NCW & EDII To Organise 100 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes (EAPs) For Potential Women Entrepreneurs Across India

The National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) has announced the launch of 100 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes (EAPs) for potential women entrepreneurs across the country. The first EAP out of the 100 to be organized across the country, was launched in Ujjain on Friday, by Chief Guest, Shri Mangubhai Patel, Hon’ble Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Guest of Honour, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Women and Child Development, GoI, in the presence of dignitaries including Smt. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW; Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII; and Smt. Meenakshi Negi, Member Secretary, NCW.

The aim of the one-day EAP is to orient participating women to the benefits of adopting entrepreneurship as a career, learn the finer skills and overcome social, economic, and familial barriers to becoming entrepreneurs. The EAPs are aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills among women so that they could gain knowledge, skills and motivation to build their own businesses.

Speaking about the EAP, the Hon’ble Governor of MP, Shri Mangubhai Patel, said, “India is moving ahead with the vision of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. Development under women-led leadership is coming up big way and is getting accepted and recognised. Women associated with the Self Help Groups are moving forward significantly. They are showing the confidence of speaking about their success, their enterprises and their future plans. Women have progressed phenomenally under the initiatives implemented by the country under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister of the country. Rural areas have especially progressed with subsidy to women to set up enterprises. Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, training and development opportunities have opened up for women. I congratulate National Commission for Women and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India for this extraordinary initiative towards women empowerment through entrepreneurship.”

Emphasizing on the need for a conducive environment for women entrepreneurs, Dr. Munjpara, said, “We have been working towards taking forward India's women-led development agenda by accelerating women's leadership and empowerment in public as well as private sector. Women who are the backbone of our society play a pivotal role in shaping our future. Empowering them is not only our moral responsibility but also a necessary condition for sustainable development. This collaboration between National Commission for Women and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India will help build capacity of women entrepreneurs and also sensitize relevant stakeholders.”

Smt. Rekha Sharma said, “Women although are a critical part of society, still lag behind when it comes to economic empowerment and independence. Women need to be encouraged to become economically empowered. India has a conducive ecosystem to support women entrepreneurship. Given this, women are getting motivated to set up their MSMEs. Women entrepreneurs extend job opportunities to other women, and that is the need of the hour. Women need to speak about their success, network and step forth. I am sure with the support of Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), all of this will be possible. If institutions like EDII handhold us in our endeavour, we will sure succeed.”

Speaking about the collaboration, Dr Sunil Shukla, said, “Over the last ten years, India has noticeably progressed and that has been possible only because the women populace of the country has been encouraged to become financially independent. I am happy to announce that NCW and EDII have collaborated to promote women entrepreneurship. This will strengthen the country immensely.”

About Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII)

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad was set up in 1983 as an autonomous and not-for-profit Institute with support of apex financial institutions - the IDBI Bank Ltd., IFCI Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd. and State Bank of India (SBI). The Government of Gujarat pledged twenty-three acres of land on which stands the majestic and sprawling EDII Campus. EDII has been recognized as the CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India. The Institute has also been listed as the Institute of National Importance by the Education Department, Govt. of Gujarat. For more information visit: www.ediindia.org

About National Commission for Women

About National Commission for Women The National Commission for Women (NCW) was set up as statutory body in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Act No.20 of 1990 of Govt. of India) to review the Constitutional and legal safeguards for women; recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate redress of grievances and advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women. The mission of NCW is to strive towards enabling women to achieve equality and equal participation in all spheres of life by securing her due rights and entitlements through suitable policy formulation, legislative measures, effective enforcement of laws, implementation of schemes/policies and devising strategies for solution of specific problems/situations arising out of discrimination and atrocities against women.

Tanishq Re-Launched Its Two Stores In Bangalore At Malleshwaram And Yelahanka

~Experience bigger and better Tanishq stores at Malleshwaram & Yelahanka~

Tanishq, India’s largest jewellery retail brand from the house of Tata re-launched its two stores in Bangalore at Malleshwaram and Yelahanka. Both the stores were inaugurated by Mr. Ashok Sonthalia, CFO, Titan Company Limited & Mr. Vijesh Rajan, Head Retail, Tanishq, Titan Company Limited. Following the inauguration, Tanishq is offering free gold coin on every purchase. The offer is valid from 2nd June to 4th June 2023.

