Pause For Privacy: MYn App Calls For A Nation-wide Social Media Blackout On Data Privacy Day

*  This Data Privacy Day, unplug from social media to plug into Privacy

* MYn urges the nation to show support for Right to Privacy by committing to a culture of privacy, trust, and ownership

MYn App, a made-in-India for the world Super App, calls people for a one hour nation-wide social media blackout on Friday, 28th January 2022 at 5 PM, on Data Privacy Day. MYn, an app that functions on 100% privacy and zero targeted advertisements was launched to disrupt the contemporary social media, commerce, and workplace landscape, is an advocate for Right to Privacy. This hour-long social media pause, a movement initiated by MYn App, is a sign of silent protest against all forms of privacy and data violation occurring in our day-to-day social media environment.

Access to the internet has become increasingly centralized due to modern day applications, especially social media applications, leading to a rise in concerns regarding data privacy and data security. Consumers are sharing their data, but there are no rules or regulations in place to take action in case one’s data is misused. It's about the citizens being the sovereign. Thus, Data Privacy Day is observed every year on 28th January to raise awareness around the importance of privacy, to empower individuals to stand for their personal and web privacy, to enable trust, and to create a culture of owning one’s privacy responsibilities. It is imperative that every person who is a part of the online environment today knows the where, what, and how of their personal information. Therefore, with this social media blackout, MYn calls one and all to stand in solidarity for personal and web privacy by switching off from social media for a duration of one hour and be a voice that stands for the best and safest privacy practices in the online as well as offline environment.

In light of growing concerns surrounding frequent data breaches by commonly used social media apps, MYn believes that it is only time the digital community firmly stood against the same and strived for a data-protected cyber experience. The time is now to prioritize privacy in the digital space, and one way to amplify this movement is by collectively social distancing from social media for a solid one hour on the occasion of Data Privacy Day.

How to participate in the Social Media Silence:

Spread the word about the movement and the need for data privacy.

Switch off from all social media applications from 5 to 6 PM, on 28th of January.

Encourage your friends and family to join in on the same.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. A.S. Rajgopal, Founder, MYn App said, “I urge all media organisations, government agencies and my fellow citizens to lift up their voices against violation of data privacy, which is a pressing issue in today’s times. Privacy is a fundamental right. It is my fundamental right and your fundamental right. Let’s come together and claim what’s rightly ours. Join me in this nation-wide social media blackout on the 28th of January from 5 to 6pm, this Data Privacy Day.”

MYn is a made-in-India for the world Super App that is geared to reimagine and disrupt the current/contemporary social media, commerce, and workplace landscape. Consumers can now discover, interact and transact on a secure end-to-end encrypted system. MYn offers various services under one umbrella which includes social media, personal messaging, cloud storage, video conferencing, proximity commerce and a dedicated space for channels for content creators, users, traders and for personas (MYworld), (MYown) and (MYwork) on the app. MYn App is available for download on App Store and Google Play and offers a secure, internal communication and collaboration system for enterprises and businesses. If content creators wish to create an engaging MYn channel, they can connect with MYn team at contact@myn.global. Similarly, if an enterprise or business is keen on creating their work persona (MYwork) on MYn, they can reach out to the team at contact@myn.global as well. 

Link to iOS download: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/myn-own-your-network/id1576660827

Link to Android download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.multiverse.myn

About Multi-Verse Technologies:

Multi-Verse Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is founded with a vision focused on solving use cases centered at the intersection of citizens, enterprises and governments using cutting edge technologies. Multi-Verse is the launchpad for the revolutionary system, MYn App, that helps citizens and enterprises discover, interact, and transact with each other leading to immense possibilities.

FICSI And Indo German Chamber Of Commerce Have Signed An MoU To Bring International Standards In Bakery Training

In a bid to match the global benchmarks in skilling, Food Industry Capacity & Skill Initiative (FICSI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indo German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) to establish Centres of Excellence (CoE) for dual bakery training according to set standards of German Dual System, giving a push to endeavors focused on apprenticeship training.

The aim of the collaboration is to set up new baking-related vocational training courses in India. There is a demand for well-qualified candidates in the bakery sector, which is not met, currently. The purpose of these courses is to meet the changing requirements of the enterprises in India and global markets. The developed curriculum will be based on the needs of the Indian market, including the best practices from the German training standards for bakers. In addition, to meet the new training orientations, to achieve targets and to resolve challenges, a ‘Baker-train-the-trainer’ programme will be set up for addressing the technical as well as pedagogical elements involved in the courses.

