SIDBI And Monsha’at Of Saudi Arabia Join Hands For MSME Co-Operation

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Small & Medium Enterprises General Authority of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Monsha’at) for exploring and collaborating on matters of common interest in development and boosting of MSMEs and related ecosystems in their respective countries. SIDBI shall also offer its expertise and experience for the newly launched SME Bank in Saudi Arabia.

The said MoU is a part of the strategic bilateral initiatives which will help improve diplomatic relations between India and Saudi Arabia. The MoU was executed during the launch event of SME Bank at Riyadh on December 04, 2022 by Mr. Mazin Bin  Ahmed Al-Ghunaim, CEO, SME Bank and Mr. V S V Rao, Deputy Managing Director on behalf of SIDBI and Monsha’at respectively.

Mr. Al-Ghunaim, CEO of SME Bank has mentioned that SIDBI’s collaboration would help to achieve the mission of the SME bank to drive the business journeys of SMEs by providing diverse digital financial products. He further informed that both organizations will explore cooperation in supporting MSMEs to expand their businesses, financial know how in the respective fields of strength, supporting the Saudi SME Bank project technically, etc.

Mr. Rao mentioned that “the MoU provides several opportunities of collaboration between the MSME Institutions of the 2 countries. SIDBI has more than 32 years of experience in Development Finance in areas of SME Credit, Credit Guarantee, Venture Capital, Cluster Development, Institutional Finance etc. SIDBI will be very happy to share its experience and knowledge to facilitate the growth and success of the new SME Bank of Saudi Arabia. SIDBI will also look forward this opportunity to find positive linkages for Indian  MSMEs in Saudi Arabia”

About SME Bank:

The Small and Medium Enterprises Bank was established by Council of Ministers Resolution No. (376) dated 16/02/2021? as one of the development funds and banks affiliated to the National Development Fund, which aims to increase financing provided to the small and medium enterprises sector, bridge the financing gap, and enhance the contributions of financial institutions in providing  Innovative financing solutions, and achieving financial stability for this vital and important sector to be a basic pillar for economic development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and an enabler for achieving Vision 2030.

To know more, check out: www.smebank.gov.sa

About SIDBI: SIDBI is the principal Financial Institution for promotion, financing of the MSME sector in India. It also co-ordinates the functions of various Institutions engaged in similar activities. SIDBI has more than 32 years of experience in Development Finance in areas of SME Credit, Credit Guarantee, Venture Capital, Cluster Development, Institutional Finance etc.

To know more, check out: https://www.sidbi.in

Honeywell Has Illuminate Major Sites Across India in purple As Part Of UN International Day For People With Disabilities

Honeywell today announced that in celebration of the UN International Day for People with Disabilities, which was observed worldwide on December 03, 2022, the company has illuminate its major sites across the country in purple as part of the #PurpleLightUp global movement. The purple-lit buildings in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Madurai will pay tribute to the economic contribution of the disabled community in India.

#PurpleLightUp is a global movement that celebrates and draws attention to the economic contribution of over 386 million disabled employees around the world and is celebrated annually.

Since 2017, #PurpleLightUp has been driving momentum for disability inclusion across hundreds of organisations, reaching thousands of employees in different ways. This includes lighting up iconic buildings in purple, holding events, developing workplace policies for disabled employees and sparking conversations about disability inclusion worldwide.

Honeywell recently launched its All Abilities Chapter in its Asia-Pacific sites to further strengthen its commitment towards Inclusion and Diversity (I&D).

RFPIO Appoints DocuSign, Google, And Seismic Alumnus As CMO

* Michael Londgren brings nearly three decades of transformational leadership and hypergrowth experience among the world’s most innovative tech brands to RFPIO

RFPIO, the leading response management platform, has appointed Michael Londgren as its chief marketing officer (CMO). Michael is a technology marketing leader with deep executive experience scaling hypergrowth businesses including DocuSign, Google G Suite (now Workspace), and Seismic.

