Bisleri International Unveils Its 2025 Sustainability Goals For Plastic Recycling And Water Conservation

~Aim to collect 12,500MT of plastic from 20 cities across India through Bottles For Change~

~Restore and build 350 Check Dams, providing water security and supporting agriculture~

~Reduce carbon footprint by 10%~

Bisleri International Pvt Ltd, India’s leading mineral water company, has strengthened its sustainability strategy by launching ‘Bisleri Greener Promise.’ The sustainability philosophy focuses on creating a greener future by reinforcing and implementing programs in recycling, water conservation and sustainability.

Under the aegis of this philosophy, Bisleri International has become one of the first consumer goods companies to be plastic-neutral and water positive. It further emphasizes its promise to the sustainable development of the country by announcing bold initiatives under plastic recycling and water conservation.

The company has outlined its vision to connect with 20 major cities to collect and recycle 12,500 tonnes of plastic by 2025 through its Bottles for Change initiative. Additionally, it has also announced restoration or building of 350 dams in Maharashtra and Gujarat to provide water security and enhance crop production. Under the initiative, Project Nayi Umeed, more than 35,000 million liters of water will be harvested, and it will help irrigate more than 23,000 acres of land. The company aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 10% and lower the use of virgin plastic by over 7%.

Furthermore, Bisleri International released its sustainability report defining its progress in environment, social, and governance (ESG) practices. The report has been developed by TERI School of Advanced Studies. It highlights Bisleri International’s efforts in building a circular economy, utilizing resources efficiently, reducing GHG emissions, replenishing water, and recollecting packaging material.

Speaking about the organization’s commitment towards sustainability and Bisleri Greener Promise, Angelo George, CEO, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd, said, “At Bisleri International, we develop solutions that fuel business growth and, at the same time, address environmental challenges. We are in constant pursuit of creating a positive impact, and continue to integrate our business strategy with sustainability goals. Thus, ensuring that we operate purposefully and responsibly. Innovations in packaging will continue to be our focus for the next three years and we aim to be ready for the guidelines on reuse targets stipulated by the Government.”

As part of its commitment to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of irresponsible disposal of used plastic, Bisleri International’s Bottle For Change initiative works towards bringing behavioural change and raising awareness about the importance of post-consumer plastic. Through the programme, Bisleri International has brought a behavioural change amongst 600,000 citizens by organizing sensitization workshops and collection drives. These workshops and drives were conducted at over 3500 housing societies, 680 educational institutions, 790 corporates, and 600 hotels & restaurants across seven cities. The efforts have resulted in collecting and recycling over 4000MT of used plastic.

For Project Nayi Umeed, Bisleri International focuses on building or restoring Check Dams, rainwater harvesting and empowering communities. It provides access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, benefiting farmers and their families. Through the programme, it has built or restored over 200 Check Dams in Gujarat and Maharashtra. These Check Dams have helped harvest approximately 22Bn litres of water, covering more than 124 villages and benefiting almost 40,000 family members of farmers. Over 13,000 acres of land have been irrigated through the project, turning barren lands into fertile farms. Also, for every litre of water drawn, eight litres of water is replenished from the ground.

“We at TERI School of Advanced Studies believe that resource efficiency and waste management are the keys to smart, sustainable and inclusive development.  We work together internally and externally to maximize shared knowledge and impact. Bisleri International Private Limited has been practicing triple bottom line as an approach.  We are happy to partner with them to develop their first Sustainability report. Hope this aligns all their stakeholders to their work towards sustainable development.” said Dr. Shruti Sharma, Assistant Professor, TERI, SAS

The initiatives and priorities cited in the report are aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Further, Bisleri International aims to set ambitious sustainability goals based on innovative business models. These goals will strengthen Bisleri International’s efforts to tackle climate change, ensure safe and healthy water for all, build behavioural changes and create an effective circular economy for post-use packaging.

Federal Bank Bridges The Physical And The Digital Market Places

·         Its latest 360- degree brand campaign brings alive the ethos of the bank - Digital at the Fore, Human at the Core

Federal Bank today announced the launch of a mint fresh brand campaign, "Rishta Aap Se Hai, Sirf App Se Nahi TM." The campaign brings alive the Bank's work ethic - Digital at the Fore, Human at the Core.

This captures many a day that Customers experience in the Bank. In markets of dominance employees of the Bank are a part of celebrations as well as moments of grief of their clients. There are many instances where Customers have experienced the technological ease of transactions as well as the service with sensitivity at branches. 

