Evolution In The Virtual Reality Space: AjnaLens Launches ‘Haptic Gloves’ In India

* AjnaLens, a Mumbai-based AR/VR Startup becomes the first to launch the Haptic Gloves ‘AjnaSparsh’ for Training & Upskilling 

AjnaLens, a Mumbai based hardware and software company has become the first Indian company to launch ‘Made in India’ Haptic Gloves, named as ‘AjnaSparsh’. The one-of-its-kind gloves allows the user to intuitively interact with virtual objects in the Metaverse. The gloves are offered as a training tool along with the AjnaXR Station 2.0. Corporate giants like Vedanta are readily adopting this technology to train and upskill their workforce for better results. 

“Every complex skill has its own set of tools that simplifies the learning process. Similar is the case with VR training. Attaching sensors on industry-graded tools do offer a sense of realism in the virtual world, but it still limits the scalability of the system. This inspired us to create AjnaSparsh, a unique pair of haptic gloves that allows users to touch, hold and feel the virtual objects in the Metaverse as they would in the real world. The right amount of pressure is induced on parts of the hand that are touching the virtual object, simulating the feeling of real touch. This leads to better hand, eye and brain coordination and sharpens cognitive skills to perform better.” said Abhishek Tomar, Co-founder & CTO, AjnaLens.

“Designed with utmost precision, AjnaSparsh is comfortable and lightweight to wear for an extended period. The sensors embedded allow force feedback and highly accurate motion tracking. Be it pressing a button, gripping a tool or throwing a ball, the gloves can replicate exact sensations in the virtual world. We are continuously working to upgrade the gloves and add new features like interactions with holographic avatars” he added.

AjnaLens has started pairing their haptic gloves with VR training modules like Mining to impart close to realistic training. Unlike controllers, haptic gloves take the VR experience to new heights, providing highly immersive and intuitive interactions. This strengthens a trainee’s muscle memory, and improves skill proficiency.

The company aims to deploy the AjnaSparsh and train 50,000+ students by the end of the year.

About AjnaLens

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

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

AjnaLens is currently helping India’s government and fortune 500 companies in their digital transformation journey by providing end-to-end solutions such as Enterprise Metaverse, VR training simulators, AR-based remote assistance, Digital twin as well as providing indigenous defence solutions like see-through armour to Indian Defence forces. AjnaLens is the first and only XR hardware OEM registered on GEM (Government e-Marketplace), GOI’s official portal to manufacture AR/VR glasses in India. 

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

BMW's 50 Years Of M: The Most Thrilling Birthday In The World!

* Precious Souvenirs of the Golden Jubilee: Launch of 10 exclusive ‘50 Jahre M Editions’ in India.

* Honouring Tradition: Return of the Classic ‘BMW Motorsport’ Emblem.

* Home of High-Performance: M Certified Dealerships Coming Soon.

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the legendary BMW M GmbH division and BMW India plans to celebrate this milestone by raising adrenaline to the next level. A series of prized ‘50 Jahre M Editions’, special M Accessories reminiscing the iconic brand, thrilling events and emotional campaigns have been set in motion to celebrate the ‘Power of M’.

Back in 1972, BMW Motorsport GmbH was founded with just 35 employees and a single aim - to create the world’s best sports cars. Following year, the BMW 3.0 CSL debuted at the Touring Car Championship and dominated the European Championship for the next six years. And that was only the start of many more outstanding automobiles and racing wins. Since then, BMW M GmbH has penned an unparalleled journey, fuelling BMW through development of high-performance track-dominating cars.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “M is the strongest letter in the world and in its 50th anniversary it is stronger than ever. Inspired by motorsport, BMW M philosophy is the perfect interplay of dynamics, agility and precision while being suitable for everyday use. However different the vehicles and their drivers might be – we all love the faster heartbeat, the adrenaline and goose bumps triggered by every M car. To celebrate M’s fascinating history, BMW India will launch 10 alluring ‘50 Jahre M Editions’ across the product portfolio. We are also excited to share that later this year we will launch BMW M Certified dealerships, a one-stop-shop for an unbeatable purist experience. Above all, this jubilee is dedicated to drivers, the brand’s friends and all M enthusiasts.”

