Global Tech Maor LTIMindtree Rings The Opening Bell At BSE

LTIMindtree [NSE: LTIM, BSE: 540005], a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, today marked the commencement of trading on the Indian stock market under its new name by ringing the opening bell at BSE.  

The iconic bell-ringing was done by Mr. A. M. Naik, Group Chairman of L&T Group and Chairman of LTIMindtree; Mr. S. N. Subrahmanyan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of L&T Group, and Vice-Chairman of LTIMindtree; Mr. R. Shankar Raman, Whole-time Director and Chief Financial Officer of L&T Group, and Non-Executive Director of LTIMindtree; and Mr. Debashis Chatterjee, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of LTIMindtree, in the presence of Mr. S. S. Mundra, Chairman of BSE, and senior leaders from L&T, LTIMindtree, BSE, and LTIMindtree’s partner organizations.  

Formed on November 14, 2022, through the merger of erstwhile Larsen and Toubro Infotech (LTI) and Mindtree, leading technology consulting and digital solutions companies under the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Group, LTIMindtree — a scaled-up IT services provider with a client portfolio of more than 750 global enterprises and nearly 90,000 professionals in more than 30 countries across five continents — is the fifth largest IT services company in India by market capitalization. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. A M Naik said, “It is a proud moment for us. LTIMindtree furthers L&T’s strategic vision of growing IT services into one of the core pillars of our overall business over the next few years. LTIMindtree combines LTI’s engineering and Mindtree’s software DNAs, blending their problem-solving and digital-first strengths into a unique value proposition for our clients, further reinforcing L&T’s acclaimed tradition of innovation, excellence, trust, and empathy.” 

Mr. S. N. Subrahmanyan said, “Blessed with a rich heritage of growth and innovation, LTIMindtree is about reimagining the future for our stakeholders, and making it bigger, better, and bolder. By building upon the combined momentum of its constituents, LTIMindtree endeavors to tap into the significant opportunity ahead to not just live the future but shape it. We look forward to delivering on our promise to our stakeholders by turning our differentiated strategy into sustainable value.”

Mr. Debashis Chatterjee said, “The commencement of trading of LTIMindtree shares signifies an important milestone in our journey of value creation. It also marks the start of a momentous new chapter in the history of the IT services industry. As a rapidly converging world gives rise to newer business models and revenue streams, LTIMindtree brings the diversity of scale and digital capabilities required to get businesses to the future, faster.” 

Shareholders of erstwhile Mindtree, delisted from November 23, 2022, have been issued shares of erstwhile LTI in the ratio of 73 shares of LTI (now called LTIMindtree) for every 100 shares of Mindtree. The parent company, L&T, holds 68.73% of LTIMindtree. 

About LTIMindtree 

LTIMindtree is a global technology consulting and digital solutions company that enables enterprises across industries to reimagine business models, accelerate innovation, and maximize growth by harnessing digital technologies. As a digital transformation partner to more than 750 clients, LTIMindtree brings extensive domain and technology expertise to help drive superior competitive differentiation, customer experiences, and business outcomes in a converging world. Powered by nearly 90,000 talented and entrepreneurial professionals across more than 30 countries, LTIMindtree — a Larsen & Toubro Group company — combines the industry-acclaimed strengths of erstwhile Larsen and Toubro Infotech and Mindtree in solving the most complex business challenges and delivering transformation at scale. For more information, visit www.ltimindtree.com. 

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill Draft Announced: NASSCOM

* A bill to set up a baseline law on digital personal data protection - NASSCOM

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) met the Honorable Union Minister of Railways; Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw along with Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma Secretary MeitY last week for a roundtable discussion on the recently announced draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022. The meeting was attended by industry leaders, startups, and SMEs who provided their initial feedback and suggestions on the bill.

The Honorable Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw provided several key messages, including: 

All future rules will be put up for public consultation in line with parliamentary mandate

The Bill is designed to be simple to not just read, but also to implement across use-cases, as it will serve as a horizontal baseline that will cut across sectors and use-cases. Moreover, it is important for such a law to remain flexible and agile to technological changes.

The Data Protection Board will be designed to redress concerns and complaints regarding data protection in a manner that the mechanism is accessible and effective for every strata of the society.

