Tata Electronics Appoints Dr. Randhir Thakur As Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL), the company pioneering domestic precision machining and assembly for electronics components manufacturing and with a roadmap that extends to semiconductor fabrication and packaging segments, has announced the appointment of Dr. Randhir Thakur, a global leader and hands-on innovator in semiconductor industry, as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd.

Till recently, Dr. Thakur was leading Intel Foundry Services as its President and has worked with Intel for over 5 years. Dr. Thakur brings over 40 years of experience in the global manufacturing, research and development, and profitable P&L management. He has made significant contributions to the development of advanced semiconductor technologies. He has deep expertise in ecosystem leadership, process technology equipment, driving M&A and joint ventures, product development, while collaborating closely with ecosystem partners and customers.

Dr. Thakur has previously held leadership and technical positions at Applied Materials Inc., SanDisk Corp., as also across the semiconductor industry in STEAG Electronic Systems and Micron Technology Inc.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Thakur as part of the Tata Group. The roadmap for Tata Electronics is exciting and Dr. Thakur’s in-depth knowledge and multi-functional experience will bode well for the company. I am confident that under his leadership, Tata Electronics will lead India to take its rightful position in the global semiconductor and precision manufacturing industry”.

“I am humbled and grateful to Chairman N. Chandrasekaran for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime to work for the Tata Group - the conglomerate that I have admired for its highest standards of integrity and service to customers, communities, and the country. I am excited to contribute to building Tata Electronics as an integral and trusted part of the global electronics industry enabling our customer’s success. For semiconductors as well as precision manufacturing, we intend to deliver innovation, quality, and cost advantage with speed and at scale.” said Dr. Thakur.

Born in Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Thakur is an electronics and telecommunications engineer from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India, Dr. Thakur has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Oklahoma. He was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2013. He holds more than 300 patents in the semiconductor field.

An introduction to Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL):

Founded in 2020, Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) is a greenfield venture of the Tata group with expertise in manufacturing precision components. A B2B manufacturing enterprise operating in the electronic manufacturing service space, TEPL is pioneering the effort to bring precision machining & assembly in the country in electronic components and semiconductor manufacturing sector. TEPL's manufacturing facility is located in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu where it works towards creating a conscientious socio-economic footprint with a focus of employing maximum number of women in its workforce. The organization also aims to make a difference in the social and cultural landscape in the surrounding areas by necessary intervention and assistance in health, hygiene, and education.

Gameskraft Foundation Joins Hands With GoSports Foundation For The Para Champions Programme

Gameskraft Foundation, the social arm of the leading online skill-based gaming company Gameskraft, today, announced its partnership supporting the ‘Para Champions Programme’ by the GoSports Foundation. As their ‘Associate Partner’ for the programme, Gameskraft Foundation is empowering 45 para-athletes in their sporting journeys.

The Para Champions Programme was conceptualised in 2015 by the GoSports Foundation, to empower Indian para-athletes in their Paralympic journeys and beyond. The larger objective of the programme is to use sports excellence as a vehicle to create national role models who can impact the prevailing sentiment about general persons with disabilities.

Since its inception in 2015, the Para Champions Programme has provided a holistic support system comprising an annual scholarship, access to sports science expertise, support in procuring apparel, equipment and gear, financing travel and accommodation expenses during competitions, and high-performance training for a carefully selected cohort of the most talented emerging para-athletes in the country.

At the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, 21 athletes accounting for 40% of the Indian contingent were supported by the programme, out of which, seven athletes clinched eight medals. These athletes returned to the country as national role models and have added further impetus to the national para-sport movement.

Speaking about the association, Rishi Wadhera, Head of Corporate Communications and CSR, Gameskraft, said “It is an honour to partner with the GoSports Foundation to support various athletes from their Para Champions Programme. Sports is a profession that needs focused preparation, along with the right willpower and mental strength, more so for para-athletes. It is our pleasure to stand with these champions in their journey of breaking barriers and supporting them in flying high and raising India’s name and mark across the world.”

Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO, GoSports Foundation, said “We are delighted to welcome Gameskraft Foundation as an 'Associate Partner' to the Para Champions Programme. We would like to express our gratitude to the Gameskraft Foundation team for believing in the programme's tenets and joining IndusInd Bank and AT&T, two pioneers of supporting para sport through corporate CSR, as partners to the programme. Through partnerships like this, I believe we can help create a more inclusive ecosystem for para-athletes and impact the prevailing perception of the persons with disabilities community in the country.”

About Gameskraft Foundation

Gameskraft Foundation is the social arm of the leading online skill-based gaming company Gameskraft Technologies Pvt Ltd. The foundation will engage with communities at a grassroots level to transform lives and create a positive impact, powering ambitions and realising hopes through its efforts.

About GoSports Foundation

GoSports Foundation is a National Sports Award (Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar) winning not-for-pro?t trust established in 2008, working towards the development of some of India's most talented emerging and elite athletes across a plethora of sporting disciplines. The Foundation has thus far supported 16 Olympians and 27 Paralympians, including 10 Paralympic medalists. The foundation is working towards the development of some of India’s top talents in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, through athlete scholarships and knowledge-building programmes. They are joined by former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid and All England Badminton Champion Pullela Gopichand on the Board of Advisors, along with the former physiotherapist of the Indian Cricket Team John Gloster as our Head of Sports Science.

Photocaption: L-R: Varun Singh Bhati (Para High Jumper), Deepthi Bopaiah (CEO, GoSports Foundation) and Vinay Kumar Lal (100m, 400m Para Athlete).

New Keysight Study Reveals Software Validation As A Top Technical Challenge For Satellite Industry

* Three in four space technology decision-makers view software test automation as one of the top technical challenges facing the industry

Nearly half of participants cite shortened product development cycles as the most important trend 

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) has released Defying Gravity, a new space technology survey revealing that three in four decision-makers consider software test automation as one of the top technical challenges impacting the satellite industry. 

The survey found that 76% of industry professionals see software test automation as the top challenge, followed by 53% for system-level modeling and simulation, and 46% for design validation. These findings highlight the need for advanced automation and emulation tools that can accelerate design and engineering processes. This is reflected in the top industry trends identified by respondents, with 43% citing shortened product development times as the leading trend, followed by 37% for advanced payload systems, and 34% for artificial intelligence.

“The satellite industry is undergoing a major transformation, driven by accelerating technology development in the commercial space sector and is now turning out new designs with vastly reduced cycle times,” said Greg Patschke, General Manager of Keysight’s Aerospace / Defense and Government Solutions Group. “The need for high fidelity simulation and emulation as well as testing expertise, has never been greater to ensure successful mission and business outcomes.”

Other key findings from the Defying Gravity survey include:

Satellites driving industry trends – When looking at the top ten industry trends for the next three years, respondents mentioned satellites most frequently. The top trend identified was small satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), followed by very high throughput satellites, cybersecurity, in-orbit services, and large constellations in low earth orbit (LEO).

Data gathering and communications top impacts – When identifying the applications that will impact the industry the most, respondents most frequently cited data gathering, research, and communications. The top application cited was big-data gathering and analytics, followed by uses including earth observation, global positioning/time services, science/research, and internet/voice/broadcast services.

Costs and supply chain greatest risks – When asked to assess the greatest risks to their projects, respondents reported that costs and supply chain were their primary concerns. The top risk cited was unpredictability in costs, followed by part/subsystem supply, technical scope, and program funding.

To help the industry decision makers and engineers take advantage of these trends by addressing their complex technical challenges, Keysight offers complete space and satellite solutions focused on the end-to-end design and development product lifecycle and ecosystem. This includes support for the entire satellite product lifecycle from design to validation, including operations, ground stations, and user terminals, as well as proven testing expertise for satellite payloads, radio frequency systems, and power sub-systems.

“By relying on Keysight’s end-to-end design and validation tools, our customers can be more confident that their satellite and its subsystems will work the first time, every time, throughout the duration of its entire mission,” said Patschke.

