On National Sports Day 2022, Bank Of Baroda Brings Together Three Of “India’s Biggest Sporting Stars”

* #SmashItWithSindhu Season 3 showcases PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Shafali Verma in conversation with Jatin Sapru 

On National Sports Day 2022, Bank of Baroda (Bank) released the third edition of #SmashItWithSindhu to celebrate the achievements and to support the undying spirit of the Indian sporting fraternity. The latest edition is bigger and better with the Bank bringing together ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth and India’s young batting sensation Shafali Verma joining Olympic medalist PV Sindhu in an exciting and fun conversation with television host Jatin Sapru. 

India celebrates National Sports Day on August 29, the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand and the Bank has been hosting #SmashItWithSindhu to mark this occasion for the past couple of years. Continuing with this tradition and to celebrate the success of our athletes at the recent Commonwealth Games, Bank of Baroda brought together three of India’s biggest sports stars on one stage. 

Shri Ajay K. Khurana, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda said, “As India celebrates 75 years of independence, one of the many areas where the country has taken rapid strides is in the international sporting arena. Our sports stars across sporting disciplines have made the nation proud and their efforts have also resulted in the growing popularity and mainstreaming of a diverse range of sports. At Bank of Baroda, we strongly believe in extending our support to athletes at an early stage, at the beginning of their careers when they need it the most and building a long-term partnership. On National Sports Day, we are pleased to release #SmashItWithSindhu Season 3 with three of India’s champion players – Sindhu, Srikanth and Shafali.” 

The trio discussed a range of issues with Jatin Sapru, including their experience at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.  

On being a flag bearer at the Games, PV Sindhu said, “It was such a wonderful feeling representing India and being a flag bearer. Holding the flag and leading the Indian contingent into the stadium when they called out our country’s name gave me goose bumps. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There were also a lot of Indians who had turned up to support all of us and it was exciting and a truly memorable experience.” 

Speaking about the energy that the Indian athletes showcased during the Games, Kidambi Srikanth said, “There were so many athletes representing India and I could see the team supercharged to give it their all. Everyone was eager to do their best for the country and to prove themselves as athletes. We went with a winning mentality. The zeal and enthusiasm of the athletes in our contingent was inspiring.”   

Shafali Verma spoke about the team spirit in the locker room. “Seeing the support youngsters are getting is a great experience. The guidance from seniors helps improve our performance and grow as athletes.” 

The engaging conversation also included discussions about travel hacks, cheat meals, coming home during breaks, family, training, keeping in shape, friendships and shopping among other topics. The discussion was followed by a fun quiz as well as an entertaining discussion on social media and memes.  

To catch PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, and Shafali Verma in an exciting conversation with Jatin Sapru, click here. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3lOp4YVD8 

About Bank of Baroda 

Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial banks in India. At 63.97% stake, it is majorly owned by the Government of India. The Bank serves its global customer base of over 150 million through over 46,000 touch points spread across 17 countries in five continents. Through Its state-of-the-art digital banking platforms, it provides all banking products and services in a seamless and hassle-free manner. The recently launched bob World mobile app provides customers with a saving, investing, borrowing, and shopping experience, all under one single app. The app also serves non-customers by enabling account opening through video KYC. The Bank’s vision matches its diverse clientele base and instills a sense of trust and security. It is moving well in that direction and bob World is a testimony of its roadmap towards Digital Transformation. 

SonicWall Boosts Wireless Play With Ultra-High-Speed Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

* New SonicWave 600 Series wireless access points, with Wi-Fi 6 technology, deliver always-on, always-secure connectivity for the most complex environments

SonicWall today announced the introduction of the new Wi-Fi 6 wireless security product line, which provides always-on, always-secure connectivity for complex, multi-device environments. Powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology, the new SonicWave 600 series wireless access points, coupled with Wireless Network Manager (WNM) 4.0, enable organizations to automatically secure wireless traffic while boosting performance and simplifying connectivity.

“In today’s hyper-connected world, organizations of all sizes are scaling high-performance wireless networks that need to be simple to deploy, dependable and secure,” said SonicWall President and CEO Bob VanKirk. “The SonicWave 600 series gives our global partner community and strategic MSSPs another solution to help protect their customers with secure, easy-to-manage wireless connectivity for the complex environments where they do business.”

Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President, Regional Sales, Asia Pacific Japan at SonicWall shares, “Indian market’s growing appetite for cloud is today paving the way for greater use of automation. Wireless networks are forcing organizations to completely rethink how to secure their networks and devices to prevent attacks and misuse that expose critical assets and confidential data. In the background of this current business scenario. SonicWall’s new WIFI 6 wireless security solutions would be the right fit for organizations to roll out, secure, and manage even the most network savvy administrations’.”

