founded in the year 2011 in Udaipur, Rajasthan by Dr Ajay Murdia.

For more information log onto https://www.indiraivf.com/ 

ASUS Launches The Versatile ExpertBook B1400 In Indian Market

* Loaded with innovative tech ExpertBook B1400 caters to the future ready workforce

* High-performance laptop drives business with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, extensive I/O and fast Wi-Fi 6 interconnectivity, and customizable options for outstanding productivity

KEY POINTS

Primed to perform: Up to 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, powerful Iris Xe integrated graphics coupled with Dual heat-pipe cooling for consistent high performance, optional discrete NVIDIA GeForce graphics, up to 48 GB of upgradable RAM and hybrid storage (PCIe 3.0 SSD + SATA HDD)

Extensive connectivity: Comprehensive I/O, including fast USB-C 3.2 with display out and power delivery, VGA, HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 2.0, Giga-bit LAN and audio combo jack

Lightweight, yet built Rugged: ExpertBook B1400 offers the latest in military-grade durable construction with MIL-STD-810H specification, aluminium lid, ErgoLift &180-degree lay-flat hinge, and is sleek 1.45 kg and 19.2 mm tall with 84% screen-to-body ratio

Commercial-grade security and features: Fingerprint sensor enabled power ON key, shielded webcam, dedicated TPM 2.0, Kensington lock, and optional NumberPad 2.0 precision touchpad

Crystal-clear conferencing audio: ASUS two-way AI noise-cancelling technology and software employs machine learning to eliminate background sounds, both in single presenter and multi-presenter mode

ASUS, Taiwan-head-quartered, multinational computer hardware as well as consumer electronics and the fastest-growing consumer laptop brand in India, today announced the launch of ExpertBook B1400. ExpertBook B1400 is the new slim, light and highly versatile notebook that is tailored for business, designed as the smart choice for fast-paced ambitious enterprises. It comes under the premium range of laptops and offers customization options to serve specific business mandates.

Powered by the latest 11th Generation Intel® Core™ processors, ExpertBook B1400 is  sleek, configurable  , boasts a contemporary design, replete with a rugged aluminium top shell and military-grade durable construction, that effortlessly combines high performance with extensive customizations to empower every business. ExpertBook B1400 includes optional features such as NumberPad 2.0 and backlit keyboard, along with standard features such as dual-heat pipe cooling for consistent high-speed performance, fingerprint enabled power-on key, ErgoLift enabled 180-degree lay-flat hinges for easy content sharing and a gorgeous NanoEdge display with 84% screen-to-body ratio.

The ExpertBook B1400 offers superior and comprehensive I/O ports ranging from high-speed USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 that allows for high-speed data transfer, display-out and power delivery; along with USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, Gigabit ethernet enabled full-size RJ-45 port, and high-capacity and high-speed PCIe 3.0 SSD enabled hybrid storage.

Commenting on the launch of the ExpertBook B1400, Dinesh Sharma, Business Head, Commercial PC and Smartphone, System Business Group, ASUS India said, “With changing work dynamics, the year has seen tremendous evolution in the demand for the commercial PCs. We are excited to cater to the segment with the ExpertBook B1400 device designed specifically for top-notch leaders and senior professionals. As the world pivots towards a hybrid work environment, we aim to transform our product range with flexible customization and personalization options. Our vision is to innovate solutions and equip our customers with the latest technologies to help them stay ahead of the curve.”

Primed to perform: Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and flexible configuration

The 14-inch ASUS ExpertBook B1400 is powered by the latest 11th Generation Intel® Core™ processors and optional NVIDIA® GeForce® discrete graphics[i], so they’re primed to deliver the sterling performance needed to get the job done. A dual heat-pipe cooling solution on the B1400 helps the processor to achieve consistent high-speed desktop-grade performance for heavy workloads, in comparison to a single heat-pipe is superior as a notebook coupled with a single heat-pipe design will frequently have to turn down performance to keep the thermals in check. They also benefit from exclusive Performance Boost technology to achieve the best laptop performance and agility by tuning the internal thermals. ASUS-exclusive algorithms are combined with up to five smart sensors, an aerodynamic design and up to a 90-watt power supply to intelligently manage CPU performance.

Coupled with up to 48 GB of upgradable memory and fast, capacious storage, the new ExpertBook B1400 model ensure quick access to content — and with no worries about running out of storage. The laptop can be specified with up to two storage devices, with the powerful combination of up to an ultrafast 1 TB SSD and a 2 TB HDD providing the perfect combination of high-speed data access and large capacity for personal content.

ExpertBook B1400 also benefit from an admin-friendly design for hassle-free maintenance in commercial or education settings. Removal of a few screws on the base provides easy access to upgrade the RAM or storage devices without the need to disassemble the entire device.

