Union Bank of India Conferred With Global Banking And Finance Awards In 2023

Union Bank of India has been bestowed with Global Banking and Finance Awards 2023 for Excellence in Innovation under the following categories: 

Voice Banking Implementation 2023: for Union Voice Assistant (UVA) 

WhatsApp Banking feature India 2023: for UVConn 

Virtual Banking India 2023 

The awards program reflects the innovation, achievement, strategy, progressive and inspirational changes taking place within the Global Financial Community. The awards were created to recognize companies which are prominent in particular areas of expertise and excellence within the financial world. 

Upon acknowledging this achievement, Mr. Nitesh Ranjan, Executive Director of Union Bank of India, stated, "Bank’s conversational banking initiative represents a significant stride in advancing customer service. This award symbolizes Bank's persistent commitment to utilizing technology for the purpose of improving the customer experience.” 

Mr. Anil Kuril, Chief Technology Officer of the Bank said that “UVConn and UVA represent the outcome of the Bank's ongoing endeavours to promote inclusive and user-friendly banking. This recognition affirms our commitment to reshaping the banking sector through the strategic integration of technology. The Bank remains dedicated to harnessing technology and venturing into new frontiers in banking, introducing innovative and customer-centric solutions.” 

UVConn provides a comprehensive range of banking services, including Account Services, Loan Services, Debit Card & Credit Card services, and more. These services are available in 7 different languages for the convenience of the Bank's customers. Access to UVConn services can be initiated by sending "Hi" to the Bank's WhatsApp Business Number at 9666606060. 

UVA, introduced on Amazon Alexa, utilizes Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing to provide customers with an innovative means of accessing banking services through voice commands within the comfort of their homes. Additionally, UVA serves as a platform through which the Bank communicates its latest offers and schemes. This technology is particularly advantageous for customers with disabilities or impairments who may encounter challenges while using conventional banking channels. 

Samsung Electronics Launches 2024 Neo QLED, MICRO LED, OLED And Lifestyle Displays To Spark AI Screen Era & New Ways Of Life

* Neo QLED 8K takes picture and sound quality to a whole new level with new NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor

* More capable processors in Neo QLED 4K, brighter OLEDs and expertly crafted MICRO LEDs all boost the viewing experience

* Lifestyle lineup adds the Music Frame customizable speaker and The Premiere 8K, the industry’s first wireless 8K projector

Samsung Electronics today announced its latest QLED, MICRO LED, OLED and Lifestyle display lineups ahead of CES® 2024. The announcement also served to kick off the AI screen era through the introduction of a next-generation AI processor poised to redefine the perception of smart display capabilities. In addition to bringing improved picture and sound quality, the new lineups provide consumers with AI-powered features secured by Samsung Knox, focusing on inspiring and empowering individual lifestyles.

“Now that we are living through the hyperconnected era, it’s no longer just about delivering quality visual experiences. Displays should enhance our lives both on and off the screen,” said SW Yong, President and Head of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s AI screens, powered by on-device AI technology, are designed to be the centerpiece of users’ homes, connecting all compatible devices to offer users a more flexible and diverse lifestyle.”

Double the AI Performance for Enhanced Neo QLED 8K Picture Quality

Samsung’s newest Neo QLED 8K and 4K TVs offer the full package, including lifelike picture quality, premium audio technology and a rich array of apps and services. At its core, the 2024 Neo QLED 8K is Samsung’s latest and most innovative TV processor yet: NQ8 AI Gen3, which has a neural processing unit (NPU) that is twice as fast as that of its predecessor. The amount of neural networks has also increased eightfold from 64 to 512, allowing everything on screen to be displayed in crisp detail. Thanks to this advanced processor, the 2024 lineup is equipped with unprecedented performance upgrades.

The Neo QLED lineup also brings a suite of picture quality and design enhancing features, including:

·       8K AI Upscaling Pro1: Leverages NQ8 AI Gen3 for enhanced 8K upscaling, sharpening low resolution content so that it is displayed in ultra-high resolution.