SonicWall Wireless Network Manager (WNM) 4.0 provides an easy, effective way for enterprises, partners and MSSPs to securely manage wireless networks. WNM leverages the cloud to simplify management of complex environments with a unified, single-pane-of-glass cloud management portal.

The SonicWave 600 series uses Wi-Fi 6 technology which can increase overall wireless throughput by up to 4X compared to Wi-Fi 5 technology and reduce latency by up to 75%. Additionally, the SonicWave 600 series includes key features that address business needs for security, management, ease of deployment and scalability, including:

·         Increased wireless throughput by up to 4X. Superior Wi-Fi 6 performance using 802.11ax technology improves throughput, latency and total cost of ownership (TCO).

·         Ultra-fast wireless speeds on busy networks. Powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology, the SonicWave 600 series helps eliminate issues arising from crowded wireless networks while ensuring top speeds in highly dynamic environments.

·         Advanced cyberattack prevention. Increase confidence and block advanced cyberattacks with wireless access points integrated with the award-winning SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) sandbox service, patented Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection (RTDMI) and Reassembly-Free Deep Packet Inspection.

·         Threat detection and removal. Scan all wireless traffic coming into and going out of the network using deep packet inspection technology, and then remove harmful threats such as malware and intrusions, even over SSL/TLS-encrypted connections.

·         Reduced downtime. Never let a dropped or disrupted connection impact business, and safeguard revenue channels with secure, always-on connectivity for distributed networks.

·         Ability to build an optimized IoT environment. Design and scale high-performance networks capable of connecting dense, multi-device environments.

·         Upgrades along the way. Ensure consistency while improving performance and security by upgrading your environment — at your speed and within budget — to the latest technology that is fully backward-compatible.

"SonicWall has consistently provided solutions that have helped keep our campus secure over the years,” said Pam Messex, Chief Information Officer at Berean Baptist Church & Academy. “Educational environments have the challenge of being both secure and open simultaneously. Students need easy access to various resources, while staff members need to maintain secure records and safeguard personal information. Adding SonicWave wireless access points to our network gives us the ability to do this. We have come to rely on features such as segregation and security through client isolation, ease of use, and performance — especially as our campus becomes increasingly wireless."

All SonicWave access points, including the new SonicWave 600 series, integrate with the cloud-delivered Wireless Network Manager 4.0, which allows for control and troubleshooting of wireless and switching access across networks of any size or region with a single pane of glass.

Designed with MSSPs in mind, the Wireless Network Manager infrastructure simplifies access, control and troubleshooting by unifying multiple tenants, locations and zones, while supporting thousands of SonicWave access points and SonicWall network switches — all without the cost of complex overlay management systems.

“The threat landscape evolves far too quickly to rely on legacy solutions,” said SonicWall Vice President of Products Jayant Thakre. “This advanced offering places additional emphasis on extending the performance of wireless networks with real-time threat mitigation. Businesses and their end users expect the best in real-time security, performance and analytics — regardless of the type of network or physical location.”

The SonicWave 600 series will also be expanded with the release of SonicWave 621, currently scheduled for release by the end of calendar 2022.

Mahindra Zor Grand Electric Launched To Revolutionise Last Mile Cargo Delivery

* Combines the advanced Li-ion battery technology along with a metal body in a Mahindra electric 3-wheeler

Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited (MEML), part of the Mahindra Group, has launched its all-new cargo electric three-wheeler – Zor Grand. The premium product from Mahindra is attractively priced starting at ? 3.60 Lakh, ex-showroom Bangalore. Mahindra has 12000+ bookings of the Zor Grand through strategic Memoranda of Understanding with leading logistic companies like Mahindra Logistics, Magenta EV Solutions, MoEVing, EVnow, Yelo EV, Zyngo and more. This unwavering trust in the Mahindra Zor Grand has been enabled by strong in-house competencies in the areas of battery, motor and telematics backed by rigorous validation and experience of putting more than 50000+ 3-wheeler EVs on the road.

The technologically advanced Zor Grand comes with the NEMO connected vehicle platform for fleet management & better operational efficiency, as well as an all-digital instrument cluster that shows State of Charge (SoC), range, speedometer, battery health indicator and the tell-tale lights. The vehicle comes with 5 years/150000 kilometre battery warranty.