10 distinct ‘50 Jahre M Editions’ will give customers an opportunity to express both their passion for motor-racing and their awareness of tradition. Stealing the spotlight will be special editions from the powerful M stable including the BMW M340i, BMW M4, BMW M5. The robust BMW Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) range will also get its own ‘50 Jahre M Editions’ combining the best of off-roading capabilities with high-performance attributes of M. Popular BMW sedans such as BMW 6 Series and BMW 5 Series will commemorate the anniversary year with their own exhilarating M Editions. These limited-edition models will be available exclusively online at shop.bmw.in only.

The first to launch will be a stand-out rendition of the highly successful BMW M 340i xDrive. Locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, it is the first high-performance BMW with an M engine to be made in India. This car has the soul of the BMW 3 Series, amplified power of M and driving competence of BMW xDrive. Ever since it was introduced in 2021, the car has been continuously sold out due to tremendous demand.

Iconic and historically significant BMW M paint finishes and upholstery options will also be offered for select models. Style-defining colors such as Dakar Yellow, Fire Orange, Daytona Violet, Macao Blue, Imola Red or Frozen Marina Bay Blue refer to the various eras of BMW M.

Customers can add sporting character to every detail with three head-turning ‘50 Jahre M Edition’ accessories packages which will be available at an attractive launch pricing. The Racer’s Pack will be the perfect choice for those who like stronger muscle command in their vehicles with exterior accessories like Rear Spoiler in Matt black, Side Sill Transfers in Matt Black and Key Fob. The Motorsport Pack goes a step further and gives a 360 makeover to the exterior as well as interior. It includes accessories like M Performance Steering Wheel, Selector Gear knob in Alcantara, Rear Spoiler in Matt Black to name a few. The Carbon Pack has been curated to give the car a fiery racing character inside out. Here, the list consists of interior trims in Carbon Fibre, M Performance Steering Wheel, Selector Gear knob in Carbon Fibre, Rear Spoiler in Carbon Fibre among others. The pairing of packages / accessories will vary from one model to another.

BMW M is putting down a marker for those who love tradition. Customers who opt for a BMW M automobile, special M Edition variants or a model equipped with an M Sport package will have their vehicle’s front, rear and wheel hubs decorated with M emblems inspired by the classic ‘BMW Motorsport’ logo. As an alternative to the conventional BMW emblem, it signals passion for racing and for the roots of the BMW M brand. The BMW logo with the shifted semicircles in blue, violet and red was first used in 1973 on the racing car of BMW Motorsport GmbH. In 1978 and with the debut of the BMW M1 the three color stripes slanted to the right and leaning on the letter M followed. Even beyond the motorsport scene it became a trademark with particularly high recognition value and identification power.

BMW India will also introduce dedicated M Certified Dealerships in India where enthusiasts will find everything M under one roof. Charged with the flair of M, these dealerships will provide the classic feel and ultimate high-performance experience that is associated with the brand.

Accenture Report Strong Growth In Q3. IT Services Will See Strong Results In Uncertain Times

Accenture reported strong revenue growth of 27% in constant currency (c/c) in 3QFY22, beating the upper end of guidance. Growth was strong all-round. Order book growth was good but lower than revenue growth at 15% in c/c. FY2022 revenue growth guidance was raised to 25.5-26.5%. Headcount addition was modest. Management indicated no change in decision-making and expects strong bookings and revenue growth in 4QFY22. Results were strong though the focus of the Street has shifted to impact on business in a recessionary environment.

Strong broad-based revenue growth; moderate bookings growth

Accenture reported 27% c/c revenue growth and 22% in reported terms to US$16.2 bn in 3QFY22 (May 2022 ending quarter). C/c revenues were above the guidance range. Revenue growth was strong across geos and verticals. Growth was led by CMT and products verticals that grew 31% each. Growth was good in financial services (24%) and health & public services (19%). Consulting grew 30%, while outsourcing grew 23%. Interestingly, segments which were perceived to be vulnerable delivered well—Europe (30% in c/c, helped partly by acquisitions) and products segments. EBIT margin increased by 10 bps yoy. Bookings growth was steady at 10% in reported terms and 15% in c/c. Headcount addition was muted at 12K employees, while attrition surprisingly increased to 20% (from 18% in 2QFY22).