These large format stores span across a total area of 19,500 sq. ft., which caters to a wide range of signature Tanishq designs across vibrant colour stones, dazzling gold, shining diamonds, exquisite polki, and precious kundan jewellery. The store features Tanishq’s exclusive collections such as Alekhya inspired by Indian art forms along with the stunning diamond collection Colour Me Joy- The Carnival Edit; an uplifting line of jewellery collection inspired by the symphony of colours set in the spirit of stones. One of the special zones caters to wedding customers and is exclusively equipped with stunning jewellery pieces from Rivaah- a dedicated wedding jewellery sub-brand of Tanishq. Rivaah is designed keeping in line with the sensibility of Indian women from across the country and has evolved as a one stop destination for wedding shopping. Additionally, the store features a wide range of plain and studded jewellery designs from Mia by Tanishq with unique inspiration and excellent craftsmanship.

Speaking about the offer, Mr. Ashok Sonthalia, CFO, Titan Company Limited & Mr. Vijesh Rajan, Head Retail, Tanishq, Titan Company Limited said, “We are pleased to announce the re-launch of our two of the biggest stores in Bangalore today. These spacious outlets have been redesigned with the aim of bringing a larger and more contemporary Tanishq experience to the people of Karnataka. Through these revitalized stores, our goal is to provide a distinctive and exceptional jewellery shopping journey, complete with a world-class retail atmosphere and personalized customer interactions, all while offering high–quality products. The remodelled stores are now bigger and better, showcasing over 5000 exquisite designs, catering to a diverse range of customer preferences."

The re-launched stores are located at below addresses respectively: -

Malleshwaram: Tanishq Showroom, 11 Sampige Road, Between, 1st and 2nd Cross, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560003

Yelahanka: Tanishq Showroom, No. 1312/C, Suggappa Layout, Opp. RMZ Galleria Mall, B.B. Road, Next to Pai International, Yelahanka, Bangalore-560064.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Partners Bajaj Finance Limited To Enhance Retail Financing Options

* Offers 100% On-road funding including Extended Warranty & Accessories

* Strengthens TKM’s focus of reaching customers across the country

Aimed at further elevating customer experience, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL), Ltd., part of Bajaj Finserv Ltd., one of India’s leading and diversified financial services groups, to provide enhanced retail finance options that are specially designed to make the process of purchasing a Toyota vehicle more convenient and accessible to customers.

Bajaj Finance is a technology driven NBFC, offering a comprehensive suite of financial solutions and focused on enhancing customer experience digitally. The partnership with Bajaj Finance  will provide customers with convenient and attractive financing options ultimately enhancing the overall ownership experience. BFL has also announced that it will commence its new 4-Wheeler Finance business from June 1, 2023, across 89 key locations in India as part of Phase 1. These locations cover approximately 70% of the overall auto industry sales.

Key highlights of the partnership:

Higher affordability and enhanced Flexibility with Flexi loan proposition. This will allow customers to opt for higher models or variants, with eight years funding along with lower EMI for the first two years. Customers will also have the flexibility to part pay the loan amount and drawdown money as per convenience.,

Upto 100% On road funding including Extended Warranty and Accessories

Competitive Interest Rates starting at 8.65% per annum.

Digital straight through  loan disbursement process aimed at improving convenience for customers thus enabling them to purchase their favorite Toyota vehicles, with utmost ease.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Atul Sood - Vice President, Sales and Strategic Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, "We are thrilled to partner with Bajaj Finance Limited to enhance retail financing options for our valued customers. True to Toyota’s brand ethos of “customer-first” approach, we continuously strive to provide convenience and exceptional ownership experience, and this collaboration is a testament to that commitment. By joining hands with BFL, we aim to reach a wider customer base, especially across Tier II and Tier III markets, boost retail sales. Together, we wish to ramp-up the retail financing landscape in the Indian Auto Industry and make the experience of owning a Toyota vehicle more accessible and rewarding for our customers."

Elaborating on the tie-up, Mr. Siddhartha Bhatt, Chief Business Officer, Auto Finance, Bajaj Finance Limited, said "Our partnership with Toyota Kirloskar Motor opens up exciting opportunities to provide enhanced retail finance solutions to customers looking for their favourite Toyota models. This also marks our foray into new four-wheeler financing business, and we are honoured to launch services with a renowned and trusted brand like Toyota. Our digital-first approach, customized solutions and straight through processeswill help us enrich customer experience. Together with Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we look forward to serving  customers across the country and delivering superior experience.

