Tata Motors Disrupts The CNG Market With The Launch Of Altroz iCNG

* The premium hatch now comes with advance features and India’s first twin-cylinder CNG technology with no compromise on boot space

Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile manufacturer, today launched Altroz iCNG equipped with India’s first twin-cylinder CNG technology at an introductory price of INR 7.55 lakhs (All-India, Ex-Showroom). With deep understanding of its customer’s needs, Tata Motors has developed an industry-first CNG technology, the Altroz iCNG, which offers no compromise on boot space  and comes with best-in-class features that ensure customers enjoy all the comfort and luxury of a premium hatchback.

The Altroz iCNG comes equipped with advance features such as Voice-assisted Electric Sunroof, Wireless charger and Air purifier. After the success of iCNG in Tiago and Tigor, the Altroz iCNG is the third CNG offering in the personal segment only. Making CNG a cool proposition for young car buyers, the Company has rolled out the OMG! It’s CNG campaign to communicate the unique attributes of the Altroz iCNG.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., said: “Customers are increasingly choosing alternate fuel options with the intent of economical as well as eco-friendly drive. CNG as a fuel with its wide availability and accessibility has gained lot of acceptance. However, opting for a CNG meant compromising on aspirational features and to give up boot space significantly. In January 2022, we addressed the first compromise by launching the advanced iCNG technology in Tiago and Tigor, offering superior performance and top -end features. Today, we are delighted to launch the Altroz iCNG, an industry first offering which will redefine the CNG market by addressing the major concern on boot space.

“The Altroz iCNG is a testament to our deep understanding of the customer’s need and our engineering prowess. With the breakthrough of the twin-cylinder CNG technology and advance features we are expecting more personal segment buyers to strongly consider this option. Our multi-powertrain strategy in the Altroz portfolio today offers petrol, diesel, iturbo and iCNG, providing an array of options for the customers to choose from. The Altroz iCNG will bolster our expansive New Forever range and continue to sustain our growth momentum in passenger cars.”

The Altroz iCNG is offered across six variants, XE, XM+, XM+(S), XZ, XZ+(S)and XZ+O(S), and is available in four colour options, Opera Blue, Downtown Red, Arcade Grey and Avenue White. It also reduces the total cost of ownership further with 3 years / 100000 km as standard warranty.

About the Altroz iCNG 

OMG! its Safe

The Altroz portfolio is built on the ALFA (Agile, Light, Flexible and Advanced) Architecture platform,  proven for safety having received the 5-Star Global NCAP adult safety rating.

The use of ultra-high strength steel and reinforced body structure provides rigidity to the car and makes it robust.

The safety in Altroz iCNG is further enhanced with features like a micro-switch to keep the car switched off at the time of refueling

Thermal incident protection cuts off CNG supply to the engine and releases gas into the atmosphere as a measure of safety.

The twin cylinders located below the luggage area offer the safest solution as the valves and pipes are protected under the load floor minimizing the risk of potential damage. Additionally the enhanced rear body structure and 6 point mounting system for the CNG tanks provide additional rear crash safety for the Altroz iCNG.

OMG! its Impressive!

The Altroz iCNG comes with a set of new features like Voice-assisted Electric Sunroof, Wireless charger and Air purifier.

It is also equipped with a host of premium features such as projector headlamps, LED DRLs, R16 diamond cut alloy wheels, an 8-speaker touchscreen infotainment system by Harman™ with Android Auto™ and Apple Carplay™ connectivity, premium leatherette seats, fully automatic climate control, rear AC vents, height adjustable driver seat and many more.

Furthermore, the smart placement of the twin cylinders lowers the center of gravity that ensures more planted drives

OMG! its Intelligent

The smart placement of the twin cylinders under the luggage areas ensures boot space similar to that in ICE cars. The Altroz iCNG comes with First in Industry advanced Single ECU and features a Direct Start in CNG mode.

The Single ECU ensures effortless and jerk free shifting between petrol and CNG modes.