Superior and Comprehensive I/O connectivity:

Connectivity is especially important in a business laptop to ensure it’s easy for any task types or workloads, hence ExpertBook B1400 laptops with a comprehensive selection of I/O ports. It offers a USB-C 3.2 port providing built-in power delivery, display connectivity and high-speed data transfers. It also has both USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB 2.0 Type-A ports, HDMI 1.4, VGA, Ethernet, and an audio combo jack — all tested for up to 10,000 connection cycles for an assurance of maximum reliability. The integrated Kensington Lock slot, making it quick and easy to secure ExpertBook B1400 laptops.

The need for remote work and learning tools has never been greater, ExpertBook B1400 is equipped for these demands, with a total of three external-video outputs — Display out through USB-C, HDMI and VGA D-Sub — and supports connection of up to two external 4K UHD displays. This gives users the freedom to engage in a video-conferencing or remote-learning session on the laptop’s  display while using two screens on either side to keep in view information that’s relevant to a call or event.

The new ExpertBook B1400 model is also engineered for non-stop connectivity and productivity, with congestion-busting Wi-Fi 6 coupled with ASUS WiFi Master Technology and also features Bluetooth 5.2 as standard.

Lightweight mobility: Class-leading weight and slimness, plus superior screen-to-body ratio

ASUS ExpertBook B1400 is surprisingly light for a business laptop, weighing as little as 1.45 kg, so it’s comfortable to carry anywhere – and also lighter than many competing models in its segment. It’s also one of the thinnest in its class, with B1400 standing just 19.2 mm tall.

Despite the slim dimensions and lightweight, the laptops also offer remarkable screen-to-body ratios. The narrow-bezel design of their NanoEdge displays allows a smaller body design to accommodate a larger screen. The upshot is that ExpertBook B1400 offers an 84% screen— so the user is treated to a lid that is virtually all screen. The display is also certified by TÜV Rheinland for low blue-light emissions, ensuring comfortable eyes when used over longer periods.

Commercial-grade durability and security: Military-grade construction and customizable options

The ExpertBook B1 laptops offer numerous options for robust security to ensure confidential and private data does not leak out.

A fingerprint sensor that’s integrated into the power button offers every biometric security that’s as easy as it is effective. All the user needs to do to switch on and log in to B1400 is press the power button – eliminating the need for difficult-to-remember passwords or PINs.

The new ExpertBook B1400 model also includes a front webcam with a built-in privacy shield. This ingeniously simple idea means that all the user needs to do for instant privacy is to swipe the cover across the webcam’s lens. Then, when they’re ready to be seen again, visibility is just one flick of the finger away.

The optional Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip also ups ExpertBook B1400’s business-friendly security credentials. The embedded TPM 2.0 chip securely stores authentication information used by software, such as passwords or encryption keys, to protect important data and transactions — keeping the information away from the eyes of would-be attackers.

Of course, life on the road can be tough, so ExpertBook B1400 is designed to both meet and surpass exacting industry thresholds — including the latest ultra-demanding MIL-STD 810H US military standard, putting ExpertBook B1400 one step ahead of the competition.

The chassis design combines additional structural enhancements to meet the rigorous tests of daily use. These include a resilient aluminium-alloy upper cover, an internal keyboard bracket that provides additional structural support, and protective foam that protects the hard drive from bumps and shocks.

Crystal-clear conferencing audio: ASUS AI two-noise-cancelling tech stops unwanted sounds

ExpertBook B1400 laptops are ready for the increased levels of remote working and education, with ASUS two-way AI noise-cancelling technology integrated to ensure superior audio experiences for calls and video conferences.

ASUS two-way AI noise-cancelling audio employs machine learning to isolate unwanted noise from human speech. There are two modes: Single-presenter mode allows the voice directly in front of the PC to be heard clearly; while Multi-presenter mode clarifies speech from different directions, ensuring optimum quality for group conference calls. MEANWHILE, the AI noise-cancelling mic speaker feature filters out all ambient noise apart from human speech, making it easier to hear what everyone else is saying.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ExpertBook B1400 will be soon available at ASUS Exclusive Stores, and leading Commercial PC channel partners, starting at Rs 32490 (exclusive of GST)

IISc And Akshaya Patra Foundation Collaborate To Form Research Lab To Fight Child Food Insecurity

* The Akshaya Patra Foundation partners with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in building a research lab

* The lab to be a knowledge epicenter with think tanks consisting of economists, philanthropists, research scientists, government officials and global institutes focused on hunger eradication in the country

* Only research lab of the scale to be run by a not for profit and a renowned research institution

The Akshaya Patra Foundation collaborates with the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) to form “The Akshaya Patra Research Lab”. First of its kind lab run by a not for profit in the country and an academic institution, aims to conduct comprehensive studies in the areas such as child food security, community participation for social welfare, elimination of malnutrition, policy development, and advocacy for battling hunger.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been effortlessly working towards providing nutritious food in the last 18 years.