The campaign is inspired by real life events and that is transposed on to the communication. The ad has been launched in seven languages – Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam to ensure reach across the country.

The multiple narratives of the campaign are representative of the Bank's robust franchise. On an average a client clocks in above 10 years of relationship, giving the Bank the benefit of a high life-time value of the Customers. And during this phase the Bank will be able to participate in the various life stages of both its retail as well as corporate banking customers. Besides, having one of the lowest attrition rates in the industry, enhances the customer confidence in the Brand.

M V S Murthy, Chief Marketing Officer, Federal Bank said, "Businesses across the globe need the digital chutzpah, or customer experience as it is known. However, increasingly, efficiency in technology needs to be reinforced by go to people, whom you can reach out to at all points in time. The core idea of Rishta Aap Se Hai, Sirf App Se Nahi TM comes from our secret sauce which includes Commitment, Agility, Relationship orientation, Ethics and Sustainability. It is imperative that we need to be ‘Digital At The Fore, Human At The Core’. This campaign is representative of how we conduct ourselves as a team. We have unified our physical and digital spaces with this approach." 

The campaign will be rolled out across a variety of platforms, including television, digital, radio, outdoor and social media. Community events will bring the campaign closer to the branches. 

For more information about the campaign and its "Rishta Aap Se Hai, Sirf App Se Nahi" campaign, please visit https://www.federalbank.co.in/rishta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw-a9cHEzLQ

Must Have Books For All Aspiring Indian Entrepreneurs

We are living in a time that is highly unpredictable and the only way to find peace and solace is through books. With entrepreneurship being the buzzword in the last few years, many industry leaders have penned down their entrepreneurial journey.

This year we bring to you the top 5 books on entrepreneurship that you should not miss reading:

Engineered in India: From Dreams to Billion-Dollar Cyient

Authored by BVR Mohan Reddy is the story of a young man who steps out of the precincts of IIT Kanpur in 1974 with a dream in his heart – to become an entrepreneur and contribute to nation-building. Undaunted by the dearth of experience and means to capital in pre-Liberalization India, B.V.R Mohan Reddy’s enterprising spirit takes the long and winding road, never losing sight of his ambition. He gains overseas education on scholarship and dons multiple hats before embarking on his life’s mission at forty.

Published by: Penguin Random House

Available on: Amazon

Leadership with Soul

Mr. André Lacroix, Global CEO reveals his formula for how to make businesses flourish. He shares his outstanding insights, developed over a long and diverse leadership career, to present a people-centric approach guaranteed to change everyone’s outlook on leadership. The book focuses on understanding ways people can inspire global organisations to outperform the competition. It discusses methods on how to create a truly customer-centric organisation and leave a sustainable legacy for future generations. 

The book highlights the 10 leadership principles which are Lead with emotional intelligence, Imagine the journey and paint the picture for all, Energise the organisation to outperform, Customer Intimacy, Reinvent the future, Master Complexity, Embody the strategy at the top, Laser-focussed execution, Ever-better branding glo-cally, and sustainable performance for all.

Published by: Eska Publishing and World Scientific

Available on: Amazon

Doglapan: The Hard Truth About Life and Start-ups

This is the unfettered story of Ashneer Grover-the favourite and misunderstood poster boy of Start-up India. Raw, gut-wrenching in its honesty and completely from the heart, this is storytelling at its finest. A young boy with a ‘refugee’ tag growing up in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar outpaces his circumstances by becoming a rank-holder at the pinnacle of academic excellence in India-IIT Delhi. He goes on to do an MBA from the hallowed halls of IIM Ahmedabad, builds a career as an investment banker at Kotak Investment Banking and AmEx, and is pivotal in the making of two unicorns- Grofers as CFO and BharatPe as co-founder.

Published by: Penguin Random House

Available on: Amazon

Futurepreneurs: 10 Deeptech & AI Startups redefining tech in India

 A constellation of imaging satellites that can detect something as small as gas pipeline leaks. An intelligent customer service voice bot that can mirror your language and accent. A portable breathing device that can save lakhs of infants who die on their way to reaching an ICU. No, we are not talking about Silicon Valley - these are all Made in India startups. When an MIT trained scientist, Varun Aggarwal, and a bestselling startup author, Nistha Tripathi, come together to examine the cool stuff happening in India, a book like this is born.

