Samsung Ushers In A New Era By Expanding Galaxy Ecosystem, Begins Pre-Reserve For Galaxy Ring In India

·        Galaxy Ring provides accurate, uninterrupted health data for personalized health solutions

·        Galaxy Ring brings an optimal form factor with convenience as per the users’ needs

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, today announced the commencement of pre-reserve for its highly anticipated Galaxy Ring in India. The Galaxy Ring, which fits comfortably on users’ fingers like a traditional ring, is equipped with cutting-edge Galaxy AI features and sensors to deliver a differentiated experience.

The Galaxy Ring adorns a titanium finish for enhanced durability and comes with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The Galaxy Ring is rated 10ATM as it is built to withstand water depths of up to 100 meters, performing seamlessly in all conditions.

Customers can pre-reserve their Galaxy Ring by paying a token amount of INR 1999 on Samsung.com, select retail stores, Amazon.in and Flipkart.com.

Customers who pre-reserve the Galaxy Ring during this period will receive a complimentary Wireless Charger Duo worth INR 4999 upon purchase.

Ushering a new era in the wearable device portfolio, Galaxy Ring features technology that helps users understand their health and body mannerisms easily. Blending a sleek, timeless design with cutting-edge health tracking features, Galaxy Ring will be available in 9 different sizes, ranging from size 5 to size 13.

Offering a compact, sophisticated solution for users seeking seamless connectivity and wellness monitoring, Samsung India will provide its customers the option to get a sizing kit to ensure best fit before purchasing Galaxy Ring.

Weighing just 2.3 grams (for size 5) with a narrow 7.0 mm width, Galaxy Ring is ultra-lightweight and compact, designed for providing comfort, during both day and night wear. It offers up to 7 days of battery life, providing users with a long-lasting endurance best suited for busy lifestyles.

Powered by Samsung's innovative "Health AI," Galaxy Ring will deliver personalized health experiences that track users' energy levels, sleep stages, activity, heart rate, and stress levels. It allows users to set and forget, simplifying health tracking while providing personalized coaching and insights.

Galaxy Ring also integrates effortlessly with other devices in the Galaxy ecosystem, enhancing the connected experience for users. Galaxy Ring further offers features like 24/7 health tracking in synergy with Galaxy smartwatches, gesture controls, and Smart Find for added convenience.

Rapido Leads The Charge For Sustainable Mobility With Bangalore’s Largest EV Auto Fleet

*       Rapido becomes the first ride-hailing company to pioneer the EV Auto segment in Bangalore.

*       Over 4,000 captains operate the EV auto fleet in two shifts, completing more than 2.25 million rides and covering 15.6 million kilometers.

*       This initiative has led to savings of 1,036 tons of CO2 emissions, contributing to a greener future for Bangalore.

Rapido, India’s largest ride-sharing platform and a leading job creator, continues to push boundaries in electric mobility with the successful deployment of its Electric Vehicle (EV) Auto Fleet in Bangalore. With over 4,000 captains operating in two shifts, Rapido’s EV autos have already completed more than 2.25 million rides, covering over 15.6 million kilometers. This transition to electric autos has resulted in the savings of 1,036 tons of CO2 emissions, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of urban transportation in the city.

Commenting on this milestone, Pavan Guntupalli, Co-founder of Rapido, said "We take immense pride in being the first in our category to introduce EV autos in Bangalore. This initiative is part of our broader sustainability goals, and we are committed to expanding it further. Along with the environmental benefits, we are creating sustainable job opportunities for our gig workforce, enabling them to maximize their earnings while making a positive environmental impact. We are thrilled with the role our captains and riders have played in reducing the carbon footprint of urban transport so far."

In addition to the environmental benefits, Rapido’s EV initiative has made a substantial economic impact. Captains in Bangalore have collectively earned a total of INR 178 million, underscoring the significant earning potential that EV adoption has brought to the city's drivers. Looking ahead, Rapido aims to expand its EV auto fleet to 1,500 vehicles and onboard approximately 5,000 captains by 2025 in Bangalore. This growth aligns with the company’s mission to create jobs while advancing a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.

