Kovai.co Certified With Global SOC2 Type 2 Compliance; Proves Its Commitment To Secure Client Data And Software Security

* Powered by this SOC2 type 2 certification, Kovai.co aims to achieve highest compliance standards and reduce risk profile of its operations globally

Kovai.co - a premier enterprise software and B2B SaaS company based out of Coimbatore, India, and London, U.K has been certified the global System and Organizational Controls 2 (SOC2) Certificate of Compliance Type 2. With SOC2 type 2 certification, companies can provide robust security assurance for their customers, guarantee long-term cost savings, secure themselves from potential reputational damage and streamline regulatory compliance efforts.

This certification is approved by AICPA (Association of International Certified Professional Accountants) and audited by the CPA of VISTA InfoSec, a critically acclaimed international cybersecurity consulting and certification organization.

Commenting on the SOC2 certification and what it means for the company - Saravana Kumar, the Founder and CEO of Kovai.co, said, “Having such data and security compliance practices shows how strong and secure our internal governance, and risk management functions are. We believe SOC2 is not just a certification for Kovai.co but also a testament to holding one of our core values: integrity and honesty. As we increase our focus on customers and look towards widening our base, the need to showcase how we handle critical customer data is becoming more important.”

SOC2 certification guarantees not only point-in-time adherence, but also the efficacy of appropriate controls annually. These SOC2 reports are unique to each company. The certification works around 5 principles - security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

About Kovai.co

Kovai.co is a multi-product enterprise SaaS company based out of Coimbatore, India and London, UK. Founded in 2011 by Saravana Kumar, a Microsoft Integration Architect, the company has crossed a revenue of $10 million ARR and remains completely bootstrapped to date. With a 240+ member team, it is looking to grow its product portfolio and its revenues, with a target of $30 million by 2025.

The company has bagged multiple awards on the National stage including “Bootstrapped SaaS startup of the year” from SaaSBoomi, “The Bootstrap Champ Award” by The Economic Times in 2021 and NASSCOM Emerge 50 awards 2021 recognized their knowledge-management product Document360.

Muthoot FinCorp Launches Vyapar Mitra- Collateral-Free Daily Installment Loans For Micro And Small Businesses.

It is no secret that India’s economic growth revolves around millions of retailers, traders, and self-employed individuals. As a mean to cater to their business growth through providing working capital and loans for business improvement, Muthoot FinCorp is introducing a novel and custom-made product, ‘Vyapar Mitra Business Loans.’

With Vyapar Mitra business loans, Traders, Business owners and self-employed individuals can avail business loans based on their daily cash flow without any additional collateral. Making Vyapar Mitra stand out in the financial market, one can get business loans without Income Tax Return papers and no prior CIBIL score records. Shop owners who earn a daily income can benefit from the daily repayment option, lowering their interest outflow which makes Vyapar Mitra more attractive than bank loans. The new product also offers benefits like no pre-payment charges, loan renewals up to three times a year, simple and fast documentation, and quick disbursal of loans. Vyapar Mitra is set to be launched on the 15th of February 2023 and will be available in 3600+ Muthoot FinCorp branches across the country.

“Muthoot FinCorp has always stood to transform the lives of the country’s common man and give the unbanked their first entry point to the formal banking sector through MFL. This is a custom-made product for meeting specific customer requirements, especially for the daily income groups and this time we wanted to do it for the micro and small enterprises of the country which keep our economy vibrant. I hope that ‘Vyapar Mitra’ plays a significant role in boosting the economy through empowering the retail traders and shopkeepers of the country’’ said Shaji Varghese, CEO, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.

Adding another golden feather to its 136+ years of transforming lives, Vyapar Mitra is yet another customer-centric solution developed by Muthoot FinCorp. Praised for its empathetic and thoughtful products, Vyapar Mitra is no different. It is tailor-made exclusively for each business segment keeping their specific needs and requirements in mind.

Muthoot FinCorp Ltd., the flagship company of the Muthoot Pappachan Group, is one of the leading NBFC’s in the country, providing loans against gold and MSME loans. Over the years, Muthoot FinCorp, an organization built on trust has delivered a wide range of products and services targeting low and middle-income families. Serving more than 1,25,000 consumers every day, Muthoot Pappachan Group has left its mark in multiple sectors, including financial services, tourism, transportation, real estate, IT services, healthcare, precious metals, international services, and alternative energy.

Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore Inaugurated The Student Media Club

Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), Mangalore, a constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), inaugurated the Media Club which was unveiled by  Dr. Dilip Naik, MAHE, MLR Campus, and Mr S.P. Kar, the Director of the Directorate of PR, Media & social media MAHE, on 13th February 2023. The Media Club aims to provide a platform for deliberation and knowledge-sharing among students and to provide exposure to the media, encouraging and motivating them to be involved in media activities.

The event was presided by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), Mangalore Dean Dr Ashita Uppoor, Dr Junaid Amhed, Associate Dean MCODS, Dr Premalatha Shetty, Associate Dean MCODS. Dr Arati, Dr Nandita, and Mr Saghir Siddiqui, regional chief operating officer of KMC Hospitals Mangalore were present at the event and Student teams also facilitated Spot Photography; different student teams received awards from the dignitaries. 

Dr. Dilip Naik, MAHE, MLR Campus said “such events serve as an impetus to promoting knowledge among the students. He also added that the influence of social media in society is growing and that students can become an ambassador of the institute by promoting various activities on the media platforms.”

Chief Guest Mr. S.P. Kar said “Media plays a crucial role in modern society; it will enable students to express their ideas and talents. He shared insights on global media trends and how technology plays a vital role in society. He also said this is one of the opportunities to showcase the skills and knowledge acquired by our students.

He further concluded that “The achievements of our students and our consistent effort in developing the budding professionals has resulted in MAHE as international educational brand”.

NITKonnect Has Signed A MOU With TiE Bangalore To Jointly Further The Growth Of The Start-Up Ecosystem In Karnataka

* “Engineering the New Bharat”

NITKonnect, a platform created by NITK Alumni Association Bangalore Chapter has announced its annual flagship conference, NITKonnect’23, on Feb 4th,2023.The 2nd edition of this annual event will feature a power packed line-up of Indian and global business leaders, experts, strategists, and policy makers. The summit will focus on the theme  –“Engineering the New Bharat”, keeping in mind the rapid growth trajectory that India is on in its quest to become the no.3 economy in the world by 2030. 400+ Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs will be participating in the deliberations spread out between the plenary sessions, keynotes, panels and sectoral huddles.

Mr.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Hon'ble Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, IT & Electronics. said " Thank you for inviting me for the NIT Alumni Konnect. I am sure that after passing out of NITK, a prestigious institution for high quality technical education and research, you all have charted your own lives in the manner you always wished.

I am happy that many of you have become entrepreneurs and run successful startups. Our government has always been supportive of such initiatives and has worked towards providing an enabling policy framework.

Today India is the third largest startups ecosystem in the world. Our Government under Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji has put in place well-calibrated policies & programmes that are catalyzing India’s Techade while nurturing a vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem.

Events such as NITKonnect are in my opinion an important element of fulfilling the vision of New India. At many places, alumni associations are helping entrepreneurial growth by incubating and handholding startups. As a government we intend to encourage and co-partner with such associations and drive India’s progress during the Amrit Kaal.

The plenary session will feature Mr.Aravind Melligeri(Chairman & CEO,Aequs Group and a NITK Alumnus) & Mr.Koshy(CEO, ONDC) who will outline the key imperatives and policy initiatives that are essential for the country to progress towards the vision of “Amrit Kaal” over the next decade.

Key speakers participating in the event include other NITK Alums who are at the helm of affairs in global corporations like Mr.Rajesh Rege, President-HoneyWell India, Mr.Ravindranath Gumaste, MD-Kirloskar Ferrous, Mr.Lingaraju Sawkar,President-Kyndryl India, Mr.Kaniappan,MD-ZF CV India and Ms.Srishti Sofat,SVP-Oracle Fusion CX. They will be outlining what it will take for ‘Bharat’ to become the Innovation Engine of the World by 2030.

To complete the innovation spectrum,  celebrated start-up founders like Mr.Aprameya Radhakrishna(Koo),Mr.Utham Gowda(Captain Fresh),Mr.Krishna Kumar(Simplilearn) and Mr.Raghunandan(Zolve) will share insights from their experiences on navigating the funding winter and staying afloat with startup founders.