With the Direct Start in CNG mode eliminates the hassle of switching modes with this features customers will be able to save fuel every time they start the car.

OMG! its Powerful !

The Altroz iCNG offers incredible performance with the powerful 1.2L Revotron Engine.

The advanced iCNG Technology gives an unmatched performance by delivering power of 73.5 PS @6000 rpm and torque of 103 Nm @ 3500 rpm.

To know more about the Altroz iCNG, please refer to the product note or visit https://cars.tatamotors.com/cars/altroz/icng 

Union Bank of India Celebrated “Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2023”

Union Bank of India consecutively for the second year celebrated the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) with host of activities: 

Launched a dedicated webpage “Accessible Banking” on the corporate website. The page provides information about bank’s accessible services offerings to the customers. 

Bank honored GAAD 2023 with a special edition of monthly e-bulletin “Pr@Waah May 2023” with information on inclusive banking offerings to the customers.  

Social Media postings with creative and videos demonstrating bank’s accessible product Union Sparsh Debit card for visually impaired.  

Online quiz on digital accessibility for its employees to raise awareness. 

Union Bank of India with a culture of inclusion has commenced its accessibility journey a year ago with implementation of project Union Access and Bank is committed for accessibility enhancements in its banking products and services. 

Bank of Baroda Introduces “Live Video Calling And Live Web Chat Facility” To Enhance Customer Service

- Also launches an 8-digit 24x7x365 toll free number - 1800 5700 - for customer support in 11 languages -  

Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s leading public sector banks, announced the launch of two innovative customer service initiatives to enhance the overall experience for customers and prospective customers. The Bank has introduced a Live Video Calling service - bob Video Chat and a Live Web Chat facility - bob Live Chat on its website, providing two more avenues for people to effortlessly get in touch with the Bank and seamlessly address their banking queries. In addition, the Bank has also launched an easy-to-remember, single 8-digit toll-free number - 1800 5700 - with 24x7x365 customer support, which is available in 11 languages. Bank of Baroda is the first PSU bank to offer live video chat and live web chat services to its customers. 

bob Live Chat facility can be availed through the Bank’s website – www.bankofbaroda.in. ADI is the Bank’s virtual assistant/chatbot and, when chatting with ADI, customers will be given the option to initiate a live chat with a customer service executive to resolve their queries.  

bob Video Chat facility is available on the home page of the Bank’s website as well as at the Bank’s Digital Banking Units (DBUs) across the country where people can interact with the Customer Contact Centre executive through video. The video chat facility allows customers to schedule the calls at their convenience either by connecting to an executive immediately (depending on availability) or scheduling a call as per their convenience during the week.  

The newly launched 8-digit toll-free number is easy to remember and is available in 11 languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Odia, Punjabi and Bengali.  

Shri Dinesh Pant, Chief General Manager - Operations, Bank of Baroda said, “The purpose of launching bob Live Chat and bob Video Chat is to elevate customer experience. The new interactive services will allow our customers to reach out to a customer service executive easily to answer their banking queries. The facility will help customers to get information on a number of products and services through the live chat interface at their convenience thereby enhancing customer experience as well as improving the efficiency of the Bank’s branch network.” 

bob Video Chat and bob Live Chat is available during business hours (10:00AM to 6:00PM) and customers can get all their non-financial queries answered through these modes.  

NeoLacta Celebrates Breast Milk Donors As ‘SUPERMOMS’

* NeoLacta felicitates 30 SUPERMOMS 

* SUPERMOMS will inspire more mothers to come forward towards this noble cause 

* Campaign will spread awareness about the donation of breast milk and its benefits for premature babies 

NeoLacta Lifesciences, India’s only ISO 22000 and GMP certified Human Milk Facility, successfully concluded its week-long campaign, “SUPERMOMS: Our Breastfeeding Heroes”. This campaign aimed to honour and recognize the selfless contributions of 30 mothers who played a vital role in supporting the health and well-being of premature and sick infants through human milk donation.  

