MIT-Manipal-MAHE, India, Awarded With IMC RBNQ Milestone Merit National Quality Award For Leadership

The Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal has received the prestigious IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality Award (IMC-RBNQA) in the Leadership Category. The Milestone Merit National Quality Award for Leadership accorded to MIT-Manipal-MAHE is the recognition given for the pivotal role of the top leadership of MAHE and MIT-Manipal in steering MIT-Manipal to achieve greater heights in the journey of performance par excellence.

The chief guest for the event Mr Harsh Mariwala -Chairman-Marico Ltd., & CMD, Kaya Ltd., presented the award to Cdr. (Dr.) Anil Rana, Director, MIT-Manipal, in the presence of Mr Niraj R Bajaj Director, Bajaj Auto Ltd., & Chairman-IMC RBNQ Award Trust, Mr Suresh Lulla, Co-chairman, IMC Quality, Juzar Khorakiwala, President, IMC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Anant Singhania, President (Elect) and Ms Maya, Director, IMC-RBNQA. Dr K Sivian, Former Chairman of ISRO, the recipient of IMC Juran Quality Medal 2021.

Speaking of MIT’s achievement Dr Ranjan Pai, President – MAHE & Chairman, MEMG, Bengaluru said “Manipal Institute of Technology has always focused and worked towards providing quality education facilities for the overall development of students. We are extremely honoured to be given this prestigious award. I congratulate the entire MIT family for their dedication and efforts which has made this possible”

Dr HS Ballal Pro-Chancellor of MAHE said “Established in 1957, MIT Manipal to this day remains one of the top institutions in the country and a crown jewel for MAHE. The leadership and faculty have enhanced the proficiency of the students through continuous training and development. MIT has also continuously worked for the betterment of the society and is an example for other institutions to inculcate the same values”

Lt Gen (Dr) MD Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE said “MIT has not only focused on academics, but also encourages the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst its students. There is a continual effort to raise the standards when it comes to education and social service. This award is truly well deserved, and we wish the staff and the students all the very best for their future endeavours”

Cdr ( Dr) Anil Rana, Director, MIT expressed his happiness and said “It was a great honour to receive the prestigious IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality Award (IMC-RBNQA) in the Leadership Category, on behalf of MIT-Manipal, in the Leadership Category Mumbai on 30th April 2022. MIT-Manipal has been bestowed with this honour for its excellence in academic and research quality, focusing on overall student development, concern for the environment and safety, community service, and human resource management.  The unique model that ensures experiential learning by the students and the whole-hearted support for their innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits is something that sets apart MIT-Manipal from all others.

The honour was greatly enhanced by the presence of the former ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan who shared the same platform with me and received the prestigious Dr Juran quality medal.

The Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal was established in 1957 as one of the first self-financing engineering colleges in the country. In 2000, it became a constituent institute of the deemed university - Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) which has been accorded the status of Institute of Eminence (IoE) by HRD, Government of India.

Greater Autonomy To Define The Future Of Software Development: Atlassian Survey

* Autonomy seen as highest among US and Indian developers and lowest among Germans 

Atlassian Corporation Plc (NASDAQ:TEAM), a leading provider of team collaboration and productivity software and the maker of Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket and Trello products, has released its first-ever global State of the Developer report. The research shows that autonomy trumps all with greater autonomy making developers happier at work, despite more frequent context switching and increased job complexity. Developers who enjoy more autonomy tend to spend more time coding and are able to work on a greater number of products and services. 

The report uncovers important trends in how developers' attitudes and preferences about their work have changed over the past year, including the rise of ‘You build it, you run it’ (YBIYRI) as a practice. YBIYRI is an increasingly common software development methodology with almost 60% of teams currently working this way. Teams working in YBIYRI require new and diverse roles, especially when they are transitioning into the practice. 

A look at India’s developer ecosystem 

The research shows that autonomy levels for developers globally is high, with 50% claiming strong autonomy. Additionally, stronger autonomy correlates with positive feelings about work, and autonomy is at its highest in the US and India (57% and 56% respectively) and lowest in Germany (29%).  

It was observed that tool sprawl could be the worst in India with 78% of developers saying they are using more than six tools. In the US, this number is 72% while only half of the developers in Germany (50%) use more than six tools.  

What should leaders consider when building and managing development teams? 