In addition, tools such as Keysight’s PathWave System Design (SystemVue) can accelerate product development cycles through digital twin technology that emulates system-level designs in real-world scenarios. Keysight also accelerates software development through the automated testing capabilities of the artificial intelligence (AI) -enabled Eggplant test platform.

Coleman Parkes Research conducted the research on behalf of Keysight. C-suite members to managers from the space and satellite ecosystem were interviewed for the survey. Represented organizations included satellite developers, manufacturers, sub-system suppliers, operators, and service providers from the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe. 

About Keysight Technologies

At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product lifecycle. We’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com.

PayNearby Partners With Rajeevika To Onboard 10,000 Women Business Correspondents In Rajasthan

·          Aims to digitise transactions worth approx. INR 10,000 crores across SHG ecosystem by the end of FY24

·         PayNearby received mandate of 8 districts – Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Pali

India’s largest branchless banking and digital network, PayNearby, announced that it will onboard women Business Correspondents (BC-Sakhis) from Self Help Groups (SHG) in 8 districts to offer banking services to various Gram Panchayats in Rajasthan. PayNearby, a corporate BC of YES Bank, will partner with Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (RAJEEVIKA) to empower SHG members and onboard them to function as Business Correspondents (BCs) and Customer Service Provider (CSPs). PayNearby and Rajeevika's partnership aims to create livelihood opportunities for 10,000 women BCs in Rajasthan by the end of FY24. The company thus aims to build a sustainable network to improve the availability and accessibility of financial services across the state. It also aims to digitise transactions worth approx. INR 10,000 crores through the SHG ecosystem while enabling BC-Sakhis to earn additional revenue.

This move is in tune with the Government’s One Gram Panchayat, One BC-Sakhi mission with the vision to deploy at least one BC-Sakhi in the rural areas by the end of 2023-24. The BC model ensures low-cost delivery of accessible banking services to every section of the society. BC-Sakhis are playing an instrumental role in financial inclusion as they have ensured that uninterrupted banking services are available to citizens, particularly women, across the country. Owing to its extensive reach and influence at the community level, the SHG platform has proven to be pivotal in this task.

PayNearby is one among the selected partners who has been allotted the mandate of 8 districts across Rajasthan, viz. Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Pali. Post onboarding, the company will work on upskilling the BC Sakhis and teach them how to offer financial and digital services to their communities so as to enable last mile reach and also provide them with the tools to augment the family’s income.

Speaking on the development, Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby, said, “Women in low-income cohorts generally manage their money through informal loans and savings. Hence, it is important that they have access to digital and financial tools that give them better control over their earnings and savings. For India to progress, we must empower our women to lead this change. Rajeevika is an excellent initiative by the Government of Rajasthan and PayNearby is extremely honored to be a facilitator of this program and drive empowerment. It will also further our commitment towards our Sashakt Naari, Sashakt Samaaj, Sashakt Desh mission. Through this, women will learn about cash management, savings, banking, insurance and other financial services that will, in turn, bridge the gender gap at the last mile. As aware banking sakhis, these women will play a crucial role in making India an inclusive nation and help bridge the urban-rural divide.”

“Rural Rajasthan has a robust SHG ecosystem. It is crucial that citizens in rural areas have bank accounts, save regularly, and adopt other financial products and services for their financial empowerment and resilience. Our association with Rajeevika will ensure this. We are positive that the partnership will encourage the uptake of formal financial services among the last mile. We wish to strengthen the capacities of BC-Sakhis, help them increase their incomes, and help build a cash-light SHG ecosystem in rural Rajasthan and gradually make India an inclusive and stronger nation”, said Alok Jha, Head - Strategic Initiatives, PayNearby.

While commenting on the partnership, Dr. Hardeep Singh Chopra, Project Director, Rajeevika, said, “It is our goal to bring these women up the financial inclusion curve, who, in turn, could financially empower thousands of families in rural Rajasthan. Our association with PayNearby will add immense value as these BC Sakhis will play a significant part in handholding and acquainting the masses to financial and digital transactions while driving financial inclusion across the remotest villages and towns in the state.”

