World Water Day 2022: Top Shows To Watch On Sony BBC Earth

Water is an essential part of life and conserving this resource is important to maintain the right ecological balance. However, globally, water crisis is a huge concern. According to the UN statistics, there are about 2.2 billion people who do not have access to safe drinking water. Hence to raise awareness on this pressing issue, World Water Day is celebrated every year on 22nd March.

Celebrate the day with Sony BBC Earth by watching the top 5 shows commemorating the importance of water.

Frozen Planet - Embark on the trip of a lifetime, as the BBC's acclaimed Natural History Unit takes you on a spectacular polar expedition into a breathtaking landscape most of us will never experience. Ambitious and epic in scale, this landmark series is the ultimate portrait of the great wildernesses of the Arctic and Antarctic before they change forever. Narrated by world renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Frozen Planet captures groundbreaking imagery as camera teams go deep under the ice into a magical world of giants, and much more.

Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve - Starting his journey in South Africa, Simon travels around the coast of the Indian Ocean, heading up the east coast of Africa, around India and back down the western coast of Indonesia to SW Australia. The extraordinary adventure takes Simon to 16 countries, as he braves the horrors of front-line conflict in Mogadishu in Somalia, perhaps the most dangerous place on the planet, and visits the beautiful Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Earth’s Great Rivers - Experience the ultimate river voyage down three of the world’s most epic rivers – the Amazon, the Nile and the Mississippi. Watch the astonishing wildlife and breathtaking landscapes of these legendary waterways right from their source. The latest technology, previously unfilmed locations and drone footage reveal their true character in a way not seen before. Timelapse cameras enable a Mississippi barge to zoom hundreds of miles downriver in seconds. This series brings these rivers to the screen in all their surprising and fantastic glory.

Hunters of the South Seas - 70% of the planet is covered by water. Now Will Millard, Britain’s brightest young explorer, is setting out to meet the cultures and communities that have adapted best to life afloat.

Simon Reeve’s Sacred Rivers - History, adventure and travelogue combine as Simon Reeve explores three of the world's major rivers: the Nile, Yangtze and Ganges. Through the stories of the people who live alongside these great waterways, he uncovers their vast influence, and reveals how they unite, and divide, some of the most extraordinary parts of the world. Full of wonder and breathtaking, magisterial landscapes, Simon Reeve’s Sacred Rivers is a potent mix of revelation and hands-on adventure - a riot of colour, extraordinary spectacle and unexpected encounters.

Blue Planet II - This bold cinematic experience takes viewers on a magical adventure across the greatest, yet least known, parts of our planet - our oceans. Since Blue Planet aired in 2001, our understanding of life beneath the waves has completely changed. Travelling from the icy polar seas to the vibrant blues of the coral atolls, this series brings forth astonishing new discoveries. Inspiring awe and wonder, Blue Planet II reveals surprising places, charismatic characters and extraordinary behaviors.

Fix My Curls Introduces Singer Palak Muchhal As Its Brand Ambassador

Fix My Curls, an Indian wavy and curly hair care brand dedicated to helping people embrace their natural hair texture, has recently signed playback singer Palak Muchhal as its brand ambassador. The move comes as Fix My Curls looks to strengthen its connection with the youth and shift the narrative towards embracing curly hair instead of using chemical-laden alternatives. With a wide range of revolutionary products catering to various needs of everyone with curly and wavy hair, the brand aims to create an inclusive space for self-acceptance and love. The talented singer will be promoting various products under the Fix My Curls umbrella.

Known for her melodious voice and lustrous curly mane, Palak Muchhal has carved a niche for herself in the Indian music industry. The youth-centric icon has a slew of awards and accomplishments to her name and has amassed a major fan base on her social media channels. Besides being a part of major national and international concerts, she runs a charitable organisation for the underprivileged.

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my8CtatmPEw

Commenting on the association, Anshita Mehrotra, Founder, of Fix My Curls said: “I am extremely delighted to have Palak on board as the face of the brand. I love her authenticity and keenness to embrace her curls. While I was growing up, there was an absolute lack of representation in the media for people with curly hair, more so in India. Despite over 60% of the world population donning wavy or curly hair, there has always been a genuine lack of products tailored to cater to this segment. With Fix My Curls I wanted to create an inclusive brand and thereby foster a supportive community of women and men who embrace their natural hair texture, and realise just how gorgeous their hair is. We are sure that our association with Palak will help more people connect with the brand and embrace their natural curls with all hearts.”