With EV autos at the forefront of its mobility services, Rapido is driving innovation in shared transportation for a cleaner, greener Bangalore. This initiative is just the beginning of Rapido’s larger vision to lead sustainable mobility across India, with plans to expand its EV operations to other cities.

Bentley Systems Partners With Google To Bring Powerful Geospatial Context And Capabilities To Infrastructure

* Collaboration enables use of Google 2D, 3D geospatial content within Bentley’s applications and platforms to deliver actionable insights to infrastructure professionals

Bentley Systems’ Year in Infrastructure 2024), October 15, 2024 — Bentley Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq: BSY), the infrastructure engineering software company, today announced a strategic partnership with Google to integrate Google’s high-quality geospatial content with Bentley’s infrastructure engineering software and digital twin platform to improve the way infrastructure is designed, built, and operated.

As a digital representation of the physical world, digital twins unlock meaningful value and insights throughout the infrastructure lifecycle, from project planning and design through construction and asset operation. By leveraging the engineering data created and managed in Bentley software alongside Google’s geospatial data, AI and analytics, and cloud technologies, engineers can design and manage infrastructure in context and at scale to address today's most urgent challenges, from mitigating climate risk to maintaining aging infrastructure.

Through the partnership, Bentley software users and developers can use Google Maps Platform’s geospatial content, including Google’s stunning Photorealistic 3D Tiles, for real-world geospatial context and immersive 3D experiences in their digital workflows. The partnership complements Bentley’s recent acquisition of Cesium, the foundational open platform for creating powerful 3D geospatial applications. Cesium is the creator of the 3D Tiles open standard used by Google. Bentley is also collaborating with Google Cloud to deliver AI-driven insights for asset analytics.

Bentley CEO Nicholas Cumins said, "By combining Google’s extensive geospatial content and cloud capabilities with Bentley’s infrastructure engineering software and digital twin platform, infrastructure professionals can improve their work and ensure projects and assets are created and operated with greater resilience and sustainability. This partnership demonstrates how open standards, such as 3D Tiles, can help infrastructure professionals evolve their practices by leveraging the power of geospatial context.”

Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Geo at Google, commented, “Photorealistic 3D Tiles in Google Maps Platform power breathtaking immersive experiences and can transform workflows for architects, engineers, and urban planners. We’re excited to partner with Bentley to bring powerful geospatial context and capabilities that can dramatically improve how infrastructure is designed, built, and operated with data.”

About Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems (Nasdaq: BSY) is the infrastructure engineering software company. We provide innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment. Our industry-leading software solutions are used by professionals, and organizations of every size, for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities. Our offerings, powered by the iTwin Platform for infrastructure digital twins, include MicroStation and Bentley Open applications for modeling and simulation, Seequent’s software for geoprofessionals, and Bentley Infrastructure Cloud encompassing ProjectWise for project delivery, SYNCHRO for construction management, and AssetWise for asset operations. Bentley Systems’ 5,200 colleagues generate annual revenues of more than $1 billion in 194 countries.

Curefoods Gears Up For The Festive Season With Major Milestones And Exciting Campaigns Across House Of Brands

As the festive season approaches, Curefoods, India’s leading F&B house of brands, is set to make waves with a series of exciting initiatives and significant milestones across its flagship brands—EatFit, Olio, CakeZone, and Sharief Bhai. With a focus on indulgence, partnerships, and fresh brand ambassadors, Curefoods is positioned to captivate its audience this Diwali.

Olio and CakeZone - A Rapid Expansion Milestone

Olio and CakeZone have achieved a significant milestone, expanding to 150 stores across India. This growth reflects the increasing demand for both brands, with Olio offering a unique pizza experience and CakeZone becoming a go-to destination for desserts. Their expansion highlights the growing popularity of Curefoods' offerings, as the brands continue to establish a strong presence in multiple cities, catering to a diverse and expanding customer base nationwide.