Revenue guidance increased again; EPS guidance cut due to loss from sale of Russia operations

Accenture increased revenue growth guidance once again to 25.5-26.5% from 24-26% earlier, impressive. The guidance increase is large enough noting that just one quarter remains for completion of FY2022. EPS guidance was cut to US$10.61-10.7 from US$10.61-10.81, due to additional cross-currency headwinds and loss on disposition of Russia operations (US$96.2 mn hit). Revenue growth guidance for 4QFY22 at 20-24% is remarkably strong. Management has also guided for strong order bookings.

Moderate growth in bookings, the discussion point

Bookings grew 10% to US$17 bn (15% in c/c). In reported terms, consulting bookings grew 13.5%, while outsourcing was a lot more sedate at 6.1%. Book to bill ratio on LTM basis was 1.1 in consulting and 1.2 in outsourcing. We note that 15% c/c/ bookings growth, off a high base of 40% growth of the previous year, is a reasonably good outcome. In any case, the company has guided for solid bookings growth in 4QFY22.

No change in decision-making cycle

Demand is strong with no change in the decision-making cycle. The nature of conversations has changed depending on the industry vertical served. For example, cost focus has increased in consumer goods industries. Predictably, not much insight was offered on demand for FY2023.

The immediate impact of a deteriorating environment is not visible from the results or decision-making of clients. In fact, Accenture increased revenue growth guidance, reported stronger growth in Europe (perceived to be more vulnerable) and delivered better growth in bookings in consulting (considered to be more vulnerable). In a way, the results and outlook are as good as it gets, especially in the context of lowered expectations, visible in 12% correction in stock price in the past three months (46% correction from the peak). 

Clients continue to pursue compressed transformation

Companies continue to invest in cloud migration and transformation with greater speed and scope. Early adopters of cloud are building further capabilities using data and AI. Digital laggards are investing to catch up to leaders. Decision-making by clients has not slowed down yet. Clients are reprioritizing investments and focusing more on costs given the uncertain macro environment. Accenture provides end-to-end services and can capture entire opportunity from generating cost efficiencies through leverage of technology and using it to invest in change programs.

Key highlights of earnings call

} Clients with US$100 mn+ bookings. Accenture had 18 clients with U$100 mn bookings in 3QFY22, taking the total to 74 YTD which is 20 higher than the similar prior period.

} Strong market share gains. Accenture grew 3X of the market. Growth in Europe was led by double-digit growth in Germany, the UK, France and Italy. Growth markets were led by double-digit growth in Japan and Australia.

} Spend on M&A. Accenture has reduced M&A spends to US$2.5 bn in FY2022E from US$4 bn earlier due to delay in closing of acquisitions, US$1 bn of which is expected to close in 1QFY23.

} Bookings. Bookings of US$17 bn were aligned to management expectations. The pipeline is strong.

} Sustainability. Accenture acquired three companies in 3QFY22 to enhance capabilities in sustainability services.

} Balanced growth. Both consulting and outsourcing revenues will report healthy growth in 4QFY22. Pipelines for both the segments are healthy.

} Clients are focused on both costs and growth. In certain industries like consumer, there is more focus on costs than a year ago. Cloud, data and AI continue to be key focus areas. Energy efficiency, supply-chain resilience, cost reduction, cybersecurity are focus areas for clients in Europe.

} Pricing. Accenture is able to get decent improvement is pricing. Higher pricing is the biggest margin lever. Margin tailwinds including pricing increases continue to lag compensation increases.

} Attrition. Uptick is attrition is in line with seasonal patterns. Attrition can increase further in 4QFY22 due to seasonality.

} Others. Captive care-out opportunities have been steady for the past couple of years.