Commenced on Mother's Day, the campaign kicked off with an engaging contest and an announcement across NeoLacta’s social media platforms. The primary objective was to acknowledge the remarkable mothers who had generously donated their breast milk, thereby saving the lives of premature babies. Additionally, the campaign also aimed to encourage more mothers to come forward and contribute to this noble cause by donating their excess breast milk.  

During the launch of the campaign, Sunil Sreekakula, Country GM of NeoLacta Lifesciences, said:

“The SUPERMOMS campaign will shed light on the extraordinary efforts of donor moms and raise awareness about the importance of human milk donation. We firmly believe that these incredible women deserve recognition for their selfless acts. Further, we aim to expand this campaign to other states, continually recognizing and celebrating donor moms throughout the year.” 

The SUPERMOMS campaign extensively used digital media to amplify its message and generate awareness about the life-saving benefits of human milk for premature babies. By sharing the inspiring journeys of donor moms, the campaign aims to motivate and empower more mothers to actively contribute to this noble cause. 

Through “SUPERMOMS: Our Breastfeeding Heroes”, NeoLacta Lifesciences, as India’s leading Human Milk Facility, has once again highlighted the significance of human milk donation in providing the essential nourishment and support to premature and sick infants. The company remains committed to advancing the cause of saving babies’ lives and ensuring the well-being of newborns across the nation.  

Human milk is the most beneficial source of nutrition for newborns, particularly for preterm infants, who are at higher risk of developing serious health complications. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition, and it provides essential nutrients, enzymes, and antibodies that protect premature babies from various infections. The Save Babies project is a mission to provide breast milk to premature babies who are unable to receive it from their mothers. The project relies entirely on the generosity of women who donate their breast milk which is then pasteurised, tested, and safely stored to ensure that it is free of pathogens which is then processed to cater to the needs of preterm babies in NICUs across India. 

About Neolacta Lifesciences 

Neolacta Lifesciences India is India’s only ISO 22000 and GMP-certified Human Milk Facility and the first company in India and Asia to have developed a state-of-the-art human milk processing facility. The company is dedicated to improving access to human milk through its range of 100% human milk-derived products and operates a pharmaceutical-grade facility to process, develop and test human milk derivatives. In its state-of-the-art facility, the company uses sophisticated and innovative processes to ensure the highest level of product safety and quality. NeoLacta Lifesciences has developed proprietary technology to offer unique nutritional solutions to help meet the unique requirements of premature babies. 

Mumbai Third On List With Total Capacities Now At 2337 MW, Breached The 2 GW Mark In Q1 2023: Knight Frank

* Nearly 50% of Mumbai’s total capacity is in the early stage at 1247 MW

* Data centre growth across Asia Pacific on consistent demand in Q1 2023

International Property Consultant, Knight Frank, in their latest Data Centre Q1 2023 report, published in partnership with leading data centre research and analytics platform – DC Byte cited that Shanghai (2,692 MW), Tokyo (2,575 MW), and Mumbai (2,337 MW) have emerged as the top Data Centre markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

The report focuses on nine rapidly emerging markets in Asia Pacific Region, namely - Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo. Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, and Hong Kong have a high percentage of their capacity in the live segment indicating higher level of commissioning and demand.

Mumbai is the only city from India on the study and has emerged as the standout growth story of Q1 2023, with the market’s total capacity expansion surpassing the 2,000MW milestone. Over 328MW of capacity was added, driven by announcements from existing players and a new market entrant - Digital Edge, a Stonepeak-backed operator set to deliver a hyperscale facility to the market. Supply movements have moderated compared to previous quarters, with over 40% of its current live capacity absorbed throughout 2022. The city with 2,337MW stood third on the list in terms of the total capacity of data centre services. The live capacity (operational capacity) stood at 270 MW with over half of the total capacity in the early stage at 1272 MW, and 11.55% of its capacity in the live segment. NTT- Netmagic and CtrlS constitute just over half of the live capacity in the market currently.

