LTI Expands Its Presence In The USA With A New Engagement Center In Hartford, CT

* The center to accelerate workforce localization and skill development

Larsen & Toubro Infotech (BSE: 540005, NSE: LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has expanded its presence in the USA with a new engagement center in Hartford, CT. The engagement center will enable workforce transformation and localization for LTI in the Americas.

The new center was inaugurated by Luke Bronin, Mayor of Hartford, Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator for Connecticut, David Lehman, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development & Governor’s Senior Economic Advisor, Sanjay Jalona, CEO & Managing Director, LTI and Jacqueline Bamman, Chief People Officer, Nassau Financial Group. Located in the historic “boat building” in the heart of downtown Hartford, the center is equipped with advanced technology infrastructure and an evolved organizational approach leveraging cloud-based collaboration tools.

With a capacity to support over 100 employees, this LTI center will welcome experienced professionals and talented graduates from the University of Connecticut (UCONN), St. Joseph’s University (USJ), and Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). The design, build out, and operations of the new center have been executed by a women-led team, orchestrated by Paula Beaulieu, Center Lead and Associate Vice President, LTI.

Luke Bronin, Mayor of Hartford, said, “We are excited to welcome LTI, a rising star in the global technology sector, to the City of Hartford. This new LTI engagement center is powerful addition to the rapidly growing tech ecosystem in the City of Hartford.  LTI has committed to building partnerships and investing in the Hartford community and the Greater Hartford region, and we look forward to working closely with LTI to help build a talent pipeline in partnership with our educatIional institutions.”

David Lehman, Commissioner- Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development & Governor’s Senior Economic Advisor, said, “LTI’s new engagement center is the latest example of tech-focused companies making the strategic decision to invest and grow in Connecticut.  The company’s focus on client and community make them a welcome addition to our capital city.”

Sanjay Jalona, CEO & Managing Director, LTI, said, “Hartford is an incredible hub for employment opportunities due to its access to some of the best educational institutions. LTI’s engagement center in the city will help us create a cohesive network and provide strategic support to local clients and staff. This center further strengthens LTI’s service capabilities in the US while establishing a strong foothold in the market.”

The center will also provide an agile environment for LTI’s employees to create and deliver cutting-edge digital solutions for clients. By facilitating employees and client engagements, the new center aims to bring LTI’s remarkable services closer to its customers. As a modern workspace that encourages innovation and upskilling, the Hartford center will leverage workplace flexibility to foster engagement among clients and employees and strive for organizational inclusivity by adopting LTI’s Yin-Yang Model designed for future of work.

LTI’s clients in Connecticut represent sectors as diverse as Banking and Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing, Utilities, Life Sciences, and Aerospace & Defense. The company has seven offices across the USA and counts more than 70 Fortune 500 companies as its clients. 

About LTI:

LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions company helping more than 475 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 33 countries, we go the extra mile to assist our clients and accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivalled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 40,000 LTItes enable our clients to improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers, employees, and shareholders. Learn more at http://www.Lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global.

EKA Signs “MoU With Log9 To Provide Advanced Fast Charging Battery Solutions”

* Log9’s advanced battery technology will enable EKA’s E-buses & LCV’s to InstaCharge in less than 30 minutes  

EKA, an electric vehicles & technology company, and a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries Limited, has announced entering into a long-term strategic collaboration, initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with Bengaluru-headquartered advanced battery technology startup Log9 Materials. The partnership is mainly aimed to provide Log9 fast-charging advanced battery solution RapidX for EKA’s new energy vehicles, including their recently launched pure electric bus range, EKA E9 and soon to be launched range of Light Commercial Vehicles.  

Notably, Log9’s RapidX batteries are the first of-its-kind batteries in India for electric buses and SCVs that come with 15-years warranty, long cycle life (of greater than 15,000 charge-discharge cycles), and are powered by InstaCharge battery technology which enables charging time of less than 30 minutes on both the LCV and e-Bus platforms of EKA. Further, both these LCVs and e-Buses powered by Log9's batteries shall be made available to the market at scale in the upcoming 3 to 6 months. Following the launch of respective vehicle platforms, as a part of the collaboration EKA & Log9 will be targeting to deploy at least 10,000 InstaCharged LCVs and 200+ e-Buses within a year. The vehicles will be deployed initially in Mumbai and Pune Metropolitan regions, and later rolled out across other metros and geographies.  