Michelin Gets India's First Fuel Efficiency 5 Star Rating For Passenger Car Tyre Category

* MICHELIN Latitude Sport 3 and MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 SUV certified with 5 Star rating by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) 

Michelin, the world’s leading sustainable mobility company, has become the first tyre brand in the passenger vehicle segment in India to be accredited with the newly introduced star labelling program by Government of India. MICHELIN Latitude Sport 3 and MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres receiving 5 Star ratingis a real endorsement of Michelin’s commitment to offering the best of global sustainable technology and state-of-the-art products to its Indian customers. Recently, Michelin became the first brand in India to receive 4 Star rating by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for it’s made in India commercial vehicle tyre MICHELIN X® Multi Energy Z.  

Manish Pandey, Commercial Director B2C for India Region said, “At Michelin, we believe that for mobility to have a future, it will have to be increasingly eco-friendly, efficient, safe and accessible. After receiving the first 4-Star label for our commercial vehicle tyre recently, we are thrilled to be recognised once again with India’s first 5 Star rating for two of our most popular passenger car tyre-lines in India. For our brand, this first 5 Star rating will add greater confidence among our customers, where they will be better placed to select tyres that are fuel-efficient, safe and contribute to decreasing carbon footprint in the country. We are dedicated to offering our Indian customers the most advanced technology best tailored to keep them safe, comfortable, and efficient on Indian roads” 

Government of India continues to make consistent efforts towards infrastructure development, with the pace of national highway (NH) construction in the country touching a record 37 km per day in 2020-21. To make these roads safer and drives more efficient, comfortable, and confident, the tyre industry has played a crucial role, with consistent efforts towards creating a more innovative contribution to the industry. As part of an ambitious road map by the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for a smooth transition towards green mobility, a final notification was published in 2021, proposing that the tyres of cars, buses, and trucks meet requirements of rolling resistance and wet grip as specified in BEE Schedule 30 based on Stage-I of the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS). Under this process, Michelin India is one of the first brands to register for both commercial vehicle as well as passenger car segment and was subsequently awarded India's first 5 Star rating for Michelin Latitude Sport 3 and Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres.  

The new regulations will demand that all tyres sold in India meet crucial performance and safety standards such as rolling resistance and wet grip. When this regulation becomes mandatory, all domestic and foreign manufacturer and importers of truck, bus and passenger car tyres will be required to attribute BEE star label to tyres sold in India. 

MICHELIN Latitude Sport 3 is the third generation of Latitude on-road SUV tyres from Michelin’s global line-up. The tyres are uniquely designed to offer the best in the segment, driving experience, better performance in terms of fuel consumption and an outstanding grip on all types of terrains. It provides better road grip on wet roads with minimal roll resistance, adding to better fuel efficiency. The tyre's exceptional design offers a high level of comfort and maximum torque transfer while braking or accelerating, thus improving steering precision. 

MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyre is a high-performance, premium SUV tyre developed to deliver unlimited driving pleasure, excellent longevity, impressive braking performance, and dynamic handling. Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres outperform peers in dry and wet on-road braking, with shorter braking distances. Moreover, this tyre provides better roll resistance, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and Safety. 

PARAMETERS FOR STAR LABELLING:   

AIS conducts star labelling test on tyres on various aspects, such as testing of rolling resistance coefficient and wet grip index. The rolling resistance coefficient test is done on the rolling ratio to the tyre's load. In contrast, the wet grip Index test is done on parameters of the ratio between performance of the candidate tyre and the performance of the standard reference test tyre. Each test must meet the minimum threshold for each star rating band. 5 Star category has a lower limit of 0 kg/ton and an upper limit of 8 kg/ton.  

IMPACT OF FUEL SAVINGS AND 5-STAR SIGNIFICANCE:  

A 5 Star product, on average, consumes up to 9.5%   less fuel when compared to any other lower star-rated tyre, co-relating to lesser greenhouse gas emissions, a significant cause of global warming. On an average, there would be up to 750 kg less Co2 emissions when you switch to a 5-star product vs a lower-star rated tyre. As the fuel prices across the globe remain volatile, consumer can save a significant amount of money by switching to 5-star rated tyres.  

