Students of MIT, MAHE Exhibit Agritech Work At The World Expo 2020 In Dubai

The students are members of Lakshya - the Agricultural entity of MIT dedicated to providing technical support for farmers.

Their innovative work on hydroponics brought them an invitation at the World Expo 2020

Students of Manipal Institute of Technology, MAHE added yet another feather to their cap by exhibiting their exemplary work at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, held on 03rd March 2022, at the India Innovation Hub. The students are members of Lakshya- a first of its kind entity that amalgamates technology with agriculture. Lakshya was initiated by students of MIT to provide technical support for farmers.

Based on their innovative contributions in the field of agriculture, Lakshya was invited to the World Expo 2020 to exhibit their work. The World expo 2020 provides a platform for showcasing country’s growth strengths and opportunities across different areas of Agriculture and Allied Sectors to the global investors.

The Team of students lead by Pratik Shewkani, President, Lakshya, displayed their works on hydroponics and showcased its developments, which was witnessed by 192 countries

Lakshya is the agricultural technical and service club in Manipal institute of technology, which is dedicated to provide technical support for farmers and create awareness in the student community about the farmer’s needs, potential and difficulties. They develop prototypes of various equipment and devices used in farming and also organize debates, competitions and lectures to capture students’ interest in agriculture.

Speaking about Team Lakshya participating in the World Expo 2020 Commander (Dr) Anil Rana, Director, Manipal Institute of Technology said “We at MIT are extremely proud of the efforts of Team Lakshya. Seeing our students perform at the global forum and exhibiting their phenomenal work fills our hearts with joy. Their work with hydroponics is exceptional and has the potential of shining the light of innovation back onto the usually unaspiring and neglected field, of agriculture. I would like to congratulate them and hope their work creates more awareness and aspirations amongst other students, to opt for the agricultural sector as a career option”

Lakshya has also developed several setups across the MIT campus and is under works of automating them. These major accomplishments have ignited a spark in agriculture towards what once seemed unconventional. The high potential was sensed in the sister schools of MIT, where in students have started integrating their fields of studies with agriculture to further propel this development forward.

NIESBUD Signs An MoU With Ministry Of Rural Development For Implementing The Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme

National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) — an organisation under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to develop a sustainable model for promoting entrepreneurship at the grass roots by initiating the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP).

SVEP is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development. It aims to support entrepreneurs in rural areas to set-up enterprises at the village-level in non-agricultural sectors. The partnership will enable the rural community by helping them set up their trades and provide complete support till they are stabilized. This pragmatic intervention will provide knowledge, advisory and financial support to the public and will help create village-level community cadre.

Under the partnership rural entrepreneurs will be able to access banking systems for receiving financial support for starting their enterprises, including support from MUDRA bank. Integrated ICT techniques and tools will also be provided for training and capacity building along with enterprise advisory services to augment the entrepreneurship ecosystem in India’s villages. The beneficiaries of the project are from the Self-Help Group (SHG) ecosystem of DAY-NRLM and the scheme not only supports existing enterprises but new enterprises as well.

On the partnership, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entreprenuership said, “Our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has highlighted that Indians should dream of becoming job creators from job seekers and in this regard, SVEP will help create an innovative ecosystem, accelerating economic and social gains at the community level. The scheme also aims at building an inclusive society by providing equal opportunities to all along with the required financial support. India is a land of opportunities and by helping our youth access these prospects, we are catering to their aspirations. I am confident that this partnership will help in training the rural community and will provide them with necessary resources for entrepreneurship to increase their income and will pave the way for building Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

Rural entrepreneurship can play a significant role in the overall economic development of India. A huge number of employment opportunities can be generated because of the rural entrepreneurship for the people who are living in rural or remote geographies. The old-age artistic heritage has also been conserved by protecting as well as promoting the rural entrepreneurship. Economists too have stressed on how economic backwardness of a region can be attributed to its lack of entrepreneurs. Therefore, in the past few years, Skill India has been working persistently to bridge the skill gap by giving entrepreneurs easy access to funding, providing the right mentorship, and improving ease of doing business in the country. 

About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)

MSDE was formed on 9th November 2014, by the Government of India to focus on enhancing employability of skills. Since its inception, MSDE has undertaken significant initiatives and reforms in terms of formalizing the policy, framework and standards; launching of new programs and schemes; creating new infrastructure and upgrading the existing institutions; partnering with States; engaging with industries and building societal acceptance and aspirations for skills. The Ministry aims to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower to build new skills and innovation not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created. Till date, more than three crore people have been trained under Skill India.