Over the years, TKM has strived to improve customer experience throughout the purchase & ownership cycle by implementing timely and relevant schemes such as easy financing options. In addition to the latest tie-up and a plethora of in-house financing solutions through Toyota Financial Services (TFS), Toyota over the years has also launched several other tailor-made services with several other financing institutes to offer customers choices and convenience of financial solutions to meet their diverse needs. The offers go beyond purchase of just new vehicles to cover used cars as well as service packages thus creating overall positive buying and ownership experience of Toyota cars.

ICICI Bank Commits A Contribution Of Rs 1,200 Crore To Tata Memorial Centre

·         This is the single largest contribution by any organisation to TMC

·         The money will be utilised to set up three new state-of-the-art blocks at TMC hospitals in Maharashtra, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh

·         The fund will also equip the new buildings with state-of-the-art medical facilities

·         Will double the capacity of patients to get advanced oncology treatment

ICICI Bank has announced a commitment to contribute Rs 1,200 crore towards Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a premier institution that runs cancer treatment and research centres across the country.

ICICI Bank will donate the money from its CSR funds to set up three new buildings spanning over a combined area of 7.5 lakh square feet and equip them with state-of-the-art machines at TMC’s centres at Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, Mullanpur in Punjab and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

With the largest contribution from any institution to TMC, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth (ICICI Foundation), the CSR arm of ICICI Bank, will implement the initiative, which is likely to be completed by 2027.

With modern equipment and specialised multidisciplinary teams, these new centres of excellence in oncology treatment will provide advanced and evidence based therapies to nearly 25,000 new patients a year, doubling the present capacity and  providing a significant boost to the country’s cancer treatment infrastructure.

ICICI Foundation has signed an agreement with TMC to express this commitment. Mr. Sanjay Datta, President, ICICI Foundation and Dr. R. A. Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Centre signed the agreement in the presence of Mr. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi, Chairman, ICICI Bank and Mr. Sandeep Batra, Executive Director, ICICI Bank. 

Mr. Chaturvedi also inaugurated the ICICI MRI Facility today at Tata Memorial Hospital at Parel in Mumbai in the presence of Dr. Badwe and Mr. Batra. This facility is equipped with an advanced MRI machine supported by ICICI Foundation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi, Chairman, ICICI Bank, said: “ICICI Bank has a long-standing legacy of being in service of the nation. In line with this philosophy, ICICI Foundation has been working continuously to improve the well-being of citizens through its various initiatives in the areas of environmental conservation, skill development for sustainable livelihood, affordable healthcare and community development projects. Over the years, ICICI Foundation has planted over 2.6 million trees across the country, created capacity of harvesting 17.1 billion litres annually of rainwater at 5000 rural schools and watershed structures, implemented rooftop solar panel for rural schools, benefitted more than 2.9 million lives through skilling initiatives, with more than half being women. It has also benefitted over 6.5 million individuals through its social initiatives and over 1.5 million lives through its healthcare initiatives. Overall, ICICI Foundation has positively impacted more than 10.9 million beneficiaries through its various initiatives.

Today, we are committing Rs 1,200 crore for building three new blocks at TMC’s centres at Navi Mumbai, Mullanpur and Visakhapatnam by 2027. As part of our commitment towards promoting healthcare, this initiative will enhance comprehensive cancer care services in different regions of our country by providing patients access to advanced and latest cancer therapies. These new buildings will also service as regional referral centres and mitigate the need for patients to travel long distance to visit Tata Memorial Hospital at Parel in Mumbai.”

Adding on the occasion, Dr. R. A. Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Centre, said, “We are extremely grateful to ICICI Foundation for embarking on one of the largest CSR initiatives to improve cancer care across the country. The infrastructure which is being added at the three hospitals of Tata Memorial Centre at Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Mullanpur will provide timely and high quality treatment to people in the region at highly subsidised costs.  It is critical that advanced cancer care is delivered closer to home so that more people from the region benefit from accessing such therapies.

The radiation therapy block at ACTREC, Navi Mumbai will play a vital role in not only providing timely radiotherapy to a large  number of patients, but will also be delivered with the most advanced techniques, both of which  are critical for a successful outcome. Childhood and adult blood cancers are highly curable but require very intense therapies. The ICICI centres being established at Visakhapatnam and Mullanpur are dedicated children and blood cancer centres and will provide state-of-the-art multidisciplinary care. These centres will soon become regional hubs offering advanced therapies such as bone marrow transplant and cellular therapies to patients from the region.”