As the Bill gets finalised, on cross-border data flows, government will ensure that the approach focusses on strengthing data protection without disrupting data flows.

A good idea for startups and technology providers to offer their feedback will be to test the Bill against their specific use-cases to identify gaps, if any, and provide suggestions accordingly

The shift away from revenue-based penalties is to ensure certainty and avoid getting into debates on revenue calculations which have created concerns in other regulatory regimes

The industry stakeholders appreciated the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022, welcoming that, as compared to the previous drafts, this version has been simplified by removing past proposals that were not related to personal data protection, such as non-personal data, or that would have posed significant concerns to ease of doing business, such as the criminal offence, the hardware certification scheme, or the statutory data residency requirements.

The technology neutral design of the Bill combined with focus on leveraging technology to enchance the effectiveness of the data protection board and enable consent management were noted as key features that would help the Bill meet its objectives.

On cross border data flows, the industry felt that a framework prepared in consultation with government departments, sectoral regulators, and public consultations, should provide a clear, proportionate and enabling framework. Industry welcomed the retention of forward-looking concepts, such as the consent manager, to enable citizens to effectively manage their consent.

Recognizing that data is central to every country and industry, NASSCOM will continue to work with the government and the industry, and make recommendations that are aimed to not only further strengthen this bill from a privacy and innovation perspective, but also bolster India’s narrative as a trusted global partner for all invested in digital transformation.

Benesse, Japan’s Leading Education Company, Enters Indian Market

* Organized summit “Future of education and enabling well-being” in Bangalore in association with Empowered Minds Edu Solutions on December 3, 2022

Benesse (which means “well-being” in Latin) has set its foot in the Indian education space. Set up in the year 1955, the company grew rapidly in Japan and has been the largest education company in the country for over the last six decades. The heart of Benesse is enjoying the process of moving forward, step-by-step and with resolve, towards the realization of people’s dreams and aspirations.

In order to share their learning, both from so many years of experience working with schools in Japan and a limited experience in India so far, as also to gather insights from the Indian educators; Benesse had organized a summit titled “Future of education and enabling well-being” in Bangalore on December 3 in association with Empowered Minds Edu Solutions. Renowned educators and practioners from more than 50 educational institutions and school groups participated in the summit and shared their experience on topics most relevant to students and teachers of today. The day was divided into keynote sessions and panel discussions including on topics such as- “back to classroom- (online vs offline), improving well-being at school, relevance of student data analysis to improve learning outcomes and ways to build sustainable world in a world of constant change”.

Reflecting on their India entry, Mr Kotaro Ueda, Representative Director of Benesse India Private Limited said “we have been looking at the India education space for a very long time and did some small engagement in the past. What completely convinced us this time around to start our operations in India was the New Education Policy of 2020. When we did our assessment of the Policy, we concluded that several measures proposed there are very similar to how the K12 and higher education system evolved in Japan over the years. And, therefore, our experience could be of some help to our school partners in India”.

Speaking during the summit, Mr Hemant Joshi, Executive Director of Benesse India Private Limited stated “we envisage to work with the schools in a very data backed way. And, hence, one of our first offerings is around student assessment backed continuous improvement programme. This data provides actionable insights into key strengths and areas of development at the level of the school, class and individual students; which translates into a continuous improvement programme executed in partnership between the school and Benesse. Similarly, our second offering is focused on providing specific learning support to students based on the assessment findings. Many other offerings are on the anvil and are being shaped leveraging our experience in Japan and basis the feedback we are receiving from our clients in India.”

Make Life A Ride: BMW Motorrad Roars Up Engines At India Bike Week 2022

* Preview of the new BMW S 1000 RR.

* Stunning Motorrad range and custom bikes on display.

* Attractive offers on BMW Motorrad Garment Collection and accessories.

* Exclusive lounge for BMW Motorrad Owners.

* BMW Motorrad Owners Parade.

* General Bike check-up and Service Support.