Suman Mishra, CEO of Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited said, “The last mile delivery and logistics segment has seen a need for premium and high-quality electric vehicles to enable reliable and cost-effective cargo transportation. We are excited to launch our all-new Zor Grand to effectively address these demands. It offers a power packed performance and enables us and our stakeholders to meet their sustainability goals.” 

Mahindra Zor Grand highlights:

Best-in-industry Performance

Best-in-industry Power of 12 kW ensures superlative performance, more trips, and more earning

Best-in industry Gradeability of 11.5 degree makes climbing slopes with load easier

50 Nm Torque - excellent pickup & acceleration

Clutch-free, Gearless, noiseless, vibration-free drive – fatigue-free experience

Save BIG

Save up to Rs  6 00 000.00 in ownership costs in 5 years compared with Diesel and up to Rs 3 00 000.00 compared with CNG cargo 3-wheelers.  

Advanced Li-ion Battery

Enhanced range of more than 100 km per charge

Advanced Lithium-ion technology battery ensures a charging time of less than 4 hours.

Better Productivity

6 feet loading tray and OE-fitted 140/170 Cu.feet delivery box – carry more, earn more

3-side opening cargo tray – easy loading & unloading

Robust quality

Strong metal body, weatherproof design with cabin doors

Modern design, attractive colour, trendy new look

Mahindra Reliability

More than 800 touchpoints for better after-sales service across India 

Vehicle warranty of 3 years/ 80000 kilometre gives peace of mind

Photo caption: Suman Mishra, CEO of Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, with the all-new Mahindra Zor Grand electric.

MADAME Eyes Turnover Of Over Rs 350 Crore, Global Expansion Shortly On The Cards

MADAME, one of the country’s leading western wear fashion brands, has performed exceptionally well in the first quarter of Financial Year 2022-23, following which the brand is eying an overall turnover of more than Rs 350 crore in the FY.

The brand is a well-known name among western fashion lovers in the country who look for an affordable and trustworthy manufacturer. This has propelled MADAME to a leading spot in this category over the last decade. In FY 2021-22, the brand had achieved a turnover of over Rs 270 crore, a major feat especially when the markets were facing the twin challenges of inflation and post-pandemic slowdown.

Owing to the constant innovation and adapting to the customer’s needs, the brand is expecting an increase of 25 to 40 per cent in its turnover in the next two years. This year the company has signed-up Ms. Tara Sutaria, a well-known film celebrity and youth icon, as the Brand Ambassador for promoting its products. At the same time, MADAME also has plans to go global in the next three to four years.

“We have emerged as one of the top names in this category and this is all because of the long experience and new energy that we are leveraging for our processes. I think we are ready to now take the next plunge and aim for a global expansion in the medium term. MADAME, as a brand, has huge potential and it is a good opportunity to establish an Indian company in the international markets. We are sure that we will be giving tough competition to the international brands in global markets going forward,” said Rahul Kant, CFO, MADAME

In the short run, the brand has other plans and is focusing its attention on expanding its presence in places like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, and Jharkhand through first-priority sales. It is also eying a revenue growth of 25 to 40 per cent which seems to be achievable looking at the performance of MADAME in the last few years.

Additionally, the brand is planning to launch Omni setup by Q4 in this financial year and will be opening exclusive Glamly stores in different locations soon. Glamly is the exclusive e-commerce platform for the different brands under the Jain Amar umbrella. Currently, it contributes to approx. 6% of the total turnover of MADAME and this number is also expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as the brand continues to invest in growing its exclusive digital presence.

When asked about the vision for the next quarter, Mr Rahul Kant added: “Our mission is sales enhancement to achieve 100% plus set goal and the vision for the next quarter is to give ultimate shopping experience and latest fashion product offerings to our customers.”

In 1993, the brand was created to meet the fashion needs of progressive and modern Indian women. It has a strong client base and provides high-quality, reasonably priced clothing for Indian customers. MADAME started its first store in 2002, and it now has over 150 storefronts and another 700+ retail touchpoints across the country. A wide range of products are also available online through Glamly.com, the brand’s official digital portal, as well as popular e-commerce websites like Myntra, Amazon, and others.

KDEM Announces Partners In Progress For GCC Conference 2022 To Strengthen Its Spoke Shore Strategy For Karnataka

The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), in its effort to reinforce its commitment towards proliferating the growth of the digital economy in Karnataka, today held its maiden Partners in Progress for GCC Conference 2022 in Bengaluru. KDEM partnered with ANSR, a Bengaluru-based firm that helps multinationals set up Global Capability Centres (GCCs), to bring together policymakers and GCC leaders to chart a roadmap for KDEM’s Spoke-Shore Strategy to promote emerging tech clusters for GCCs.