Further, to show the impact from training and the international orientation of these dual educational training courses, an exchange programme with German vocational schools and companies for students and trainers will be established. This will include networking with the vocational schools, guilds in Germany and state partners, in turn, accelerating the apprenticeship efforts. Under the government’s initiative Vocational Training without Borders, the Indian trainees will receive 3-12 months long insights into a German bakery, imparting knowledge of German and European products along with intercultural exchange.

Commenting on the partnership, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, stated, "A high degree of specialist knowledge and skill is required to excel in bakery and the industry provides a lot of opportunities. The MoU between FISCI and IGCC is driven to bridge the skill shortage in the industry in both the countries by introducing effective courses, corresponding to new industry demands and set up vocational training centres to facilitate expertise in the sector. Our vision is to set up an Indo-German network for the baking sector which will serve as a competence carrier for Industry 4.0 in consumer goods and production. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi has always expressed that globally there is a strong need for a talented workforce in several job roles, therefore, such partnerships support India’s young talent to receive these overseas employment opportunities, matching their interest with the most relevant prospects.”

Under the initiative, ways will be explored to evaluate the recruitment of trainees and their placement is Germany after they finish their training in India, making them available to internaltional markets and driving international mobility.

About Food Industry Capacity and Skill Initiative (FICSI)

Food Industry Capacity and Skill Initiative (FICSI) is the Sector Skill Council for Food Processing, an autonomous not-for-profit organisation set up under the Skill India initiative engaged in creating standards, curriculum design, training, assessment, and certification for the food processing Industry.

Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC)

The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) was established in 1956 for the promotion of economic relations between India and Germany. With a network of about more than 4500 members, it is the largest German-foreign Chamber in the world and the largest Chamber of Commerce in India.   It is a significant catalyst for the promotion of trade and industrial relations between India and Germany and offers numerous services like foreign trade promotion, vocational training, regional economic development, and general services to their members.

US Baesd EvGateway, Expands Its Footprint In Indian Market

Continues their global expansion with the launch of a full Electric Vehicle Charging Management solution for the Indian Market- including Portal and Driver Mobile Application Collaborates with all major EV charging manufacturers and offers variety of options for a best-in-class turnkey solutions

EvGateway, a leading turn-key Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure solutions provider headquartered in California, USA with strong presence across United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East market, today announced the launch of its operations in India. Through this, the company will provide innovation in the Indian EV marketplace and help advance Electric Vehicle adoption, by offering easy-to-use solutions for drivers and charger owners alike. 

EvGateway provides Intelligent and advanced EV charging management services for customers of all industries and varied charging requirements. By combining the charger management features (such as OCPP & OCPI functionalities, Web portal, Demand response capabilities, Driver facing mobile app, Smart charging, and Fleet management services etc.) with the ability to integrate with EV vehicles, Energy management systems and Telematics functionalities, EvGateway will bring to the Indian market the most efficient and innovative EV solutions in the industry. 

Speaking about the expansion, Mr. Reddy Marri, President, EvGateway, said, “Our Global experience of integration of various technologies like telematics, V2G, CRMs into our SAAS platform enable us to provide effective solutions to clients of all sizes and adapt to every changing scenario.”

“A significant portion of the product was developed at our Development Centre in India and we continue to enhance the products from here. Along with the US team, we offer 24x7 support for the product from Hyderabad (We offer 24x7 support for the product from Hyderabad through our collective effort with the US team). It is indeed a moment of pride for us that we are finally bringing our product to India and contribute to its EV initiatives” added Uday Chagari, Head of EvGateway India.

“EvGateway’s suite of SAAS EV charging solutions is hosted and maintained in India regional cloud and meets the growing demands of Data security needs. EvGateway offers White Label solutions to Indian clients which enable them to invest and grow their individual brands. Our global experience in integrating Fleet Telematics, Payment gateways, OCPI roaming between networks, Load optimization, Onsite Solar and battery storage integration will provide flexibility and readiness for all different customer requirements. A parameter driven approach enables us to on-board clients with minimal effort.” added Nishanth Kalidindi, VP of Technology at EvGateway.

EvGateway will deliver advanced controls and features to Fleet operators, Large enterprises, and Charging station owners, to allow them to effectively manage and optimize their own EV infrastructure.  EvGateway is integrated with all major EV Charging manufacturers (Tritium, Siemens, Tellus Power, BTC Power, ABB, Efafec, Power Electronics, Rhombus and more) and so, can provide customers with the largest variety of options for a best-in-class turnkey offering!