* #BMWMotorradIndia #BMWMotorrad #MakeLifeARide #SoulFuel #BMWMotorradAtIBW

BMW Motorrad revs up at India Bike Week in Goa. True to its motto - ‘Make Life a Ride’, the BMW Motorrad pavilion attracted motorcycle enthusiasts and seasoned bikers to the fascinating world of BMW Motorrad. No matter how different the riding experience world is – Sports, Tour, Roadster, Heritage or Adventure, every motorcyclist can find a bike of their personal preference at the BMW Motorrad pavilion.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India, said, “At BMW Motorrad, we have been crafting not only masterpieces of engineering, but experiences that are just pure enthusiasm on two wheels. We are thrilled to bring BMW Motorrad back to India Bike Week, presenting our fans from all over India the very essence of our brand motto ‘Make Life a Ride’. We are overwhelmed with the response from bikers who have travelled from all across the country and look forward to see them embark on a journey of their lifetime with the ‘Ultimate Riding Machine’.”

Look, touch, try out and talk shop - the fascination of motorbikes could be felt everywhere across the BMW Motorrad pavilion. Located centrally, the pavilion was created across two levels with ample space for interaction and activities. The ground level displays  – BMW G 310 RR, BMW S 1000 RR, BMW F 850 GS, BMW F 900 XR, BMW K 1600 GTL option 719 Midnight, BMW R 18 and BMW C 400 GT.  Custom made BMW G 310 RR, G 310 R and G 310 GS bikes were also on special display.  

The latest range of BMW Motorrad Accessories and BMW Motorrad Garment Collection is also on display. The Bar and VIP zone on the terrace provided a prime view of the entire event and was the perfect place to relax amidst the buzz.

Motorcycling enthusiasts and customers also made great use of the opportunity to engage with BMW Motorrad product specialists and receive expert advice on products and services. A complimentary General Bike check-up and Service Support was offered to all BMW customers at the pavilion. Further, special offers on riding gear and accessories are available to bikers and enthusiasts.

BMW Motorrad customers from across the country participated in India Bike Week. On the first day, the group rode out together on an exclusive ‘BMW Motorrad Ride-in’. Riding to Vagator, the cavalcade created excitement through the city, marking the official opening of the BMW Motorrad Pavilion.

The entire range of BMW Motorrad bikes are sold and serviced through its authorized dealer network, present across important centers in India such as Delhi (Lutyens Motorrad), Mumbai (Navnit Motors), Thane (Thane Motorrad), Pune (Bavaria Motors), Chennai (KUN Motorrad), Bengaluru (Tusker Motorrad) & (JSP Motorrad), Ahmedabad (Gallops Autohaus), Kochi (EVM Autokraft), Hyderabad & Vijayawada (JSP Motorrad), Indore (Munich Motors), Lucknow (Speed Motors), Chandigarh (Krishna Automobiles), Jaipur (Pratap Motorrad), Raipur (Munich Motors), Cuttack & Kolkata (OSL Prestige) and Ranchi (Titanium Autos).

Bengalurians To Run For Cancer Patients As ELV GROUP Bengaluru East Marathon Is Back On Dec 4

* The 5km & 10 Km Marathon to see participation from Film, Fitness and Entrepreneur word together

Much-awaited ELV GROUP “Bengaluru East Marathon” is back. Bengaluru East Marathon is an experience that is indelibly linked to Bengaluru city’s unquenchable optimism and fighting spirit. One of the most sought after sporting event of IT City was held this Sunday on 4th December 6 am at Whitefield Inner Circle Bangalore and culminated at JS Football Academy Sarjapur.

There will be a grand carnival at the culmination venue coupled with a prize distribution ceremony.

The registration for the Full & half Marathon have commenced at www.elvcsr.com

The first edition of the BENGALURU EAST MARATHON aims to support Karunashraya, a dedicated trust for providing free palliative care to advanced-stage cancer patients who are beyond cure. ELV GROUP the organisers have committed to donate Rs Five Lakhs to support and care for people requiring financial assistance for the treatment of cancer.

Bengaluru East Marathon is expecting to host about 2500 runners in this edition, which includes participants of all age categories.