About National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD)

The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development is a premier organization working under the guidance and overall supervision of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, engaged in training, consultancy, research, etc. in order to promote entrepreneurship and Skill Development. NIESBUD has provided training to over 12 lakhs people till date through more than 45 thousand different training programmes since inception including 5000 plus international participants hailing from more than 145 countries.

About Ministry of Rural Development( MoRD)

The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted with the task of accelerating the sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through livelihoods opportunities, social safety net and developing infrastructure.. Being the nodal Ministry for most of the development and welfare activities in the rural areas of India, the Ministry of Rural Development plays a pivotal role in the overall development strategy of the country. The vision and mission of the Ministry is sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multipronged strategy for eradication of poverty by increasing livelihoods opportunities, providing social safety net and developing infrastructure for growth. This is expected to improve quality of life in rural India and to correct the developmental imbalances, aiming in the process, to reach out to most disadvantaged sections of the society.

FADA Releases February’22 Vehicle Retail Data Across Indian Market

Highlights

* On YoY basis, total vehicle retail for the month of February’22 decreases by -9.21% and -20.65% when compared to February’20 (a regular pre-covid month).

* On YoY basis, 3W and CV were up by 16.64% and 7.41%. 2W, PV and Tractors fell by   -10.67%, -7.84% and -18.87% respectively.

* 2-Wheeler category continuous to face the brunt of rural distress and high cost of ownership.

* While demand for PV continues to remain strong, the segment is still facing the heat of semiconductor shortage thus impacting supplies.

* Infrastructure spending by the Government increases demand for HCV and Tippers.

* The ongoing Russia – Ukraine war brings new set of challenges for Indian Auto Retail as raw materials for semiconductor will disrupt supplies and crude breaching * * * US$ 110 mark will act as a hinderance on customer sentiment.

 The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) released Vehicle Retail Data for February’22.

February’22 Retails

Commenting on how February’22 performed, FADA President, Mr. Vinkesh Gulati said, “Indian Auto Industry during February continues to remain in red as total retails were down by -9.21% YoY and -20.65% when compared to February’20, a regular pre-covid month.

The 2-wheeler segment is showing no signs of recovery as Bharat continues to play spoil-sport. With cost of acquisition continuously going north, inquiry level remained weak. As corporates and educational institutions continued operating from home, urban demand also took a hit.

Even though the PV segment saw some launches and slight respite in supply due to better production, it was not enough to meet customer demand. Vehicle waiting period thus remains similar to what it was in last few months.

While commercial vehicles are not at similar levels when compared to pre-covid months, slight recovery on yearly basis was visible majorly due to low base effect. This coupled with increase in government’s infrastructure spending saw continued traction in HCV and Tipper segments. Fleet operators who were earlier being missed have slowly started purchasing vehicles.”

Near Term Outlook

With omicron passing away without much impact and supplies showing signs of recovery, it looked as if Indian Auto Industry was at the cusp of recovery until Russia invaded Ukraine. This will once again have ripple effects on the global automobile supply chain.

Russia is one of the largest producers of rare-earth metals especially Palladium, which is an essential metal for semi-conductors. Ukraine on the other hand is one of the biggest producers and exporter of Neon Gas, which is used in the manufacturing of semiconductors. Due the ongoing war, we once again fear the shortage in semi-conductors which will create additional supply side issues for PVs.

With crude breaching US$ 110 mark, the government will not be able to hold prices of petroleum products for long. Post state election results, oil marketing companies will increase fuel prices by at least Rs. 10-15. While this will act as an obstacle for 2-wheeler sales, with educational institutions and offices now fully open and Gudi Padwa round the corner, we may see some increased interest in 2-wheeler as well as the Bus segment (which has witnessed a long dry spell of almost 2 years).

Till the time Russia – Ukraine conflict doesn’t come to an end, FADA changes its outlook from ‘neutral’ to ‘negative’.

Key Findings from our Online Members Survey

Inventory at the end of February’22

Average inventory for Passenger Vehicles ranges from 12 – 15 days

Average inventory for Two – Wheelers ranges from 25 – 27 days

Liquidity

Good                     45.7%

Neutral                 35.6%

Bad                        18.6%

Sentiment

Good                    38.8%

Neutral                 34.0%

Bad                        27.2%

RFPIO Launches Industry’s First Online Training Program to Advance User Adoption and Increase ROI

* RFPIO University Enhances The Customer Experience With Free, Tailored Learning Experiences

RFPIO, the leading AI-first response management platform, has launched the industry’s first response management training program, RFPIO University. As RFPIO looks to further enhance the customer experience, RFPIO University is designed to help customers learn and master the platform and accelerate user adoption. The online collection of on-demand courses, engaging tutorials, and quick microlearning are free for customers and allows them to see increased ROI from RFPIO’s robust solution.