About EvGateway

EvGateway is a turn-key EVSE infrastructure solutions provider with capabilities ranging from hardware procurement and networking, to payment gateway, white label software development, and 24x7 support for EV Charging stations. We partner with of some of the world’s leading companies to make charging convenient for fleets, public, and private charging scenarios.

For more information, visit www.evgateway.com

Exide Life Appoints Sanjay Vij As The New ED And Principal Officer

 Exide Life has announced the appointment of Mr. Sanjay Vij as the Executive Director and Principal Officer with effect from 10th January 2022.

On January 1, 2022, HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (“HDFC Life”) announced the completion of the acquisition of Exide Life Insurance Company Limited (“Exide Life”), subsequent to receiving all relevant regulatory approvals. Pursuant to the agreement, there was a cash pay-out of Rs. 726 crore and 8,70,22,222 equity shares at an issue price of Rs. 685 per share were allotted to Exide Industries Limited (“Exide Industries”). Exide Industries now holds 4.1% stake in HDFC Life. The process for merger of Exide Life into HDFC Life will be initiated shortly.

Mr. Vij is a veteran in the life insurance industry. He joined HDFC Life in July 2001, and has since contributed to the company's incredible growth. As the Group Head - Bancassurance and Chief Values Officer (CVO) in HDFC Life, he was responsible for managing the P&L, market growth, and business of crucial bancassurance channels. As the CVO, he was responsible for institutionalizing and leading the EPICC values program. He was also a member of the Executive Committee (EC).

Mr. Vij brings more than 32 years of invaluable multi-industry experience in business management, performance management, business development and business strategy.

Sanjay Vij, the newly appointed ED and Principal Officer of Exide Life Insurance, said, “I am happy to see similar ethos, drive, passion and commitment making Exide Life and HDFC Life a perfect fit. Going forward, our goals and vision remain unchanged that is to provide innovative and customer centric insurance solutions that can help our customers secure their and their family's future, and in the process, become one of the most successful and admired life insurance companies in India.”

About Exide Life

Exide Life Insurance Company Limited, an established and profitable life insurance Company, commenced operations in 2001-02 and is head quartered in Bengaluru. The Company is 100% owned by HDFC Life Insurance. The Company manages assets of INR 18,381 Crores (as on 31 March, 2021). Exide Life Insurance distributes its products through multiple channels viz. Agency, Bancassurance, Corporate Agency & Broking, Direct Channel and Online. The Agency channel comprises of 40,000+ advisors attached to 200 Company offices (as on 31 March 2021) across the country. The Company also offers group life insurance solutions. The Company is focused on providing long-term protection and savings plans and has a strong traditional product portfolio with a consistent bonus track record.

The Company has ISO 9001:2015 quality certification for all Customer Service processes and the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for Information Security Management.

Microsoft Launches Initiative To Help SMBs Develop Digital Skills For Success

Aiming to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) stay ahead of the curve with the right digital skills, Microsoft India today launched a skilling initiative by centralizing all its relevant skill-building resources. Tailored specifically for the country’s SMBs, this effort builds on the global skills initiative that had helped close to three million people in India acquire digital skills during the pandemic.

Small and medium businesses are the backbone of the country’s economy, contributing to ~30% of India’s GDP and providing employment to over 114 million people. Digital tools are essential to helping SMBs respond to changes in the market, streamline their organizations, protect against threats and plan for long-term business resiliency. However, a lack of employee skills has been among the biggest challenges for SMBs in responding to the pandemic. With high customer expectations for digital literacy — and a surge in connected digital experiences — SMBs need to continuously learn new ways to use technology for greater customer engagement, efficiency and agility.

As businesses become increasingly reliant on technology, digital skills are fundamental to helping SMBs evaluate and implement the right digital tools, in the right way. By building their digital skills, SMBs raise their knowledge capital, including organizational processes and employee talent, putting them at a greater competitive advantage in a digitally enabled economy.

Harish Vellat, Country Head – Small, Medium & Corporate Business, Microsoft India, said, “SMBs have been at the forefront of our country’s economic rebuilding following the pandemic and are facing immense pressure to keep up with the dramatic shift in how we work and live. It is critical that they are equipped with the skills that can help them develop long-term strategies for their business and reimagine new paths for their success. By providing these skill-building resources, we are fulfilling our commitment to creating an inclusive economy and helping SMBs transform and thrive.”