The Marathon will be flagged off by Shri Aravinda Limbavali, MLA Mahadevpura constituency & former minister with Govt of Karnataka along with DCP Mr. S. Girish, IPS deputy commissioner of police, Whitefield.   Besides, the Marathon to witness Harshika Poonacha (Actress), Kiran Kumar Prakash Reddy (International Powerlifter & Body Builder), Parnaik (ISRO Senior Scientist), Pavi Padukone (International Athlete celebrity Coach & Model), Sujith (Coach & Founder of Road to Trail Club), Tanya Hope (Indian Actress).  

Dr Bhaskar E , Founder & Chairman, ELV GROUP, said “The ELV Group is proud to be associated with this iconic race that brings alive the essence of Bengaluru! Embodying the spirit of Bengaluru, the city that never stops moving, overcoming every challenge just like the marathon runners moving towards their goal with a never-give-up attitude, the Bengaluru East Marathon brings together amateur and professional runners from across the country.”

“Bengaluru East Marathon is today emerging as landmark event and the most prestigious marathon in Southern Part of Country. At ELV GROUP it is an absolute joy for each one of us to be a part of this world-class running event. It is simply amazing to see so many participants from across the culture and ethnicities come together to celebrate the human spirit and run for a cause," added Dr Bhaskar

Dr Bhaskar E said, “Over the years, ELV Group has built a strong and valued reputation for caring for the communities by taking significant steps. In nutshell, society empowerment has been a pivotal focus area for us since our very inception and we are committed to it. Continuing with this thought, we have partnered with Karunashraya this year to create an impact and raise significant awareness regarding Cancer by means of a marathon which has only strengthened our motive. The event, which received immense response and participation, aims to support those belonging to the weaker sections of society and honour cancer survivors, whilst also raising Cancer Awareness.

Diageo India LeadsWater Stewardship Initiative In Partnership With Renewable Water Tech Innovator, SOURCE Global, PBC

* Using patented SOURCE® Hydropanel technology, Diageo India will for the first time in the world, use water made purely from sunlight and air in an alcoholic beverage. 

* This initiative will help accelerate the company’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress Plan SOURCE® Hydropanels are expected to generate up to 27,000 litres of water drawn from the sky per month, protecting and saving groundwater.  

* Godawan, Diageo India’s artisanal single malt whisky to be made with renewable, sustainable drinking water using patented SOURCE® Hydropanel technology.

Diageo India, the country’s leading beverage alcohol company, today announced a first-of-a-kind water stewardship initiative in partnership with SOURCE Global, PBC. The company’s SOURCE® Hydropanels, a groundbreaking technology that uses the sun to draw pure, constantly replenished water vapor out of the sky, will produce premium water for Godawan, Diageo India’s artisanal single malt whisky.

As the technology partner, SOURCE Global will build a 200-panel water farm in Alwar, Rajasthan. Initially, the installation is expected to generate 9,000 litres of water within the first six months and will further scale up to produce around 27,000 litres of water per month after a year. Because SOURCE® is drawn from the pure and constantly replenished water in the sky, the project will save groundwater. Godawan, Diageo India’s artisanal single malt whisky, produced in the warm and dry Alwar region of Rajasthan, will be the first beverage alcohol brand to use SOURCE® water. 

Because SOURCE® water is locally made, it reflects the unique terroir of the region. SOURCE® Hydropanels also operate off- grid and without electricity or traditional piped water infrastructure, reducing the carbon emissions associated with treating and transporting potable water. 

Hina Nagarajan, MD & CEO, Diageo India said, “We have a responsibility to grow our business sustainably from grain to glass. Last year, we set a vision and commitment to build our Society 2030 program, aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The innovative actions of our teams and partners will help us conserve groundwater considerably. Our partnership with SOURCE is aligned to the craft philosophy of born good, made good, and serve good. This is a step forward in our journey to be part of the solution in water-stressed geographies.”

“As the first company to use renewable water in an alcohol brand, Diageo India is serving the growing demand for premium, sustainable products in an incredibly unique and powerful way,” said Neil Grimmer, Brand President of SOURCE Global, PBC. “The world, especially in already water-stressed regions like Rajasthan, is now facing the harsh realities of climate change, and Diageo is leading the way toward a more secure and sustainable future. We are proud to partner with them.”