On this partnership with Fix My Curls, Palak Muchhal said: “This association is very close to my heart. The narrative to tame curly hair in an effort to attain a certain standard of beauty is highly constricting and stereotyped. The notion that beauty is definitive is harmful to a person’s self-esteem and should be shunned altogether. I vouch for beauty in all forms, and I am especially proud of my curly hair. I am big on flaunting it in my social media posts and carry it with pride. Being extremely conscious of the products I use, Fix My Curls approach to toxin-free styling of curls resonated with me. The products help define my curls and add volume to my mane. The little girl inside me who grew up with zero representation of curly hair in the media is really excited, and I look forward to an exciting journey ahead.”

About Fix My Curls:

Established in 2019, Fix My Curls is an Indian wavy and curly hair care brand dedicated to helping people embrace their natural hair texture. The company aims to create an inclusive space for self-acceptance and love. Embrace your natural hair like never before with products made specifically for dry, frizzy and damaged hair. All the products are free from sulphates, silicones, parabens and other harsh chemicals. Created to Cleanse, Condition and Hydrate while effectively eliminating the scalp of dandruff, itchiness, redness.

Swift Dzire, Eeco, And Ertiga Most Sought-After Models In The Used-Car Market In India: Just Dial Consumer Insights

-         Maruti, Mahindra, and Hyundai are the three most sought-after brands

-         Demand for Audi, Mercedes, & Land Rover remain high among luxury brands

-         Demand for used Creta rapidly increasing across the country

Swift Dzire, Eeco, and Ertiga were the top-3 popular models in the used car market while demand for used Creta was rapidly growing across the country, reports the latest Just Dial Consumer Insights. 

Just Dial Consumer Insights suggests that Maruti Suzuki, the country’s latest automobile manufacturer, dominates the used-car market with eight of its models among the top-10 most sought-after cars. Hyundai and Tata are the other two with a model each among the top-10. Besides, Swift Dzire, Eeco, and Ertiga, the other models that make up the top-10 are Wagon R, Swift, Creta, Brezza, Baleno, Nexon, and Alto 800. 

Demand for Swift Dzire, Eeco, and Ertiga was maximum in Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune among Tier-I cities. Among Tier-II cities, Lucknow, Indore, and Jaipur had maximum searches for Dzire, Nashik, Vadodara, and Surat for Eeco, and Jaipur, Nagpur, and Mysore for Ertiga. 

India’s used car market is riding the digital wave as buyers and sellers are opting for digital platforms for trading and Just Dial Consumer Insights revealed that searches at a pan-India level saw a YOY growth rate of 129%

Commenting on the trends, Mr. Prasun Kumar, CMO, Just Dial, said: “Rapid digitisation has accelerated the growth of India’s used car platform. We have augmented our platform with credible data of used car dealers and sellers in our bid to provide buyers with the best match-making. This has resulted in a 63% YOY rise in searches in Tier-I cities and a 71% rise in Tier-II towns and cities. Going ahead digital will evolve as a credible sales channel in the used-car market that is estimated to be a $32.14 billion industry.”   

The top-10 most sought-after brands in the used car markets are Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Hyundai, Toyota, Tata, Honda, Renault, Audi, Volkswagen, and Ford. Besides Audi, the other luxury brands that remained in demand were Mercedes, Land Rover, and Jaguar. Demand for luxury cars remained high in Mumbai and among Tier-I cities, Lucknow, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh saw maximum searches for these brands.   

Mumbai saw maximum demand for Mahindra, Hyundai, Honda, Renault, Tata and Volkswagen, Delhi for Maruti Suzuki and Audi, and Bengaluru for Ford. Among Tier-II cities, demand was high in the cities of Nagpur, Nashik, Guwahati, Patna, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Chandigarh for these brands. 

InvokED- A Global Dialogue On Education Leadership On March 24-25 From 4.00-10.00 PM

* InvokED will put the spotlight on education leaders - who, despite their lack of recognition, are an essential layer of the education ecosystem of India

InvokED is a first of a kind virtual event bringing together education leaders, practitioners, academicians, market players, teachers and students from across the globe for a dialogue on how education leadership can be enabled to bring sustainable and systemic change to India's education ecosystem. Organised by ShikshaLokam, InvokED will be held on March 24th and March 25th from 4.00pm to 10.00pm. The conversations will lay a platform for collective action, highlight the challenges faced by Indian education leaders and also recognise the progress that has been made so far. InvokED is intended to provide a collective spark of inspiration to help educational leaders transform the state of Indian education. 