Top notch organisations and emerging blue chip companies such as Effigo, Capstone Ventures, IMML, Koo, Peps, Kyndryl, Saint-Gobain, ZF, eSumudaay, Simplilearn, Smart Q, DriveU,Aequs, Poise Motors, Kirloskar Ferrous and Good Meetings have provided the much needed support for hosting this event.

Key Highlights

* NITK Alumni have founded exceptional startups in the last 5-6 years. The startups have achieved valuation in excess of USD 10 bln. To sustain this momentum, NITKonnect organised a Start-up Pitch session to identify budding entrepreneurs within the community. Over 50 start-ups participated in this challenge, of which the Top 5 promising start-ups that demonstrated innovation, viability and novelty were selected via a stringent evaluation process run by a Global Investor Panel. These start-ups attracted a commitment of upto USD 1.5 Mln from the investors and will be accorded special recognition at the event.

* NITKonnect also announced the inking of two powerful collaborations with TiE Bangalore and Your Story respectively.Commenting on these collaborations, Mr.Niranjan M,President-NITK Alumni

* Association(Bangalore Chapter) opined “At NITKonnect, our vision is to set up an investment syndicate and an incubation centre which will groom and mentor start-ups to set up sustainable ventures, with potentially a Unicorn in the next 5 years. We are absolutely thrilled at the prospect of partnering with two giants of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in TiE Bangalore and Your Story. We are eagerly looking forward to working closely with both of these organizations in realising this dream.”

* NITKonnect has signed a MOU with TiE Bangalore to jointly further the growth of the start-up ecosystem in Karnataka. Early stage start-up founders will be able to draw upon the collective expertise of the 1000+ strong community for mentorship, access to funding, capability enhancement through knowledge sharing sessions and networking for business growth. To facilitate this, TiE Bangalore will be offering membership at a special price to start-up founders associated with NITKonnect. Commenting on this development,

*  Mr.Madan Padaki, President-TiE Bangalore said “ We are really excited to partner with NITKonnect on this unique initiative. Enabling access to funding & investors and providing support to entrepreneurs by way of mentorship, access to markets and customers are key pillars of TiE Bangalore. This collaboration with NITKonnect will provide a great fillip to the combined efforts of both the organizations in expanding the ecosystem further by way of a larger pool of mentors & investors.”

* NITKonnect’s collaboration with Your Story, a leading media technology company for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and change makers, will focus on coverage of the various initiatives undertaken by NITKonnect as well as mutual speaking/workshop opportunities. The phenomenal reach of Your Story’s digital platform will be leveraged to capture compelling stories of entrepreneurial ventures launched by the NITK alumni.

For more information on the event, visit https://www.nitkonnect.in/

Air India Selects GE Aerospace To Power Record Aircraft Order In 2023

* Deal includes firm order for 40 GEnx engines, 20 GE9X engines, plus services

* Largest LEAP* engine order ever with more than 800 LEAP engines chosen for entire firm order of 400 Airbus and Boeing single-aisle aircraft

Air India, part of Tata Sons, has signed a firm order for 40 GEnx-1B and 20 GE9X engines, plus a multi-year TrueChoice™ engine services agreement. The deal was signed in coordination with the airline’s firm order for 20 Boeing 787 and 10 Boeing 777X aircraft.

“All of us at Tata Group and Air India are delighted to have this partnership with GE Aerospace, where we will build Air India to be a world class airline and one of the most technology-advanced airlines,” said Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India.

“We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Tata Group and Air India,” said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. “We look forward to working together to introduce these engines into Air India’s fleet and are committed to ensuring they deliver exceptional performance.”

GE Aerospace has powered Air India since 1982, when the airline took delivery of its first CF6-powered Airbus A300. The airline currently operates a fleet of more than 150 aircraft, including GE90-powered Boeing 777s and GEnx-powered Boeing 787s.

Air India also announced a CFM order for more than 800 LEAP engines, the largest LEAP order ever, to power its entire narrowbody purchase of 210 Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft and 190 Boeing 737 MAX-family aircraft. The announcement includes a multi-year CFM services agreement. CFM is a 50/50 joint business between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.