Third Edition of myAvtar “Job Fair For Women” Set To Attract Over 2000 Jobseekers

myAvtar.com - India’s leading diversity job portal, announced the third edition of its free virtual job fair for women - ‘myAvtar’ – to be held on 02nd July this year, between 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. The large format virtual fair will connect women jobseekers with inclusive employers. This fair will provide opportunities for working women professionals at across career stages and also to those looking to restart their careers. A wide range of recruitment options will be available for women across sectors.  

The myAvtar.com job portal offers enormous opportunities for women in diverse domains like banking, technology, finance, digital marketing, and manufacturing. The diversity job portal was launched by India’s premier Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Solutions firm, Avtar Group in 2020 to showcase opportunities for women, LGBTQ Community, Persons with Disabilities, Army Veterans, and millennials.  

For the last two decades, Avtar has been the front-runner towards increasing women’s workforce participation in India Inc. Avtar has been working with companies across industry verticals on their gender diversity initiatives and building career opportunities for women. 

Announcing the launch of the 3rd edition of myAvtar Job Fair for Women, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President, Avtar Group, said, “The last two editions of the job fairs reveal a profound impact the Covid crisis has had on the jobs that are available for women professionals. The growth in the industries that were traditionally male dominated such as manufacturing, pharma, automobile and so on, is accelerating the demand for Diverse talent suggesting quick and fast economic recovery which would also witness an increase in women’s workforce participation.”  

This specially curated job fair will provide the much-needed opportunity for networking and scope of employability for freshers, early and mid-career women professionals. The fair will see participation from leading companies including Ather Energy, Amazon, M2P Fintech, Mastercard Incorporated, Synchrony, Titan Company, Vestas, AstraZeneca, CRISIL, Bluestar Limited, Ford Business Solutions and ICICI Lombard reaffirming their commitment to creating gender-balanced workspaces.  Participants will not only have access to employment opportunities but also be able to attend a series of thought-provoking and insightful sessions from industry veterans. Also available will be exclusive presentations by employers on their organizations and job opportunities for candidates to apply. 

Women jobseekers can register at https://www.myavtar.com/events/details/11 for a free pass to the event. The job fair is free for candidates to register. 

About Avtar Group  

Avtar set up in 2000, is India’s first diversity advocate & workplace inclusion expert. Renowned for its extensive work in the space of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and more specifically, women’s workforce participation, it is the country’s largest provider of second career opportunities for women and is also the earliest to begin working on diversity audits and measurement. Lead by the visionary Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Avtar has ventured into areas of gender inclusion and career creation, which are firsts to India, such as  

Creating a marketplace for second career women to meet potential employers,  

Developing a comprehensive set of career enablers which companies can implement in their workspaces, 

Spearheading original research that has provided cutting edge insights to organizations 

Launched India’s first Diversity hiring portal, www.myAvtar.com 

Re-Skilling, Up-skilling, and Counselling of women to pursue sustainable career paths and 

Building career intentionality amongst under privileged girl children. 

Over its 21 years of existence, Avtar has helped charter Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plans for several organizations in the IT, FMCG, Manufacturing and Financial sectors in the country.  

METRO Cash & Carry India Rings In Its 19th Successful Year In India With Grand Anniversary Special ‘Profits Just Got Bigger’

·         Anniversary celebration will run from June 23rd till 10th August, and has been made available across METRO’s 31 wholesale stores and METRO Wholesale App

·         Special Anniversary offers have been curated to support small businesses and kiranas to avail great offers and help them unlock bigger profits to improve their toplines and cash flows

·         Anniversary special reinforces METRO’s commitment to champion the cause of small & independent business customers that includes Kirana, HoReCa customers (Hotels, Restaurants, Caterers), office and institutions, etc.

METRO Cash and Carry, India’s leading organized wholesaler and food specialist is commemorating its 19 years of successful operations in India and has rolled out special anniversary offers across its 31 ‘METRO Wholesale’ stores in India. Over 3 million small and independent business customers of METRO across the country can avail the anniversary offers in the 45 days long celebration starting 23rd June to ­­­­­­10th August 2022. The special offers have been made available on the METRO Wholesale App. https://bit.ly/2JxGMz4 (for Android users). 