Sharief Bhai - Authentic Dakhni Biryani Goes Big

Sharief Bhai, celebrated for its authentic Dakhni-style biryani, has reached a significant milestone of 50 stores across key regions in India. Building on this momentum, the brand is also expanding internationally with its first store opening in Dubai, bringing the rich flavors of Dakhni cuisine to a global audience. This festive season, Sharief Bhai is launching an exciting collaboration with Bigg Boss Kannada and Bigg Boss Tamil under the campaign “Yeh hai Dakhni Style Boss.” The high-profile partnership will feature branded visuals, banners, and social media amplification during the show’s most-watched moments, enhancing the brand’s visibility during the festive season.

Gokul Kandhi, Chief Business Officer, Curefoods, said, “This festive season is an exciting time for Curefoods as we continue to witness tremendous growth across all our brands. The festive period is a significant moment for us to launch innovative campaigns and strengthen our connection with customers through memorable food experiences. Our focus remains on delivering quality and authenticity while expanding our reach both in India and internationally. We’re proud of the milestones we’ve achieved this year and look forward to making this festive season even more special for our customers as Curefoods continues to grow as a trusted and loved brand.”

CakeZone Welcomes Palak Tiwari

CakeZone is set to captivate a younger audience this festive season by announcing actress Palak Tiwari as its new brand ambassador. Known for her vibrant personality, Palak will headline CakeZone’s festive campaign "With Love, Palak," which introduces a special range of curated hampers featuring her favorite desserts. Palak’s association with CakeZone promises to elevate the brand’s visibility and appeal during this joyous time of year.

EatFit - A Playful Festive Campaign

EatFit is joining the festive spirit with a unique twist on indulgence. The Diwali campaign, titled "This Diwali - Don’t EatFit", encourages customers to indulge guilt-free during the celebrations. Following Diwali, the narrative will shift to "Why EatFit after Diwali", promoting the brand's healthier options as people reset their routines. The campaign will run across various channels including social media, meme pages, Jio Saavn, and print ads, providing a fun yet thoughtful approach to festive eating.

A Season of Growth and Celebration

Through these milestones and festive campaigns, Curefoods continues to cement its position as a leader in the cloud kitchen space. From major store expansions to innovative brand partnerships, the company is ready to celebrate this festive season with its customers.

About Curefoods:

Curefoods is a leading house of F&B brands in India. It was founded by Ankit Nagori in 2020. It houses brands like EatFit, Cakezone, Nomad Pizza, Sharief Bhai Biryani and Frozen Bottle, among others. It has over 350 cloud kitchens and offline stores that cater to over 10 cuisines, across 30 cities in India. Curefoods is the second-largest cloud kitchen player in India in terms of footprint with the largest manufacturing capability in the fresh food space. Additional information on Curefoods is available at https://curefoods.in

Global Web3 Stakeholders To Explore Collaboration With Indian Tech Ecosystem At India Blockchain Week 2024

Top international Web3 players are coming to India Blockchain Week (IBW) from 30th November to 8th December 2024 in Bangalore, to foster purposeful collaboration with the Indian innovation ecosystem. Returning this year with over 100 exciting events, IBW is the country’s first-ever multi-chain platform catalyzing mass adoption of blockchain innovation across industries. Some of the events include the flagship IBW Conference, IBW chain-agnostic Hackathon, IBW Web3 Demo Day, ETH India Hackathon, and more, bringing together the brightest minds in the Web3 ecosystem along with policymakers to create a conducive environment for cross-border partnerships.

The Indian government's growing focus on blockchain innovation has driven initiatives like the National Blockchain Framework (NBF) to enhance information security, transparency, and efficiency for digital governance and service delivery. Launched under the same initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and  Information Technology (MeitY), the Vishvasya Technology Stack offers Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) through data centers across Pune, Hyderabad, and Bhubaneswar, supporting various permissioned blockchain applications. These efforts reflect the government's commitment to advancing and implementing blockchain solutions.