Bangkok also saw impressive growth, increasing nearly 30% since the beginning of the year. Market players are actively expanding their presence and increasing their share building on the strong absorption seen in 2022. To take advantage of favourable market conditions, a number of operators are expanding their capacity in various parts of the city. In a similar vein, Kuala Lumpur saw significant expansion in supply levels, with the expansion recorded in Q1 2023 being a third of the total supply added to the market in all of 2022.

Mr. Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Director at Knight Frank India said, “The data centre sector has witnessed a remarkable acceleration in recent years, driven by the exponential growth of internet usage across commerce, social media, entertainment, and cloud adoption. As data centres gain prominence as an asset class in the country, investors are leveraging various strategies such as mergers and acquisitions (M&As), joint ventures, and land acquisitions to tap into this thriving sector. As a representative of India’s growing Data Centre landscape, Mumbai has emerged as a key beneficiary with significant growth in its total capacity”.

Digital First Debt Resolution Company CLXNS Onboards Sumit Kumar Basu As Its Head Of Legal & Compliance

* With over 19 years of experience, Sumit Kumar Basu intends to establish a robust legal framework for efficient fund recovery, ensuring strict adherence to RBI guidelines.

CLXNS, a leading digital-first debt resolution company, has onboarded Sumit Kumar Basu as Head of Legal and Compliance. With an extensive experience of over 19 years, Sumit brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role.

In his capacity as CLXNS' Head, Sumit Kumar Basu will establish a robust legal framework for efficient fund recovery, ensuring strict adherence to RBI guidelines. His leadership will foster a sustainable ecosystem by collaborating with the law enforcement agencies, building a network of legal ecosystem, and maximising recoveries while maintaining and/or ensuring statutory compliances. His unwavering dedication to regulatory compliance and his adeptness in formulating impactful legal strategies will further fortify CLXNS’ standing in the financial industry.

Throughout his remarkable career, Sumit Kumar Basu has showcased exceptional capabilities in managing a wide range of litigations, including but not limited to those related to Section 138 of the N.I. Act, SARFAESI, Arbitration, and NCLT cases. He started off his legal stint as a practitioner in the Original Side of the Honb’le Calcutta High Court and has a total experience of 18+ years under his belt. His extensive work across various regions has not only provided him with valuable insights but also enabled him to establish strong connections with legal vendors nationwide.

Speaking about his appointment, Sumit Kumar Basu, Vice President at CLXNS, said, “I am delighted to join CLXNS and share my vision for the company, which can be encapsulated as 'a spark that can ignite a million dreams’. My core focus will be working with the team to enhance legal and compliance functions, propelling our journey to become a preeminent force in the financial industry. By fostering a culture of integrity and excellence, we will empower individuals and businesses to overcome financial challenges and realise their aspirations.”

Welcoming Sumit to CLXNS, Manavjeet Singh, MD & CEO of CLXNS, said, "We firmly believe that Sumit's extensive expertise in legal matters, coupled with his proven track record of increasing recoveries, will be of immense benefit to our company. His strategic leadership will play a pivotal role in achieving CLXNS' goals and driving our growth in the coming years. With Sumit Kumar Basu at the helm of our legal and compliance functions, we are well-positioned to provide efficient financial solutions while upholding strict compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements."

Sumit's remarkable expertise in asset repossession, skilfully leveraging Section 9 Orders, has consistently yielded impressive results. His relentless pursuit of excellence in recovering funds from delinquent pools has garnered industry recognition, with the esteemed Star Award at L&T Financial Services serving as a testament to his outstanding achievements. Sumit was previously associated with renowned institutions, including HDFC Bank, Reliance, L&T Finance, and ARCIL.

About CLXNS

CLXNS Technologies is a digital first debt resolution company that helps lenders like banks, NBFCs, and fintechs in debt recovery. Our main focus is on compliance, and we abide by all regulations and requirements suggested by RBI, each time, every time, with zero exceptions.

