Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) Associates With “Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16” As Knowledge Partner

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), the national leader in test preparatory services with over 35 years of excellence, is proud to announce its association “Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16” as the official Knowledge Partner. The much-loved reality quiz show airs every Monday to Friday at 9 PM on Sony Entertainment Television.

AESL has long been at the forefront of educational innovation, providing top tier coaching and guidance to millions of students aspiring for success in competitive exams such as NEET, JEE, and various other entrance tests. With a legacy spanning over three decades, AESL has consistently focused on nurturing academic excellence and creating opportunities for young talent to excel.

The association with KBC, a show that empowers the common man/woman by celebrating the power of knowledge and intellectual pursuit, is a natural extension of AESL's commitment to education.

Mr. Deepak Mehrotra, MD and CEO of Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “Our association with Kaun Banega Crorepati, a show that epitomizes the power of knowledge, is our shared vision of building a more informed and empowered society. Together, we hope to inspire the next generation to pursue their academic and career aspirations with determination and confidence."

Mr. Sandeep Mehrotra, Head—Ad Sales, Network Channels, at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) added, “On Kaun Banega Crorepati, lives are transformed one question at a time, proving that knowledge is the ultimate equalizer. This insight aligns seamlessly with AESL’s mission to empower society through education.”

L&T Technology Services - Going Deeper To Scale

REDUCE

Information Technology 

Analyst Meet Update   

August 28, 2024

We attended LTTS’s Analyst Day to understand its growth strategy and business outlook. KTAs: 1) Mgmt remains cautiously optimistic on demand. Deal pipeline grew 2x YoY, but decision-making is still slow. Potential start of rate-cut with resilient macros in the US may lead to demand uptick. 2) India ER&D sourcing is expected to grow 17-22% over 2023-30. LTTS aspires to grow at 18-20% over the same period. 3) Mgmt elucidated its growth strategy ‘Go Deeper to Scale’ with focus on 5 growth vectors— scale up Mobility, Sustainability, and Tech to billion-dollar segments; grow client relationships; bag large deals; invest in technologies ahead of the curve; develop talent to drive profitable growth. 4) LTTS aspires to be one of the top-5 ER&D service providers globally and grow revenue to USD2bn over the medium term with EBITM of 17-18%. 5) Mgmt reiterated its 8-10% growth guidance for FY25, and suggested that its exit revenue run-rate aspiration of USD1.5bn hinges on M&A. We roll forward TP to Sep-25E; retain REDUCE; raise TP to Rs5,000/sh at 30x its Sep-26E EPS.

Aspiring to achieve USD2bn revenue over the medium term

LTTS has identified 5 growth vectors: a) create billion-dollar segments—Mobility, Sustainability, and Tech—with separate leadership teams, P&L responsibilities, and a distinguished set of growth strategies; b) grow client relationships – focus on the top-45 accounts and target 2 clients of >USD100mn size, 3 clients with size of USD50-100mn, and 46 clients (35 currently) in the USD10-50mn range; c) co-create value through large deals – it signed 1 deal each in the >USD100mn and USD50-100mn buckets and 2 deals in the USD25-50mn bucket in FY24; it targets scaling this up, to 2, 4, and 8 deals each year in the respective buckets over the medium term; d) invest in technologies ahead of the curve – number of patents have grown to 50 per Quarter for the last 3 years from 50 per year in FY21; e) nurture its ‘Engineer at Heart’ program for inclusive growth. Its USD1bn and 20-22% CAGR revenue aspirations with targeted EBITDA margin band of 20-22% for Mobility will be driven by software-defined mobility (with share increase to 45% from 34% in FY24), followed by Electrification & Hybrid Tech (share increase to 20% from 15%), while Vehicle Engineering will be steady (share expected to decrease to 35% from 51%). In the Sustainability segment, it expects revenue CAGR of 14-16% with EBITDA band of 28-30% to be led by Plant Modernization & Automation, Projects Engineering, Digital Platforms, and Sustainable Manufacturing. For the Tech segment, it aims for 18-20% revenue CAGR with EBITDA margin band of 16-18% to be driven by AI and Next Gen Software, Platform Engineering, Silicon & Device Engineering, Digital, and QARA, to achieve revenue aspirations of USD1bn. It is focusing on 4 geographies—North America, Europe, India, Japan. LTTS aspires to be among the top-5 global ER&D Services providers and grow revenue to USD2bn with 17-18% EBITM over the medium term.