The salient features of ICICI Bank’s commitment are:

ICICI Foundation will set up an ‘ICICI Radiation Oncology Block’ at TMC’s Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC) at Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. This block will be equipped with state-of-the-art radiology facilities including CT scanner and MRT, new facility for outdoor patients, laboratories and radiotherapy facility for in-patients. All these together under one roof will help reduce waiting time significantly for investigations and hence enhance the quality of treatment.

ICICI Foundation will set up two ‘ICICI Paediatric and Haematological Oncology Block’ at TMC’s Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mullanpur in Punjab and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. These centres will provide an array of advanced equipment and therapies, which are required to treat paediatric and haematological cancer. The facilities will include intense chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, radiation therapy and newer immunotherapies like CAR-T cell, which are available only at super specialised centres. For the convenience of in-patient care, the centres will also have dedicated beds, day care units, ICUs, MRI and CT – PET Scan facility as well as laboratories for advanced testing including genetics, which are critical for treating paediatric and haematological cancers. These centres will also become regional referral centres in the entire southern and northern parts of the country.

About ICICI Bank: ICICI Bank Ltd (BSE: ICICIBANK, NSE: ICICIBANK and NYSE:IBN) is a leading private sector bank in India. The Bank’s total assets stood at ? 15,84,207 crore at March 31, 2023.

About ICICI Foundation: ICICI Bank set up ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth in 2008 to enhance and expand its social development efforts. ICICI Foundation operates in the areas of environment protection, livelihood and skill development for the underprivileged, affordable healthcare, and financial inclusion across the country. Through its various initiatives, ICICI Foundation has positively impacted the lives of over 10.9 million beneficiaries as on March 31, 2023.

For news and updates, visit www.icicibank.com and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ICICIBank

OMRON Healthcare To Launch Operations In March 2025, At Origins By Mahindra In Chennai

Mahindra Industrial Park Chennai Limited (MIPCL), a joint venture between Mahindra World City Developers Limited and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, today announced that OMRON Healthcare, one of the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of blood pressure monitor and cardiovascular disease prevention and management Services will be launching operations in March 2025 by manufacturing the blood pressure monitorsin India, at Origins by Mahindra, Chennai.  

Rajaram Pai, Chief Business Officer – Industrial, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited, said, “We are delighted to welcome OMRON Healthcare to Origins by Mahindra, Chennai. This is a testament to the compelling value proposition that our industrial cluster offers as a preferred manufacturing destination. At Origins, we provide ready plug-and-play infrastructure enabling businesses to scale and go to market faster. Moreover, we are driven by our commitment to foster efficient, sustainable ecosystems that not only create employment opportunities but also attract significant investments for making-in-India.” 

The OMRON Healthcare factory will be built over 6.02 acres and will be manufacturing blood pressure monitors and supplying them mainly to the domestic market.   

Origins by Mahindra, Chennai is an industrial cluster on the NH16 Chennai – Bangalore Industrial Corridor near Ponneri, North Chennai. Currently it is home to 9+ global companies including Mitsubishi Electric, Yanmar, NISSEI, USUI, TJR, Autogrip, Masano, Track design and Ashirvad Pipes in the first phase of the project, spanning 307 acres. Businesses at Origins Chennai benefit from clear land titles, in-house operations and maintenance teams, dedicated security services and other amenities. From the perspectives of ease of access and connectivity, Origins Chennai is strategically located on the Golden Quadrilateral, has seamless access to ports at Chennai, Ennore and Kattupalli, and is in proximity to the Kavaraipettai and Ponneri railway stations. Origins by Mahindra, Chennai is one of the three Japanese Industrial townships in Tamil Nadu and the first industrial cluster in the state of Tamil Nadu to be awarded the IGBC Green Cities' 'Platinum' rating.

About Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

Established in 1994, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. (‘Mahindra Lifespaces’) brings the Mahindra Group’s philosophy of ‘Rise’ to India’s real estate and infrastructure industry through thriving residential communities and enabling business ecosystems.  The Company’s development footprint spans 33.55 million sq. ft. of completed, ongoing and forthcoming residential projects across seven Indian cities; and over 5000 acres of ongoing and forthcoming projects under development / management at its integrated developments / industrial clusters across four locations.