The focus of InvokED will be establishing a sense of urgency around the need for effective leadership to drive sustainable reforms. Empowering education leaders is key to lasting and sustainable change as they will be pivotal in helping reform efforts adapt to complex, dynamic and unforeseen problems. The sessions will cover the tactics and tools for education leaders to drive change in their systems, and detail the roles that private industry, the government and civil society will play in building education leadership. 

The speakers include S.D. Shibulal (Founder, Shikshalokam; Co-Founder, Infosys), Nandan Nilekani (Co-Founder and Chairperson, EkStep Foundation; Co-Founder and Chairman, Infosys), Srinivas R.(Srinivas R. Katikithala, Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Government of India), Aparna Purohit (Head of India Originals  Amazon Prime Video), Dr. Santhosh Mathew (Country Lead Social and Public Finance Policy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and Sanjay Kumar (Additional Chief Secretary, Education Department Bihar).  Shruti Shibulal (CEO & Director, Tamara), Sundeep Talwar (Chief Marketing Officer, The Akshaya Patra Foundation), Arun Maira (Former Chairman, Boston Consulting Group) and Jody Spiro (Director of Education Leadership, The Wallace Foundation) amongst others.

“We believe that educational leaders are critical to bringing about sustainable and systemic change to Indian education. This critically neglected layer of the education system plays a pivotal role in the implementation of new reforms and pedagogies. The first InvokED Dialogue is the next step in ShikshaLokam’s journey of catalysing collective action to recognise and enable education leadership in the country.” says Mr. Shibulal, the Founder of ShikshaLokam.

“We are excited to host the first InvokED, bringing together the best minds from across the globe to discuss education leadership on a common platform. At ShikshaLokam, we believe that collaboration, community and innovation are essential to empowering education leaders to make transformative change. We look forward to the fruitful discussions and collaborations that will emerge from the conference and hope to continue orchestrating communities of change.” says Khushboo Awasthi, Chief Operating Officer, Shikshalokam.

The event will be attended by education leaders, CSOs and NGOs, philanthropic organisations, government institutions and state education departments from across the globe. 

Shikshalokam

ShikshaLokam is an NGO founded under the aegis of Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives. As an education leadership catalyst, ShikshaLokam enables and amplifies leadership development opportunities for individuals and institutions engaged in K-12 education systems.The organisation plays three roles in the development of the education leadership in the country: that of an evangelist for education leadership (undertaken through a series of initiatives like SolvEd, NurturEd, MentorEd, etc.), a designer of impact programmes (plus resources, solutions, etc.) and an orchestrator bringing together government, NGOs and philanthropic institutions. ShikshaLokam offers open-source technology capabilities and resources to ecosystem players - individuals, NGOs, and governments - to enable education leadership development at a large scale with high impact. It is a manifestation of Societal Platform thinking, a systematic method to resolve complex societal challenges with speed, sustainability, and at scale.

For registrations: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV2c2f0AlKKzm24M7FZyT-yBaJ1mbQKoGBy-gnuFeguJlmEQ/viewform

AjnaLens And Tata Technologies Redefine The Future Of Industrial Training, Virtually Teleport’ Trainees To Job Sites

* Largest implementation of a VR based trade skilling simulator in the world - Upgraded 150 ITIs across Karnataka

* Introducing AjnaXR Station, Phygital (Physical + Digital) VR training solution for skill development

Taking a giant leap to bridge the demand for skilled workforce, AjnaLens, Mumbai-based XR hardware and software company, joined hands with Tata Technologies to digitize 150 ITIs in Karnataka. The initiative equips ITIs with AjnaXR stations, the VR-based Phygital Training Simulator that provides immersive skill training to drive performance and reduce training cost. The Karnataka ITI Upgrade into Industry 4.0 aims to upskill more than 9,000 students this year as part of this initiative. By far, this is the largest implementation of a VR based trade skilling simulator in the world.

“Skilling will drive India through the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Enabling and empowering the grassroots is pivotal to bridge the skill gap. AjnaLens has successfully transformed the ITIs in Karnataka and is ready to create more ripples by cascading the impact to other states of India. It is a well-equipped workforce that will truly harbour India’s future and meet the growing demand of the industry.” says Sushil Kumar, Global Head, Govt Projects & Skill Development at Tata Technologies.