As part of the anniversary celebration, a special ‘Profits Just Got Bigger’ campaign has been introduced for small and independent business customers, especially the small retailers and kiranas to enable them to avail attractive deals and offers on a variety of products and help them pass on the benefits to their end customers. Special discounts and specially curated offers like Double Dhamaka (Buy One Get One) deals are being offered in a phased manner on a range of products across brands. During this period, METRO will be giving incredible anniversary offers like ‘Lowest Price in Town’, Buy More Save More, METRO Exclusive, and more such exciting offers to its over 3 million customer base in India.

METRO remains committed to its purpose of supporting the small businesses and retailers, and is offering mega discounts on a range of home appliances, apparels, electronics, home furnishing, kitchen accessories, toiletries, luggage, and FMCG brands in addition to commodities, oil, pulses, etc. METRO’s own in-house brands such as ARO, Fine Life, METRO Chef, METRO Professional, Rioba & Tarrington House will also have exciting discounts and benefits.

Speaking about METRO’s 19th Anniversary in India, Arvind Mediratta, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at METRO Cash & Carry India said, “Over the last two decades in India, METRO India has been working towards empowering the small and independent businesses. Today METRO has become synonymous with being the voice of small businesses, retailers and kiranas. Our anniversary special offers have been designed to help support these independent businesses for them to enhance their cash flows and improve footfall and profitability for them to sustain the competitive battleground of modern retail and e-commerce.”

He further added, “Over the last 19 years, we have steadily worked towards providing a robust platform to several local and indigenous MSMEs and small businesses to grow their business with METRO. Along with this, we have provided customized solutions to our 3 million customers now to accelerate their business with new opportunities. On our nineteenth anniversary, I would like to thank thousands of our independent businesses, kiranas, HoReCa partners, supplier partners, and farming community, along with our resilient workforce at METRO, who have supported us in the journey to make METRO the most profitable wholesaler in the country.”

Since starting its operations in 2003, METRO has built a strong brand equity and trust amongst the MSMEs & independent businesses in India. As Champion for Independent Business, METRO has always been committed to supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem; 99% of the products METRO sells are all locally sourced from MSMEs & local suppliers. In the last 19 years, METRO has been at the forefront of enriching these independent businesses and takes immense pride in empowering the Kirana ecosystem through its Smart Kirana program. A first-of-its-kind initiative, the program helps traditional mom-and-pop kirana stores to transform with modernization and digitalization solutions to compete with new-age retail players. METRO is leading the way in kirana digitization and has so far helped modernize operations of over 2000 kiranas across the country.

METRO Cash & Carry operates 31 wholesale distribution centres In India catering to over 5000 suppliers and has created over 15500 direct and indirect job opportunities across the country. To become a METRO Wholesale member, register with a valid business license and photo ID proof copy by calling on 1860-266-2010 or log on to www.metro.co.in   

About METRO Cash & Carry:

METRO is a leading international wholesale company, with food and non-food assortments, which specialises in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent merchants (Traders). Around the world, METRO has some 17 million customers who benefit from the wholesale company’s unique multichannel mix. Customers can choose between shopping in one of the large stores in their area or delivery (Food Service Distribution, FSD) – all digitally supported and connected. At the same time, METRO MARKETS is an international online marketplace for professional customers that has been growing and expanding continuously since 2019. Acting sustainably is one of the company principles of METRO, which has been listed in various sustainability indices and rankings for many years, including FTSE4Good, MSCI, CDP and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. METRO operates in more than 30 countries and employs over 95,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2020/21, METRO generated sales of €24.8 billion.

METRO entered the Indian market in 2003 with METRO Cash & Carry stores. The company currently operates thirty-one wholesale distribution centres under the brand METRO Wholesale including six in Bangalore, four in Hyderabad, two each in Mumbai and Delhi, and one each in Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Zirakpur, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Lucknow, Meerut, Nasik, Ghaziabad, Tumakuru, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur and Hubballi.  