Developer autonomy trumps all – The research shows that greater autonomy makes developers happier at work. Additionally, developers who enjoy more autonomy tend to spend more time coding and are able to work on a greater number of products and services. Autonomy levels are highest for developers who have been in their roles for 6-10 years, within larger companies (250-1000 employees), and in teams running YBIYRI. 

Developers are taking more responsibility – The rise of YBIYRI as a practice has seen development teams doing more to support the code they work with. The research shows almost 60% of developers now work this way, with a larger number agreeing that they should be responsible for more of the software product lifecycle than they currently are (over 65%). Developers who are close to a product or service have the potential to improve it further when given a high degree of ownership. Engineering leaders should create more space for development teams to take on YBIYRI responsibilities, ensuring they have the right tools, processes, and rituals to be successful. 

Coding or tooling is a matter of preference – Two-thirds of developers (65%) say that writing new code is the most valuable skill in their role, while 74% feel that being able to read code is vital. Yet 58% of developers don’t feel that writing code from scratch will be required as part of their roles in the future, and 51% say they mainly assemble code written by others. Managers and team leaders should let developers lean into those preferences rather than dictating “how things are done around here.” 

Fewer tools isn’t always the best outcome – A majority of developers are using more tools to get work done than before (almost 70%), and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Flexibility in tools is the key. Those with more flexible tools say it simplifies their work, making them happier in their roles, while those adopting a growing number of inflexible tools face the risk of tool sprawl. Almost half of the developers surveyed say they have a stable toolchain (46%). The remainder has increased the number of tools either with flexible tools (38%) or inflexible tools (16%). 

Dinesh Ajmera, Site Lead and Head of Engineering, India, Atlassian said, “Our State of the Developer report presents some important findings on the state of play across the global software developer ecosystem, especially in the context of India. Among Indian developers, it was particularly heartening to see that our developer community in comparison to the other countries enjoyed a greater degree of autonomy and thereby stated to be happier at work." 

“I believe this report presents an array of findings that will help leaders understand the changing dynamics of the developer ecosystem. At Atlassian, we recognize this and believe that by empowering our teams with the correct set of tools, technologies and processes we will be able to usher in a greater degree of autonomy and build efficiencies for teams," he further added. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach 

Greater autonomy is the future of software development. This means more freedom to decide which tools developers use, what they work on, and how that work gets done. 

Atlassian is dedicated to providing the tools that facilitate this alignment and autonomy for teams of all sizes. With the recent launch of Compass, a new Atlassian program to create new products in collaboration with customers, developers are now going beyond coding and are empowered with the autonomy to connect the tools they want to use. 

To find out more about the research and download the report, please visit - Autonomy is the future of software development - Work Life by Atlassian  

About Atlassian 

Atlassian unleashes the potential of every team. Our team collaboration and productivity software helps teams organize, discuss, and complete shared work. Teams at more than 225,000 customers, across  large and small organizations - including Bank of America, Redfin, NASA, Verizon, and Dropbox - use Atlassian’s project tracking, content creation and sharing, and service management products to work better together and deliver quality results on time. Learn more about our products, including Jira Software, Confluence, Jira Service Management, Trello, Bitbucket, and Jira Align at https://atlassian.com/. 

About the research 

Atlassian’s first State of the Developer report seeks to uncover the attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of modern software developers. The study offers a range of perspectives on how developers are working, their perception and attitudes on the future skillsets required to succeed, how they’re managing tool sprawl, and what drives job satisfaction. This research looks into the trends shaping software development and their impact on development teams in markets across the world. The survey ran for a month between August and September 2021, targeting 2,182 respondents across four countries: Australia (21%), India (36%), Germany (16%), and the United States (27%). 

Venus Remedies Responds To Ukrainian Embassy's Request For Humanitarian Aid

*   Supplies life-saving drugs worth $30,000 in the first batch

Responding to the Ukrainian Embassy’s request for humanitarian aid in the form of life-saving medicines for displaced people in the war-ravaged country, Venus Remedies Ltd, one of India’s leading research-driven pharmaceutical companies, has dispatched the first batch of essential medicines worth $30,000 to Ukraine through its embassy in New Delhi.

Appreciating the gesture, the Ukrainian Embassy said in a statement issued on May 2 that Venus Remedies has “proved that it is not only a business-oriented company but also a responsible organisation which has always stood firm for such noble causes to help people around the globe”. “We thank Venus Remedies for providing aid to the people of Ukraine in their most difficult times and readily accepting our request to supply us life-saving drugs free of cost,” it said.