"This order for GE Aerospace engines supports our Vihaan.AI transformation plan, a key part of which is to dramatically expand our fleet and global network," said Campbell Wilson, CEO & Managing Director of Air India. "We are confident that these engines will deliver the reliability and efficiency we need, and we are delighted to continue our longstanding relationship with GE."

"Over the last decade, we have introduced a new portfolio of commercial engines that are significantly more fuel efficient, quieter, and emit less CO2," said Russell Stokes, President and CEO, Commercial Engines and Services for GE Aerospace. "This record order reflects our strong product renewal and our customer’s continued confidence in our engines.”

Today’s announcement includes GE and CFM's most technically advanced commercial engines:

The GE9X, the world’s most powerful and GE's most fuel-efficient turbofan, powers the Boeing 777X family of aircraft. The engine offers the lowest NOx emissions in its class, 55% below current regulatory requirements. It is also the quietest GE engine ever produced on a pounds of thrust per decibel basis.

The GEnx, powers the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, has an innovative lean burning twin-annular pre-swirl (TAPS) combustor that dramatically reduces NOx and other regulated gases below today's regulatory limits, offering 15% better fuel burn than the CF6 engine.

The LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B, have accumulated more than 27 million flying hours. LEAP operators are reporting up to a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions compared to the latest production CFM56 engines, resulting in an average of more than 17 million tons of CO2 emissions reduction.

Like all GE and CFM engines, the GEnx, GE9X and LEAP are compatible with all approved Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blends.

GE Aerospace also provides multiple systems for the Boeing 777X. This includes the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR), the Electrical Load Management System (ELMS) and the Backup Generator, Backup Converter (BUG/BUC) and the Common Core System (CCS). The CCS is often referred to as the “central nervous system and brain” of the airplane and hosts the aircraft’s avionics and utilities functions, eliminating several boxes and reducing hundreds of pounds of wire. GE Aerospace also supplies the CCS and EAFR for the Boeing 787.

GE Aerospace has been operating in India for over four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing.

Engineers at the John F. Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) in Bangalore, India, GE's research and development center, have played a key role in the technology development of the GE9X, GEnx, and CFM LEAP engines by providing analysis and test validation support. The center has close to 1,000 engineers working to support next-gen technologies to reduce CO2 emissions.

*LEAP is a trademark of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE

About Air India

Founded by the legendary JRD Tata, Air India pioneered India’s aviation sector. Since its first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has an extensive domestic network and has spread its wings beyond to become a major international airline with a network across USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Far-East, SouthEast Asia, Australia and the Gulf. Air India is a member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium. After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022. The present management at Air India is driving the five-year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.

About GE Aerospace

GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft with a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines, and the business is playing a vital role in shaping the future of flight.

Air India Signs Letters Of Intent With Airbus And Boeing To Acquire Wide Body And Single-Aisle Aircrafts

Air India, India’s leading airline group and part of the Tata Sons conglomerate, today announced that it has signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire both widebody and single-aisle aircraft.

The order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.  The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace.  All single-aisle aircraft will be powered by engines from CFM International.

Commenting on the occasion, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman, Mr N Chandrasekaran, said: “Air India is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology, engineering, network and human resources. Modern, efficient fleet is a fundamental component of this transformation. This order is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.AI transformation program, to offer a world class proposition serving global travellers with an Indian heart. These new aircraft will modernise the Airline’s fleet and onboard product, and dramatically expand its global network.  The growth enabled by this order will also provide unparalleled career opportunities for Indian aviation professionals and catalyse accelerated development of the Indian aviation ecosystem.”

The first of the new aircraft will enter service in late-2023, with the bulk to arrive from mid-2025 onwards.  In the interim, Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.

The acquisition of new aircraft, which will come with an entirely new cabin interior, complements Air India’s previously announced plan to refit its existing widebody B787 and B777 aircraft with new seats and inflight entertainment systems. The first of these refitted aircraft will enter service in mid-2024. 

The Air India group currently comprises full-service Air India, as well as two low-cost subsidiaries Air India Express and Air Asia India which are in the process of merging.  Its parent, Tata Sons, recently announced its intention to merge Air India with full-service airline Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines in which the former holds a 51% share.  In steady state, subject to regulatory approval, the Group would comprise a single full-service airline, Air India, and a single low-cost airline, Air India Express.