Levers identified for margin improvement

The company aspires to reach 17-18% EBITM over the medium term and has identified margin levers like employee pyramid (to add 2,000-3,000 freshers every year), higher offshoring (potential to improve offshore mix by 300-500bps), optimizing G&A as a % of revenue, higher quality of revenue led by AI, proprietary solutions/accelerators, etc. It aspires to expand Mobility, Sustainability, and Tech segment margins to 20-22%, 28-30%, and 16-18% over the medium term from 19.6%, 28.2%, and 15.5%, resp, in FY24.

Exploring M&A opportunities to boost growth

The company plans to add a) SDV, ADAS, and Connected capabilities in Mobility; b) platform engineering, AI/ML, and data engineering capabilities in ISV; and c) connected healthcare, patient management, and health analytics capabilities in Medtech, through the M&A route. It is targeting entity with revenue run-rate of USD50-150mn in these areas.

National STEM Challenge 2024 Concludes With A Spectacular Finale In Bengaluru

* More than 2,000 Students from 20 States Push the Boundaries of Innovation and Creativity in India’s Premier, Year-Long STEM Initiative

The winners of the 2024 National STEM Challenge, a one-of-its-kind educational initiative in India, were announced today in Bengaluru at the grand finale of a national competition that showcased the incredible talent and innovation of young minds from across the country. This marked the fourth edition of the competition, organised by STEM Learning in association with Brillio, a social enterprise focused on driving STEM education among school children.

The National STEM Challenge provides a unique STEM learning platform for skill development in underserved students of government and government-aided schools across India. It is designed to foster and celebrate creativity, ingenuity, design thinking, and problem-solving skills among students from grades 6 through 10, regardless of their background.

The finale marked the culmination of year-long STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) activities, including science and mathematics model competitions, technology quizzes, and engineering tinkering. The finale was attended by more than 60 students and 25 teachers from 12 states.

Over the last year, more than 2,000 students from 20 states were trained in new-age technologies by volunteers from STEM Learning. These students competed in 90 cluster and zonal, rounds. The top 27 teams from 12 states ? Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Karnataka , Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Odisha, Punjab, and Goa ? made it to the national finale.

Esteemed Chief Guests

·         Mr. D. K. Shivakumar, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka

·         Mr. Madhu Bangarappa, Honorable Education Minister of Karnataka

Esteemed Guests of Honor

·         Ms. B. B. Cauvery, I.A.S., Commissioner for Public Instruction, Government of Karnataka

·         Ms. Aisshwarya DKS Hegde, Trustee-Secretary, Schools of National Education Foundation (NEF)

·         Dr. B. R. Guruprasad, Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Bengaluru

·         Mr. Ashutosh Pandit, CEO, STEM Learning

·         Mr. Siva Perubotla, MD and CIO, Brillio

·         Ms. Kusuma H, Social Leader

·         Mr. Abhishek Ranjan, Global Head of Sustainability, Brillio

Celebrated Mentors, Speakers, and Jury Members

The contestants were judged, and the winners felicitated by eminent personalities from the worlds of science, education, and technology. They included:

·         Mr. Ashok Pamidi, Former CEO, NASSCOM Foundation

·         Ms. Sudeepta Banerjee, Head of Resource Mobilization, Concern India Foundation

·         Ms. Kathleen Ulrich, MD and Global Head of Marketing, Brillio

·         Dr. Sarnam Singh, Senior Scientist, Former Dean, Nalanda University

·         Mr. Alexandre Besnard, Digital Admin, LP4Y

·         Dr. G. N. Dayananda, Outstanding Scientist (retired), Technology Management Directorate, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)

·         Ms. Anupama Ramachandra, Founder Principal, Delhi Public School Electronic City, Bengaluru