Published by: Maple Press

Available on: Amazon

Maverick Effect: The Inside Story of India's IT Revolution

In the mid-1970s, a young, twenty-something man living an American dream threw away a lucrative job as a database manager and came back to India. At that time, India had no IT industry to speak of; computers were a novelty, and the nation was trapped in socio-economic backwardness and a labyrinthine License Raj.

Published by: Harper Collins Publishers India

Available on: Amazon

IIITB COMET Foundation Invites Innovators, Entrepreneurs To Build Solutions For 5G

* Shortlisted may get grant upto INR 50 lakh

The IIITB COMET Foundation established by the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) has announced its first cohort to invite Innovators and Entrepreneurs to build indigenous solutions for development of 5G Infrastructure and Applications.

"COMET 5G Springboard 1.0" – is an initiative to support innovators in the development of 5G infrastructure and next-generation 5G applications that have the power to drive Industry 4.0 era and create the ecosystem of the future.

“The roll out of 5G networks in India is expected to unlock economic opportunities to the tune of US$180 Billion as per NASSCOM. Entrepreneurs can benefit from this trend and envision and create new India specific solutions. The COMET 5G Springboard provides an excellent platform to build innovative solutions in the space of Atma Nirbhar 5G infrastructure as well as applications,” says Dr. Milind Gandhe, CEO, IIITB COMET Foundation.

The program is open for innovators working in the domains of 5G Infra Development, 5G Applications, Deep-tech solutions leveraging communications, AI/ML and AR/VR solutions leveraging 5G etc.

The benefits of signing-up for this program include Industry and Technology relevant Mentorship, Access to 5G R&D Labs, Incubation support from PoC to Prototype to Product and Suitable funding in the form of Grants and Seed Money of up to 50 Lakh INR, informs Dr Gandhe.

Applications can be accessed on the website: https://comet.iiitb.ac.in/start-ups/

Last date to apply is 20th February 2023.

About IIITB and IIITB COMET Foundation:

Established in 1999, IIITB has operated with a vision to contribute significantly to IT for transforming the lives of individuals and society, and efficient conduct of sustainable businesses, social enterprises and governments through continuous innovation in the areas of Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering as well as IT and Society education, research and entrepreneurship. IIITB has a very active set of faculty members in the areas of Networking and Communication as well as other areas of Cyber Physical Systems.   

Under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has sanctioned the International Institute of Information Technology – Bangalore (IIITB) to set up a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) in the Advanced Communication Systems area, ‘IIITB COMET Foundation’.

The primary focus of the TIH at IIITB will be on the generation of new knowledge (Intellectual Properties, Patents, Publications, Products, Entrepreneurship, Highly Skilled Manpower Training) through basic and applied research in the areas of Advanced Communication Systems.  The major areas of focus of this TIH is to prepare the next generation of wireless communication by building 5G and beyond mobile base stations using the vendor-neutral RAN, 5G/6G core network technologies, reconfigurable intelligent surface for wireless, UAV/Drone communication, Radar for drone detection and routing, etc.   

ORRA Strengthens Its Retail Footprint, Launches A Massive Store In Koramangala, Bengaluru

ORRA, India’s leading trusted brand for diamond jewellery is expanding its presence in Bengaluru with the launch of the 68th store in Koramangala, Bengaluru. The showroom will house the latest diamond jewellery collections. ORRA’s patented 73-faceted ORRA Crown Star, the brightest diamond in India, will also be exclusively available at the new retail showroom.            

Speaking about the launch, Mr. Dipu Mehta, Managing Director, ORRA, said, “Bengaluru is an important market for us. With this launch, we aim to strengthen our brand presence and craft a lasting shopping experience for our customers. The collection at the store is thoughtfully curated, keeping in mind the overall demand for diamond jewellery and the evolving tastes and choices of our customers."

The showroom which is 6000 sq.ft has been creatively designed with comfortable seating, contemporary interiors and 2 bridal lounges to enhance the customer’s shopping experience. The new showroom has the brand’s defining range of diamond jewellery that includes the ORRA Crown Star Collection, Astra Collection, Desired Collection and Platinum Collection.

ORRA takes superiority in its diamond legacy by constantly providing product innovation and offering a wide range of bridal and contemporary jewellery. With 5 global design centres in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Antwerp, Mumbai, and New York, ORRA carries a legacy of 700-year-old Belgian craftsmanship.

The renowned brand provides its loyal customer base with 100% certified jewellery, which comes with complementary insurance and assured free-of-cost lifetime maintenance. ORRA provides its patrons with lifetime exchange and buyback in addition to a seven-day return policy on the brand’s conflict-free diamonds.