By lowering NPA and preventing predicted credit loss, we ensure the highest degree of collection efficiency. Regardless of the ticket size or loan amount granted, we support all lenders in fulfilling their duties. Our suite of digital products makes it quick and economical for various types of lenders to collect debt. By enabling micro- and hyper-segmentation to contact the consumer at their preferred channel and with the appropriate content, our AI-powered platform offers the best possible customer experience.

Manipal Institute of Technology Partners With Schneider Electric, NXP Semiconductors, And IBM Amongst Others

~ Enable Schneider Electric’s R&D workforce to undergo on the job full-time MTech Degree ~

Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), one of India's top academic and research institutes in the field of technology, has announced its partnership with Schneider Electric, IBM and NXP Semiconductors etc., to promote industry focused learning at the university and to enable current working professionals to upskill and acquire higher qualifications themselves.

Through these partnerships the university aims to focus on research, internships, and workforce development; thereby bridging the skills gap between academic learning and market requirements. Through the collaboration with Schneider Electric, which addresses the current working professionals’ cohort, MIT will provide on-the-job post graduate programs to Schneider’s employees. This initiative enables employees to upskill without leaving the organization and receive an M.Tech degree.

In the words of Dr. Manohara Pai, Program Designer, Professor of ICT and Former Head of Innovation centre and MUTBI, MIT Manipal, “The Master’s program offered to Schneider Electric R&D India is unique in many respect. It is physical and the full course is delivered in the industry campus. The program curriculum has been framed to meet the upskilling requirement of industry 4.0 in general and Schneider electric in particular”

Another initiative is the MoU with NXP Semiconductors in the area of electronics, VLSI Design, Embedded Systems, and Software. Through this initiative, the aim is to expose engineering students to industry-specific practical use cases, research opportunities, internships, and collaborative project work, along with jointly guided degree programs. The partnership also includes faculty training, participation in design contests, and access to special initiatives such as NXP Campus Connect.

Expressing his excitement about the collaboration, Hitesh Garg, India Country Manager, NXP Semiconductors said, “India is undergoing a rapid transformation in the semiconductor domain through specialized programs like the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), an initiative of the Government of India. This transformation requires active collaboration among various stakeholders including academia. We believe that the collaboration between NXP and MAHE will strengthen to bridge the gap between Industry and academia, hone the practical knowledge of students and germinate an innovation culture at the beginning of their careers. This partnership will also promote ecosystem development by providing more research opportunities for students in alliance with Industry experts.”

Speaking about the initiatives, Dr Sriram KV, Associate Director - Industry Liaison Placement and Practice School, Manipal Institute of Technology, said “Such industry-academia partnerships serve as a catalyst to augment the tenet of learning in India. Collaborations like these help universities to stay at the forefront of innovation and technology and eventually provide more placement and recruitment opportunities to students. In addition, such partnerships bridge the gap between academia and industry, enabling students to get hands-on experience and practical knowledge.”

MIT's commitment to providing students with a well-rounded education goes beyond its partnerships with Schneider Electric and NXP Semiconductors. The university has also collaborated with companies such as Cerner Health Care, IBM, Signify, Ingersoll Rand Technologies and Sciences, Forbes Marshall, Everest Blowers etc. to offer subject-specific open electives as well as has formed an industry advisory committee with experts from various fields to ensure that the curriculum is aligned with the professional requirements of the ever-changing industry landscape. In addition, MIT also invites industry experts to join the institute as adjunct faculty, which further helps in bridging the gap between industry and academia.

“Beyond the on-the-job learning aspects, such partnerships are critical to enhance employment opportunities for students and prepare them for real-world industry problems. These initiatives are a testament to our dedication to provide students with a learning experience that is both comprehensive and practical, giving them a competitive edge in the job market”, added Cdr (Dr) Anil Rana, Director, MIT Manipal.

Every year, 300+ recruiting teams, including 50+ Fortune 500 companies, visit MIT Manipal for UG and PG campus placements and internships.