As CMO, Michael will help shape the company’s overall growth strategy, foster deep company cross-functional and customer-centric alignment, and guide RFPIO’s marketing functions. Michael’s vision is to extend the company’s category leadership by focusing deeply on customer needs and journeys, fully articulating RFPIO’s value proposition, and leaning into key growth opportunities in select segments, industries, and geographies.

Most recently, Michael served as CMO at Seismic where he spearheaded its category leadership in sales enablement while partnering with the sales and product teams to drive increased revenue and bring innovation to the forefront. Previously, he worked at Google Cloud where he led marketing for G Suite and helped accelerate G Suite’s growth into enterprises. Prior to Google, Michael served as a VP of product marketing and then customer enablement at DocuSign where he helped the company grow from 180 to 2,500 employees and emerge as the eSignature category leader.

Learning Links Foundation Concludes The First Skills Program In Telangana Aerospace Sector For People With Disabilities

·         First skilling program in Telangana for the aerospace manufacturing sector exclusively for People with Disabilities (PWDs)

·         Partners with Boeing and Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited for the skill-building program aligned to Government of India’s ‘Skill India Mission.’

Learning Links Foundation (LLF) has successfully concluded the first skills program in for Telangana aerospace manufacturing sector exclusively for People with Disabilities (PWDs). As part of the Learn and Earn initiative, this unique youth skilling program is supported by Boeing and Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL).

A first batch of 17 trainees, with speech and hearing impairment and locomotive disabilities, have undergone classroom training, followed by on-the-job training at TBAL. The curriculum focussed on developing skills in archiving, maintenance, inspection, stores, and safety audit domains for Foreign Object Debris (FOD) in the aerospace manufacturing sector. The program structure provided the trainees with soft skills and a deep learning experience, which they can leverage to secure employment opportunities with various aerospace manufacturing Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operating in Telangana. Upon completion of the training, all the trainees have been offered employment by TBAL.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Sir Michael Arthur, President Boeing International, Brendon Nelson, President, Boeing Australia, Scott Drach, Vice President HR, Boeing International, Ajay Sharma, Director HR, Boeing India, Laura Legra, Chief of Staff, Boeing International and Praveena Yagnambhat, Chief of Staff & BGE Lead, Boeing India & South Asia.

"Boeing is working closely with LLF and our Indian partners to help skill and develop the local aerospace and defence ecosystem, to support the vision of Skill India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat," said Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India. “Through the years, we have invested in building partnerships within the Indian aerospace ecosystem to build capabilities which can further our vision of equity, diversity, inclusion and beyond,” he added.

"At Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), we strive to build a fair and supportive environment that facilitates people from varied backgrounds in pursuing a meaningful career. We believe, such efforts through strategic actions will not only advance diversity & inclusion for differently abled, but it will also create a pool of job opportunities in the aerospace and defence industry..” – said a TASL Spokesperson

“At Learning Links Foundation, we are committed to fostering purpose and progress in learners by kindling the spirit of lifelong learning. Learn & Earn Program is a true embodiment of our vision and it is fulfilling to see how it has been a life-altering milestone in the lives of course participants,” said Ms. Nuriya Ansari, Managing Partner, Learning Links Foundation.

Since its inception, the Learn & Earn Program has already benefitted 207 individuals, of which 26% are girls and 13% PWDs, and helped them attain jobs in various industries. It is a unique program that aims to bridge the skill gap in youth by curating an industry-need-aligned training curriculum that can help them readily obtain employment as a productive workforce. The program aims to further strengthen the aerospace ecosystem in the country and is in line with the Government of India’s “Skill India” initiatives.

Boeing has been supporting the growth of the Indian aerospace sector over the years by addressing the critical and growing need to skill frontline workers for the aerospace manufacturing sector. Learn and Earn, a collaboration between LLF and Boeing, is a unique skill-building program to help create a skilled and employable workforce for the aerospace manufacturing sector. Boeing-funded Learn and Earn Programs have been launched along with several other partners in India as well.