The Partners in Progress for GCC Conclave 2022 encompassed a combination of a panel discussion on the success of the spoke shore strategy and its future roadmap, fireside chats on the evolution of the GCCs and their future in Karnataka, and felicitation of the Partners in Progress. The KDEM-ANSR report showcasing GCCs in Karnataka will soon be revealed. The report is based on research, surveys, interviews with GCC leaders, and roundtable sessions conducted by ANSR, along with inputs from KDEM.

Commenting on this announcement, Shri B V Naidu, Chairman, KDEM said, “Today, the GCCs have undergone a radical transformation to focus on providing values beyond the regular wage and cost benefits to organisations. It is only fitting that Karnataka builds a stronger base for GCCs in the coming years that will support Karnataka’s mission to fuel the growth of clusters beyond Bengaluru. Through this conference, we would like visionaries, industry leaders, policymakers, and existing GCCs in the state to converge and build a solid roadmap for Karnataka to emerge as a shining example of empowering cluster cities to become technology hubs and aid in the state’s digital growth.”

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Lalit Ahuja, CEO ANSR said, “With technology disrupting every facet of business across industries, GCCs have evolved as centers of excellence, pushing boundaries to drive innovation and create value for the enterprises. Karnataka has been at the epicenter of this journey, and initiatives such as KDEM’s Spoke-Shore will help accelerate large-scale acceptability and adoption of the GCC model.  Emerging tech clusters including Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi will become an important part of any company’s location strategy and further reinforce Karnataka's position as one of the most favoured destinations for Innovation and Technology”

The Government of Karnataka has been instrumental in implementing favourable policies for GCCs across sectors to make the state a favourable destination and building value. The conference saw participation from Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N., Minister of Higher Education, IT and BT, Science and Technology and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Ms. Shalini Pillay, Partner and India Leader – Global Capability Centers, KPMG, and Mr. Ayon Banerjee, President, ANSR.

Speaking at the Conference and the roadmap for GCCs in India, Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, KDEM said, “Through the last two years, the GCCs in India have emerged stronger with the number of GCCs rising consistently. While GCCs were focused on expanding in established metros, today the times are changing with a significant increase in demand for workforce in emerging tech clusters. This is where our Spoke-shore strategy comes into play in Karnataka where we are working towards fuelling the growth of these clusters beyond Bengaluru, thereby aiding higher economic growth. This conference will open the floodgate of opportunities for GCCs in Karnataka.”

About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)

With an objective to increase the share of the Digital economy in the state, the Government of Karnataka set up the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), a Section-8 organization, which acts as a knowledge bridge between the industry and the government. To meet the objectives, KDEM has been working towards the five focus areas, viz. IT Products & Services, BPM & GCC promotion; Innovations & Start-ups; ESDM; Beyond Bengaluru; and Talent Accelerator.      

ABB India ‘Smart Power portfolio’ Expands Capacity With Cobots

*  One of the first in India to transition to Industry 5.0

•  One of the first-of-its-kind factory with Industry 5.0 standards, with human and cobots collaboration

•  Supports urbanization with sustainable, reliable power installations, manufacturing digital circuit breakers, contactors, relays, etc.

•  Productivity enhanced by 40%, energy productivity by more than 15%, test automation ratio by 50%

ABB India has expanded and upgraded its Smart Power factory in Nelamangala, Bengaluru, to meet the strong demand growth for its Smart Power solutions and energy management technologies with one of the first Industry 5.0 production processes. The smart facility harnesses advanced collaborative robotics technology for better human-machine interface, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced digitalization technologies to create a sophisticated, automated, and flexible future-ready factory.

This first-of-its-kind facility manufactures, tests, and supplies ABB Smart Power’s complete range of low voltage power equipment and energy management technologies to meet demand from the industry for increased reliability and energy savings. It caters to the increasing demand across sectors including commercial and residential buildings, infrastructure, utility and renewable energy systems of solar, wind and many others where electricity is consumed.

Spanning over 8,400 sqm, the ABB Smart Power factory, links equipment such as robots, motors, and drives to the Internet of Things (IoT). The connected factory software highlights process optimization opportunities and schedules predictive maintenance to maximize productivity and efficiency. This resulted in enhanced productivity of 40% in the same space, with an energy efficiency of 15%.