AjnaLens Has been Working Towards Creating Tangible Impact In Training Sector With Their Innovative Ideas Backed By Cutting-Edge Technology

Abhijit Patil, Co-founder & COO, AjnaLens says, “Collaboration is key to bringing an inclusive and lasting change. We thank Tata Technologies for making us a part of this impactful initiative. Aligned with our vision of Make in India and creating a positive impact at the grassroots, this partnership is a key milestone towards upskilling the current and future workforce of India. Combining immersive virtual experience with the actual industry-graded tools paves the most effective and sustainable way to make India’s youth job-ready. Going forward, we plan to multiply the impact by expanding the training module across other states.”

AjnaXR Station is a scalable VR training solution which is manufactured and assembled in India. Each station is equipped to provide training across multiple modules by representing the real world in the virtual world, making training effective and engaging while reducing the training time and cost.

“Upgrading the skilling ecosystem of the country, AjnaXR station provides scalable, data-driven training to the youth.  While we are progressing on multiple development indices, the rate of unemployment and skill gap in India is glaring. Our goal is to encourage youth to gain hands-on experience and help them increase their earning potential by becoming employable.” he adds.

Enabling the trainees to practice the skills for long hours, the company has built one of the world’s most lightweight VR Glasses which weigh only 153 gms, as compared to the popular international brands which weigh around 500 gms. In order to help students build muscle memory, AnjaLens has built an innovative tracking system to track real-life tools in the virtual environment, making the product highly scalable for training.

The initiative will empower youth at the grassroots by exposing them to upskilling opportunities which AjnaXR Station brings to their nearest ITI. The impact-driven startup, AjnaLens, has successfully created direct and indirect employment for students, especially for female ITI students by engaging them to assemble and deliver 300 units of AjnaXR Station. The trained students play the role of peer-facilitators, encouraging more students to join and create scalable impact by bridging the skill gap.

AjnaLens is trusted by prominent clients including the Indian Army, Navy, Ministry of Defence, DRDO, Government of Maharashtra, Vedanta and supported by Forge Accelerator, a leading startup incubator, through every stage of its journey.

About Ajnalens-

Named after ‘Ajna’, the sixth chakra or the third eye which activates ‘intuitive vision’, AjnaLens is a Mumbai-based company making immersive augmented, virtual and mixed reality devices and software solutions for Defence, Enterprise and Skilling sectors. It is the first and only XR hardware OEM to manufacture AR/VR glasses in India.

The impact-driven startup is on a mission to unlock human potential by empowering them with augmented intelligence. In November 2014 at IIT Bombay, AjnaLens was established with a purpose to foster inclusive development in society by empowering people at the grassroots with the right tool for this decade - a ‘holographic computer’. It empowers and enables humans into perceiving and doing what is beyond their capabilities by seamlessly connecting the digital world with reality.

AjnaLens is currently helping India’s government and fortune 500 companies in their digital transformation journey by providing end-to-end solutions such as Enterprise Metaverse, VR training simulators, AR-based remote assistance, Digital twin as well as providing indigenous defence solutions like see-through armour to Indian Defence forces.

AjnaLens has filed 15+ National and International patents in augmented reality and allied fields. The company has won accolades like the Most promising startup by ECLINA Defennovation for cutting-edge innovations. AjnaLens is a growing family of 50 people, inviting bright minds to join their vision.

AjnaXR Station is a made-in-India, highly scalable VR training simulator for Industrial trainings

* One-stop solution for diverse set of trainings

* Virtually teleports trainee to an actual job site/paint shop/welding workshop

* Unlimited practice on industry-graded tools to build muscle memory

* Multilingual training that gives immediate ROI

QuEST Global Signs An Agreement With Alstom To Deliver Engineering Solutions

* The company will support Alstom with their engineering needs across Rolling Stock & Components, Digital & Integrated Solutions, and Mobility Services Portfolio

Alstom has signed a partnering deal with QuEST Global, the global product engineering services company, to deliver next-gen engineering globally for the rail industry. As part of this multi-year agreement, a dedicated team from QuEST will be delivering engineering support to Alstom across their rolling stock, signaling, and services business.

QuEST will provide its services across Alstom’s product and project development lifecycle. With focused engineering services and solutions, the organization will help Alstom fulfill their healthy order position by improving the velocity of project execution. QuEST will also assist Alstom in developing next-generation trains and rail signaling systems. This capability-led partnership will allow Alstom to enhance their global outreach by increasing their best cost country footprint.