·       AI Motion Enhancer Pro: Solves common issues in sporting contents — such as ball distortion — by streaming high-resolution sports matches through this feature2 powered by NQ8 AI Gen3. The feature automatically detects the sport type and uses deep learning to apply the proper ball detection model.

·       Real Depth Enhancer Pro: Adds details to fast-moving scenes using AI to precisely control mini LEDs. By detecting the part of a scene that the human eye would naturally focus on and bringing it to the foreground, images appear more lifelike and three dimensional.

·       Infinity Air Design: Complements Neo QLED 8K’s impeccable picture quality with a screen only 12.9mm in depth,3 allowing for an immersive viewing experience that focuses on high resolution and outstanding sound quality. It is also offers a unique mirror effect in which the TV appears to hover in its surroundings.

The performance of the Neo QLED 8K is rounded out by immaculate audio quality, on par with the stunning 8K picture quality on screen.

·       2024 Q-Symphony: Allows users to connect multiple wireless speakers and a soundbar to a TV or projector for perfect audio synchronization across shows, movies, and playlists. It’s a technology that perfectly synchronizes TV with wireless speakers and a soundbar.

·       Active Voice Amplifier Pro: A proprietary AI dialogue booster that utilizes exclusive deep-learning technology to significantly enhance dialogue and voices on screen. It separates voices from mixed audio, enhancing voice input so users can easily follow the conversation on screen at any volume.

2024 Tizen OS Streamlines the Home TV Experience

The 2024 Tizen OS brings content front and center on the Neo QLED 8K lineup. It offers a personalized content and service experience based on different accounts set up on smart TVs. Now, different members of each household with a Samsung Smart TV can set up a profile for personalized recommendations and a more customized overall experience.

·       Samsung TV Plus: The updated user interface (UI) includes a new home screen with an overview of available content, with added categories for faster content discovery. The service will also connect with Samsung accounts to easily access users’ favorite channels and content while offering tailored content suggestions based on viewing history.

·       ‘Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub’ Controller: Samsung has partnered with gaming accessory provider Performance Designed Products (PDP) to develop the first “Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub” controller, set to be launched at CES 2024. PDP’s new wireless controller includes a built-in, rechargeable battery that provides up to 40 hours of playtime per charge, a 30-foot low-latency Bluetooth wireless connection, a Samsung Gaming Hub home button capable of launching Gaming Hub, an easy-to-use TV volume control button and more.

Connected, Inclusive Experiences With the Samsung Ecosystem

With Samsung TVs at the center of the home, users can reap the benefits of the latest innovations and enjoy seamless connectivity between devices in their day-to-day life. In 2024, Samsung will vastly improve its connected experience with Samsung Daily+,4 a hub for in-home activity. It provides a wide range of services and features — from personal training and telehealth to video calls and remote PC solutions — in one single interface. New features include the following:

·       Workout Tracker: This free service5 puts real-time exercise data — such as workout duration and heart rates from wearable devices — on top of users’ content on Samsung screens to keep them both entertained and informed while working out at home.

·       TechnoGym: enhances your home workout with high-quality fitness and wellness videos from the world-class instructors at TechnoGym. Discover these curated contents for maximum performance, only on Samsung TV.

·       F45: Users can work out and join intensive in-studio training at one of F45’s 3,000+ studios worldwide.

·       FlexIt: Live one-on-one sessions with top fitness and wellness professionals

·       Tail: provides real-time video consultation with a vet in the comfort of users’ homes. From basic care tips to advanced advice, Dr.Tail has a range of questions covered. Users can connect with veterinary experts in real time whenever they need.

·       Multi Control: Allows more efficient work from home by giving users control of all their screens — including TVs, smartphones, and monitors — with a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse. Users can experience a different way to work by copying and pasting, reading documents and more across devices.

Samsung’s latest 2024 TVs and screens also come with greater compatibility across various devices within the ecosystem, allowing a more integrated connection between TVs and smartphones or wearable devices for a greater level of customization, accessibility and convenience.