Akshansh Chaudhary, President, HR, Venus Remedies, who flagged off the relief aid from the company’s premises in Panchkula, said, “With millions of people bearing the brunt of this devastating war, it is a humanitarian crisis that calls for the need to rise to the occasion and reach out to Ukrainians with life-saving essential supplies."

Praying for an end to the violence and human sufferings in Ukraine, Venus Remedies employees have been holding candlelight vigils at Venusian Chambers, the company’s upcoming headquarters in Dappar, and illuminating the office building in colours of the Ukrainian flag.

The company has also launched a social media campaign to motivate people in India and abroad to make voluntary contributions for the noble cause. Venus Remedies employees have responded enthusiastically to the appeal by coming forward with donations in large numbers.

About Venus Remedies

Panchkula-based Venus Remedies Ltd (NSE: VENUSREM, BSE: 526953) is among the leading injectable manufacturers in the world. Having presence in 75 countries with a portfolio of as many products spread over Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Commonwealth States, Middle East, Latin America and Caribbean region, the company has nine globally benchmarked facilities in Panchkula, Baddi and Werne (Germany), apart from 11 overseas marketing offices. Its manufacturing units are certified for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001 and OHSAS. The company has also been approved by European-GMP, WHO-GMP and Latin American GMP (INVIMA), among others. Venus Remedies has  more than 100 patents, 70 trademarks and 12 copyrights for its innovative research products worldwide.

ONMO Launches Crypto Payments For Mobile Gaming Players Globally

ONMO, the  direct-to-consumer social esports mobile gaming platform from OnMobile has announced enabling transactions through Bitcoin for players across the globe. While ONMO users in India can play using real money, users in other parts of the globe will now have the choice of using Bitcoins to pay entry fees for 1-on-1 battles and daily multiplayer tournaments and play a wide variety of games on the platform.  

Commenting on the new release, Krish Seshadri, CEO, ONMO said “Gamers have been well habituated to virtual items and understand the value of virtual currencies. Our goal is to provide our global players with the best experience. With the rapid adoption of Crypto, we have now added Bitcoin as the main payment method to play games on ONMO across the globe. We will soon add other Crypto currencies to the payment methods in the ONMO wallet”.

With the addition of Bitcoin payments, ONMO brings together two of the fastest-growing markets - crypto and esports - making it versatile and easy to use. Bitcoin payments offer cross-game and cross-region compatibility coupled with streamlined payments. The platform will facilitate more cryptocurrency payment options in the future providing its global users with the best game experience and empower them to wager against each other.

About OnMobile and ONMO

OnMobile [NSE India: ONMOBILE] [BSE Ltd: 532944], is a global leader in mobile entertainment. Headquartered in Bangalore, India and with offices in all regions of the world, OnMobile is focused on building cutting-edge Mobile Gaming products while also offering a wide array of products such as Videos, Tones, & Contests. Based on current deployments, OnMobile has over 80 million monthly users across the globe. A product of OnMobile, ONMO is a social esports platform that offers short game moments across popular game titles. Players can explore different formats of gameplay, 1-on-1 battles, multiplayer tournaments, or solo challenges on the product.  With offices in Canada, Sweden, and India, ONMO blends current trends like social play, casual short gaming & esports supported by cloud gaming & vision AI technologies into a unique mobile gaming offering.

For further information, visit www.onmobile.com; www.onmo.com

Magellanic Cloud Announces Its 100% Share Acquisition Of IVIS And Provigil

Leading IT services provider, Magellanic Cloud (listed as MCloud on BSE), is pleased to announce that it has acquired 100% of the shares of IVIS International Private Limited and100% of the shares of Provigil Surveillance Limited, subject to completion of closing conditions as specified in a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) between the companies, by way of cash consideration valued approximately at INR.290,27,93,405 and INR 35,97,00,000 respectively, subject to closing adjustments based on Share Purchase Agreement.  

Magellenic Cloud is acquiring these two companies to expand the range of services it provides. This acquisition will add electronic surveillance to Magellanic Cloud’s portfolio and will help expand its security solutions offering to enterprises.  