Speaking on the occasion, Ajit Prabhu, Chairman and CEO at QuEST Global, said, “The association is a testament to QuEST’s commitment in delivering integrated engineering solutions that adds value to our customer’s portfolio. We are delighted to have signed an agreement with Alstom to deliver support for their global engineering needs.”

QuEST has been Alstom’s partner for 5 years; this new endeavor will further strengthen the partnership between the two organizations by leveraging QuEST’s engineering expertise. Through this association, Alstom will have access to top engineering talent that will help them address their global needs.

About Alstom

Leading societies to a low carbon future, Alstom develops and markets mobility solutions that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation. Alstom’s product portfolio ranges from high-speed trains, metros, monorails, and trams, to integrated systems, customized services, infrastructure, signaling, and digital mobility solutions. Alstom has 150,000 vehicles in commercial service worldwide. With Bombardier Transportation joining Alstom on January 29, 2021, the enlarged Group’s combined proforma revenue amounts to €14 billion for the 12-month period ended March 31, 2021. Headquartered in France, Alstom is now present in 70 countries and employs more than 70,000 people. www.alstom.com 

About QuEST Global

For nearly 25 years, QuEST Global has been a trusted global product engineering services partner to many of the world’s most recognized companies in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Energy, Hi-Tech, Healthcare and Medical Devices, Rail and Semiconductor industries. With a presence in 13 countries, 56 global delivery centers and 13,000+ personnel, QuEST Global is at the forefront of the convergence of the mechanical, electronics, software, and digital engineering innovations to engineer solutions for a safer, cleaner, and sustainable world. QuEST Global’s deep domain knowledge and digital expertise help its clients accelerate product development and innovation cycles, create alternate revenue streams, enhance consumer experience, and make manufacturing processes and operations more efficient. For more information on QuEST Global’s expertise in rail, visit - https://www.quest-global.com/industries/rail/

Pickyourtrail Launches Its First Global Office In Dubai; Aims At Building World’s Largest Holiday Brand

Pickyourtrail, India’s best-rated travel company has raised an undisclosed funding from Kunal Shah (CEO, Cred), Adit Parekh (Ex Blume Ventures) and Vinay Ahuja (Executive Director, IIFL Wealth) and existing investors. 

“The valuation and double down by both new and existing investors is a great validation to both the market potential. The entire team has shown great resilience in having survived the pandemic despite the 2-year ban on international flights. The team adapted quickly and launched newer vertical like staycations, our global biz and also beefed up our  product and tech.” said Hari Ganapathy, Co-founder of Pickyourtrail, on the occasion of the fund raise.

As part of their global expansion plans, Pickyourtrail opened a new office in Dubai last week. 

The funds acquired will be used to continue gaining leadership in the leisure space and be the preferred travel brand for new age travellers across the world. 

“Going global was always on the roadmap and our initial experiments through the first and second wave of the pandemic gave us an opportunity to test out the market. There is a clear gap for a reliable global holiday travel brand and we believe that our expertise in catering to one of the most value conscious customer segments (India) puts us in a unique position to build out that brand with our market-leading tech! Markets like the USA have a $100B+ outbound travel scope and even a small share of that pie is a significant opportunity.” said Srinath, Co-founder of Pickyourtrail. 

On the new investment, Kumar Vembu, CEO GoFrugal Technologies, said, “As an international holiday company, Pickyourtrail was the worst hit travel brand in India. The pandemic was the time where many big names like CoxnKings, ThomasCook (UK), VirginAtlantic, to name a few, have fallen by the wayside. Pickyourtrail not only survived but also added multiple lines of business and invested the downtime in building out their tech and product stack. With the macro conditions for travel getting better, I am confident of them growing exponentially over the next few years!”

Pickyourtrail is India’s top-rated leisure travel brand that offers exclusive international itineraries to each of its customers through its advanced D-I-Y tech product. With Pickyourtrail, travellers have the liberty to take control and fully customise their itinerary based on their budget, requirements, and interests— all completely online. From booking a window seat on the plane to having a hotel room with a view or even planning a surprise dinner under the stars, now anyone can make their vacation a memorable one with a hassle-free experience. Crafting customised holidays is now a possibility with Pickyourtrail. 

Visit https://pickyourtrail.com/ for more information.