·         Mr. Vishwottam Kandikere, PhD, Assistant Vice President and Head ? DMPK, Syngene International Limited

·         Ms. Sunita Sharaf, Director, EDUscope

Speaking Mr. Ashutosh Pandit, Founder of STEM Learning, India’s biggest CSR-implementing organisation said: “We are pleased that the fourth edition of the National STEM Challenge has successfully fulfilled our objective of igniting a passion for science and technology among students from all corners of India. It is about empowering a generation to dream beyond boundaries. When we inspire curiosity, we plant the seeds of innovation. We are proud of our collaboration with Brillio in enabling students to pursue and imbibe highly sought-after STEM skills to foster individual and societal progress. Beyond this, keeping the momentum strong, we aim to reach every corner and foster scientific temperament and inquisitiveness. This has always been the founding ideology of the National STEM Challenge.”

Winners

Winners of National STEM Challenge 2024

Here’s a list of winners:

National Science & Math Model Making Awards:

1st: Deepak Kumar, (Basic School, Chota Govindpur, Jamshedpur), and Sunny Kumar, Basic School, Chota Govindpur, Jamshedpur)

2nd: Jishan Baidya (Bishnupur Sir Ramesh Institution) and SK. Farhan Uddin (Bishnupur Sir Ramesh Institution)

National Tech & Engineering Tinkering Awards:

1st: Dhrubajyothi Paik (Jadavpur Vidyapith, Kolkata) and Aditya Mondal (Jadavpur Vidyapith, Kolkata)

2nd: Maroju Harsha Vardhan Chary (ZPHS Nagol, Hyderabad) and Srikar Savanth (ZPHS Nagol, Hyderabad

National STEM Master Maker 2024 Awards:

Dhrubajyothi Paik (Jadavpur Vidyapith, Kolkata)

Jishan Baidya (Bishnupur Sir Ramesh Institution) 

National STEM Teacher’s Award:

·         Dattatray Raskar, Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Naigaon (Pune).

WhatsApp’s Impact Report Highlights How The Platform Is Powering SMBs And Social Welfare Organizations In India

* The report themed ‘Fast Lane to Social Impact’ explores how WhatsApp has emerged as a digital enabler for the last mile, empowering organizations to deliver accelerated social impact.

WhatsApp today released its impact report titled ‘Fast Lane to Social Impact’ that explores the pivotal role the platform plays in the lives of Indian users, empowering small businesses to thrive in today’s digital economy and powering social welfare organizations to drive positive societal change, often being the digital enabler for the last mile.

The report curated by Redseer Strategy Consultants, delves into the multifaceted impact of the platform’s offerings—WhatsApp consumer app, WhatsApp Business App, and the WhatsApp Business Platform [API], highlighting how the platform has transformed the way people and communities interact and conduct business by facilitating seamless communication. 

Commenting on the launch of the report, Shivnath Thukral, Vice President, Public Policy, Meta India, said, “WhatsApp has emerged as a pivotal tool, revolutionizing the way individuals, businesses, and social welfare organizations communicate and operate. From supporting women entrepreneurs to providing skill development for the unemployed or even ensuring parents stay engaged with their children’s education — organizations are successfully harnessing the capabilities of the platform for driving positive social change. The success stories in the report are a testament to WhatsApp’s transformative potential and how its supporting different segments of society thrive in India’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

Empowering India’s MSMEs And Boosting Entrepreneurship 

WhatsApp Business App has provided micro, small businesses and solopreneurs across India a democratized gateway to discover new markets and serve their customers, along with building a professional digital identity for their business. 

WhatsApp Business has enabled small businesses to streamline operations and easily receive and fulfill orders online, helping them increase efficiency and expand their reach, including access to international markets. In turn, boosting entrepreneurship by providing local businesses and startups access to digital tools that put them on an equal footing with large enterprises.

Moreover, The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Meta’s ‘WhatsApp Se Wyapaar’ program aims to digitally train and upskill 10 million local traders on the WhatsApp Business App. The partnership will be implemented in 11 Indian languages across all 29 Indian states. 

The partnership also provides 25,000 traders access to the Meta Small Business Academy, offering certification that enhances digital marketing skills. 