Hosted by Hashed Emergent, a Web3 Venture Capital firm, the 2-day flagship IBW Conference will take place on the 4th and 5th of December at the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center, hosting prominent speakers including Sandeep Nailwal, Co-founder of Polygon, Avery Ching, Co-founder and CTO of Aptos, Keone Hon, CEO of Monad, and Chen Fang, COO of BitGo. Alongside Indian policymakers, entrepreneurs, and developers, the conference will facilitate discussions on India’s vibrant tech talent, its market adaptability for technological advancements, and the evolving regulatory landscape. 

Avery Ching, the Co-founder & CTO of Aptos Labs, commented, “India is home to incredibly talented developers and leaders who are advancing web3 in remarkable ways. It’s inspiring to see the impact builders in India have had on the entire Aptos ecosystem, and I hope to see more builders after our activation at IBW this year.”

"India is at a unique inflection point in Web3 adoption, with its thriving developer community, commitment to entrepreneurship, and pace of economic activity. I am excited to speak about opportunities for Monad Labs to collaborate with the local Web3 ecosystem in advancing blockchain innovation," added Keone Hon, CEO of Monad.

A consultation panel, led by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), is currently collaborating with industry stakeholders, including experts, companies, and the public, to establish regulations for cryptocurrency in India. IBW Conference will act as a vital platform for dialogue between policymakers and industry experts, providing a roadmap for India's potential in this sector.

“As a host of India Blockchain Week Conference, we are committed to amplifying India’s thriving web3 landscape on the global stage,” said Tak Lee, CEO & Managing Partner of Hashed Emergent. “Our goal is to foster collaboration across the Indian ecosystem by bringing together local innovators and global stakeholders. We’re excited to return with the second edition of IBW, continuing our work to nurture and grow the web3 community in India and other emerging markets.”

India’s innovation ecosystem is fueling global blockchain growth contributing to over 12% of the world’s Web3 developers and housing more than 1,000 startups, according to a joint report by Hashed Emergent and KPMG India. To further drive this momentum, IBW Demo-Day on December 4th will spotlight 15 leading Indian Web3 startups, showcasing their projects to an audience of investors, founders, and developers. ETH India Hackathon, running from December 6-8, will host over 1,500 developers, making it one of the country’s largest Ethereum hackathons. The IBW Hackathon will see 250+ participants, with the top ten projects competing for prizes and a chance to present at IBW2024 Conference.  

With sponsors like Polygon, Aptos, Starkware, and Starknet Foundation, IBW 2024 Conference will unite the largest ecosystems of start-ups, developers, and investors in the global web3 industry. Last year’s IBW Conference featured Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum), Jayant Sinha (Former Member of Parliament), Sebastien Borget (Sandbox), Charles Guillemet (Ledger) among others as speakers. 

About India Blockchain Week (IBW)

India Blockchain Week (IBW) is India’s largest series of blockchain and Web3 events, set to unify the global and local blockchain communities from November 30th to December 8th, 2024. With over 100 events, including the IBW2024 Conference, ETHIndia,  IBW Demo-day, IBW Hackathon, and other networking opportunities, IBW provides a platform for thought leadership and collaboration across the blockchain ecosystem.

About Hashed Emergent

Hashed Emergent is the venture capital arm of Hashed, backing builders from India and emerging markets shaping the on-chain frontier. It invests at the earliest stages of a web3 startup's journey, using its expertise, experience, and network to amplify their growth and success. The team is rooted in the cultural hubspots of web3 in emerging markets, spanning across Bangalore, Seoul, Singapore, Lagos and Dubai. Hashed Emergent drives web3 focused ecosystem and community expansion in these markets through its purpose-built initiatives. 

HDFC Life Achieves Overall Market Share Of 11.0%; Value Of New Business Grows By 17.4% Aided By Premium Growth Of 31%

The Board of Directors of HDFC Life approved and adopted the reviewed standalone and consolidated financial results for half year ended September 30, 2024. The Company delivered healthy performance across all metrics, maintaining positive momentum.