Being the implementing partner of the government of India’s school lunch programme, the organization has been instrumental in reforming policies pertaining to the scheme, improving the nutritional value for the beneficiaries under the programme. The programme has a direct impact on the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7, which are also the priority of the Government of India.

As the Foundation scales in the nutrition and food security space, the focus on research is imperative. In partnership with the academic strength of the Indian Institute of Science, the Foundation aims to develop a knowledge epicenter with think tanks consisting of economists, philanthropists, research scientists, government officials, and global institutes for building its efforts towards global advocacy and ending classroom hunger and malnutrition.

Established under The Centre for Society and Policy (CSP) at IISC, the partnership has so far resulted in an evidence-based research study & published papers on Vaccine hesitancy analysis; Covid-19’s impact analysis on a child’s education and nutrition, psychology study of school children, water-food-energy nexus, and assessing human security crisis.

Some of the long terms plans of the lab include: Impact assessment of Mid-Day Meals and developing a socio-human model to build scenarios that can cause positive social impact at a larger scale.

Speaking about the partnership Prof. Anjula Gurtoo, Chair, The Centre for Society and Policy at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, said,

“At IISC, we are constantly in pursuit of excellence in research and innovation to ensure India’s social welfare. Partnering with The Akshaya Patra Foundation offers us yet another opportunity to serve the country by using research-backed methods to eradicate classroom hunger from the grass root levels. The young team consisting of some of our brightest PhD scholars, professors and project associates is dedicated to working towards child's food security policy development and advocacy. The timing could not have been more accurate considering the pandemic’s multifold impact on health and nutrition.”

Talking about the need for increased research effort in child nutrition, Mr. Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation said, “The pandemic did not only change how kids learned and played but also how they consumed nutritious meals. While we continuously worked to provide access to nutrition, there is an immediate need to scale our efforts and further the cause of hunger eradication.”

He further added, “Our R&D efforts have gotten stronger over the years, and through this academic partnership with IISC, we are pleased to scale it further. Together, we look forward to creating a country where the journey of realizing a hunger-free India: where children need not toil before they eat, where children need not earn before they learn. Thus the focus on research is imperative than ever before.”

The Akshaya Patra Research Lab’s Advisory Board consists of the following well-known experts:

Dr. Dinesh Kumar Bharadwaj - Scientist ‘G, ICMR- National Institute of Nutrition

Mr. Dola Mohapatra - Executive Director, Rise Against Hunger India

Dr. Elisabeth Eppinger – Professor, Sustainability, HTW Berlin

Ms. Meghna Narayan - Co-founder Slurrp Farm

Prof. Rajib Shaw – Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University

Dr. Rebecca Kuriyan Raj – Head of Division of Nutrition, St. John’s Research Institute, India

Ms. Ruchika Chugh Sachdeva - Nutrition Lead, India Country Office at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Dr. Rupal Dalal – Associate Prof, Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA), Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)

Dr. Seema Puri – Associate Professor, Food & Nutrition at Institute of Home Economics, DU & VP -  Dietetic Association

Dr. Prakash M Halami – Chief Scientist & Professor AcSIR; CSIR-CFTRI (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research–Central Food Technological Research Institute)

To know more visit: https://csp.iisc.ac.in/taprl/

About CSP, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

The Centre for Society and Policy (CSP) is a policy research centre based at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. Established in November 2018, as an interdisciplinary centre for science and technology policy, the centre explores interactions between science, technology, society, and development. The Indian Institute of Science has been at the forefront of cutting-edge research in the various disciplines of science and technology. With the establishment of a policy centre, the institute extends its impact of S&T research by looking at the multitude interrelationships between S&T research and policy. The CSP today addresses several policy agendas including sustainable futures, intellectual property rights, genetic engineering and health, smart cities, livelihood and water futures, informal economic systems, data security, and data economics. The centre is committed to policy engagement and impacting policy at all stages of S&T research. To know more visit: https://csp.iisc.ac.in/

About The Akshaya Patra Foundation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that strives to address classroom hunger and malnutrition in India. By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Government and Government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra aims to fight hunger and, at the same time, bring children to school. Since 2000, Akshaya Patra has worked towards reaching out to children with wholesome food every single school day. The Foundation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world.