·       Mobile Smart Connect: All of the new featured apps and services are easily controlled with the SmartThings Mobile Plugin, which transforms the smartphone into a multi-functional remote that offers users greater control over their screens. With a straightforward pop-up interface and a customizable UI, the app provides convenience and enhanced accessibility.

·       360 Audio: The audio feature, previously offered on Galaxy devices, has also expanded to Samsung TVs and screens. Now, Samsung Galaxy Buds seamlessly connect to TVs to deliver spatial audio for movies, shows and even gaming titles, so users can be truly immersed in visual content and gameplay.

·       Vibrary: Enjoy your favorite artist’s high-quality images via the big screen of your TV. With Ambient Mode, you can be welcomed every day by your favorite artist. You can also enjoy photos and music from TV and mobile devices through Casting, providing a seamless viewing experience.

The latest TV and screen lineup also boasts enhanced accessibility offerings, allowing more consumers to enjoy their favorite content on Samsung Neo QLED than ever before.

·       Audio Subtitle: The world’s first on-device TV feature that uses AI and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to provide a voice guide for embedded subtitles in real-time.

·       Remote for Barrier Free: An app designed for users with visual, auditory or physical disabilities by enabling more thoughtful TV control via smartphones. The highly customizable app incorporates UI enhancements such as intuitive button placement, distinct colors and tactile feedback, while also integrating Samsung’s latest accessibility features such as voice guides for easy access right from the smartphone.

·       Relumino Together Mode: Relumino is a feature that enables people with low vision to enjoy their favorite TV shows, movies and games without the need for wearable hardware. With AI technology dynamically outlining the edges of on-screen elements and rebalance colors, the feature enables users with low vision to more clearly see people and objects. Relumino Together Mode provides standard screens and Relumino Mode screens side-by-side, so people with low vision and their families can enjoy TV together.

MICRO LED: Pushing the Boundaries of Display Technology

With the new transparent MICRO LED, Samsung is showing the world that there are infinite possibilities for screens. The screen, which looks like a piece of transparent glass, boasts an extremely small MICRO LED chip and precision manufacturing process that eliminates seams and light refraction. This allows the transparent MICRO LED to create a clear, unobstructed picture for various use cases in both homes and B2B environments.

Touting a modular design that allows users to personalize the shape, size and ratio of screens to fit any space, MICRO LED is a truly innovative screen technology. Samsung’s years of research and development — stemming from its semiconductor expertise — have led to an extremely effective process, allowing LED chip operation circuits to be directly deposited on the glass and thereby mitigating the loss of brightness that users may experience with conventional displays.

Offering Wider OLED Lineups To Meet Consumer Preferences

Samsung’s 2024 OLED TVs build on the legacy of last year’s models, with the S95D offering an ultra-large 77-inch canvas for high-detail, a high-frame rate and intensely vibrant video. The display is 20% brighter than previous models, with deep and rich blacks and AI-enhanced color accuracy so pure that it’s Pantone Validated™. Samsung has also introduced the S90D and S85D in various sizes, from 42” to 83’’.6

New ‘OLED Glare Free’ technology7 — specifically designed for 2024 OLED screens — preserves color accuracy and reduces reflections while maintaining image sharpness to ensure an immersive viewing experience, even in daylight. The OLED-optimized, low-reflection coating overcomes the trade-off between gloss and reflection thanks to a new, specialized hard-coating layer and surface coating pattern.

The S95D’s screen will captivate audiences with advanced, proprietary picture-quality engines that preserve perfect whites, deeper blacks and accurate colors. In addition to being Samsung’s brightest OLED screen yet, it also features high refresh rates of up to 144Hz, so sports fans and gamers can enjoy seamless motion and crystal-clear action on their screens.