About Rajeevika:

With an aim to empower women and alleviate poverty, Rajeevika is benefiting about 40 lakh women in Rajasthan with livelihood-related activities. The target is to deploy one SHG woman per Gram Panchayat with about 11,000 BC Sakhis by next year.

To know more: www.rajeevika.rajasthan.gov.in

About PayNearby:

PayNearby operates on a B2B2C model, where it partners with neighbourhood retail stores and enables them with the tools to provide digital and financial services to local communities. PayNearby aims to simplify high-end technology so that it can be easily assimilated at the last mile while transforming the lives of its retail partners and customers.

To know more: www.paynearby.in

Indian Oil Corporation Limited Awards Managed Services Contract Of INR 16.29 Cr To 3i Infotech

* This multi-year contract is a major milestone for 3i Infotech

3i Infotech Limited (BSE: 532628, NSE: 3IINFOLTD), a global Information Technology company, committed to accelerating business transformation, has received a Letter of Acceptance from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), the nation’s largest refiner and fossil fuel retailer, pertaining to Managed Services for the Data Center (DC) IT Infrastructure as part of its contract renewal in the new financial year. The total contract value is Rs. 16.29 Crore for a period of 3 years.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited is a diversified, integrated energy major with a presence in almost all the streams of oil, gas, petrochemicals, and alternative energy sources. With over three decades of experience in servicing government clients, 3i Infotech understands the business processes, key drivers for effective service delivery, issues, and challenges. The company shares a long-standing relationship with IOCL, and this renewal furthers their commitment to meet the technical requirements of the constantly evolving digital technology landscape to remain effective in the long run.

Commenting on this contract, Thompson P. Gnanam, Managing Director, and Global CEO, 3i Infotech said, “We are delighted that Indian Oil Corporation Limited continues to see value in this partnership and through this extension we aim to further deliver our differential offerings to one of our premier clients. This multi-year deal is a major milestone for 3i Infotech, as we look to grow our portfolio of government and public sector enterprises. We are committed to delivering innovative end-to-end solutions to the complex requirements of our clients.”

3i Infotech’s Digital Infrastructure Managed Services comprising IT Infrastructure and Cloud, help clients in optimizing their IT spending. With over 200 clients, more than 3000 infrastructure professionals, and an integrated HybridNXT Support framework for On-Prem & Hybrid Eco-System, the company is a one-stop-shop for any enterprise’s Digital Transformation needs.

About 3i Infotech 

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, since its inception in 1993, 3i Infotech has been committed to driving business value across multiple industry verticals. 3i Infotech, today, has emerged as a leading name in propelling the current wave of digital transformation initiatives, with deep domain expertise across BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Education, Telecom, Media & Entertainment, Retail and Government sectors. The company has over 5600 employees in 30 offices, 15 countries and across 4 continents. With a digital and cloud-first approach, and a range of IT services and solutions encompassing 5G in Edge Computing, Cognitive AI/ML, Data Science and Analytics and Blockchain, 3i Infotech have successfully transformed business operations of 1,200+ customers across 50 countries. The company has a very strong foothold and client base in geographies like North America, India, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Website: https://www.3i-infotech.com/

Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd Commissions New Acetic Anhydride Plant At Bharuch, Gujarat

Jubilant Ingrevia Limited announced the commissioning of its new global scale Acetic Anhydride plant, at its manufacturing facility in west India at Bharuch, Gujarat. This plant adds around 60,000 MT of capacity, whereby scaling Jubilant Ingrevia Limited’s overall annual Acetic Anhydride capacity to 210,000 MT. This enhanced capacity will also help the Company to increase its global presence in various geographies and achieve leadership position in the global merchant markets. In the domestic market it further strengthens and consolidates Jubilant Ingrevia Limited’s position as a market leader.

For several decades now, Jubilant Ingrevia Limited has been regarded as a ‘partner of choice’ globally for supplying Acetic Anhydride for various end-usages. This facility augmentation will further strengthen the relationship that Jubilant Ingrevia Limited enjoys with its global clients.