Because small business owners want to focus on growing their business — not on searching for the right training resources — Microsoft’s goal is to make it easier for them to find what they need, when they need it. The flexible and accessible skill-building approach provides digital skilling resources via e-learning and online training assets from sources like Microsoft Learn and LinkedIn Learning. Through the resource hub, businesses can explore proven expertise, technical training, online workshops, and best practices, as well as earn Microsoft certifications on technical learning paths. Aligning the resources to the top priorities of SMBs means they can start building skills focused on what matters most to their organization:

Connecting with customers and growing business. The right digital skills to use technology for customer relationship management (CRM), digital marketing, advertising and branding will help businesses better serve their customers and reach new audiences.

Keeping employees engaged and productive. Whether a business has only one employee or a large team, digital skills can help people stay collaborative and focused while engaging with meaningful projects.

Achieving greater efficiency to save time and resources. Because tech enables businesses to quickly address customers’ needs and streamline manual processes, businesses should learn how to use tools that work together to help them keep departments connected, lower overhead costs and maximize efficiency.

Increasing security in a digital world. By educating and skilling employees through best practices, businesses are better able to use the technology that can help them protect customers’ and employees’ data. In avoiding breaches, these businesses can avoid the associated high costs and reputation loss.

Flexing to meet market opportunities. As businesses become more digitally enabled and skilled, they can analyze available data, understand trends and move more quickly to embrace market opportunities.

Accelerating with lessons in entrepreneurship. By learning about foundational principles in finance, marketing, bootstrapping, selling, SMB owners can get a head-start on successful business operations.

Digital skills can play a vital role in helping businesses remain adaptable, resilient and innovative and foster a more inclusive future-ready labor market. Microsoft is committed to empowering SMBs in the country with the resources that can help them reimagine how to reach their goals today for a more profitable tomorrow.

About Microsoft India

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990. Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 16,000 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research, development and customer services and support, across 11 Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Pune. Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centers to accelerate digital transformation across Indian startups, businesses, and government organizations. 

Simple Energy Aeals Partnership With Siemens; Leverages Teamcenter X To Drive Digital Transformation In EV Space

* Ropes in PROLIM to innovate and deliver sustainable & superlative e-mobility solutions

India’s leading electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy start-up, Simple Energy, announced its partnership with global technology leader, Siemens Digital Industries Software to boost EV mobility solutions with new-age technologies.

As per the partnership, Simple Energy will be adopting Siemens’ Teamcenter X, a cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software, which will help the company establish a strong digital foundation for its e-mobility solutions. The PLM technology will deliver consistent and rich product definition to further fuel Simple Energy’s constant quest for manufacturing excellence, top quality product, and superlative R&D standards.

Along with Siemens, Simple Energy has also roped in PROLIM, Siemens’ Technology Partner, to share its world class technologies for strengthening India’s bid to become the EV capital of the world.

“Electric vehicles are the future of sustainable mobility, and digitalisation is vital to make EV manufacturing efficient and environment friendly. Being a start-up focusing on clean energy solutions, we are happy to have two of the most reputed digital technology brands in Siemens and PROLIM powering product development and innovation at our centre. Simple Energy is committed to deliver high quality, sustainable products to our patrons and will continue encouraging innovation in the mobility segment” says Suhas Rajkumar, founder and CEO, Simple Energy.

“PROLIM is a proud Siemens global technology partner. We are excited by the opportunity to deliver the benefits of the cloud native Teamcenter X to power Simple Energy’s super exciting, green and clean technology and support the fast paced, rapidly growing EV market in India.” says Srinath Koppa, Managing Director, PROLIM India.

While PROLIM is a leading provider of end-to-end PLM and Engineering Solutions to Global Fortune 1000 companies, Siemens Teamcenter X, a cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)-as-a-service innovation platform, is the preferred choice for leading EV OEMs of the world. It not only offers a convenient choice from pre-configured engineering and business solutions but also helps deliver instant value and flexibility to add on capabilities based thereby addressing customized technology needs.