Speaking on the partnership, Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Chairman, EKA & Pinnacle Industries Limited, highlighted, “We are pleased to announce this new strategic alliance with Log9, a leading Indian battery technology company. At EKA, we are committed to providing a solid platform for sustainable, efficient, reliable public & commercial transport in cities, and our collaboration with Log9 is another step to strengthen our commitment. We look forward creating a new ecosystem in global CV electric mobility that is equipped with powerful technology for mass adaptation. I am confident that both EKA & Log9 will put India on the global road map for creating revolutionary new energy commercial vehicles & solutions equipped with best in class battery technology. EV adoption is no more a choice but a necessity and with such collaborations, we will be able to transform the sector to greater heights.” 

EKA is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries, India’s leading automotive seating, interiors & speciality vehicles company, and is one of the only 3 commercial vehicle manufacturers approved under the Champion OEM Scheme of the Government of India’s Auto PLI policy. 

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Akshay Singhal, Founder & CEO, Log9 Materials said, “We are happy and proud to partner with EKA by Pinnacle Mobility Solutions to integrate our RapidX batteries for the first time into EKA’s Electric Bus and LCV trucks that will be particularly useful for intercity logistics and movement purposes. Log9’s RapidX batteries will enable InstaCharging these vehicles in under 30 minutes, which in turn will lead to less waiting times or downtime and increased vehicle utilization on roads, while offering optimum Power, Performance and Peace of Mind for the end-users. We are confident that this long term partnership between Log9 and EKA will go a long way to revolutionize EVs in India, while in parallel furthering our mission of Pioneering Responsible Energy and promoting zero-emission electric mobility.” 

Log9 has leveraged its cell-to-pack competency to develop its InstaCharge batteries that provide 9x faster charging, 9x better performance, and 9x battery life. Log9’s InstaCharge technology brings down the total charging time which further optimizes the utilization of charging infrastructure and operational profitability for commercial vehicles.  

EKA recently introduced its first 9-metre pure electric & zero-emission bus, EKA E9, featuring a new streamlined vehicle design, maximized power & range due to its monocoque stainless steel chassis and complete composite structure. With a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) lower than existing diesel-engine buses and other commercial vehicles, EKA E9 promises to deliver sustainability and profitability to all stakeholders. EKA is also developing Light Commercial Vehicles, designed to help increase range and lower operating costs while helping businesses achieve ambitious sustainability goals. Enabled with pioneering new digital technology, it will allow a custom fleet management system as well.   

About Pinnacle Industries: 

Started in 1996, Pinnacle Industries Ltd. is India’s leading automotive seating, interiors and special application vehicles company. Pinnacle Industries has continuously expanded its product range through investing in its employees, clientele and technology partners, with the group today employing over 3000 people in India, Spain & USA. 

About Log9 Materials 

Log9 is an indigenous deep-tech and advanced battery-tech startup that is redefining the EV industry's standards in the fight against climate change, by offering batteries that can be charged 9x faster, can last 9x longer and offer 9x higher performance and safety. It is the only Indian company today that holds in-house competencies ranging from electrode materials to cell fabrication to battery packs. Log9's sole purpose and mission is to pioneer Responsible Energy, and through its initiative, the Responsible Delivery Movement, Log9 is leading an industrywide consortium of OEMs, Aggregators, End Users, and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the threats of climate change and is mobilizing the first and last-mile delivery ecosystems to combat it. Furthermore, with an eye on the changing transportation and logistics industries, Log9 is investing heavily in the research and development of Aluminum Fuel Cells that will power long-haul commercial vehicles of the future. Log9 is funded by leading VCs like Sequoia and Exfinity Ventures and strategic investors such as Amara Raja Batteries and Petronas (Malaysia).  