As RFPIO continues to build a vibrant community of response management professionals, there has been an overwhelming response to RFPIO University. Since launching in early December 2021, RFPIO University has 1,209 logins, more than 9,000 courses started, and 4,300 course completions.

“We designed RFPIO University to help our customers get the most out of our intuitive and easily adaptable solution,” said RFPIO’s chief product and information officer, AJ Sunder. “We are honored to be the first response management platform to provide this level of training to all our customers as we augment the customer experience.”

With its individual, tailored courses, RFPIO University helps relieve the administrative burden of busy proposal managers through a self-service learning and training platform. With guided learning paths, RFPIO University simplifies customer onboarding and ongoing training requirements with courses such as:

Foundations of project management

Foundations of content management

How to use response templates, section templates, custom fields, and other features

Taking projects from intake to completion

Organizing the Answer Library, RFPIO’s AI-enabled knowledge management system

“RFPIO University adds incredible value to the customer experience by teaching best practices on the most efficient and effective uses of RFPIO’s features,” said Stephen Peterson, customer education manager at RFPIO. “New users can now learn the RFPIO platform quicker than ever while veteran users can expand their existing knowledge base.”

At RISE UP 2022, RFPIO’s annual conference which hosted nearly 700 attendees from 18 countries, RFPIO University organized a certificate event for project management and content management. As a result, 303 participants joined RFPIO University. The event was keynoted by Christina Brady, chief strategy officer at Sales Assembly, where she highlighted how to engage expert peers and begin the important work of community building. AJ Sunder led a customer-only session highlighting RFPIO’s 2022 product roadmap.

As the market leader in response management software, RFPIO helps hundreds of thousands of users streamline their response processes to RFx (e.g., request for proposal, or RFP), security questionnaires, due diligence questionnaires (DDQs), and more.

RFPIO users can check out RFPIO University and its current curriculum, https://university.rfpio.com/. To access on-demand content from RISE UP 2022, visit, https://www.riseupconference.com/.

To learn more about RFPIO, please visit www.rfpio.com/.

About RFPIO

RFPIO is the market leader in response management software, trusted by some of the world's smartest companies to support RFP and security questionnaire response, create and manage sales proposals, and resolve inefficiencies rooted in decentralized and inaccessible content and knowledge. The software's robust and bi-directional integrations, along with an open API, allow teams to digitally transform response management processes and to harness the power of the knowledge and content across their teams. RFPIO supports response management for growing organizations of all sizes including Google, Adobe, Atlassian, Microsoft, Tenable, Zoom Video and others. 

Kellogg Executive Education Launches Online Certificate Program In Product Management To Upskill Indian Professionals

* Delivered through Eruditus in India, the program will empower professionals to efficiently manage the end-to-end product life cycle and deliver business success with the Kellogg edge. 

Kellogg Executive Education at Northwestern University, ranked #1 for marketing by U.S. News & World Report (2022) and acclaimed for having 19 alumni serving as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, has launched a 36-week online Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management. This program has been launched to meet the increasing demand for trained product managers who can align all the stakeholders involved in developing and marketing a product while ensuring customer and commercial success for their products. This is the second executive education program from Kellogg in collaboration with Eruditus in India. Earlier, Kellogg Executive Education launched the Post Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing in India.

Products are the foundation of growth for any company, whether it is a large multinational firm or an early-stage technology startup. Digital disruption has propelled organizations to refocus their product offerings and leverage analytics to respond to evolving customer expectations. Developing and managing a product throughout the lifecycle has become increasingly complex, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this digitalization of product experiences. 85% of products fail because they are not aligned with customer needs (Forbes, 2021), underscoring the importance of effective product management.

A fully optimized product management approach can result in a 34.2% jump in company profits (280 Group Report, 2022). The growing recognition of the importance of product management is evidenced by the fact that 16% of CEOs come from Product backgrounds, and 31% of companies have an official Chief Product Officer role (The Future of Product Management Report, 2021). Product management is emerging as a key function for driving business growth. Product managers act like mini-CEOs, aligning diverse stakeholders with customer needs to deliver profitable growth.

The Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management program provides a 360-degree mastery over the process of defining, developing, and delivering products and experiences across a wide range of industries. The program will be led by Professor Mohanbir Sawhney – a globally recognized scholar, educator, and author in driving product innovation and customer-centricity to deliver business success. The program is designed for mid- and senior-level professionals with over eight years of work experience who want to upskill their product management career to keep abreast of rapidly changing industry standards or professionals who want to switch into the field of product management. The program, spread over 36 weeks, has an industry-aligned curriculum with 20 modules, software tools, real-world case studies, industry examples, a capstone project, marketing simulations, and certifications to ensure a comprehensive understanding of product management. Participants will get an end-to-end understanding from Product Ideation and Innovation to Go-to-Market Strategy (GTM), while exploring cutting-edge concepts like Growth Hacking and AI/ML. Upon successfully completing the program, a verified digital certificate of completion from Kellogg Executive Education will be granted to the participants.

Renowned Kellogg faculty, Professor Mohanbir Sawhney, said, “Product managers need to think like the CEO of their product or service to succeed in a dynamic business landscape. This program harnesses the best practices, frameworks, and hard and soft skills to be a successful product manager, whether you are already working in this field or switching from an adjacent field. Participants will master the end-to-end strategic and tactical skills needed to become a professional product manager, develop a broad overview of the product management landscape, and gain certifications in product management tools and methodologies to equip them for success in this fast-growing field.”

Commenting on the program, Mohan Kannegal, CEO, India and APAC (Consumer), Eruditus, said, “We are all aware that some of the highest-paid professionals in Silicon Valley are no longer Engineers – they are Product Managers. Today, a quick LinkedIn search alone shows 32,000+ positions unfilled for just base-level Product Managers. With such a high demand for the role and as a step towards bridging the existing skills gap, Eruditus is pleased to collaborate with Kellogg Executive Education. The launch of this Product Management online certificate program will help Indian professionals become skilled, full-stack product managers, confident in driving business growth and revenue with the Kellogg advantage”.

The program starts on March 31, 2022, and has a fee of INR 2,62,500 + GST, with flexible payment options and discounts for multiple enrollments. The program is offered through Eruditus, a global leader in making high-quality education accessible and affordable, offering digital-first, seamless learning, and a high engagement experience. Visit the program page for more details, and interested applicants should apply by March 8, 2022, to avail a discount of INR 13,125 + GST on the program fee.

About The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University is a premier global business school committed to its mission to educate, equip, and inspire leaders who leverage creativity and innovation and bring empathy to every decision. Based just outside of Chicago, our vibrant, global community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni shapes the practice of business and organizations around the world.

About Kellogg Executive Education

Kellogg Executive Education empowers business leaders to foster growth in themselves, their teams and their organizations. Our renowned faculty, consisting of the world's best researchers, educators, and practitioners, provide practical insight that participants can apply as soon as they return to work. Providing a collaborative, immersive environment for our executive development programs, we serve a variety of businesses and executives from a myriad of industries and geographies.

About Eruditus:

Eruditus Executive Education offers customized and open programmes in India, Singapore, Dubai, and other global locations in collaboration with Kellogg Executive Education, MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, INSEAD, Harvard Business School (HBS), Berkeley Executive Education, Wharton Executive Education, IIM Lucknow Executive Education, IIM Calcutta Executive Education and Emeritus. Our world-class executive education programmes, supported by eminent programme experts, provide an immersive learning experience integrated with actionable insights and practical business applications. The meticulously curated programmes are delivered in a different range of formats; in-class, online, as well as blended programmes. Our extensive portfolio also includes short 2-4 day in-class workshops, online courses of 2-3 months duration as well as comprehensive learning journeys that run over 6-9 months, customized to an organization’s requirement.

1,00,000th ‘Made-In-India’ Car Rolls-Out Of BMW Group Plant Chennai

* #100kBMW #BMWPlantChennai #SheerDrivingPleasure

Setting a new milestone in its India presence, BMW Group Plant Chennai has rolled out the 1,00,000th car locally produced in the country. A BMW Individual 740Li M Sport Edition has received this special badge.