For more information, visit www.airindia.in.

About Air India:

Founded by the legendary JRD Tata, Air India pioneered India’s aviation sector. Since its first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has an extensive domestic network and has spread its wings beyond to become a major international airline with a network across USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Far-East, South-East Asia, Australia and the Gulf. Air India is a member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium. After 69 years as a Government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022. The present management at Air India is driving the five year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.

Vihaan.AI is Air India’s transformational roadmap over five years with clear milestones.  It will be focussing on dramatically growing both its network and fleet, developing a completely revamped

customer proposition, improving reliability and on-time performance. The airline will also be taking a leadership position in technology, sustainability, and innovation, while aggressively investing in the best industry talent. Vihaan.AI is aimed at putting Air India on a path to sustained growth, profitability and market leadership.

About the Tata Group:

Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, the Tata group is a global enterprise, headquartered in India, comprising 30 companies across ten verticals. The group operates in more than 100 countries across six continents, with a mission 'To improve the quality of life of the communities we serve globally, through long-term stakeholder value creation based on Leadership with Trust’.

Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies. Sixty-six percent of the equity share capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts, which support education, health, livelihood generation, and art and culture. In 2020-21, the revenue of Tata companies, taken together, was $103 billion (INR 7.7 trillion). These companies collectively employ over 800,000 people. Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently under the guidance and supervision of its own board of directors. There are 29 publicly-listed Tata enterprises with a combined market capitalisation of $314 billion (INR 23.4 trillion) as on December 31, 2021. Companies include Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Tata Consumer Products, Titan, Tata Capital, Tata Power, Tata Communications, Indian Hotels, Tata Digital and Tata Electronics.

Airtel 5G Plus Now Live At All The North-East States Of India

* Kohima, Dimapur, Aizawl, Gangtok, Silchar, Dibrugarh & Tinsukia gets ultrafast Airtel 5G Plus services in addition to Shillong, Imphal, Agartala, Itanagar and Guwahati

* Promises to offer massive speeds, best voice experience, will work on all 5G smart phones and be kinder to the environment

* No SIM change needed; existing Airtel 4G SIM is 5G enabled

* Existing data plans will work on 5G until roll-out is complete

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s leading telecommunications services provider today announced the launch of its cutting edge 5G services in the North-East cities of Kohima, Dimapur, Aizawl, Gangtok, Silchar, Dibrugarh & Tinsukia. Airtel 5G Plus is already live in Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal, Agartala and Itanagar.  

Airtel 5G Plus services will be available to customers in a phased manner as the company continues to construct its network and complete the roll out. Customers with 5G enabled devices will enjoy high speed Airtel 5G Plus network at no extra cost until the roll out is more widespread. Airtel will augment its network making its services available across all the cities in due course of time.

Commenting on the launch, Rajnish Verma, CEO Assam and North-Eastern States, Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel remains committed to delivering the highest quality of service to its customers. Connectivity to North Eastern states is in line with our commitment to bridge the digital divide and connect communities who need it the most. Starting today, Airtel 5G Plus is available in Kohima, Dimapur, Aizawl, Gangtok, Silchar, Dibrugarh & Tinsukia in addition to Guwahati, Imphal, Shillong, Agartala and Itanagar. With this, we have successfully powered the entire North-East region of India. Airtel customers in these cities can now experience ultrafast network and enjoy speeds upto 20-30 times faster than the current 4G speeds. We are in the process of lighting up all the cities which will allow customers to enjoy superfast access to High-definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more.”

Airtel 5G Plus will bolster the entire portfolio of services that Airtel offers. In addition, it will allow superfast access to High Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more. With this launch, India will get a fillip to economic growth as Airtel 5G Plus revolutionizes education, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, mobility and logistics.

In the last one year, Airtel has demonstrated the power of 5G with a host of powerful use cases that will change the way customers lead their lives and do business. From India’s first live 5G network in Hyderabad to India’s first private 5G network at the BOSCH facility in Bengaluru to partnering with Mahindra & Mahindra to make its Chakan manufacturing facility, India’s first 5G enabled auto manufacturing unit, Airtel has been at the forefront of 5G innovation.

About Bharti Airtel Limited Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 Mn customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and CPaaS (Airtel IQ). For more details visit www.airtel.com