Powering social welfare organizations to scale impact 

WhatsApp has enabled numerous social welfare organizations in India to deliver impactful solutions in areas such as education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and women empowerment, driving positive social change and transformation at the grassroots.   

Mann Deshi Foundation supports over 100,000 rural women entrepreneurs by providing financial literacy and access to business opportunities across markets through their WhatsApp chatbot. So far, they have digitally trained over 15,000 women, 85% of them being rural beneficiaries. 

Other use cases include NGOs leveraging the platform to scale initiatives like reducing period poverty, empowering pregnant women with comprehensive healthcare and baby care knowledge, and upskilling young professionals for better employment opportunities.

Building citizen services for efficient e-governance  

WhatsApp has supported government agencies across the country to deliver efficient and inclusive citizen services. There are several innovative and impactful use-cases ranging from complaint resolution, promoting digital health technology, driving cybersecurity awareness, delivering local utility services, offering efficient and sustainable public transportation services, among many others. 

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) is effectively using WhatsApp to streamline grievance and query resolution systems for a hassle-free experience. The chatbot enables consumers across India to raise complaints, access grievance records to track status updates and allows the government to spread awareness about consumer rights.

Indian Immunologicals Limited Collaboratively Develops Game-Changing Needle-Free COVID-19 Intranasal Vaccine

* IIL in partnership with Griffith University, Australia developed needle free intra-nasal booster vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 using codon deoptimization technology.         * Proves that codon deoptimization technology is a safe and faster way to attenuate viruses used as vaccine candidates.

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, has announced live-attenuated needle free intra-nasal booster vaccine developed against SARS-CoV-2 using codon deoptimization technology in collaboration with Griffith University, Australia. This groundbreaking work on Covid-19 vaccine has been published in the world’s leading science Journal ‘Nature Communications’ on 26th August 2024.

The danger due to COVID 19 is still not over. It is still killing around 1,700 people a week around the world. World Health Organization urge people at-risk to keep up with their vaccinations with boosters.

Among different formats of vaccines available, it is well known that live attenuated vaccine generates a robust and broad-spectrum neutralizing antibody response. IIL’s needle free intra-nasal booster vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 developed using codon deoptimization technology demonstrated remarkable stability and maintained safety in extensive animal studies.

Codon deoptimization involves decreasing the frequency of underrepresented codon pairs (genetic determinant for amino acids) without changing amino acid sequences. It is a highly efficient virus attenuation strategy that utilizes suboptimal codon pairs to achieve attenuation of recoded viruses. Virtually all the viruses can be attenuated by this method. Degree of attenuation can be regulated from 1-100% as required. It is extremely safe and less time-consuming than the conventional way of attenuating viruses which usually takes several years. Completely guided attenuation and the means are well known, and attenuated virus is expected to present all the antigens and mimics natural infection.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “This accomplishment signifies a major step forward in our battle against COVID-19. The development of this vaccine not only highlights our dedication to innovation in public health but also demonstrates IIL’s capability in adopting novel technology. We are enthusiastic about the codon de-optimization technology, and it’s use in targeted attenuation of microorganisms to be used as vaccine candidate”.

He mentioned that “Our pioneering intranasal vaccine is poised to revolutionize the fight against infectious diseases, and by facilitating non-invasive immunization, we aim to enhance vaccination rates, ultimately safeguarding more individuals and communities."

Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited added “This is a perfect example of Industry-Academia collaboration translating concepts to products for the benefit of people at large. Our R&D team has dedicated immense effort to the creation of this innovative vaccine, and we take pride in its proven safety and efficacy in generating a protective immune response with just a single dose".

EKA Mobility Partners With IKEA To Supply Electric Delivery Vans, Accelerating Fleet Electrification

EKA Mobility, a leading innovator in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, has announced a strategic partnership with IKEA to supply electric delivery vans as part of IKEA’s initiative to electrify its last-mile delivery fleet in India. With backing from prominent equity partners such as Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Japan) and VDL Groep (Netherlands), EKA Mobility continues to be at the forefront of sustainable transportation, driving the shift towards a greener future.

