5 Investment Avenues You Can Consider Investing In Digitally This Year

Working professionals in the early stage of their career often have concerns and questions regarding

how they should begin investing their earnings. Investments are a necessary part of our lives. The right investment at the right time helps in growing your money than letting it sit idle in your savings account. Investing your money not only instils financial discipline in the long run but also prepares you for a rainy day.  

Today one can easily invest digitally, with small amounts, and earn good returns. The digitization of the world post the pandemic has accelerated the options to invest digitally. Digital banking has reached over 420 million people in India, and some popular options with today’s working professionals include Mutual Funds, Digital Gold, Fixed Deposits, and so on.

Everyone understands the significance of investing money, some are actively using the options available, while some use a passive approach. Whatever approach you might have, here are five investment avenues you can consider investing in digitally this year.

Mutual Funds, a popular choice amongst millennials, are flexible investment vehicles in which you can begin and stop investing at your convenience. The mutual funds' industry is one of the fastest-growing segments of the financial sector in India. One of the most prominent benefit of this vehicle is diversification as the investment is spread across a variety of assets according to one’s risk appetite. In addition you can get professional management, tax benefits, higher return on investment, and moreover, it’s an easy investment and allows you to invest in small amounts also.

Recurring Deposits is a special fixed tenure investment that allows you to invest a fixed amount every month for a pre-defined time and earn a fixed rate of interest. An advanced version of the fixed deposit, RDs allow you to save money in installments and not in one go. Recurring deposits are best suited for short-term goals as they offer higher interest rate when compared with savings account and one can invest with as small as INR 500 /month.

Digital Gold can be a great option to create a robust long-term investment portfolio. It gold is a virtual commodity and is a good way to invest, without having to physically buy gold and being liable in terms of safekeeping and storage. It can be bought online and is stored in insured vaults by the seller on behalf of the customer. All you require is digital (internet/mobile) banking, and you can invest any time and from anywhere in digital gold. You can invest easily by logging on to the Airtel Payments Bank through the Airtel Thanks app. With digital gold, you can start investing as low as Rupee 1 with an assurance of 24K pure gold, buy and sell according to market dictates, redeem as per your wish, and also start a Gold SIP.

 ension Plans help individuals secure their financial future and protect them from any uncertainties that may arise post-retirement. Investing in pension plans guarantees a fixed and steady income after retiring or immediately after investing, along with tax exemption specified under Section 80C.

L&T And Vi Join Hands To Set-Up Pilot Private LTE Network In India

* To transform L&T’s Heavy Engineering plant with industry 4.0

L&T Smart World & Communication (SWC) and Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) have come together to establish a use case of Private LTE enterprise network in India. Both companies will carry out an accelerated Proof of Concept (PoC) at group business L&T Heavy Engineering’s ‘A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex’, Hazira (Surat).

L&T SWC and Vi have also partnered to trial 5G Use Cases in the areas of Public Safety, Smart and Connected Health, as part of the ongoing 5G trials on Govt. allocated 5G spectrum. Both the companies have collaborated to test and validate 5G use cases built on IoT, Video AI technologies leveraging L&T’s Smart City platform.

Led by the robust foundation built on the backbone of telecom in India, the Industry 4.0 manufacturing revolution across the world, has been brought about using hi-tech IoT and connected devices.

“We believe private enterprise networks are here to stay, proliferate and help transform businesses on the Industry 4.0 growth path. We are excited about this technology and promise it holds, and along with our partners Vodafone Idea, are betting big in digitizing Indian enterprises.” said Mr. J. D Patil, Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President, Defence & Smart Technologies, Larsen & Toubro.

Vi Business, with its deep expertise of providing innovative and reliable telecommunications services to Enterprises, is preparing for a future ready industry through partnerships and trials with major industrial companies. These trials allow Vi and its partners to develop India specific private LTE use cases with efficient utilization of spectrum, without impacting the society and progressing towards the Government’s dream of a Digital India.

“As a market leader in enterprise solutions, Vi Business remains focussed on empowering businesses to grow and reinvent in this dynamic digital ecosystem. We are excited to partner with L&T Smart World & Communication to build a complete solution for Private LTE with cutting-edge applications on future ready 5G network infrastructure, based on technology expertise from Nokia. This collaboration will demonstrate our strength and capabilities to deliver solutions for the enterprises of tomorrow driving faster adoption of industry 4.0 in India. We are confident that this pilot will revolutionize and transform L&T’s A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex manufacturing facility, unlocking new potential for future scalability.” said Arvind Nevatia, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited.