In addition to its award-winning lifestyle lineup that includes The Frame, The Serif and The Terrace, Samsung is reaffirming its commitment to “Screens Everywhere, Screens for All” with the various new products in its latest lifestyle lineup. These new additions provide another level of customization and personalization, as seen below:

·       The Frame: Already the best-selling lifestyle screen product, The Frame comes with new enhancements to boost the art experience. Now with over 2,500 artworks from world-renowned museums and galleries in the Art Store, users can enjoy an Art Store experience that is even better than before. The Frame’s new art streaming feature gives users a taste of the Art Store’s diverse collection by providing them with free hand-selected artworks monthly. Moreover, the 2024 Frame helps reduce energy costs by up to 10% with the variable refresh rate adjustment available in Art Mode.8

·       The Premiere 8K Projector: The Premiere 8K is the world’s first projector offering wireless connectivity. Removing the need for cables, this solution allows consumers to keep their living spaces neat and tidy. The ultra-short throw projector comes packed with smart features — such as picture-off premium home audio, cloud gaming, always-on voice with far-field mic and four multi-view screen splits — to extend usability and provide almost increased use cases. The projector incorporates Samsung’s patented “Sound-on-Screen” technology, integrating the top speaker module and software algorithms for an immersive sound experience.

·       The Freestyle 2nd Gen: The second iteration of the portable projector features Smart Edge Blending, which supports seamless merging of projections from two The Freestyle devices to create a large screen for pictures and videos. It allows two devices to project an image as big as 160-inches with a 21:9 screen ratio, with no manual adjustment needed.

New Soundbars for Immersive Audio Experience

To top off a home entertainment set up, the 2024 soundbar lineup offers newly updated models for even more immersive audio experiences, which are particularly bolstered by advanced AI algorithms.

·       Music Frame: This customizable speaker is compatible with SmartThings and provides surround sound when paired with Samsung TVs and soundbars. Music Frame can either operate as a standalone wireless speaker or pair with a Samsung TV and soundbar via Q-Symphony to augment bass and surround sound. Seamlessly blending into its environment by camouflaging itself inside modern picture frames, Music Frame provides high-quality sound without being an eyesore.

·       HW-Q990D: This soundbar features a 11.1.4-channel configuration, immersive Dolby Atmos sound and supports pass through of content in 4K 120Hz. It analyzes audio and uses AI to optimize sound for the perfect experience across a wide range of content.

·       HW-S800D: This ultra-thin, 1.6-inch-deep soundbar is designed to fit seamlessly into any space and provides rich and immersive sound. At only a third of the depth of conventional soundbars, the S800D has 10 drivers, including dedicated overhead speakers and a center channel for crystal-clear vocals. The combination of a deep bass subwoofer and a passive radiator also enhances the listening experience with deep, distortion-free bass in a compact form factor. 

Samsung’s 2024 TV lineup promises a seamless fusion of cutting-edge technology and user-centric design, setting the stage for personalized, immersive experiences that redefine the way people live and engage with their devices.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, home appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions, and delivering a seamless connected experience through its SmartThings ecosystem and open collaboration with partners. For latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN.

MIT Manipal And BIS Collaborate To Elevate Standardization Ecosystem n Pioneering Workshop

The Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) recently hosted an enlightening workshop on “Standardization Ecosystem” in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This event, held on January 9, 2024, symbolizes a significant step in the collaborative efforts between academia and industry, under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MAHE and BIS.

The workshop commenced with a powerful address by the Deputy Director General (Southern Region) of BIS, who emphasized BIS's initiatives to engage faculty and students in the development of indigenous standards. He encouraged active participation from the institution to bolster the standardization ecosystem and contribute to a robust quality framework in India.

Dr. Narayana Sabhahit, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Technology & Science) of MAHE, attended as the Chief Guest. His insightful speech shed light on the crucial role of standards, especially in civil engineering. He elaborated on MAHE's efforts to maintain operational standards and enhance stakeholder experiences, while integrating standardization with technological and scientific advancements.