Performance Highlights:

Topline Growth: Delivered strong new business premium (individual APE) growth of 31%, supported by a 22% increase in number of policies sold and a balanced product mix

Market Share: Private sector market share (individual WRP) expanded by 60 bps to 16.3%. Overall market share touched a new peak of 11%

Value of New Business (VNB) grew by 17.4% to ? 1,656 crore, reflecting focus on writing profitable business

Assets under Management (AUM): AUM stood at ?3.25 lakh crore as on 30th September 2024, an increase of 23% in H1 FY25

Persistency: 13th and 61st month persistency ratios improved to 88% and 60% respectively, marking a material increase of 120 basis points and 730 basis points respectively versus the previous year, underscoring the company's ability to engage with and retain customers

Embedded Value (EV) crossed the ? 50,000 crore milestone during the quarter, with 16.0% operating return on EV, showcasing sustained long-term value creation for both policyholders and shareholders

Profit After Tax (PAT) of ? 911 crore was achieved in H1 FY25, clocking a steady growth of 15% year-on-year

Solvency Ratio stood at 181%, comfortably above the regulatory threshold of 150%. Post the subordinated debt raise of Rs 1,000 crore on 9th October 2024, solvency stood at 192%.

HDFC Pension Fund Management is HDFC Life’s wholly-owned subsidiary and India’s largest private pension fund manager. It achieved a significant milestone in H1 FY25, by crossing ?1 lakh crore in Assets under Management

Employee Focus: We were recognised for our inclusivity and employee-friendly policies, being awarded the Best Companies for Women in India 2024 in the BFSI sector and Exemplar of Inclusion (Most Inclusive Companies India 2024) by Avtar & Seramount

CEO’s Statement:

Vibha Padalkar, Managing Director and CEO of HDFC Life, commented: “The private sector and overall industry continued its strong momentum in Q2, growing in H1FY25 by 24% and 21% respectively on an individual weighted received premium basis. We have outperformed the private sector by growing at 28% during this period and 19% on a 2 year CAGR basis. We registered an increase of 22% in the number of policies, which was significantly ahead of the private sector growth of 13%. We experienced secular growth trends across Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 geographies.

On the regulatory front, we have successfully relaunched more than 40 top products contributing to about 95% of the business, in alignment with revised regulations as on October 1, 2024 and we plan to relaunch other products during the course of the quarter. We are thankful to the regulator in allowing us an additional time of three months for transitioning to the new product regulations.

Furthermore, we are happy to inform that HDFC Life continues to be recognised for its commitment to sustainability and responsible governance. HDFC Life's S&P Global ESG score saw an improvement of over 20% versus last year and we continue to be rated well amongst regional insurers. Our MSCI ESG Rating has also been upgraded to ‘A’.

We remain focused on driving sustainable growth and strengthening our leadership across key segments. We will continue to invest in customer-centric innovations to ensure we meet evolving needs and remain resilient in a dynamic market. We are confident in our ability to deliver long-term value for our stakeholders, whilst adapting to the evolving market landscape with agility and resilience.”

Definitions and abbreviations

Annualized Premium Equivalent (APE) - The sum of annualized first year regular premiums and 10% weighted single premiums and single premium top-ups

Assets under Management (AUM) - The total value of Shareholders’ & Policyholders’ investments managed by the insurance company

Embedded Value Operating Profit (EVOP) - Embedded Value Operating Profit (“EVOP”) is a measure of the increase in the EV during any given period, excluding the impact on EV due to external factors like changes in economic variables and shareholder-related actions like capital injection or dividend pay-outs

First year premium - Premiums due in the first policy year of regular premiums received during the financial year. For example, for a monthly mode policy sold in March 2024, the first monthly instalment received would be reflected as First year premiums for 2023-24 and the remaining 11 instalments due in the first policy year would be reflected as first year premiums in 2024-25, when received

New business received premium - The sum of first year premium and single premium, reflecting the total premiums received from the new business written

Operating expense - It includes all expenses that are incurred for the purposes of sourcing new business and expenses incurred for policy servicing (which are known as maintenance costs) including shareholders’ expenses. It does not include commission