Mahindra Lifespaces’ development portfolio comprises premium residential projects; value homes under the ‘Mahindra Happinest®’ brand; and integrated cities and industrial clusters under the ‘Mahindra World City’ and ‘Origins by Mahindra’ brands respectively.  The Company leverages innovation, thoughtful design, and a deep commitment to sustainability to craft quality life and business growth.

The first real estate company in India to have committed to the global Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), all Mahindra Lifespaces’ projects are certified environment friendly. With a 100% Green portfolio since 2014, the Company is working towards carbon neutrality by 2040 and actively supports research on green buildings tailored to climatic conditions in India.  Mahindra Lifespaces® is the recipient of over 80 awards for its projects and ESG initiatives.

Learn more about Mahindra Lifespaces® at  www.mahindralifespaces.com

About Mahindra Group

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group is one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership positioning farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate.

The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

Learn more about Mahindra on www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise/ For updates subscribe to https://www.mahindra.com/news-room

o9 Solutions Plants 11,487 Trees In Maharashtra; Overachieves Targets For Its o9 Walks’ Initiative

o9 Solutions, a leading enterprise AI software platform provider for transforming planning and decision-making, today announced the results of o9 Walks 2023, one of o9’s flagship social impact initiatives that is aligned to organization’s commitment and progress toward its promoting fitness and environmental sustainability.

o9’s target this year was a total goal of 500 Million steps which meant a 58% increase from the previous edition. As per last year, for every 50,000 steps collected during the initiative, o9 Solutions’ committed to planting one tree.

This year, o9 Walks has amassed 574 million steps. This has led to the planting of 11,487 trees.

Last year, participants of o9 walks made a significant contribution by planting 6,317 trees on the fringes of the Simlipal National Park in the eastern Indian state of Odisha to protect and enlarge the only habitat in the world for melanistic tigers. This year, o9 Walks raised funds for the Trees for Water program in collaboration with Tree-Nation.org to plant 11,487 trees in the Maharashtra state of India, suffering from severe droughts due to seasonal water scarcity. The trees planted by o9 Walks will protect against soil erosion and make it more permeable, thus improving groundwater availability for local communities in the region.

The success of o9 Walks can be attributed to the support and collaboration of over 3,000 participants from 48 countries including o9 Solutions’ employees, their families, friends, and o9’s customers and partners who took part in the challenge. This international community rallied together, exemplifying the power of unity and achieving a shared goal.

"o9 Walks embodies our fundamental principles and commitment to creating a meaningful impact on a global scale. This initiative resonates with our core values as we strive to make a positive difference in both lives and the environment. As a company that empowers enterprises to optimize resource utilization and minimize their carbon footprint, we recognize the urgent importance of conserving our ecosystem, especially in the face of increasingly evident climate change impacts worldwide" expressed Igor Rikalo, President and COO of o9 Solutions.

Looking ahead, o9 Solutions is committed to making future editions of o9 Walks even more remarkable. The company anticipates the next edition of o9 Walks, scheduled for 2024, and encourage all fitness enthusiasts and environmental advocates to mark their calendars and join the company on this remarkable journey.

About o9 Solutions, Inc.

o9 Solutions is a leading AI-powered platform for integrated business planning and decision-making for the enterprise. Whether it is driving demand, aligning demand and supply, or optimizing commercial initiatives, any planning process can be made faster and smarter with o9’s AI-powered digital solutions. Bringing together technology innovations—such as graph-based enterprise modeling, big data analytics, advanced algorithms for scenario planning, collaborative portals, easy-to-use interfaces and cloud-based delivery—into one platform. For more information, visit www.o9solutions.com.

Honda Cars India Registers “4,660 Units Of Domestic Sales In May 2023”

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, registered monthly domestic sales of 4,660 units in May 2023. The export numbers for HCIL stood at 587 units in May’23.  

Sharing thoughts on the sales performance, Mr. Yuichi Murata, Director, Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “Our sales for the month of May’23 was in line with our plan. The Amaze and City continued to perform well and get strong customer preference. Along with this, we are gearing up for the world premiere of our upcoming new SUV model Honda Elevate. The new Honda SUV is garnering a lot of attention in the market from the customers across our network and platforms. We are confident that it will be well received by the consumers.” 

The company had registered 8,188 units in domestic sales and exported 1,997 units in May’ 22.