L&T SWC, having varied experience of seamless IT/OT integration and world class technology solutions, will design, implement, test and validate the network as well as the satisfactory deployment of the use cases over it.

“We are conducting extensive POC for testing private LTE network for industrial applications at our L&T Heavy Engineering works at ‘AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex’. We are confident that LTE will help us in achieving the goals of improved connectivity/coverage and also the ability to move towards greater automation using IOT in various Industry 4.0 applications,” said Anil V Parab, Senior Vice President, Head - Heavy Engineering and Member of the Executive Committee.

The private LTE PoC, which is based on technology from Nokia, will ensure coverage, communication, and customer experience integrating vast machinery, connected devices and IoT that are critical to the related high precision manufacturing processes, at L&T Heavy Engineering manufacturing facility.

“We are delighted to partner with Vi Business and L&T SWC to build one of the first private wireless networks in India. Our industry leading private wireless solution will offer L&T’s manufacturing facility the scalability, flexibility, improved productivity, operational efficiency, and the required coverage to advance its digital transformation. By deploying a state-of-the-art private wireless network, L&T’s manufacturing facility will be able to automate its processes and explore new industry 4.0 use cases,” said Prashant Malkani, Head of Vodafone Idea CT at Nokia.

L&T Smart World offers pre-packaged digital solutions for Private 5G starting from network designing & rollout, cyber security, and virtualized networks (ORAN). It’s expertise in the Communications sector as a system integrator enables it to deliver end to end solutions for an enterprise transformation.

About L&T

Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in EPC Projects, Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Services. It operates in over 50 countries worldwide. A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for eight decades.

About Vodafone Idea Limited:

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is India’s leading telecom service provider. The Company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G, 3G and 4G platform and has a 5G ready network. With the large spectrum portfolio to support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The Company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence. The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India. The company offers products and services to its customers in India under the TM Brand name “Vi”. For more information, visit: www.MyVi.in and www.vodafoneidea.com

Latest Models In Epson’s Monna Lisa Series Reduce Environmental Impacts Without Compromising Quality Or Productivity

 * ML-64000 and ML-32000 deliver high quality printing at exceptional speeds

Epson announced it had begun shipping the latest models in its series of Monna Lisa digital textile printers. Equipped with 64 and 32 PrecisionCore printheads, the ML-64000 and ML-32000 combine the best of Epson's world-class inkjet printing and manufacturing technologies to deliver high-quality printing at exceptional speeds to meet the needs of an increasingly competitive and dynamic textile market.

The textile market is now facing growing demands to reduce environmental impacts and improve work environments, and Epson is committed to leveraging its technologies to provide practical printing solutions that meet these needs. “The shift to digital printing and enhanced sustainability is gaining momentum worldwide,” said Kazuomi Okuzono, general manager, Seiko Epson Corporation. “Thanks to the new ML-64000 and ML-32000, Epson will continue to contribute to improved sustainability in the textile industry without compromising on quality or productivity.”

About the ML-64000

The ML-64000 reaches a print speed of 774 square metres per hour (600x600 dpi - 2 pass), with 64 PrecisionCore printheads, without compromising on printing quality. The stable operation and unprecedented usability of the ML-64000 are realised due to advanced cleaning mechanisms and automated adjustment functions. The fluff blower system removes fluff from the fabric surface before it enters the printing area, and the ink mist extraction system helps reduce nozzle clogging problems. In the event a nozzle does become clogged, Nozzle Verification Technology (NVT) detects missing dots and adjusts ink delivery to maintain image quality and reduce printing errors. With high-accuracy head alignment technology and automatic calibration by the built-in RGB camera, printhead replacement and calibration can be completed easily. In addition, the Epson Cloud Solution PORT reduces downtime and service calls by allowing quick responses to potential problems, and the operating status of all connected printers can be viewed from PCs or mobile devices, helping to maximize productivity.

Key points:

Printheads: 64 Epson PrecisionCore Printheads

Productivity: up to 774 m2/h (600x600 dpi; 2 pass)

Resolution: up to 1200 dpi.

Width: 180 cm

Ink types: Genesta Acid, Reactive, Disperse and Pigment

Ink capacity: 10 litres

About the ML-32000

With 32 PrecisionCore printheads, the ML-32000 reaches a typical print speed of 423 square metres per hour (600x600 dpi - 2 pass) and offers the most flexible solution with selectable channels configured to deliver the highest versatility. The 8+8 colour configuration (option) can be loaded with two different types of ink simultaneously (e.g., Acid + Reactive) to increase the fabric types that can be printed and is of particular value when working within a limited space or a tight budget. The ML-32000 is available in 2.4-metre or 3.4-metre print widths.