This partnership has already seen the successful delivery of 10 electric vans to IKEA, with plans to expand the fleet across multiple regions in India. This collaboration is a pivotal step in IKEA’s global sustainability efforts, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and achieving a fully electrified delivery network.

The transition to electric delivery vans is expected to significantly reduce IKEA’s carbon footprint, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly logistics operation. EKA’s electric vans are equipped with state-of-the-art battery technology, providing reliable, efficient, and profitable service in urban environments. This partnership not only supports IKEA’s sustainability goals but also sets a new standard in the retail sector for the adoption of electric mobility solutions.

Mr. Rohit Srivastava, Chief Growth Officer of EKA Mobility, said, "Our partnership with IKEA represents a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionize urban logistics through sustainable electric mobility solutions. By supplying IKEA with our advanced electric delivery vans, we are not only contributing to a cleaner environment but also showcasing the potential of electric vehicles in transforming the logistics industry. We are committed to continuing our collaboration with IKEA and look forward to expanding our efforts in the near future."

Saiba Suri, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager, IKEA India said, “Our approach to sustainable logistics at IKEA India goes beyond adopting EVs—we are focused on building an efficient infrastructure, skill building initiatives and future opportunities for all in the value chain. As we grow in India with an EV first approach, IKEA India is now more prepared to address the challenges related to it and committed to investing in long-term, innovative solutions. We’re truly grateful for partners who share this vision with us. As we enter new markets, our priority is to ensure they are equipped for this change, laying the groundwork for the future of our supply chain.”

As IKEA continues to pursue its commitment to sustainability, this collaboration with EKA Mobility represents a significant milestone in its journey toward a more sustainable future. EKA’s cutting-edge electric vehicles are perfectly aligned with IKEA’s mission to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining operational excellence.

UP42 And Planet Team Up To Expand The Availability Of Frequent-Revisit, Very High Resolution Satellite Data

UP42, the leading Earth observation platform, announced a partnership with Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a global provider of daily satellite imagery and solutions. This collaboration significantly expands UP42’s optical data portfolio with the integration of Planet SkySat, the world’s largest constellation of high-resolution Earth observation satellites. With 15 SkySat satellites in orbit, Planet offers one of the most frequent revisit capabilities in the commercial sector, capturing insights multiple times per day at 50 cm resolution.

UP42’s platform allows customers access to Planet high resolution, high cadence data, including sub-daily collections in some areas. UP42 customers will also benefit from a standardized ordering process, harmonized data formats through STAC, scalable API ordering, and advanced processing capabilities for both archived and new images. The partnership also highlights UP42’s unique tasking solution, which offers advanced order tracking, automated delivery, and support for complex Areas of interest (AOIs).

“True to their mission to make global change visible and actionable, Planet has been revolutionizing the Earth observation industry for years,” said Jussi Koski, CPO of UP42. “Our partnership with Planet underscores our commitment to provide our customers with high resolution data for their projects by expanding our portfolio of data providers and platform capabilities.”

Planet’s high-quality data enables informed decision-making in a variety of sectors and applications, including:

* Energy and infrastructure monitoring

* Vegetation management

* Precision agriculture

* Monitoring transportation and urban infrastructure planning

* Environmental protection, forestry, and land use

* Emergency and security applications

“ Our SkySat constellation provides timely delivery data to identify blind spots, anticipate events, and give customers confidence in their next mission-critical decision,” commented Mark Jeffrey, Partner Business Manager at Planet. “The partnership with UP42 provides geospatial application and solution developers with the high resolution data they need, when they need it.”

To learn more about and order Planet’s high resolution satellite imagery, visit https://up42.com/goingup/planet. 

About UP42

UP42 was founded in 2019 with a clear purpose: to transform how organizations order, access, and analyze Earth observation data. Our platform brings together the world’s leading geospatial providers, and offers a single touchpoint to access, manage, and process data at scale. From vegetation management and infrastructure monitoring to disaster response, UP42 helps organizations across industries find solutions to complex problems through Earth observation. Our expert support team and detailed documentation guide our users through every step.