Cdr. (Dr.) Anil Rana, Director of MIT Manipal, delivered the Presidential Address, underscoring MIT's dedication to knowledge sharing and academic excellence. The workshop featured a panel of distinguished experts from BIS, including Smt. Sushma Rao Mantradi, Shri Shanmukha Shiva Palli, Shri Nitish Kumar Jain, Shri G Ram Sai Kumar, Shri Jitendra Kumar Chaudary, Shri Priyanshu Sharma, and Mohammed Ahamed Bijapur.

The sessions were dynamic, fostering insightful discussions and sharing best practices. They focused on the evolving landscape of standardization, and the critical role of BIS in setting quality benchmarks across industries. The event highlighted opportunities for faculty and research scholars to engage in standardization-related research and development.

Overall, the Standardization Ecosystem workshop at MIT Manipal was a notable platform for exchanging knowledge and fostering collaboration, setting a foundation for future endeavours in this vital field.

Dr. Shankaranarayana Bhat, Associate Director (FD & W), MIT Manipal welcomed the gathering. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr Yashwanth, Assistant Director (FD & W), while Dr Vidya Rao, faculty from Instrumentation and Control   Engineering rendered the invocation. The event was expertly hosted by Dr Anu Shaju and Mrs Soumya S faculty from the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for all attendees.

FADA Releases Dec’23 Vehicle Retail Data For The State of Karnataka

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) released Vehicle Retail Data for Nov’23 for the State of Karnataka.  

Dec’23 Retails 

Commenting on how Dec’23 performed, FADA Karnataka State Chairperson, Mr Dharma Teja G said,  “Karnataka has grown overall 17.24% YOY, with 3W ,2w and CV segments exceptionally well with growth of 35%, 23% and 23% respectively. All the 3 Quarters of FY24 have shown good growth and we hope the fiscal year will end on a high.”  

Disclaimer: 

The All India numbers above do not have figures from TS & LD. 

Vehicle Retail Data has been collated as on 06.01.24 in collaboration with Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India and has been gathered from 1,355 out of 1,442 RTOs. 

From Mango Banganapalli Craze To Beyond: Madras Mandi's Report Spotlights Fruits & Veggie Trends In Chennai

* Mango Banganapalli Emerged As The Undisputed Champion Of Fruits 

* The fresh produce brand serviced as many as 158 pin codes

* Medavakkam bagged the healthiest locale title with the largest order of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year

* Chennaites consumed 1 lakh pieces of lemons and preferred Yelakki banana over any other variety by purchasing 67,000 pieces

Madras Mandi, a fresh produce brand, has unveiled a report spotlighting fruits and vegetables that were popular amongst Chennaites throughout 2023. The report also anticipates trends for 2024. Based on the data collected from the sale of vegetables and fruits at its stores and online platform, Madras Mandi yearly veggie wrap stated Medavakkam, followed by Madipakkam, as the healthiest locale with the largest number of orders for fresh fruits and vegetables.

The platform serviced 158 pin codes across the city, wherein Mango Banganapalli was the top choice while watermelon and papaya secured a close second place in the list of most-loved fruits. Areas like Medavakkam and Thiruvanmiyur consumed the most mangoes. Amongst bananas, Chennaites preferred Yelakki, with an impressive sales of 67,000 pieces. Overall, Anna Nagar consumed the most fruits whereas Tirukalikundram ordered the least.

The city dwellers also loved lemons as Madras Mandi sold 1 lakh pieces. The fresh produce brand sold over 55,788 Kg of potatoes, 75,000 Kg of tomatoes and 87,000 kg of onions. In the garnishing items category, Madras Mandi sold 66,000 bunches of coriander, 1,104 kgs of curry leaves, 37,663 bunches of mint and 7,916 kgs of green chillies. 

Some fruits and vegetables that registered a significant increase in demand included imported apples as their sales increased by 109%. Button mushrooms registered a 197% increase in orders, chow chow demand increased by 192%, lettuce sales increased by 150% and colocasia taro gained popularity with a 117% increase in sales. Zucchini is on the decline with a 5% decrease in orders. Medavakkam, Kilpauk, Madipakkam and Velacheri consumed the most exotics.