This initiative is aligned to Diageo India’s commitment towards Society 2030: Spirit of Progress Plan. The company recently released its maiden ESG Index, which highlighted the multiple initiatives undertaken by the company during the year such as creating water replenishment capacity of 4,62,182 Cu.M annually and 84,000 litres of potable drinking water per day under its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme. The company is working to replenish more water than it uses in the water-stressed sites across its operating locations in India through reforestation, wetland restoration, desilting ponds and rainwater harvesting.  

About Diageo India

Diageo India is the country’s leading beverage alcohol company and a subsidiary of global leader Diageo PLC. The company manufactures, sells and distributes an outstanding portfolio of premium brands such as Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, Black & White, VAT 69, Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, our wide footprint is supported by a committed team of over 3145 employees, 47 manufacturing facilities across states and union territories in India, a strong distribution network and a state-of-the-art Technical Centre.

Incorporated in India as United Spirits Limited (USL), the company is listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India. For more information about Diageo India, our people, our brands, and our performance, visit us at www.diageoindia.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practices.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

About SOURCE Global, PBC

A Public Benefit Corporation, SOURCE Global, PBC’s mission is to make drinking water an unlimited resource. The company’s SOURCE® Hydropanels use the sun to draw pure water vapor out of the air and transform it into fresh, high-quality, perfectly mineralized drinking water. Because the company’s technology operates entirely off the grid, it is uniquely well suited to serve areas with no reliable access to safe drinking water and those with little to no infrastructure, putting the fundamental right of safe, sustainable drinking water in the hands of every person in nearly every climate and corner of the world. Unlike piped, well or bottled water, SOURCE water is produced where it’s needed and constantly measured and monitored by digital sensors in each panel. SOURCE® Hydropanels are currently serving communities, schools, hospitals, NGOs, businesses and homes across the world and SOURCE is on Fast Company’s 2020 list of most innovative social good companies. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company operates in more than 50 countries and on six continents. SOURCE is a registered trademark of SOURCE Global, PBC.

Ecom Express Surpasses Overall Industry “Growth In Season 2022”

* Volume and Revenue grew between 55-60% as compared to ~30% for overall industry 

Ecom Express Limited, a new-age technology-driven full stack logistics solutions provider to the e-commerce industry announced a tremendous seasonal growth this year (2022) in terms of productivity and revenue this festive season. 

In 2022, overall industry grew by ~30% during the season as compared to last season whereas the volume and revenue of Ecom Express touched a staggering growth of 55-60% as compared to last season. 

For Ecom Express the shipments in tier-II cities and beyond grew by 160% in the season month of 2022 from the last year’s (2021) season. The delivered productivity across India grew by 25% from season 2021 to season 2022. 

T. A. Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder, Ecom Express Limited said, ‘’We are delighted to share that our season performance has been significantly higher than the industry growth. Our continuous efforts to better our performance resulted in maintaining and exceeding pace with overall industry and becoming a platform of choice for marketplaces and D2C ecosystem. This season we made advanced preparations across the board and multiple levels of network and service calibrations to achieve these amazing results.” 

The advanced preparation, 10 months prior to the festive season in developing a highly advanced available tech stack ensured high performance outcome even at 2x volume. 100% availability of tech platform ensured high reliability with peak volume seen multiple times during the season. The robust and scalable systems added to the seamless functioning and ensured there are zero disruptions. 

The gig registered user base of Ecom Express touched 84,000 workers by the end of the season to cater to deliveries of parcels. The curated campaigns, incentives and user-friendly platform attracted large onboardings. 

Ecom Express has successfully implemented the shipments and deliveries this year due to which they achieved tremendous seasonal growth. 

About Ecom Express:  

Ecom Express Limited is one of India’s leading end-to-end technology enabled logistics solutions providers to the Indian e-commerce industry. Headquartered in Gurugram, Ecom Express was incorporated in 2012 by T. A. Krishnan, Manju Dhawan, K. Satyanarayana and Late Sanjeev Saxena with their 100+ years of cumulative experience in the Indian logistics and distribution industry. Ecom Express has its presence in all 28 states of the country and operates across 27,000+ PIN codes in India. Through its deep reach strategy, the company has the capability to deliver to 95%+ of India’s population. 

For more information,  visit: https://ecomexpress.in/