10 Young Chefs Battle Out In Round 1 Of 11th IIHM Young Chef Olympiad At Bengaluru

10 young chef Olympians from 10 different countries of the world participated in the Round 1 of the 11th IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) in the Bengaluru campus of the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) today.

The participants of the round-1 were Doru Lucian Nasta from Romania, Lim Qi Yi from Malaysia, Alicia Dzithendo Muvhirwa from South Africa, Elwaro Junior Suze from Namibia, Aishath Sobaha Hussain from Maldives, Sarmila Subba from Bhutan, Nguema Obono Aqulies Alogo from Equatorial Guinea, Young Choi from Switzerland, Gabrielle Brooke Harrison from Northern Islands and Shirin Moosaee from Iran. 

The culinary battle, that began at 9 am saw these young chefs showcasing their culinary skills in 3.5 hours starting with skills test, preparation of vegetarian dish and a dessert. The contest concluded at 2:00 PM.

The first round of the Olympiad Competition for Bengaluru was judged by a panel of esteemed international chefs, including Chef Shaun Kenworthy, Chef/food concept consultant and strategist, Chef Mario Perera, Executive Chef at The Dorchester, London. Chef Enzo Oliveri, Celebrity Chef, Cavaliere OSI, President of Italian Chefs Federation UK, Director International Hospitality Council, Senior Judge Young Chef Olympiad, Hospitality Educator, Food promoter, Events/Exhibition Organiser. The Chief Adjudicator was Chef Paul Jervis - head of school Westminster capital city of college.

The Bengaluru event will be sponsored by Ariane Porcelain, Brigade Hospitality, Mc Cain Foods, Incredible India- Ministry of Tourism & Yuva Tourism Bangalore Chapter and Delphis.

“The competition aimed to test the participants' culinary skills, creativity, and knowledge of different cuisines, as well as their ability to work under pressure. The judges were impressed with the level of skill and creativity displayed by the young chefs, making it a tough competition to judge. We all are super excited as this is the 11th YCO”, apprised Sanchari Chowdhury, FIIHM, Director- IIHM Hotel School, Bangalore, Head- South India & Co-Director- IndiSmart Learning. 

The leading 10 competitors from Round 1 will compete in the Grand Finale; the next 10 competitors filling the 11th to 20th positions will compete for the Plate Trophy and the remaining competitors will take part in the YCO Dr Suborno Bose Challenge. The 11th International IIHM Young Chef Olympiad looks all set to be the mega culinary competition and conclave of the year.

On the occasion, Dr Suborno Bose, Chairman, IIHM, who conceptualised and has passionately guided this event since its inception in 2015, said, “The 11th International Young Chef Olympiad is the biggest Culinary Olympiad anywhere in the world. This year over 50 countries are participating in the Olympiad. This is the first time in the history of the event that there is participation in such large numbers. IIHM campuses across the country are eagerly looking forward to hosting this mega culinary competition which will not only inspire young chefs from around the world to do their best but also sensitise them to the critical importance of sustainability in the field of hospitality.”

The Grand Final’s Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medallists; the Plate Trophy Winner; the YCO Dr Suborno Bose Challenge Winner and all other Award Winners will be announced at the Closing Awards Ceremony on the evening of February 8, 2025. While the Gold winner will be awarded a US $ 5,000 prize, the Silver winner will bag US $3,000, and the Bronze winner $2,000.

“This year an additional elimination round was the Young Chef India round which saw participation from students from hotel management institutes across the country. We are proud that the winner of the YCI 2025 is Aliakbar Rampurawala from Bengaluru,” apprised Ms Chowdhury, 

“Showcasing the multicultural culinary diversity of different countries, YCO 2025 also brought together the student chefs and chef mentors for the “United World of Young Chefs”. There was World Cuisine display on Feb 3 by the 10 participating countries at Bangalore & Karnataka Food festival organized by IIHM Bangalore in partnership with Venue Partner Brigade Hospitality,” added Ms Chowdhury.