OPPO Launches Its F21 Pro Series With Ultra-Slim Design, Smart Photography And Unparalleled Performance

·          F21 Pro comes with segment-first Flagship Sony IMX709 Selfie camera sensor

·          F21 Pro’s sunset orange variant features an industry-first fiber-glass leather design

·          The F21 Pro 5G is the slimmest 5G phone under F Series, it is 7.55mm thin and weighs 173g

·          The F21 Pro comes with orbit light and the F21 Pro 5G features Dual-Ring Floating Light for notifications

·          OPPO Enco Air2 Pro comes with a 12.4mm titanized diaphragm driver, transparent bubble design and much more

OPPO, the leading global smart device brand, announces the launch of its F21 Pro and F21 Pro 5G smartphones along with the OPPO Enco Air2 Pro TWS earbuds.

OPPO F21 Pro is priced at INR 22,999 and will be available from 15th April onwards, while the OPPO F21 Pro 5G and the OPPO Enco Air2 Pro—priced at INR 26,999 and INR 3,499 respectively—will go on sale from 21st April across online and mainline retailers,

Unleashing Unlimited Potential in Professional Portrait Photography

The F21 Pro and the F21 Pro 5G set a new benchmark in smartphone selfie shooting. The F21 Pro’s 32MP selfie camera—backed by Sony's IMX709 RGBW (red, blue, green, white) selfie sensor—is 60% more sensitive to light allowing users to get crisp, clear and well-exposed photographs.

OPPO has also introduced the segment-first 2MP microlens on the OPPO F21 Pro—with support for 15x/30x magnification—that lets users explore textures, colours, shapes and sizes at a microscopic level. Its AI Portrait Enhancement feature adjusts the colour and skin tone of the subject to produce sharper portrait images.

The F21 Pro 5G, on the other hand, boasts a 16MP front camera, a 64MP main camera, a 2MP depth camera, and a 2MP macro triple camera unit. It comes with the AI Scene Enhancement feature that optimises colour saturation and contrast in over 23 scenes, like birds, architecture, and food.   Also, its Dual View Video feature allows you to use front and rear cameras simultaneously to record a video.

The Selfie HDR feature—available on the F21 Pro and the F21 Pro 5G—detects background light and auto-adjusts to capture sharper, brighter, and natural-looking selfies in dimly-lit or backlit surroundings.  Both devices also come with the Bokeh Flare Portrait feature that blurs the background, boosts bokeh light spots and enhances the subject's brightness to capture professional-looking portraits.

Talking about the F21 Pro Series Damyant Singh Khanoria, Chief Marketing Officer, OPPO India, said, “The OPPO F Series is defined by its unmatched performance and stylish, sleek design. With the new F21 Pro Series, we set a new benchmark in professional portrait photography while retaining the values that the F Series promise. Flaunt the ultra-slim eye-catching smartphone and capture your favourite memories in portrait.”

Industry-first fibreglass leather design backed by OPPO Glow

The F21 Pro comes in two colour options: Sunset Orange and Cosmic Black. The Sunset Orange model is equipped with OPPO’s industry-first Fibreglass-Leather design on its back that doubles up as a ‘frameless’ battery cover to make the phone thin, light and durable. The Fibreglass–Leather design uses a lychee texture coating and a moulded plate cover that seamlessly integrates the phone's back cover with the mid-frame for a premium look and feel.

The F21 Pro also comes with the Orbit Light feature that encircles the microlens and emits a soft breathing light to notify you about messages, calls and the charging status of the device's battery. The F21 Pro is just 7.54mm thin and weighs 175g. The phone is fronted by a 2.5D Corning Glass for extra durability.

The F21 Pro 5G, on the other hand, comes in two colours: Rainbow Spectrum and Cosmic Black. The Rainbow Spectrum model uses a three-layer texture and a two-layer coating process that gives its back cover a matte finish with a subtle glittery appearance. Together, the layers create an iridescent and prismatic effect that reflects red to mint green, yellow to purple, and green to pink. 