With this additional capacity, Jubilant Ingrevia Limited also provides opportunity to its global customers to further expand their downstream products across end-user industries viz. Pharmaceuticals, Agrochemicals, Food, Vitamins, Wood Acetylation, Electronics, Dyes industry  etc.

On this occasion, Mr. Rajesh Srivastava, CEO & Managing Director, Jubilant Ingrevia Limited said, “We are pleased with the commissioning of our new global scale Acetic Anhydride plant. We are happy to see that our efforts to become a reliable supplier of Acetic Anhydride for international customers, is now showing significant results. This has led us to the decision to add a new plant with global scale capacity and hence achieve leadership in Acetic Anhydride’s global merchant market.

With our well-established global distribution network, this additional capacity of Acetic Anhydride will further ensure sufficient feedstock availability for our various global customers for their end products, as well as help them achieve their desired growth across global markets.”

About Jubilant Ingrevia Limited

Jubilant Ingrevia Limited is a global integrated Life Science products and Innovative Solutions provider serving Pharmaceutical, Nutrition, Agrochemical, Consumer and Industrial customers with customised products and solutions that are innovative, cost-effective and conforming to excellent quality standards.

The Company offers a broad portfolio of high quality ingredients that find application in a wide range of industries. The Company has over 2,100 employees and serves more than 1,500 customers in more than 50 countries across the world. The Company’s portfolio also extends to custom research and manufacturing for pharmaceutical and agrochemical customers on an exclusive basis.

Jubilant Ingrevia Limited is a Responsible Care certified company, driven by the motive to add value to millions of lives through innovations and cutting-edge technology. As a leader in key products that the Company manufactures, it takes pride in being a partner of choice for its valued customers.

For more information, visit: www.jubilantingrevia.com. 

Star Sports Launches The Biggest Ever IPL School Quiz Across India

Star Sports, the official TV broadcasters of the TATA IPL 2023, has launched a brand-new initiative – The IPL School Quiz, which is set to grab the attention of kids across the length and breadth of the country. India’s leading sports broadcaster has been at the helm of taking fan centricity to a whole new level with the IPL School Quiz and aims to provide young fans with the most immersive experience possible for the TATA IPL 2023. With over 6,500 schools participating in the quiz in just the first week of the IPL, the initiative is gaining immense popularity already. This Quiz is testing the students’ knowledge about their favourite league and giving them the chance to become the first ever IPL School Quiz Champions. The online leg of the quiz has been underway from 22nd March, will culminate on 30th April, 2023 , followed by the Zonal and National leg from the 7th to 15thof May, 2023.

To participate, students would need to log on to StarSportsQ.com every day, answer five quiz questions, and watch the TATA IPL coverage on Star Sports to answer a sixth bonus question. Schools with the highest participation and average score across the online leg will qualify for the Zonal finals. The Zonal finals will feature the top five teams from all four zones competing in an online round and the four winners of the Zonal round will then compete in the National finale.

The eight National finalists of the IPL School Quiz shall earn an array of exciting prizes, including an opportunity to feature on an IPL Pre-show and travel to the Mumbai Star Sports studios for the National finale, which will be aired LIVE on 19th May 2023. The IPL School Quiz is a great opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge about the league they’ve been in love with for 15 years, and win amazing prizes, all while having fun and enjoying the excitement of the IPL. Using refreshed technology, Star Sports has also onboarded Shreyas Iyer to send personalised invites to all school to increase the anticipation and excitement around the quiz.

Speaking about the IPL School Quiz, a Star Sports Spokesperson said, "We have always strived to create an unparalleled experience for our viewers and fans, and the IPL School Quiz is yet another step towards our fan-centric approach. The quiz is a fantastic platform for young minds to engage with the TATA IPL 2023 and showcase their knowledge, while having fun with their peers. We are thrilled to provide this opportunity to students across the nation and look forward to seeing the participants put their best foot forward in the biggest cricket school quiz."

The TATA IPL 2023 has set off to a flyer with viewership on the Star Sports Network for the opening day of the marquee tournament recording a massive 29% growth in TVR as compared to the previous edition. With endeavors like the school quiz, Star Sports is changing the way young fans engage with the sport and bring them closer to the game.