IVIS and Provigil, are AI/ML and IOT technology enabled e-surveillance companies started by a group of entrepreneurs with experience in the Network and Surveillance domain in the US/UK/Canada.  Their mission is to provide state-of-the-art technology that provides e-surveillance systems to prevent theft, vandalism, compliance checks & real-time deviation detection, as well as business and operational insights that such data can readily provide.  For example, the software can identify bottlenecks in customer flow in retail stores which could suggest alternative product placement to optimize profits.  They have been providing these services to several leading brands. The company is already serving over 20,000 sites in India.  Magellenic Cloud plans to modify the software so that it will work for many other business use cases. 

Speaking about the acquisition, Joseph Sudheer Reddy Thumma, CEO of Magellanic Cloud said “We are excited to announce the acquisition of IVIS and Provigil, a leader in technology-based e-surveillance industry, and happy to include them in our fold. We provide innovative technology solutions to a diverse group of industries. We take pride in being at the cutting edge of technology and providing the latest digital solutions using AI, ML and IoT to help companies accelerate their journey of digital transformation. The addition of IVIS and Provigil is another feather in our cap as digital security solutions are an essential part of digital transformation.”

Murali Mohan Rachapoodi, CEO of IVIS and Provigil added “This partnership has come at a time when enterprises are focused on all-around digital transformation. IVIS specializes in providing cutting edge surveillance solutions using AI and IOT technologies that include video surveillance, sensors, and deterrents, providing a virtual defense mechanism for properties / assets. It is extremely effective as it not only reports the theft but also prevents the same without any human intervention. Factories, shops, properties, and facilities would benefit from this system as it would provide them with adequate security, video analytics and Business Intelligence to enterprises without the need to hire resources. We are eagerly anticipating this new move to contribute to our growth trajectory.”

Both Magellanic Cloud , IVIS and Provigil are excited about the latest development and expect the strategic acquisition to work successfully. The IT services company continues to stride forward by expanding its portfolio of services.

About Magellanic Cloud

Magellanic Cloud works in the digital space and is at the forefront of providing innovative technology solutions to a wide range of industries. They have tie-ups with multiple brands and have offices in multiple locations in Asia, Europe, and the USA. Mcloud aims at providing quality software solutions for internal, commercial use and other organizations that help accelerate the growth and resolve complicated issues.

Magellanic Cloud is a leading provider of IT services to customers in diverse industries. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol MCLOUD. They specialize in offering best-in-class digital transformation services to global clients. Magellanic Cloud has several companies under its umbrella catering to different service needs. They have a team of over 1200 professionals, serve over 50 companies, and have over 40 years of experience. They have a rich and varied clientele spread across the world. With the acquisition of IVIS and Provigil, they will be adding electronic surveillance to their service portfolio.

Consumer Interest In “Virtual Living” Intensifies, Accenture Survey Finds

* Successful consumer-facing companies are using immersive technologies to build digital environments that are increasingly realistic and create a greater connection to the physical world

The growing use of immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality will spur consumer-facing companies, such as those in retail, consumer goods and travel, to increase investment in new capabilities and experiences to blend physical and virtual worlds, or risk being left behind, according to the findings of a recent global survey from Accenture (ACN:NYSE).

The survey of more than 11,000 consumers in 16 countries including India found that while almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers had already purchased a virtual good or taken part in a virtual experience or service in the past year, that figure is expected to rise, as 83% show interest in making purchases via the metaverse. Furthermore, 42% of survey respondents said they had visited a retailer in the virtual world to get advice, make a payment or browse a product range when shopping for a physical item, while 56% of respondents plan to in the next year. Among millennials, these figures increase to 51% and 61% respectively.

According to the Accenture Technology Vision 2022, “Meet Me in the Metaverse: The Continuum of Technology and Experience Reshaping Business,” more than half (55%) of consumers agree that more of their lives and livelihoods are moving into digital spaces. In response, the vast majority (90%) of retail executives say that they anticipate that leading organizations will push the boundaries of the virtual world to make it more real, increasing the need for persistence and seamless navigation between the digital and physical worlds. Further, 72% of global executives state that the metaverse will have a positive impact on their organizations, with 45% believing it will be breakthrough or transformational.

“As consumers explore the virt-real world, companies that do not actively begin incorporating new immersive experiences into their business strategy now, run the risk of being left behind. By embracing the Metaverse, businesses have the opportunity to reinvent consumer experiences and also transform the way in which products and services are being created and offered,” said Anurag Gupta, managing director and lead - Strategy & Consulting, Accenture in India.