Prashant Vasan, CEO and Founder at Madras Mandi said, “We are glad to have serviced our customers across Chennai with fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Based on these sales in 2023, our trends reports highlight the customer preferences among fruits and vegetables. We are committed to providing our customers with quality products at affordable prices. In 2023, we delivered the same when there was a nationwide surge in tomato prices, but we maintained a base market price. We look forward to continuing delivering in line with our commitments.” 

Some unique data figures from 2023 include a customer who ordered 56 items in one order and how women ordered 4 times more than men, but Men ordered a higher ticket size in comparison. In Chennai, the majority of orders are placed before 10 AM but there is a rise in orders during the evening for cut and peeled veggies. In 2024, Madras Mandi predicts a rise in demand for exotic fruits like persimmon, avocados and dragon fruit. High-quality imports expected to enter the Indian market include elephant apple, rambutan and carambola.

Yamaha Unveils Exciting Colour Schemes & Graphics For Its Motorcycle Range

Building on its brand campaign, 'The Call of the Blue,' India Yamaha Motor (IYM) Pvt. Ltd. today announced a major refresh to its motorcycle line-up. This update includes fresh colour choices and cosmetic enhancements for the popular R15 V4 and the FZ series model range including FZ-S FI Ver 4.0 DLX, FZ-S FI Ver 3.0, FZ FI Ver 3.0, and the FZ-X.

As the new year begins, the introduction of vibrant color schemes and graphical enhancement is to boost sales and establish stronger connections with young customers across the country. The emphasis is on catering to the preferences of young customers and enhancing their experience through these upgrades. The new color choices are tailored to match each customer’s lifestyle, provide them a personalized journey and finally enticing enthusiasts to embrace 'The Call of the Blue.'

Commenting on the upgrades, Mr. Eishin Chihana, Chairman – Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies said, “Yamaha is excited to unveil its refreshed 2024 motorcycle lineup, in line with 'The Call of the Blue' brand campaign. We are elated to introduce vibrant new color options and appealing graphics that aim to captivate riders and onlookers alike. The carefully curated palette that features bold and refreshing shades, not only adds glamour to the bikes but is also expected to heighten consumer delight, promising visually stunning and gratifying experiences for Yamaha enthusiasts in India.”

“We have introduced these fresh color schemes after receiving a lot of feedback from our young consumers in the color related surveys that are being conducted from time to time. Through these upgrades, we are committed to offer a personalized journey to the Yamaha fans, encouraging more enthusiasts to embrace 'The Call of the Blue' for an enhanced biking experience.”

The supremely sporty R15 V4 model for 2024 is set to dazzle enthusiasts with an all-new and bold color scheme – 'Vivid Magenta Metallic.' This will be exclusively available at Yamaha’s upscale Blue Square outlets. Enhancing the model's appeal, the existing Racing Blue and Metallic Red shades have undergone cosmetic upgrades and will now sport refreshing tones and sportier graphics.

The FZ series for 2024 undergoes a transformative update, with spectacular new colors that promise to captivate onlookers. The FZ-S FI Ver 4.0 Deluxe now boasts an all-new 'Racing Blue' shade, while the existing Metallic Black color is now replaced with the striking Matte Black option. Apart from this, the Matte Black and Majesty Red colors have also received stylish cosmetic enhancements. Notably, the seat color for the entire FZ-S FI Ver 4.0 Deluxe has been transformed to a sleek solid black, adding a refreshing touch to the overall aesthetic.

In a bid to further enhance the visual appeal, the FZ-S FI Ver 3.0 model is now available in the attractive Matte Grey color, while the FZ FI debuts a captivating Matte Cyan shade. The FZ-X, joining the vibrant lineup, introduces the strong & rugged Matte Titan color.

Yamaha will continue to carry forward the rich legacy of the popular sports bike with such exciting upgrades, thereby enriching the overall experience of biking enthusiasts in India.

About Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies

Yamaha Motor made its initial foray into India in 1985 as a joint venture. In August 2001, it became a 100% subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, Japan (YMC). In 2008, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. entered into an agreement with YMC to become a joint investor in India Yamaha Motor Private Limited (IYM). IYM's manufacturing facilities comprise State-of-the-art plants at Surajpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu). The infrastructure at these plants supports the production of motorcycles and parts for the domestic as well as overseas markets. YMC has established its subsidiaries - Yamaha Motor Research and Development India Pvt Ltd. (YMRI), Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt Ltd. (YMIS) and Yamaha Motor India Pvt Ltd. (YMI) in India to independently support IYM in the development, sales & marketing of its products and overall business planning & regional control respectively. Presently, its product portfolio includes YZF-R3 (321cc), MT-03 (321cc), YZF-R15 V4 (155cc), YZF-R15S V3 (155cc),  MT-15 V2 (155cc); FZS-Fi Version 4.0 (149cc), FZS-Fi Version 3.0 (149cc), FZ-Fi Version 3.0 (149cc), FZ-X (149cc), AEROX (155cc) and scooters like Fascino 125 FI Hybrid (125cc), Ray ZR 125 FI Hybrid (125cc), Ray ZR Street Rally 125 FI Hybrid (125cc).

upGrad Records 65,000+ Graduates In CY2023; Enrollments Continue To Soar

upGrad, one of Asia’s largest integrated learning, skilling, and workforce development majors witnessed a record-breaking 65,668 graduates in 2023. Out of the total, 22,000+ completed the long format courses and nearly 44,000 learners were a part of its own-branded certification portfolio encompassing Agile Methodology, Project management, DevOps, Cloud Computing, Blockchain etc. The long-format portfolio includes university-led higher education and upskilling programs. Interestingly, the total number of women enrolments within this segment rose to 40% in the same year, making courses in Digital Marketing, HR, and Data Science their top picks.

As per upGrad Insights, long-format courses remained popular amongst mid-career professionals with 4-10 years of work experience while freshers and early professionals with 0-3 years mostly relied on certifications for instant skill-up. The company’s dedication to making upskilling a mainstream phenomenon is evident in the growing numbers, as seen in a 55% increase in enrollments for Machine Learning courses during the July-August-September quarter of the same year from 2022. It further demonstrates the rising demand for AI-ready talent.

On average every quarter 330+ women professionals with 10+ years of work experience have enrolled for upskilling courses, demonstrating the necessity to stay updated in times when job specs seem to be evolving at a breakneck pace. As per upGrad’s marquee India Career Upskilling Report which surveyed over 3500 urban professionals, 2 out of 3 people who upskilled were parents. Despite their parenting duties and work pressure, parents believed and invested in upskilling.

“Wider acceptance of continuous learning has encouraged Indian professionals to understand market needs and upskill for stronger career growth. We’ve also noticed interesting variations in their learning patterns and preferences, strengthening our commitment to creating more market-ready offerings for a scalable economy. Although it's an eventual transition, nearly 30% of our QoQ enrolments on average come from Tier 2 & 3 cities, signifying the gradual adoption. We closed 2023 on a very high note and this year will only accelerate our commitment to impacting a bigger learner base while also supporting GOI in powering India’s online learning infrastructure and nation-building,” concluded Mayank Kumar, Co-founder and MD, upGrad.

The current year’s development also marks a 6.5x jump from the previous calendar year, significantly contributing to upGrad’s YoY growth trajectory.

About upGrad

Started in 2015, upGrad is Asia’s largest integrated Learning, Skilling, and Workforce Development Company. The offerings range from online & hybrid Degree programs to pathway and study abroad programs to certification and Bootcamps to Diploma, Master’s and Executive Doctorate programs for working professionals. upGrad provides most of these programs to enterprise clients through its B2B arm along with recruitment and staffing services. To date, upGrad has enrolled 10 million+ learners from 70+ countries, boasts a network of 300+ direct global university partners, wide line-up of 2500+ pathway connections, and an enterprise arm with 3000 corporate partners, worldwide. www.upgrad.com