Zoho Corporation Announces Zia Agents; AI Platform Supporting Autonomous Agents Across Organisation's Broad Portfolio

* New agentic platform will advance Zoho Corporation's decade-long investment in AI to deliver unparalleled context and data-driven customer value

Zoho Corporation, a global technology company headquartered in Chennai, today expands the scope of Zia with the announcement of Zia Agents, Agent Studio, and Agent Marketplace. Together, these solutions empower enterprises to access, build, and distribute intelligent, autonomous digital agents across their organisations. Beginning today, Zoho and ManageEngine will be previewing pre-built, task-specific Zia Agents, which will be deployed across Zoho Corporation's combined portfolio of 100+ products in the coming weeks.

"The speed of disruption and quality of innovation we are seeing in our industry right now has encouraged me to focus on my passion area, technology. I will devote more time to hands on technical work for the company, spearheading several deep R&D initiatives, beginning with AI," said Sridhar Vembu, Zoho Corporation's Co-founder and Chief Scientist. "Utilising Zoho's deep engineering expertise, its own data centers, and shared data model, we will develop powerful and usable solutions that drive customer value while retaining our commitment to customer flexibility and data privacy."

Zoho Corporation's in-house AI has evolved over the past decade from proactive to prescriptive to generative to agentic:

Zia: Launched in 2015, Zia is Zoho Corporation's foundational AI, facilitating all intelligent and contextual actions across the company's ecosystem of apps. Zia possesses a vast and diverse skillset. New skills are being implemented regularly to boost customer experience and drive productivity.

Ask Zia: Launched in 2018, Ask Zia has developed into a system-wide conversational assistant that helps employees work smarter and accomplish tasks more effectively. For example, an account manager can review a report of customers at risk of churn, summarise the outcomes of each customer's recent interactions, filter and summarise helpdesk tickets, analyse trends in their industry, and reach out to that customer for a meeting based on the employee's upcoming travel schedule, without leaving the Ask Zia interface. Ask Zia is powered by Zoho's unified data platform and will be contextually embedded across all applications.

Zia Agents: Today, Zoho Corporation has previewed some of the several dozens of pre-built Zia Agents that will be rolled out in the coming months, including an Account Manager Agent, SDR Agent, HR Agent, Customer Support Agent, IT Help Desk Agent, and a SalesCoach Agent. For customers, partners, and developers looking to create their own agents, Zoho is launching Zia Agent Studio, allowing them to build and deploy customised agents with inherited skillsets, which can then be distributed through Zoho's Agent Marketplace.

Zia Agent Studio: Offering no-code and low-code experiences, Zia Agent Studio enables users to build autonomous agents with skills relevant to their specific needs. Zia Agent Studio users can also access a wide range of pre-existing Zia Skills, tools from across the Zoho ecosystem, data from a unified data platform, and a range of language models. These can be agents within a function (like an SDR agent or email support agent) or natively cross-functional agents (like an RFP agent or loan approval agent). They can be deployed on any Zoho application and summoned using Ask Zia. Moving forward, Zia Agents will be deployable in any third-party application as well. Additionally, Zia Agents with complementary skillsets can be combined using Zia Agent Studio, creating a single agent capable of cross-functional work.

Agent Marketplace: Agents created using Zia Agent Studio can be published in the Agent Marketplace. Zoho Corporation will offer a pre-built roster of agents, while the company's ecosystem of partners and developers can build and distribute specialised AI agents through the marketplace, which can be reused and instantly deployed by organisations.

Organisational Differentiation

Today's announcement follows record growth for Zoho Corporation, which onboarded 1,10,000 new customers globally in 2024. With over 8,50,000 customers globally in diverse industries, using a range of tools across Zoho and ManageEngine, Zoho Corporation's AI solutions are informed by a vast range of functional data. This is a core differentiator for the company, putting it in a unique position to serve businesses with cutting-edge technology.

Technological Differentiation

Zoho Corporation's distinct technological breadth and depth is a fundamental differentiator, particularly in AI development and deployment. Leveraging its shared data model, owned and managed tech stack, including global data centers, and a broad application portfolio, Zoho Corporation's highly secure, privacy-compliant, usable, capable, and deeply knowledgeable AI agents deliver superior technology at a high value to its growing customer base. 