Mr. Thomas Dose, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai said, “It is a day of great joy and pride for us as the 1,00,000th ‘Made-in-India’ car drives out of our assembly lines. This accomplishment is a result of the team’s hard work, efficiency and consistency which ensures that every BMW or MINI car locally produced here in Chennai is of the same international quality standards as any other BMW plant across the world. Highly skilled employees, advanced manufacturing processes along with state-of-the-art technology and a strong focus on sustainability provided the necessary ingredients for this success. At the same time, increased localisation of up to 50 per cent and a robust collaboration with local supplier partners has created more value for everyone in the ecosystem. BMW Group Plant Chennai looks forward to raising the bar in sustainable manufacturing excellence further as the India story grows.”

BMW Group Plant Chennai started operations on 29 March 2007 and is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The BMW Group has continuously increased the number of its locally produced car models. Currently, 13 models are locally produced - BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, BMW 3 Series, BMW 3 Series Gran Limousine, BMW M340i, BMW 5 Series, BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo, BMW 7 Series, BMW X1, BMW X3, BMW X4, BMW X5, BMW X7 and MINI Countryman. Making sustainability a top priority, the plant runs on 100% green electricity. The total number of employees at BMW Group India is over 650.

Deepika Padukone Launches India’s First New-Age Saree Brand Navyasa By Liva

* Liva from the house of Aditya Birla has now ventured in retail after their success as a fabric bran

Today is the nationwide launch of navyasa by Liva; a contemporary saree brand from the Aditya Birla Group. Deepika Padukone will be the face of this much-awaited creative fashion retail brand. The first four stores launched today are in India’s top cities; Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore that will open doors to a world of artful and fashionable sarees.

Explaining the thought behind the launch of this brand, Mr. Rajnikant Sabnavis, Chief Marketing Officer, Grasim Industries (Pulp and Fibre), said, “Aimed at perceiving sarees as the new “cool” and making it the preferred attire for the modern Indian women, brand navyasa by Liva is coined from navya which means new, and rasa, which is the art of everything we do. With a national brand like ABG and Liva venturing into sarees, I am hoping to see a much larger shift in the perception and adaptability to sarees especially among the younger generation and urban women. The brand is an ode to true contemporary, cosmopolitan Indian women who believe that style is a combination of fashion and comfort.”

navyasa by Liva sarees are fluid, flowy and are made with nature-based fabric Liva. They will allow women to move around with spirited optimism and #freetobe in their element as well as explore life comfortably whether at work, party, lunch or a cafe.

The collection features ethereal prints and chic styles. Each saree tells a colour-rich story with a modern twist. The unique bold designs and diverse themes are designed to allow style to converge with fashion.  Renowned designers Abir and Nanki, along with the internal design team at Liva have been instrumental in bringing the collection alive.

Talking about the first collection of the brand, Designer Nanki said, “We have taken it upon ourselves to break the social stigma of sarees perceived as dated attire for older women or occasional wear. To alter the misconception of physical barriers associated with it, we havedesigned free form drapes that are subtle yet make a statement encouraging women to push boundaries, blur the edges, and reach a limitless sky. With finesse as its essence, navyasa by Liva is designed to empower women with freedom of expression; enabling adventure, boldness and their vibrant personality with versatile prints.” 

Ranging from Rs. 5000-15,000, navyasa by Liva currently offers 17 collections in 5 different varieties of nature based Liva fabrics. There is a saree for each sensibility including printed, embroidered, embellished and woven styles.

Designer Abir added, “It’s easy to get bogged down by the pre-conceived notion of the effort it takes to wear a saree. However, draping those nine yards of elegance can be magical if we allow it to be. Today’s woman wants the saree to feel good, look good and be so comfortable that it feels like second skin. navyasa by Liva does that for the wearer. The nature-based fabrics are extremely breathable. With this launch, I foresee a revolution in Indian fashion as young women will find it very easy to express their sense of fashion through this under-rated beautiful attire called saree. The wide range of bold and vivacious prints will inspire many women to adopt sarees in their wardrobe.” navyasa by Liva flagship stores are now operational at Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj, DLF Saket in Delhi, Orion Mall in Bangalore and Inorbit Mall in Mumbai.

About LIVA: LIVA is a new age fabric from the Aditya Birla Group. Unlike other fabrics, that are boxy or synthetic, LIVA is a soft, fluid fabric which falls and drapes well.  A promise that is delivered through accredited value chain. The new-age naturally sourced fiber made into fabric in pure or blended form, transforms not just the garment but also the person wearing it. It is comfortable, soft, natural, and eco-friendly. The brand recently launched their eco-enhanced version of the fabric, called Livaeco, which made of wood pulp sourced from FSC certified forests.