Epson precision dot technologies reduce banding and graininess, and new stacked printing that randomises the halftone dot pattern to reduce image degradation caused by dot misalignment. Dynamic Alignment Stabiliser (DAS) technology also ensures stable print quality by controlling waveforms on printhead chip for higher dot placement accuracy and more uniform dot density on each pass. Monna Lisa also features symmetrical colour alignment for consistent colour overlap order during high-speed bidirectional printing, and new Accurate Belt Position Control (ABPC) technology for precise fabric feeding. The result is optimal quality and speed, with superb reproduction of colour gradations, fi­ne details, and complex geometric patterns.

Key points:

Printheads: 32 Epson PrecisionCore printheads

Productivity: Typical print speed of 423 sqm/h (600x600 dpi - 2 pass)

Maximum print speed: up to 697 sqm/h (300x600 dpi; 1 pass)

Resolution: up to 1200 dpi.      

Width: 180/240/340 cm.

Ink types: GENESTA Acid, Reactive, Disperse and Pigment.

Ink capacity: 10 litres.

Epson GENESTA inks are available in Acid, Reactive, Disperse, and Pigment formulations in a degassed vacuum-pack. They are ECO PASSPORT certified to meet globally recognised standards for environmentally conscious textile printing. In addition, the Acid ink is bluesign® approved, and the Reactive and Pigment inks are GOTS approved by ECOCERT.

Monna Lisa is at the heart of a high-tech Total Solution – a complete and integrated system that provides maximum assistance throughout the production cycle. There is a single supplier for all components.

About Monna Lisa

Two leading companies of For.Tex and F.lli Robustelli in the “Digital Textile Valley” area of Como, had been chosen by Epson in the early 2000s as partners for the Monna Lisa project, and were later acquired 100% by Epson Italia, becoming a part of the Epson Group.

For.Tex has been for 30 years a trusted provider of dyes thickeners and specialty for printing, both in Italy and overseas, and contributed with the development of the Genesta inks, specifically designed for the Monna Lisa series. Operating since the 1950s, F.lli Robustelli has always designed and produced photogravure and textile printing machinery and systems and was responsible for the engineering of the Monna Lisa series on Epson print technology.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson will become carbon negative and eliminate the use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. https://global.epson.com/

About Epson India

Epson India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in the year 2000. Epson products address the needs of homes, businesses and commercial enterprises as those of consumers with specialized needs in India. With a commitment to providing products and services that surpass people’s expectations, Epson India today has an enviable reputation for quality and value. Headquartered in Bangalore, the company markets and supports Epson Inkjet Printers, Inkjet All-in-Ones, Point of Sale Printers, 3LCD Projectors, Scanners, Large Format Printers, Robots and Dot-Matrix Printers. In all of these categories, Epson is either the No. 1 or No. 2 brand in India and growing fast. https://www.epson.co.in/

Anti-Money Laundering Startup, IntelleWings Raises A Round From Dallas Venture Capital To Fight Corruption And Terror Funding

IntelleWings Private Limited, an AI-powered and SaaS enabled AML/CFT (Combating the Financing of Terrorism) Compliance company, today announced that it has raised $650K in pre-Series A round from Dallas Venture Capital (DVC), a cross-border venture capital firm focused on early and growth stage companies in cloud infrastructure, B2B SaaS, AI/ML, mobile, XR and other emerging technologies.

This round saw existing investors like SucSEED Indovation Fund, Padup Ventures and Vinners, reinforce their support with additional capital along with the participation of new investors like Lead Angels and Nextgen Technology Fund I (a fund created by STPI and managed by Pontaq).

With the vision of reducing corruption and terror funding, IntelleWings has developed its proprietary AML/CFT global database for customer screening, a key differentiator, along with CFT Sanctions and Adverse Media checks. Another significant differentiator, IntelleWings Eye, provides a simplified view for complex transactions and speeds up detection of money laundering patterns. IntelleWings is emerging as a significant player in the RegTech (Regulatory Tech) market and counts among its customers one of the largest private sector banks in India along with 10 other DNFBPs (Designated Non-Financial Business and Professions) clients in the Middle East.

“Corruption and terrorism can be combated by leveraging technology with focus and depth. IntelleWings is harnessing the power of AI to provide game-changing AML/CFT solutions,” said Pramod Sharma, Founder and CEO of IntelleWings. “The product is built on deep domain and technology expertise and the capital raised in this round will help us in business development, hiring senior leadership and expansion into new markets including the US,” added Mr. Sharma.