Operating expense ratio - Ratio of operating expense (including shareholders’ expenses) to total premium

Operating return on EV - Operating Return on EV is the ratio of EVOP (Embedded Value Operating Profit) for any given period to the EV at the beginning of that period

Persistency - The proportion of business renewed from the business underwritten. The ratio is measured in terms of number of policies and premiums underwritten

Premium less benefits payouts - The difference between total premium received and benefits paid (gross of reinsurance)

Renewal premium - Regular recurring premiums received after the first policy year

Solvency ratio - Ratio of available solvency margin to required solvency margin

Total premium - Total received premiums during the year including first year, single and renewal premiums for individual and group business

Weighted received premium (WRP) - The sum of first year premium received during the year and 10% of single premiums including top-up premiums

About HDFC Life

Established in 2000, HDFC Life is a leading, listed, long-term life insurance solutions provider in India, offering a range of individual and group insurance solutions that meet various customer needs such as Protection, Pension, Savings, Investment, Annuity and Health. The company has more than 80 products (including individual and group products) and optional riders in its portfolio, catering to a diverse range of customer needs.

HDFC Life continues to benefit from its increased presence across the country, having a wide reach with branches and additional distribution touch-points through several new tie-ups and partnerships. The count of distribution partnerships is over 300, comprising banks, NBFCs, MFIs, SFBs, brokers, new ecosystem partners amongst others. The Company has a strong base of financial consultants.

For more information, visit www.hdfclife.com. You may also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

IIIT-Bangalore And NIMHANS Collaborate To Deliver The Tele MANAS App For 24/7 Mental Health Support

World Mental Health Day was observed on October 10, 2024, with this year’s theme as “It’s Time to Prioritize Mental Health at the Workplace.” On this day, the Union Health Ministry celebrated the success of the National Tele Mental Health Programme, Tele MANAS, which has completed two years of service and has handled more than 14.5 lakh calls. The Tele MANAS toll-free helpline, available at 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, offers multilingual support in 20 languages and has been instrumental in connecting individuals with mental health professionals.

At the commemoration event in New Delhi, Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary of MoHFW & Managing Director of the National Health Mission (NHM) launched the Tele MANAS mobile app and the video call facility in Tele MANAS.

The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-Bangalore) is proud of its role in the development of the Tele MANAS mobile app, designed to offer free and confidential 24/7 mental health support across India. Developed entirely in-house with content and guidance provided by the Tele MANAS Apex Centre at NIMHANS, the app is available on the Google Play Store, with an iOS version coming soon. The Tele MANAS app provides a comprehensive set of services aimed at promoting mental well-being and reducing stigma around mental health. Key features of the app include 24/7 mental health support, an extensive knowledge base, and user-friendly interface.

Video consultations in Tele MANAS represent a significant upgrade to the existing audio calling service. When necessary, mental health professionals can initiate video consultations, providing a more personalized experience and better care to the users. Initially, this service will be launched in Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu, with plans to expand it nationwide in the future.

The Report of Tele MANAS Rapid Assessment by the World Health Organizations (WHO) was also released at the event.

"We are immensely proud of our colleagues'  contributions to the Tele MANAS mobile app. The Tele MANAS Apex Centre at NIMHANS and our team at the E-Health Research Center (EHRC) at IIIT-Bangalore have done exceptional work in developing the Tele MANAS mobile app. With content and guidance provided by NIMHANS, this innovative platform is a testament to our institute's commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of society and the promotion of mental well-being", said Prof. Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT-Bangalore.

“We are pleased to be involved in the development of the Tele MANAS platform since the start of the program. The usage of the platform has steadily increased, with about 1 lakh calls being handled each month. We are now excited to have helped develop the Tele MANAS mobile app, as well as the video calling extension to the platform. It is gratifying to see that such digital solutions can help reach mental health services to people across the country”, said Prof. T K Srikanth, Professor of Practice and Head of the E- Health Research Centre (EHRC), IIIT-Bangalore.

For more information about IIIT-Bangalore, visit www.iiitb.ac.in