About Learning Links Foundation (LLF)

LLF is a not-for-profit organization that is operating with a vision to foster purpose and progress by unlocking lifelong learning. The Foundation was established in 2002 and has worked extensively in the education and skill development sectors across India. To know more, visit www.learninglinksindia.org 

About TBAL

Tata Boeing Aerospace, Boeing's first equity joint venture in India, is the result of a 2015 partnership agreement with TASL. Spread over 14,000 square meters, the facility has been producing aero-structures for Boeing's AH-64 Apache helicopter, including fuselages, secondary structures and vertical spar boxes for customers worldwide.

IMDb Announces The Most Popular Indian Stars Of 2022

* Global superstar Dhanush tops the IMDb list of Most Popular Indian stars, followed by Alia Bhatt and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan    

*  Rankings are determined by the actual page views of the hundreds of millions of IMDb customers worldwide

IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV, and celebrity content, today announced the Most Popular Indian Stars of 2022. IMDb determines its definitive Top 10 lists based on the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb. Dhanush is this year's top-ranked celebrity, fueling fan interest with multilingual successful releases including The Gray Man and Thiruchitrambalam.

IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars of 2022*

1.       Dhanush

2.       Alia Bhatt

3.       Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

4.    Ram Charan Teja

5.    Samantha Ruth Prabhu

6.    Hrithik Roshan

7.    Kiara Advani

8.     N.T. Rama Rao Jr.

9.     Allu Arjun

10.   Yash

*The IMDb Top 10 Most Popular Indian Stars of 2022 list is comprised of stars who consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly ranking chart throughout 2022. These rankings are based on the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.

“People around the world turn to IMDb to learn more about Indian cinema, web series, and stars, and our Top 10 list of Most Popular Indian Stars has established itself as the benchmark for determining global popularity and recognizing career milestones and breakthrough moments,” said Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India. “Artists across varied regions are being celebrated worldwide, which is a testament to the magnitude of talent across the country. While actors like Dhanush are being recognized and paired opposite Hollywood stars like Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, we also witnessed N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan Teja being celebrated for the magnum opus film, RRR. Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s return to films also received widespread appreciation by critics and fans.”

Speaking exclusively with IMDb, Alia Bhatt shared her appreciation for inclusion in this year’s list, saying, “2022 has by far been the most memorable year I’ve had at the movies—I am forever thankful and grateful for the love the audience gave all my films this year and feel honoured to have collaborated with our country’s finest filmmakers and artists. IMDb is a true testament of the people’s voice and I hope I can continue to entertain the audience for as long as I face the camera! Love and light. Thank you once again.”

Additional information about this year’s Most Popular Stars:

Dhanush (No. 1) appeared in five titles in 2022; the Netflix original The Gray Man, and Tamil releases Maaran, Thiruchitrambalam, Naane Varuven, and Vaathi.

The lead cast of S.S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR (Rise Roar Revolt)—Alia Bhatt (No. 2), Ram Charan Teja (No. 4), and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. (No. 8)—all made their way onto the list.

Bhatt also delighted fans by leading Gangubai Kathiawadi and starring in Darlings (which she also produced for Netflix), as well as playing Isha in the global hit Brahmastra Part One: Shiva.

Entertainment fans were eager for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s (No. 3) returned to cinema after five years, with her standout performance in Ponniyin Selvan: Part I.  

·       Kiara Advani (No. 7) captivated audiences with two blockbuster releases, JugJugg Jeeyo and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.  

To learn more about this year’s IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars, watch this video: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1945748761/ and read the full list here: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls563964668/.