“Banking and financial institutions globally have come under increased government scrutiny to prevent money laundering by deploying AML solutions,” said Shyam Penumaka, Partner at Dallas Venture Capital. “Over $342 billion in fines have been imposed globally for non-compliance between 2009 to 2017 as per Reuters. There is enormous market potential for IntelleWings, and DVC is excited to partner with IntelleWings in their growth journey with our DVC Advantage program,” added Mr. Penumaka.

“Global anti-money laundering software market revenue is expected to register a CAGR of 15% over the forecast period, and AML software revenues are projected to increase from $1.6 billion in 2021 to $5.7 billion in 2030,” said Vikrant Varshney, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of  SucSEED Indovation Fund. “SucSEED Indovation has a dedicated Security and RegTech focus to discover and support early stage disruptive indovations to bring them to the market and we are glad that IntelleWings have got a great response” added Mr. Varshney.

“We were able to identify the potential of IntelleWings on leveraging technology in solving a real-life problem,” said Pankaj Thakar, Founder and Chief Mentor of PadUp Ventures. “The team’s progress and success has been a huge encouragement for us, and we remain committed to supporting them in their journey. We believe that they will be able to achieve great heights in no time and this round will just add fuel to their cause,” added Mr. Thakar.

Namrata Kaul, former MD of Deutsche Bank, Corporate Banking, led this round from Vinners. “Being from the industry, I know for sure the importance of Pramod’s work. This is the need of the hour and there is a great potential in the idea and the team. We have been with him for the last two years and this would be our second round of investment. We have seen the team progress and it only makes sense for us to participate in this round also,” said Ms. Kaul.

L&T Technology Services Earns Recognition As A John Deere Supplier Of The Year & Partner-Level Supplier

* LTTS Wins Dual Recognition For Outstanding Performance In Product & Service Quality While Committing To Continuous Improvement

L&T Technology Services Limited (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), a leading global pure-play engineering services company has earned recognition as Supplier of the Year and also named Partner-level supplier for 2021 in the John Deere Achieving Excellence (AE) Program.

The Partner-level status is Deere & Company’s highest supplier rating. India-based LTTS has been selected for the honor in recognition of its dedication to providing products and services of outstanding quality as well as its commitment to continuous improvement.

LTTS is a provider of multiple services to John Deere, including engineering services spanning areas like digital, product simulation, embedded software development & validation, mechanical design, cost management and analysis.

Suppliers who participate in the Achieving Excellence program are evaluated annually in several key performance categories, including quality, cost management, delivery, technical support and wavelength, which is a measure of responsiveness. John Deere Supply Management created the program in 1991 to provide a supplier evaluation and feedback process that promotes continuous improvement.

Abhishek Sinha, Chief Operating Officer and Board Member at L&T Technology Services said, “We feel humbled to be the recipient of Supplier of the Year 2021 recognition from John Deere. Our technology-led, collaborative approach has helped strengthen our relations with a strategic customer like John Deere. This recognition reinforces our resolve to offer the best-in-class solutions and outstanding quality for our global customers.”

About L&T Technology Services Ltd

L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) is a listed subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited focused on Engineering and R&D (ER&D) services. We offer consultancy, design, development and testing services across the product and process development life cycle. Our customer base includes 69 Fortune 500 companies and 57 of the world’s top ER&D companies, across industrial products, medical devices, transportation, telecom & hi-tech, and the process industries. Headquartered in India, we have over 20,100 employees spread across 17 global design centers, 28 global sales offices and 79 innovation labs as of December 31, 2021. For more information, visit https://www.ltts.com/

UST Named A Leader In Zinnov Zones For Hyper Intelligent Automation And RPA Services

UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, has been rated as one of the leaders in the 2021 ratings of Zinnov Zones for Hyper Intelligent Automation (HIA) Services and RPA Services in Small and Medium-sized Service Providers segment. Powered by UST SmartOps platform, UST’s HIA services empower businesses to focus on the digitization opportunities with the highest business impact. As a leader, UST has been recognized as a robust provider capable of delivering results with high impact and meeting future client requirements compared to peers.

Zinnov Zones is an annual rating from Zinnov to assess the prowess and scalability of companies across the HIA ecosystem. Participants are also evaluated across the following segments – HIA Services, HIA Consulting, RPA Services, horizontal segments such as F&A, Talent Management & HR, and industries including Retail & CPG, Healthcare, etc.