On the launch, the brand is offering its patrons:

25% off on diamond jewellery (for a limited period)

0% interest on EMI facilities

The store is operational at ORRA Fine Jewellery, SITE NO :02, 17TH MAIN,100 FEET ROAD, OPP CANARA BANK, 5TH BLOCK, KORAMANGALA, BENGALURU-560034

About ORRA:

The journey of a million gazes began in 1888 before it metamorphosed into ORRA. From sculpting and manufacturing diamonds to crafting and retailing the finest diamond and gold jewellery, ORRA has come a long way since its inception. Today, ORRA is one of India's finest bridal jewellery retail chains, having spread its glow with 68 Stores across 30 Cities and has consistently been at the forefront of design, leadership and product innovation with 5 global design centres in Antwerp, Hongkong, New York, Tokyo & Mumbai.

Master craftsmen who have inherited the centuries - old legacy of jewellery making, brilliantly cut Belgian diamonds, delicate designs in diamond jewellery, elaborate bridal sets in coloured stones, the 73-facet patented ORRA Crown Star, the one-of-its-kind ORRA store. These are just some of the facets that go into making ORRA - The Finest Diamond Destination. 

For more information, visit – https://www.orra.co.in

Uber Sees Resurgence Of Leisure Travelers As Intercity Trips Rise During Weekends

Uber has released its annual travel index ‘Riding with Intercity’, encapsulating travel trends when it came to long-distance trips. The year gone by saw the highest number of Intercity trips being booked on Saturday, followed by Sunday, signaling a clear resurgence of the ‘#wanderlust’ chasers.

Uber Intercity enables riders to book seamless, on-demand intercity trips at the tap of a button, taking care of people’s travel needs for trips beyond their city. With doorstep pickups, digital payment options and in-app safety measures in place, Uber Intercity offers the same efficient, convenient and safe Uber experience, except for a new use case - travel beyond the city.

Having the option to reserve Intercity trips up to 30 days in advance gives riders the chance to use Uber for planned travel, too, beyond the on-demand rides that riders have traditionally used Uber for.

Uber Intercity is now available across over 2,000 routes in India, including popular leisure and business destinations around cities.

The index highlighted key travel trends, including top tourist destinations, popular off-beat routes, and most sought-after days of the week for ‘heading out’. Mumbaikars, for instance, flocked to retreats and wellness centers in Pune, Lonavala, and Alibaug. Bangaloreans chose to explore the Bannerghatta Biological Park and Nandi Hills. 

Here’s some of the key highlights from the ‘Riding with Intercity’ index:

Top 5 Intercity Weekend Travel Months

(Top 5 months in 2022 with the highest number of Intercity trips booked during weekends, in no set order)

-      April

-      May

-      June

-      October

-      December

Top 3 Days of the Week

(Top 3 days of the week with the highest number of Uber Intercity rides in 2022, in decreasing order)

Saturday

Sunday

Friday

Top Uses For Intercity

(Top uses for Intercity going by number of trips booked in 2022, in decreasing order)

Leisure Travel + Family Visits

Business Travel + Meetings

Visits to Places of Worship

Return trips to schools/colleges

About Uber:

Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 10 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

Hexagon India Signs MOU With BEL And BEML For Emerging Opportunities In The Domestic Market

At Aero India 2023, the biennial air show and aviation exhibition held at Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru, Hexagon India signed MOU with BEL and BEML to collaborate in the field of Defence, Transportation, Smart Cities & Safe Cities, Critical Infrastructure Projects, Smart Agriculture, Disaster Management and Mining. Parties have agreed to jointly capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the domestic market.

On this occasion, Pramod Kaushik, President Hexagon India said, “Hexagon India is collaborating with BEL and BEML and intends to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the domestic market through joint business development efforts. We look forward to a successful collaboration with them in the fields of Defence, Transportation, Smart Cities & Safe Cities, Critical Infrastructure Projects, Agriculture, Disaster Management and Mining. India has always been a big focus for us and we see a massive potential to contribute to this growth story through our technology. We are the global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies to put data to work.”

About Hexagon:

Hexagon is a global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, quality and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, and mobility applications.

Our technologies are shaping production and people related ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future.

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 24,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 5.2bn EUR. Learn more at?hexagon.com?and follow us?@HexagonAB.

Hexagon India has more than 2100 employees with offices all over the country across 14 cities. We have also set up two R&D centers in Hyderabad and Pune. We have a strong team of sales, technical development and techno-commercial experts serving our customers.