The Cosmic Black model flaunts the OPPO Glow design that makes the rear look glossy while giving it a matte-in-hand feel that is fingerprint and stain-resistant. The F21 Pro 5G boosts its aesthetic appeal with OPPO’s Dual-Ring Floating Notification Light around its rear cameras that pulsate when the phone is switched on, while on recharge or when you receive any notification.

The F21 Pro 5G is the slimmest 5G device F Series. It is 7.55mm thin and weighs just 173g. Both the handsets come with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display.

Power-packed features for seamless performance

A person playing a guitar

Description automatically generated with low confidenceThe OPPO F21 Pro drives smartphone performance with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset, while the OPPO F21 Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Mobile SoC. Both the devices in the F21 Pro Series come with a 4,500mAh battery and 33W SUPERVOOC that fully charges the devices in 63 minutes; a 5 minutes charge is sufficient to make three hours of calls or for 100 minutes of movie watching.

Both the devices come with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM that can be increased by an additional 5GB via OPPO’s proprietary RAM Expansion technology to run multiple memory-heavy apps with zero lag.

Both variants also come with features like the AI Frame Rate Stabilizer, AI System Booster and Quick Startup that provide a seamless and immersive entertainment experience. 

Operating with Ease on the User-friendly ColorOS 12

The F21 Pro Series comes with OPPO’s new ColorOS 12 that includes an Anti-Peeping notification feature for privacy where notification content is hidden if the phone detects someone else looking at your screen when messages pop up.

Customers can also use Air Gestures to answer, mute calls, or scroll up and down on pages by swiping their hands without touching the phone. The Omoji feature boosted by OPPO's leading Face Capture algorithm allows users to express themselves through a personalised emoji avatar.

IoT Portfolio

The OPPO Enco Air2 Pro are TWS earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation that neutralises low-frequency everyday noise from subways and buses or higher-frequency noise from dormitories and offices.

It comes with a 12.4mm titanised diaphragm driver, a custom-made large rear chamber that works with the Enco Live bass tuning to produce deeper bass and an overall balanced sound. The OPPO Enco Air2 Pro comes in a dual-layer transparent bubble design with a refractive top cover.

The OPPO Enco Air2 Pro will go on sale starting 21st April and will be available on OPPO online store and mainline retail outlets.

Offers

The smartphone is available for pre booking from 08th April 2022 onwards. Customers will get a 10% Cashback from HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, Standard Chartered, IDFC First Bank, and Bank of Baroda credit cards along with no-cost EMI up to 6 months. They can also avail an offer 70% assured buyback, via OPPO Upgrade for the new F21 Pro Series.

They can also get an exchange bonus of up to INR 2000 for their old device of any brand, and an INR 3000 in exchange of an OPPO device. Customers will also be able to avail No Cost EMI up to 6 months, one EMI cashback with IDFC First Bank, and affordable EMI schemes are also available from finance partners like Bajaj Finserv, IDFC First Bank, Kotak Bank, ICICI Consumer Finance, Mahindra Finance and others.

Customers who have pre-booked their F21 Pro Series can get their smartphones on 13th April 2022.

Additionally, lucky customers get a chance to spin and win assured gifts. They even stand a chance to win OPPO F21 Pro from a free raffle after the purchase. 

Vi To Empower Bharat Youth With Employment, Skilling Opportunities

* Partners with a set of digital start-ups & domain experts - Apna, Enguru & Pariksha – to bring a slew of digital offerings that will help the Bharat youth advance in their career

Having a good job and being equipped with the right skills are two crucial factors for success in career and life. Vi, India’s leading telecom operator, has announced a set of offerings for the youth of Bharat to help them with finding employment, becoming more employable & also help them prepare for government jobs.

Giving wings to its customers aspirations, for a better tomorrow, Vi Jobs & Education integrates India’s largest job search platform ‘Apna’, leading English learning platform ‘Enguru’ and ‘Pariksha’ a platform specializing in government employment exam preparation.