“The upgrades and expansion at the Bangalore factory make it one of our most advanced production facilities in the world. The adoption of exciting new Industry 5.0 technologies makes this an ideal home for the production, testing, and supply of ABB Smart Power’s technologies. The Smart Power team are the ideal partners for customers pursuing higher standards of safety, reliability, and energy efficiency in their operations,” says Giampiero Frisio, President, Smart Power Division, ABB Group.

“Through our own digital transformation at this facility, we will be able to demonstrate the benefits of adopting smart solutions directly to our customers. We believe that this will encourage the shift towards digital and sustainable manufacturing in India.  Smart factories would be the cornerstone for the Indian manufacturing sector to leapfrog and manufacture quality electrification products and solutions to support the country’s next level growth across sectors sustainably,” said Kiran Dutt, President, Electrification Business, ABB India Ltd.

This facility also houses numerous robot types with combined autonomous test cells for different product variants. Enabling last mile manufacturing competitiveness, a Metrology Lab ensures standardization in measurement, calibration, and inspection to match the highest standards of design specifications and product quality.  A Test Lab in the facility performs rigorous endurance tests of products manufactured for conformance.

In line with ABB’s 2030 sustainability strategy in achieving carbon neutrality, this Smart Power Factory is nested within ABB India’s integrated Nelamangala Campus which is certified by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) with Platinum rating and by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for water positivity.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

ABB’s Electrification Business Area is a global leader in electrical products and solutions, operating in more than 100 countries, with over 200 manufacturing sites. Our 55,000+ employees are dedicated to delivering safe, smart, and sustainable electrification. With ABB Ability™ enabled digital solutions at its core, our portfolio protects, connects, and optimizes the flow of electrical energy, including the integration of renewables and energy storage for smarter electricity distribution for utilities, industry, infrastructure, and transportation. For more information visit https://go.abb/electrification.

Greytip Software Plans To Train 25,000 Learners Through greytHR Academy In 2023

* Learning courses are available in regional languages such as Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu

* Academy to tie-up with more than 100 colleges and offer add-on courses to students

Regarded as the No.1 HR & Payroll software for Indian businesses, greytHR has announced its plans to double the number of working professionals and students trained through its academic initiative, greytHR Academy in 2023. Having trained more than 12,500 candidates over the last 3 years, greytHR now plans to initiate a placement drive in 2022/23 and offer its client base of over 15,000+ preferential access to this talent pool.

greytHR Academy offers a wide range of HR educational topics including payroll process in India, HR operations in India like recruitment and performance management covering the entire employee life cycle, payroll statutory compliance in India, new labor codes, Income tax, and payroll processes in UAE.

The Academy also offers a certified professional program, career education program and certificate programs for HR & recruitment executives in partnership with Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC) under National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Government of India. Available for students, working professionals as well as those seeking jobs in HR roles, greytHR Academy helps them in learning concepts from a pragmatic perspective while also acquiring in-demand skills that can accelerate their career growth path.

Elucidating on the vision behind greytHR Academy, Girish Rowjee, Co-Founder & CEO, Greytip Software, added, “Armed with over 25+ years of domain experience in developing native HR and Payroll solutions for leading brands across the world, we wanted to give back to society by providing exclusive courses that are structured to meet current industry needs. With this thought process, we started greytHR Academy and are even empanelled as an Industry partner to impart HR training in joint certification with MEPSC.”

He added, “Covering HR and Payroll subjects related to the entire employee lifecycle, all e-learning modules and blended learning courses offered in conjunction with our training partners have been developed with meticulous care. We aim to expand our outreach, both through online and offline mediums, and establish greytHR Academy as the leading knowledge provider in the HR & Payroll domain going forward.”

While most of greytHR Academy’s courses are offered on their site and Udemy completely free of cost, only the blended learning courses require learners to complete a basic registration process. With 15 e-learning and 4 blended learning courses available in languages such as English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu, the course duration varies from 90 minutes to 60 hours and may spread across 5 to 30 days. Upon completion, every learner is awarded a completion certificate and enjoy the privilege of being part of India’s largest HR-focused talent pool in existence today.

The Academy has started connecting with MBA colleges to offer career-oriented add-on courses on HR & Payroll. The academy looks at helping MBA/BBA students to enhance their employability through this academic tie-up. While there are hundreds of add-on courses for engineering graduates, not many options are available for MBA HR students to gain practical knowledge on HR operations and payroll processing. This would also help recruiting companies to deploy the fresh recruits from day one.

A flagship product of Greytip Software that was founded in 1994, greytHR launched greytHR Academy as an in-house initiative in 2019 with the objective of developing competent manpower through a range of carefully crafted courses that are available both as e-learning courses and blended learning programs with online course provider Udemy.