About IMDb

IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities. Products and services to help fans decide what to watch and where to watch it include: the IMDb website for desktop and mobile devices; apps for iOS and Android; and X-Ray on Prime Video. IMDb also produces IMDb original video series and podcasts. For entertainment industry professionals, IMDb provides IMDbPro and Box Office Mojo. IMDb licenses information from its vast and authoritative database to third-party businesses worldwide; learn more at developer.imdb.com. IMDb is an Amazon company. For more information, visit imdb.com/press and follow @IMDb_in.

12 Disruptive Technologies High On Innovation, Funding, And Demand-Supply Alignment Will Drive Tech Markets – NASSCOM-BCG Study

*These include Autonomous analytics, AR & VR, Autonomous Driving, Computer Vision, Deep learning, Distributed Ledger, Edge Computing, Sensor Tech, Smart Robots, Space Tech, Sustainability Tech, and 5G/6G

Emerging technologies are redefining the digital universe and are becoming a business imperative for companies worldwide. National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and Boston Consultancy Group (BCG) today released a report titled "Sandboxing into the Future: Decoding Technology's Biggest Bets" on the sidelines of NASTech 2022 in Bengaluru. The report aims to uncover and develop perspectives on big-bet technologies that can potentially disrupt markets in the next 3-5 years.

Enterprise Tech spending is estimated to reach $4.2 Tn by 2026 globally, amongst which Tech Services companies represent the largest segment and are expected to become $1.7 Tn by 2026 with a CAGR of 8.1%. As part of the study, 28 emerging technology themes from 11 tech families were identified – across markets and verticals - with the potential to disrupt markets, basis current tech spending, growth potential, innovation maturity, and funding momentum. Amongst these 12 emerging technologies, with high funding momentum and R&D focus, have emerged as the “Biggest Bets,” including, Autonomous analytics, AR & VR, Autonomous Driving, Computer Vision, Deep learning, Distributed Ledger, Edge Computing, Sensor Tech, Smart  Robots, Space Tech, Sustainability Tech, and 5G/6G.

As the need for focused use cases emerge and multiple technologies converge to drive disruption, these 12 technologies will unravel in diverse ways, giving way to regional and vertical-specific big bets. While buyers in North America and Europe are betting on technologies such as Autonomous Analytics, APAC is likely to focus more on 5G/6G technologies, Sensor Tech and Smart Robotics. Overall, technology buyers anticipate that investments in emerging technologies will account for 70- 80% of their tech spending by 2030.

Within APAC, India has the highest private tech funding growth at 31% compared to overall APAC at 11%. Healthcare and Transportation have emerged as top funded verticals, followed by Tech, BFSI, and Telecom.

NASSCOM also did a survey of over 120 technology buyers and interviewed over 30 Indian tech providers (CEOs/Leaders from Indian Tech companies) to gauge their priorities across key technologies. As per the survey responses, tech buyers expect the share of emerging tech to grow by 3X in next 4-6 years, driven by higher efficiency, enhanced customer experience, and accelerated product development cycle. Interestingly key technologies such as Autonomous Analytics, Edge Computing, 5G/6G & Deep Learning have emerged as top 5 business priorities for tech buyers. However, for technology providers, supplier priorities differ across technologies and regions. Large firms are diversifying their bets by focusing both on technologies with established use cases(5G/6G), and investing in nascent technologies to gain leadership position (Deep learning and Computer Vision), whereas mid-size firms and digital firms are selective on big bets, either focusing on few emerging areas or going deep in select technologies.

Alignment of tech buyers and providers will create the dynamics in adoption as investments and technologies mature over time. This will also build a spectrum of opportunities for buyers as well as providers across the maturity curve, and in specific regions and verticals.

"Emerging technologies have evolved as the nucleus for businesses across segments. It has helped them navigate through the unprecedented challenges of the digital era while allowing them to achieve a competitive advantage", said Ms. Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM. "Going forward, it will be interesting to see how businesses will put their bets on emerging technologies and how they would be taking ahead the tech revolution for the larger good of the society."