Primarily targeted towards the large prepaid user base in India, Vi Jobs & Education on the Vi App offers a one stop solution for youth to search for jobs, improve spoken English skills and excel in Govt. employment exams, empowering them to fulfil their career dreams.

Commenting on the launch of this unique proposition, Avneesh Khosla, CMO, Vodafone Idea Limited, said “In line with Vi’s brand promise ‘together for tomorrow’, we’ve been looking at the need gaps in consumers’ daily lives, where we believe we can play a role of an enabler to help them get ahead in life. When we look at youth in this country their key aspiration is to get a good job and become more employable. The relevance of digital skills and fluency in spoken English have become more pronounced for today’s youth. Further, Government Employment remains a top choice for the large part of this segment, particularly for those coming from tier 2 & 3 cities. Based on these insights, we have curated the Vi Jobs & Education proposition in partnership with Apna, Enguru and Pariksha. We believe, that these integrated solutions will enable Vi customers to further their efforts in gaining a competitive edge and march ahead to meet their career  aspirations.”

1.  Job Search Made Easy With Vi Jobs & Education on the Vi App:

The State of Mobile 2022 report suggests that Job-Searches will be the top category for mobile users across the globe. And the emergence of gig economy, according to a joint report by BCG and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation - ‘Unlocking the Potential of the Gig Economy in India’, can serve up to 90 million jobs in the non-farm sector alone.

Vi Jobs & Education on the Vi App in partnership with apna, offers free priority access to India’s largest job listing. Priority access ensures double the visibility prospects to recruiters, thus double the chance of interview opportunities for a quick job search solution. This service will be available for all Vi customers at no cost.   

Commenting on the partnership, Nirmit Parikh, CEO and Founder, apna.co said "In the last few months alone, apna enabled more than 350 million interviews and professional conversations because of the fast internet proliferation in deep pockets of India made possible by leading telecom operators like Vi. Access to the internet has not only opened avenues for people, but has also played a significant role in reducing the collar divide between professionals. In the coming years, we are certain to completely dismantle this divide through our inclusive platform. As we continue our journey of impacting a billion lives, we are thrilled to partner with a telecom provider such as Vi to digitally empower the youth of our country by giving them an easy access to hyperlocal opportunities around them"

2.  English Education Made Easy With Vi Jobs & Education on the Vi App:

English fluency increases prospects of getting a job, getting a better salary and progressing in one’s career, in certain segments.

Vi Jobs & Education in partnership with leading English learning platform ‘enguru’ offers 14 days of free trial with unlimited interactive live classes conducted by experts. Learners can continue with the platform at 15% to 25% discounted price after the trial period. The users will also be entitled to free access of interactive, gamified, industry specific self-learning modules, worth Rs 1500.

Speaking on the association Udit Hinduja, COO, Enguru said “We are excited to partner with Vi on bringing a mobile-first, affordable & high quality English learning program to their subscribers. Enguru’s live classes allow users to practice speaking with expert teachers & students from across the country, with classes offered through the day across all levels of English. We believe our product will help Vi subscribers in their interview preparation & career growth.” 

3.  Preparation for Govt. Jobs Exams made easy with Vi Jobs & Education on the Vi App:

Government jobs have always been highly sought-after for as long as they have existed in India. Each year, millions of youth aspire to land themselves a Government job.

Making the process of applying of Govt jobs convenient for Vi users, Vi Jobs & Education in partnership with Pariksha offers the aspirants of Central/State Govt. jobs , one month free subscription to ‘Pariksha’. This also includes unlimited mock tests across 150+ exams. At the end of the free period, users can continue at a nominal subscription fee of Rs. 249/year.

Commenting on the tie-up Vikram Shekhawat, Co-founder, Pariksha said “Pariksha is the largest and the fastest growing vernacular test prep platform which is on a mission to democratize education and make relevant, credible, quality content available to everyone preparing for govt exams in the country. With this deep integrated partnership with one of the largest and most trusted telecom partners, we will be able to reach our goal faster and narrow the gap between opportunities for over 75 million govt job aspirants across Bharat. This partnership will act as the new age digital book and will create the largest impact at the bottom of the pyramid.”