About PROLIM

PROLIM is a leading provider of PLM, IoT and Digital transformation solutions to Global Fortune 1000 companies. With 9 global offices in US, India, and Australia, PROLIM has won 30+ awards and proudly serving over 1200+ customers to innovate and improve their profitability and efficiency. PROLIM was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Farmington Hills, USA. With the global footprint and expertise in latest technologies, PROLIM partner with customers to speed up your Digital Transformation journey. PROLIM helps customers to improve profitability and efficiency by providing PLM, CAD, CAM, IoT Solutions, Advisory, and Engineering consulting services to worldwide businesses of all sizes, including many Fortune 500/1000 companies.

About Simple Energy

Founded in 2019, Simple Energy is amongst India’s top three premium, smart electric vehicle company. The Bangalore-based electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy start-up aims to redefine electric mobility in the country by making e-mobility solutions more accessible, accessible, secure, and comfortable to end-customer. The brand believes in innovating and developing everything in-house while adhering to high standards of integrity, quality, and transparency. From surface design to chassis design, battery development to motor development, the Company has developed comprehensive, ‘Made in India’ e-mobility products that addresses three major concerns: range anxiety, charging time, and affordability. The brand is dedicated to advancing the country's sustainability goals, thereby contributing to a greener and cleaner future.

ManipalCigna Health Insurance Distributes Akshaya Patra’s ‘Family Happiness Kits’ Among Vulnerable Communities Across 6 Indian Cities

 

ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited has partnered with Bengaluru-based NGO The Akshaya Patra Foundation to provide groceries to thousands of families severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

ManipalCigna, a joint venture between Manipal Group, an eminent player in the field of healthcare delivery and higher education and Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI), a US-based global health service leader, in collaboration with Akshaya Patra distributed 4,550 Family Happiness Kits worth over Rs 55 lakh across six cities in India.

The coronavirus outbreak has unleashed an unprecedented crisis wreaking havoc on countless lives and livelihoods in the last two years. Vulnerable groups such as daily wagers, labourers and children have been the worst affected. To fulfil some of the basic needs of these families, employees of ManipalCigna Health Insurance volunteered at The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s COVID-19 Food Relief Centres in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Guwahati, and Delhi on December 17 and 18, 2021 and distributed grocery kits.

Sapna Desai, Head of Marketing and Digital Sales, ManipalCigna Health Insurance, said, “Taking care of health is the need of the hour given the times we live in and it has been our privilege to partner with Akshaya Patra to help provide dry ration kits to families from vulnerable communities in these times of adversity. At ManipalCigna, we are focused on improving the health, well-being, and peace of mind of those we serve, and to do this, we endeavor to address food insecurity and help build healthier communities under the Cigna Foundation’s ‘Healthier Kids For Our Future’ program.”

ManipalCigna’s donation to Akshaya Patra is part of The Cigna Foundation’s $25 million ‘Healthier Kids For Our Future’ program that’s aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – good health and well-being, zero hunger and no poverty. Cigna Corporation’s over 74,000 global employees are working together to put children on a healthier path, starting with reducing childhood hunger and improving nutrition in local communities.

Acknowledging their outreach effort, Mr Sundeep Talwar, CMO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation said, “We are immensely grateful to employees of ManipalCigna for their wholehearted volunteering support to enable this endeavor. If we have reached this milestone of serving thousands of underserved families and children, it is because of the collective efforts of everyone involved. This multi-city grocery kit distribution that ManipalCigna and Akshaya Patra planned and executed has been one of the most rewarding physical volunteering efforts we have undertaken since Covid-19 became a part of our life. We are happy to have ManipalCigna as our partner and are confident that this collaboration will continue to serve children and communities in the years to come.”

The Akshaya Patra Foundation aims to address malnutrition and support the right to education of socio-economically disadvantaged children of the nation and beyond with the support of the Government of India, various State Governments, and generous supporters. With this vision, the organization has been concerting all its efforts towards serving children and humanity for the last 21 years with the spread of 58 kitchens across 12 states and two Union territories of India.

About ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited

ManipalCigna Health insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Manipal Group, an eminent player in the field of healthcare delivery and higher education in India, Cigna Corporation, a global health services company with 225+ years of experience. ManipalCigna is headquartered in Mumbai and has 50 branch offices covering major metros and towns. The company has built a strong multi-distribution network of over 30,000 agents, 300+ major brokers and is present in over 15,000 point of sales locations across the country through its distribution network. ManipalCigna also has tie-ups with 12 leading banks, over 35 NBFCs, MFIs and corporate agents for distributing health insurance solutions. It has a network of over 6,500 trusted hospitals across cities including tier I, tier II and tier III towns in India. To learn more, visit www.manipalcigna.com