Happiest Minds Technologies Is Positioned As An ‘Innovator’ In Nelson Hall’s Digital Banking Services NEAT Report

Happiest Minds Technologies Limited (NSE: HAPPSTMNDS), a ‘Born Digital . Born Agile’ digital transformation and IT solutions company, today announced being positioned in the NelsonHall Vendor Evaluation and Assessment Tool (NEAT) report as an ‘Innovator’ in Digital Banking Services.

NelsonHall, the leading global BPO, and IT outsourcing analyst firm uses its NEAT tool for a pragmatic assessment of an organization’s ability to take clients on an innovation journey. The tool is useful for business managers looking to benchmark themselves against their peers, financial analysts, and investors specializing in the support services sector. It offers a comprehensive assessment of Happiest Minds’ Digital Banking Service offerings and an evaluation of its Marketing & Sales initiatives.

Rajiv Shah, Executive Board Member & CEO, Digital Business Services (DBS), Happiest Minds Technologies said, “Happiest Minds has been at the forefront of digital transformation by leveraging the 4E Mindful framework and digital technologies. We have brought in technology, innovation, and intention to meet our customers’ business goals through actionable insights. This recognition in the NEAT tool is a testimony of our future-ready vision, strategy, and value we deliver at each step of our customers’ digital journey.”

Geetha Doraiswamy, GM & Delivery Head BFSI, Digital Business Services (DBS), Happiest Minds Technologies said, “BFSI as an industry has seen an accelerated impact in the last two years with customers’ rapidly adopting technology. The hassle-quick processing of applications and requests, and flexible repayment schedules are the norms of the post-covid world. Our position in the NelsonHall Report is a testament to our innovative capabilities aimed at delivering superior business outcomes in the banking and financial space.”

Andy Efstathiou, Director of NelsonHall’s Banking Operations & Transformation Practice, said “Happiest Minds was identified as an ‘INNOVATOR’ in digital banking services based on its domain expertise and experience with contact center, payment, and lending solution development and implementation services. Happiest Minds focuses its services on leading-edge technologies that clients have difficulty deploying themselves.”

The Happiest Minds’ Banking and Financial IT services uses disruptive technologies of AI, IoT, App Modernization, CRM, Analytics, and Cloud to help financial institutions like the banks, non-banking lenders, FinTechs, and Credit Unions streamline and automate data governance & reconciliation processes and support compliance with banking regulatory frameworks like Basel, Dodd-Frank & FATCA. Our customer experience solutions in the rapidly disruptive digital space like social media, mobile, and analytics enable us to provide relevant, smart, secure, and easy banking within an agile and resilient tech ecosystem. 

Happiest Minds’ success is evident in the work delivered to its customers.

·         For the largest US Commercial Bank, Agent AI and the Digital Contact Center Modernization led to cutbacks of up to 61K$ just for lookups?, 2880 hours of agent utilization saved?, and a significant reduction in agent training cost.

·         For a B2C Fintech Company, ?an interactive online platform led to increased customer satisfaction by 37%?, reduced call resolution time by 40%, and increased cross-sell and up-sell opportunities by 10%. ?

·         For a US-based P2P Lending Organization, the implementation of loan servicing & collection strategies led to reduced manual intervention from 100% to 20%? and automated loan contract creation.

Powered by its mission statement of “Happiest People . Happiest Customers,” Happiest Minds counts more than 53 Billion-Dollar corporations as its customers.

About Happiest Minds Technologies:

Happiest Minds’ Technologies Limited (NSE: HAPPSTMNDS), a Mindful IT Company, enables digital transformation for enterprises and technology providers by delivering seamless customer experiences, business efficiency and actionable insights. We do this by leveraging a spectrum of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud, digital process automation, internet of things, robotics/drones, security, virtual/augmented reality, and more. Positioned as ‘Born Digital. Born Agile’, our capabilities span digital solutions, infrastructure, product engineering and security. We deliver these services across industry sectors such as automotive, BFSI, consumer packaged goods, e-commerce, edutech, engineering R&D, hi-tech, manufacturing, retail, and travel/transportation/hospitality.

A Great Place to Work-Certified™ company, Happiest Minds is headquartered in Bangalore, India, with operations in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East.