MADAME Targets 33.3% Growth In e-Commerce Business For 2022-23, Aims To Reach Rs 10 Crores From Glamly.com

MADAME, the flagship brand of Jain Amar Group, is now aiming to leverage the growing e-commerce ecosystem and the online apparel shopping space by targeting 10% of its total sales through digital platforms in the financial year 2022-23.

The company has set an aim for a 33.3% growth in its overall business in the next financial while reaching a sales target of Rs 10 crores on Glamly.com. Currently, for the financial year 2021-22, Glamly’s contribution to the total sales stands at Rs 3 crores.

While the e-commerce ecosystem in India has various big players like Mynta, Amazon, etc., and MADAME has consistently maintained a strong presence on all these platforms, it is now looking to expand its online sales through an in-house e-commerce website Glamly.com.

MADAME customers have been using Glamly.com to shop for the latest collections and the website witnessed a strong momentum during the 2021 summer season. The e-commerce platform also gained more attention during the pandemic period and continues to attract a sizeable segment of customers.

“We are excited about the opportunities that are available to us in the form of e-commerce. Being a brand catering to the young Indian who is fashion conscious and who is doing a lot of her shopping through digital platforms, I think MADAME has a huge potential to grow and capture a sizeable market,” says Sumedha Jain, Head- E-commerce and Marketing. According to IBEF (Indian Brand Equity Foundation) estimates, India's e-commerce business will exceed that of the United States and become the world's second-largest market by 2034. By 2025, the sector is predicted to increase at a phenomenal 19.24 per cent CAGR, reaching USD 111.40 billion.

According to a Unicommerce report, the country's online fashion business rose by 51% in the fiscal year 2021 compared to the fiscal year 2020. This proves the potential of online fashion business in India and MADAME plans to capitalize effectively on this potential by creating its own niche space.

Skill India Gives a Boost To Entrepreneurship Across Jharkhand Region

* The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) signs MoU with the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) Ranchi to jointly promote Entrepreneurship in Educational institutions

* The MoU has been signed with the objective of working together and co-design new programmes and policies to support innovation and entrepreneurship in technical and professional education in India

In line with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Skill India gives a boost to entrepreneurship in the state of Jharkhand. The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, signs an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), Ranchi, with the goal of identifying mutual collaboration opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship in technical and professional education in India. The primary objective of this MOU is to combine the strengths of NIESBUD and Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), Ranchi, towards the sustained development of entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurship education, and facilitated training. The entire collaboration is aimed at creating a conducive environment to promote entrepreneurship on and off campus through a series of mutually agreed, collaborative and value-added programmes, policies, and curriculum.

Under the partnership, both NIESBUD and Central University of Jharkhand will work together to boost Jharkhand’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. This will be achieved by extending their respective institutional expertise in terms of technology, knowledge, management, and resources. In addition, the institutions will organise a trainer's training programme in the areas of entrepreneurship skills and education. Furthermore, by working together, both institutions will be co-creating proposals and a trainer’s training programme for The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) countries. In addition to that, they would also be conducting joint events like seminars/workshops/outreach programmes in the area of common interest to encourage students to understand the intricacies of entrepreneurship.

The partnership will enable exchange of best practices and provide access to resources and knowledge repositories on request within the institutional capacity for the better design of new programmes and policies in entrepreneurship.

Expressing his views on the MoU, Shri. Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “Jharkhand has become the hub for start-ups over the last decade. The number of emerging enterprises has grown and has slowly made room for several manufacturing and service-oriented companies. It has made notable contribution to the flourishing of the state’s economy and ensures ease of doing business. Entrepreneurs are the drivers of the nation's economy; they stimulate development and employment. Inculcating entrepreneurial skills and spirit into the budding innovators of tomorrow is a part of the national push towards making India a hub of innovation.”

“The partnership promises to create a conducive ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs, which will enhance the country’s research and industrial development as well. With initiatives like these, the ministry is sprinting toward Atmanirbharta and actively co-designing new policies and curricular programmes to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in technical and professional education in India” he further added.