Glimpsing into the new era

To continue to thrive and succeed tech firms need to reassess their current positioning and define a winning strategy. Firms need to act fast as cracking the right strategy can lead to windfall gains, but delayed action can prove detrimental to growth. Focusing on defining where and how to prioritize resources and acquisitions to speed access and close capability gaps, building critical capabilities to support future direction, and debottleneck constraints will ensue firms to realize the largest potential of these technologies in the future.

About NASSCOM

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM®) is the premier trade body and chamber of commerce of the Tech industry in India and comprises over 3000-member companies. Our membership spans across the entire spectrum of the industry from startups to multinationals and from products to services, Global Capability Centres to Engineering firms. Guided by India's vision to become a leading digital economy globally, NASSCOM focuses on accelerating the pace of transformation of the industry to emerge as the preferred enablers for global digital transformation. Our strategic imperatives are to reskill and upskill India's IT workforce to ensure that talent is future-ready in terms of new-age skills, strengthen the innovation quotient across industry verticals, create new market opportunities - both international and domestic, drive policy advocacy to advance innovation and ease of doing business, and build the industry narrative with focus on Talent, Trust and Innovation. And, in everything we do, we will continue to champion the need for diversity and equal opportunity.

Ageas Federal Life Insurance's New Health Plan Covers “30 Critical Illnesses”

This health insurance plan: 

Covers 30 critical illnesses 

Provides level coverage throughout the policy term 

Offers lumpsum payment on the first diagnosis of illness, regardless of the actual amount spent on treatment 

Ageas Federal Life Insurance (AFLI), one of India's leading life insurance companies announced the launch of its “Ageas Federal Life Insurance Criti Care Plan”, a comprehensive plan covering 30 critical illnesses and major diseases.  

On diagnosis of any of the 30 critical illnesses listed, the insured person is entitled to a critical illness benefit to help with bearing the costs of expensive treatment, recuperation and possible loss or dip in income. The sum assured is payable as a lumpsum amount on the first diagnosis of the illness irrespective of the actual amount spent on treatment. 

The age for entering the policy is a minimum of 18 years and a maximum of 65 years; with the policy providing coverage up to the age of 70 years. The policy term can be a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 10 years with three premium payment options – Single Pay, Limited Pay and Regular Pay. The plan may also provide tax benefits under Sec 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961. 

Commenting on the new plan, Mr. Karthik Raman, CMO and Head – Products, Ageas Federal Life Insurance said, “In today’s fast-paced world, people are more prone to stress, anxiety and an unhealthy lifestyle leading to the onset of a critical illness. However, while a major disease may strike you unexpectedly, it is prudent to be covered with a critical illness plan such as our recently launched Ageas Federal Criti Care Plan, that eases the burden of expensive medical care and the possible loss of income during the recovery period.” 

“We see that during a critical illness, the cost of treatment is largely covered by mediclaim plans. However, the cost of post treatment care and the subsequent lifestyle changes can dig into one’s life savings and hence, investing in this plan can help you and your family cope better with these costs,” Mr. Raman added. 

About Ageas Federal Life Insurance 

Ageas Federal Life Insurance is one of India's growing life insurance companies and offers a diverse range of wealth management, protection, and retirement solutions to individual and corporate customers. Ageas Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd is a joint venture of Ageas, a multinational insurance giant based out of Europe and Federal Bank, one of India's leading private sector banks. 

Having commenced operations in 2008, Ageas Federal was able to achieve breakeven within just five years; the Company's passion for innovation and growth helped it achieve this feat. Through a nationwide network of 3,200+ branches including partner bank branches, and a sizeable network of advisors, Ageas Federal Life Insurance has achieved presence across the length and breadth of the country. As of March 31, 2022, the Company has issued over 15 lakh policies with a sum assured of over Rs. 1,20,544 crores. Ageas Federal Life Insurance has total assets under management of over Rs. 13,907 crore and a robust capital base of over 800 crores as of March 31, 2022.