Sajesh Gopinath, General Manager & Go-to-Market Leader, UST SmartOps, said, “We are thrilled and honored to be named a leader in Zinnov Zones for Hyper Intelligent Automation (HIA) services and RPA services, among Small and Medium-sized Service Providers. It is a testament to our capabilities and commitment to help our clients transform their business processes. UST SmartOps™ intelligently and continuously improves business processes and accelerates success by reducing costs, streamlining operations, and unlocking value for businesses.”

“UST’s advanced capabilities in the automation space are driven by its large pool of skilled and certified talent, and strategic partnerships with leading automation platforms including Microsoft and UiPath,” shared Nischay Mittal, Partner & Global Head – Automation/ AI, Zinnov. “UST’s deep expertise in automation deployments in Cloud, and full-stack services from large-scale transformation to leveraging its strong IP portfolio including UST SmartOps, has helped it create value-driven outcomes for its clients and firmly anchor its Leadership position in the 2021 Zones ratings for HIA and RPA Services.” 

Zinnov recognizes UST as a digital transformation organization with a strong IP portfolio of proprietary Hyper Intelligent Automation solutions. These include:

UST SmartOps (which helps create custom workflows to suit personalized business needs with easy to use drag and drop functionality)

UST SmartVision (helps in transforming disparate data from structured & unstructured documents)

UST SmartOps AIOps (a product that transforms traditional IT Operations by bringing advanced AI-based monitoring, automated triaging & resolution, AI augmentation and self-healing capabilities)

UST SmartOps FinOps (a product to assist finance functions by automating document-centric processing via advanced document understanding capabilities paired with an expert-in-the loop process)

UST’s strategic approach to Automation includes UST SmartStart™, a unique 8–12-weeks consultation process that delivers a strategic blueprint and agile roadmap for clients’ Automation journey. 

UST SmartOps

UST SmartOps is an AI-powered Cognitive Automation Platform that learns and reimagines business processes while intelligently digitizing and compressing manual workflows. It delivers results across business and IT operations. Leading global companies partner with UST to support critical business processes like insurance claims processing, healthcare benefit planning, IT Operations, and financial operations.

The UST SmartOps Intelligent Automation platform enables organizations to enrich their Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with Intelligent Automation. It seamlessly integrates with existing RPA investments while also providing a native RPA capability, thus optimizing current investment while delivering maximum flexibility for future deployments. 

About Zinnov Zones

Zinnov Zones is an annual rating published by Zinnov which assesses Global Service Providers based on their competencies, capabilities, and market success. Since 2009, Zinnov Zones (previously known as GSPR – Global Service Provider Ratings) has become one of the most trusted reports globally, for both enterprises and Service Providers to better understand the vendor ecosystem across multiple domains such as Digital Transformation, ER&D Services, IOT, HIA, and Media and Entertainment.

This is the thirteenth consecutive year that Zinnov has assessed Service Providers for their ER&D capabilities. The detailed ratings and contact information of Service Providers are available at: https://zinnovzones.com/

About UST

For more than 22 years, UST has worked side by side with the world's best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Through our nimble approach, we identify their core challenges, and craft disruptive solutions that bring their vision to life. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, we embed innovation and agility into our clients' organizations—delivering measurable value and lasting change across industries, and around the world. Together, with over 29,000 employees in 30 countries, we build for boundless impact—touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at ust.com

DMI Finance Acquires A Controlling Interest In Appnit Technologies

DMI Finance Private Limited (“DMI”) today announced that it has acquired a controlling interest in Prepaid Payment Instruments (“PPI”) license holder, Appnit Technologies Private Limited (“Appnit”). Appnit will become a subsidiary of DMI Finance.

Appnit’s customer-facing brand Oxymoney provides services including various wallet services, money transfers, AePS, utility bill payments, and micro ATMs, through its distribution network across India. Oxymoney will be rolling out new wallet based pre-paid products including pre-paid cards and will be expanding its distribution network. Appnit holds a PPI license from the Reserve Bank of India.

Commenting on the acquisition, Shivashish Chatterjee, Co-founder and Joint MD, DMI Finance, said, “We are excited by the acquisition of Appnit. It provides us with a platform through which we can broaden both our customer base and product suite. A dedicated payments team allows us to continue to deliver innovative credit products in our quest to drive financial inclusion at scale across India.”

Adding further, Nitin Kapoor Co-Founder & CEO of Appnit said, “We are delighted to be part of the DMI Finance family – the strategic synergies are a significant boost to our journey to make cutting-edge financial products and services accessible to a wider customer base.”