In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments and the inestimable support of many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across five schools to becoming the world’s largest (not- for-profit run) mid-day meal programme, serving wholesome food to over 1.8 million children from 19,039 schools [as of March 2020] across 13 states and one union territory in India. To know more visit: www.akshayapatra.org

NxtGen Launches MLOps As A Service With Katonic.ai To Simplify & Strengthen AI Adoption

NxtGen, a leading Cloud Technologies and Datacenter provider in India launches MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) as a Service offering in a strategic alignment with Katonic.ai, a leading AI startup, to simplify, strengthen and accelerate mainstream adoption of AI by enterprises, digital native start-ups, research institutes, educational institutions, and government entities. NxtGen’s mission is to provide MLOps platform to data engineers and data science professionals at no cost and support the wider adoption of data analytics and data science practice.

With AI and ML being implemented in the core of all operations, there is an increasing need for sound operations and risk management in the ML Model Lifecycle. Most firms lack the skills, processes, and tools required to reliably integrate ML models into business applications, processes, and drive adoption across the enterprise. Key challenges include scalability, operationalizing AI models, talent collaboration, value governance, etc. To address these challenges, NxtGen and Katonic.ai are teaming up to deliver an enterprise ready MLOps as a Service that accelerates time to value of data science projects by bringing speed and agility to the model development process. NxtGen MLOps platform simplifies the development, deployment, and management of machine learning models and brings DevOps agility and speed to the ML Model lifecycle.

NxtGen MLOps as a Service will give data teams the ability to efficiently build, train, deploy and monitor machine learning model pipelines in a platform-agnostic manner. The solution is designed to simplify machine learning deployment across verticals like financial services, insurance, health care, telecommunications, retail, pharmaceutical, and marketing. In line with NxtGen’s vision to broaden their  service portfolio, the company is tying up with multiple emerging technologies and transforming those technologies as services for the enterprices which will help upskill them with augmenting new technologies and services which are pre integrated. NxtGen has also offered HPC- as a service to Academia at no cost.

Commenting on the launch, AS Rajgopal, CEO & MD, NxtGen Datacenter & Cloud Technologies, said, “We found Katonic.ai’s platform to be the best collaborative platform with a unified UI to manage all data science in one place pre integrated with NxtGen Cloud. With NxtGen MLOps as a Service, we want to make it fast and easy to deliver AI applications. The platform is built with a simple user experience that makes it fast and easy to get started and will offer fully flexible cloud based solution to meet all business's data science enablement needs for data analytics workloads at any scale with 24/7 MLOps support.”

Prem Naraindas, Founder & CEO, Katonic.ai, said, "I am very excited about this strategic alignment. Our MLOps platform is collaborative with a Unified UI to manage all the data science in one place and delivers a deep set of capabilities that not only help data scientists evaluate their models but also help explain the models to business users and executives. In addition, the platform combines the creative scientific process of data scientists with the professional software engineering process to build and deploy Machine Learning Models into production safely, quickly, and in a sustainable way.”

He further added, "Our solution with NxtGen will ensure that our customers succeed in their AI initiatives by scaling their machine learning development from research to production with an end-to-end solution that gives data science teams all the tools they need in one place”.

Anyone can register and start consuming this service at no cost. For more information please visit: https://nxtgen.com/MLOPs

About NxtGen Datacenter & Cloud Technologies:

Headquartered  in Bangalore, NxtGen Datacenter & Cloud Technologies is a well established leader in cloud and datacenter technologies foraying into digital services and emerging technologies. Founded in 2012, NxtGen’s Infinite Datacenter vision, is a state where customers have elastic IT infrastructure available on-demand, and pay-per-use, resulting in freeing IT budgets to invest in new application roll-outs. The key services include a complete cloud cover, fulfilled through its Infinite Datacenter, IT Infrastructure Services, IT continuity Services, IT Transformation Services, SpeedCloudTM HPC as a Service, SpeedCloudTM Edge, SpeedCloudTM MLOps as a service, etc. NxtGen is pioneering  into multiple new enablement services for its customers which will help the company to accelerate its Digital Transformation agenda. For further details, please visit: www.nxtgen.com

About Katonic.ai

Katonic.ai is an Australian startup and ISO 27001 Company helping businesses realise the value of enterprise AI faster, with proven and practical approaches to create new applications and achieve breakthrough innovations. Katonic Machine Learning Operations Platform ( MLOps ) Platform is a collaborative platform with a Unified UI to manage all data science in one place. Katonic MLOps Platform is for customers and developers to introduce the MLOps practice into their production systems. The Platform combines the creative scientific process of data scientists with the professional software engineering process to build and deploy Machine Learning Models into production safely, quickly, and sustainably. Katonic MLOPS Platform runs in your Kubernetes cluster and can be deployed anywhere – multi-cloud, on-prem, or edge.