The MoU was signed and exchanged between Dr Poonam Sinha, Director, The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Professor Kshiti Bhusan Das, Vice Chancellor and Dr Devdas Laata, Head, Department of Energy Engineering, the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), Ranchi, in the presence of Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship India.

The MoU will be valid for a period of five years. Both institutions will appoint appropriate representatives as needed and by the MOU's expectations to support proper planning, review, and implementation.

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 5.5 crore youth have been trained in various skills under Skill India.

Actyv.ai Strengthens Senior Leadership Team With Domain Experts

Actyv.ai, an AI-powered Enterprise SaaS platform focusing on B2B BNPL, today announced the appointment of senior leaders.

The company has strengthened the team by adding two senior members: Prakash Dara, Executive Vice President, Scoring & New Credit Products and Manish Gupta, Strategic Advisor.

Commenting on the appointments, Raghunath Subramanian, Co-Founder, Global CEO and Executive Chairman, Actyv.ai said, “I am delighted to expand our senior leadership team at Actyv.ai. As category creators in the AI-powered Enterprise SaaS with B2B BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) embedded, we are sure this empowers us to drive large-scale transformation in the supply chain ecosystem across geographies. With the expanded team we will now be focusing on building our business globally, starting with India.“

“Prakash Dara, a seasoned Risk and Business professional, will be responsible for strategically driving Actyv Score as a standalone product, create new age underwriting models to propel B2B BNPL and also help in innovating new credit products.  Manish Gupta,  a reputed business leader in the FMCG sector has joined as the Strategic Advisor and will augment business relationships and also contribute to relevant technology interventions for transformation across the eco-system,” he said.

Prakash a CA, CS and CWA,  has over 23 years of experience in the banking sector. He has been the Executive Vice-President and Business Head at Kotak Mahindra Bank across multiple verticals.  After his long stint with Kotak, he was associated with Mango Advisors LLP as a partner and is the Co-Founder of Flint Consulting LLP an investment banking firm.

Prakash Dara said, “I am thrilled to be a part of the Actyv.ai team, who are trying to simplify and make credit accessible to the B2B segment. Despite being the backbone of the country’s economy, 80% of the MSMEs lack formal access to credit. Through Actyv.ai, we are on a mission to change the game by empowering these enterprises with hassle-free credit in order to help them run an efficient business.”

Manish is an Engineer and XLRI alumni, has over 26 years of experience in the FMCG sector. He has held various leadership positions and has led large teams at world renowned FMCG companies like Reckitt, GSK Consumer & Walmart, thereby giving him a ringside view of the Indian trade ecosystem.

Manish Gupta said “Having been an integral part of FMCG industry for over 20 years, I understand the growth opportunity that can be unlocked for all the players in the value chain. It’s intuitively simple - easy access to capital creates easy access to brand availability at stores! This virtuous cycle creates new business, new jobs and helps propel the national economic engine. I look forward to doing my bit towards building this connected eco-system : Actyv.ai, FIs, Brand owning Enterprises and their distributors & retailers."

Actyv.ai is an easy to adapt Enterprise SaaS low-code no-code platform. It is used by large enterprises (like Britannia, Nivea, Adani Wilmar Previously,” he said.  and others) to transform their supply chains and to empower their partners with an intuitive platform and financial products. Actyv Score enables financial institutions like Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank and others to provide unsecured, low-interest, closed-loop credit (BNPL for B2B) for SMBs.

About Actyv.ai

Actyv.ai is an easy to adapt Enterprise SaaS low-code no-code platform. It is used by large enterprises to transform their supply chains and to empower their supply chain partners. Enterprises can scout for partners via the platform and appoint/onboard them digitally. During the onboarding process, Actyv.ai checks for errors and frauds in the partner’s documents and then analyses the data extracted to create the partner’s Financial Health Report and Actyv Score. Based on these, the partner gets access to closed-loop bank credit - BNPL for B2B - which it can use as working capital.

For more information, please visit: https://actyv.ai/