The survey also found that half (50%) of consumers said that they are buying, or would be interested in buying, a travel experience such as a sightseeing tour or hotel stay. This figure rises to 55% of millennials, compared to 29% of baby boomers. For leisure, 54% of consumers said that they are buying, or interested in buying, tickets to a concert, a show or sporting event taking place in a virtual world.

Manish Gupta, managing director and lead - Products, Accenture in India said, “As an evolving continuum, Metaverse is expected to transform and impact every part of the business value chain – right from reinventing consumer engagement to solving R&D issues and enabling enterprise-wide data analysis to leadership decisions. Consumer-facing companies need to focus on skilling and investing in a robust technology foundation to benefit from the new opportunities that will come up in the future.”

In addition to giving rise to new ways to shop, travel and socialize, virtual products and locations highlights a potential opportunity to grow revenue across industries.

Accenture recently announced the launch of the Accenture Metaverse Continuum business group, which combines metaverse-skilled professionals and market-leading capabilities in customer experience, digital commerce, extended reality, blockchain, digital twins, artificial intelligence and computer vision to help clients design, execute and accelerate their metaverse journeys.

About the Research

Accenture’s Consumer Pulse Survey offers insights into consumer outlook, sentiment, and behaviours two years on from the start of the pandemic (March 2020). This year’s survey is relevant to all consumer industries but is focused on Consumer Goods, Retail and Travel. Accenture surveyed a representative sample of 11,311 consumers from 16 countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam. The survey was conducted online and targeted consumers who have made purchases for their household in the past six months. Respondents were split evenly across gender and age group. This survey was conducted between 7th and 15th February 2022.

For the Accenture Technology Vision 2022, Accenture Research conducted a global survey of 24,000 consumers to capture insights into their use of, interactions with, and beliefs about technology in their everyday lives. In addition, Accenture conducted a survey of 4,650 C-level executives and directors across 23 industries to understand their perspectives and use of emerging technologies across their organizations. The surveys were fielded from December 2021 through January 2022 across 35 countries.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 699,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

JustMyRoots Partners With Celebrity MasterChef Shipra Khanna To Bring Her Signature Dishes Home To You

* Food lovers across India can pre-book dishes prepared exclusively by the chef starting from 30th April 2022

JustMyRoots, India’s first intercity home delivery service, has partnered with MasterChef Shipra Khanna to deliver her signature dish, cooked by her, to the doorsteps of thousands of food lovers. The JustMyRoots platform will enable her fans across India to not only get an opportunity to see the master at work, while she cooks her dish live on the social media platforms, but will also be able to order and taste, the chef’s specially prepared signature dishes, from the comfort of their homes.

Through this collaboration, JustMyRoots and MasterChef Shipra Khanna will be preparing Paneer Tikka Biryani. Food lovers across India can pre-book the dish prepared exclusively by the chef starting from 30th April 2022. Chef Shipra Khanna will put the cooking video on her social media on 5th May 2022 and will be preparing the orders in Mumbai on 6th May 2022, and JustMyRoots, which has partnered with multiple cloud kitchens across different cities, will ensure timely delivery.

Consumers need to simply log in and choose from the dishes prepared and listed on the JustMyRoots application or simply place a missed call/ IVR. The first 2000 customers will be able to enjoy these dishes prepared by the chef herself.

Speaking on the same, Samiran Sengupta, CEO, and Co-Founder, JustMyRoots, mentioned, “At JustMyRoots, while we have always considered food as an emotion, we have also tried to bring certain innovations in our business model that will revolutionize the food delivery sector in India. We have tried to bring families closer and provide them with an opportunity to enjoy their favorite dishes across any part of the country. This one-of-a-kind celebrity collaboration is a step closer to our vision, where it will be possible for our customers to order the signature dishes directly from their favorite celebrity chef’s kitchen to their homes.”

MasterChefs are in a different league by themselves, having cooked and excelled, in multiple rounds, of the competition, to finally qualify and win the Title. With this collaboration, JustMyRoots is providing them the opportunity to connect with their fans directly.

MasterChef Shipra Khanna mentioned, “I am delighted to associate with JustMyRoots and hope this collaboration will create a special experience for all the food lovers across India. This partnership will help expand our scope of work and open new avenues where people, with just one tap on their smartphones, can experience my signature dishes in the safety of their home with their loved ones.”

The promos for the collaboration are online and with this novel concept, JustMyRoots has taken yet another step to revolutionize the industry and aim toward breaking barriers in the food delivery ecosystem.

Instagram Promo Link: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cc-qRpQpq6T/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=