Availability

These capabilities will begin to roll out to a limited set of customers, which will expand monthly.

About Zoho Corporation

Zoho Corporation is a privately-held, profitable technology company. Founded in 1996, it is headquartered in Chennai, India. Zoho Corp. has more than 18,000 employees globally. It is the parent company of prominent technology brands including ManageEngine, Zoho, TrainerCentral, Qntrl, and Zakya.  

Zoho Privacy Pledge  

Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. The company owns and operates its data centers, ensuring complete oversight of customer data, privacy, and security. More than 100 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho everyday to run their businesses, including Zoho itself. For more information,  visit: https://www.zoho.com/privacy-commitment.html

MIT World Peace University Celebrates “Bharat Asmita National Awards (BANA) Ceremony And Founder’s Day”

Dr. Abhay Bang, Prof. Bharat Bhaskar, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, and musician Shekhar Sen honoured with Bharat Asmita National Award.

MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) celebrated the prestigious Bharat Asmita National Award (BANA) Ceremony, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to society in fields such as social activism, healthcare, governance, and the arts. The event also marked Founder’s Day, a special occasion honouring the 85th birthday of Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, the guiding force behind the university’s establishment and growth. The ceremony was further enriched by a live musical performance from the iconic Padma Shri awardee- Kailash Kher, whose soulful melodies captivated the audience and added a festive spirit to the celebrations.

This year’s Bharat Asmita National Award recipients included a distinguished group of individuals: Prof. Bharat Bhaskar, the director of IIM Ahmedabad; Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization; Shri Vivek Agnihotri, a renowned film producer, director, and author; and Shri Shekhar Sen, a noted singer and musical composer, all of whom received recognition. Padma Shri Dr. Abhay Bang, a leading social activist and the director of the Search Foundation, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation and Former Chief Scientist, World Health Organization said, “Science without humanity is one of the seven social sins, as Gandhiji said, and it holds true even today. Knowledge is best used when shared—it multiplies a thousand times and benefits countless others. Science and technology can solve many pressing issues like climate change, pandemics, and malnutrition. It is essential for young people to focus on innovation, guided by their passion and a sense of responsibility. Let us use science wisely to create solutions for a better future.”

Sharing his thoughts during the event, Vivek Agnihotri, Acclaimed Film Producer, Director & Author said, "Protecting freedom is not just a right; it is our duty. True freedom is safeguarded only when we cultivate wisdom and deep understanding. One may earn degrees and achieve financial success, but true peace comes from righteous actions. Real peace is not just the absence of conflict—it is the result of thinking beyond the ordinary, of striving for a world where knowledge empowers and justice prevails. We must fight for peace and fight for freedom, not with force but with the power of wisdom. To the students present here, always remember: freedom is not merely given; it is earned through awareness, courage, and responsibility."

The university remains at the forefront of shaping the future of Bharat by empowering students, promoting innovation, and fostering leadership across a diverse range of disciplines.

Padma Shri Dr. Abhay Bang, a leading social activist and the director of the Search Foundation said,” MIT World Peace University is a place where we discuss world peace at a time when political parties and global leaders are driving people apart. Here, we take pride in discussing world peace, thanks to the visionary leadership of Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad. From parliamentarians to sarpanches, the emphasis on governance and political responsibility is commendable. My mission in life is not over yet—many people, especially the poor in rural and tribal areas, are still waiting for essential healthcare services. I hope young people will step forward to fulfill these needs.”

On the occasion, Shri Rahul V. Karad, Managing Trustee and Executive President, MIT-WPU said, “Swami Vivekananda proclaimed long ago the unification of science and spirituality and how it can help create better human beings. He was a torchbearer of this vision and a symbol of world peace. We strive to communicate his message to the student community, emphasizing the importance of independent thinking. Each of us has our own thought process, and we must not blindly follow the West. This is the message I wish to convey. Our institution does not merely provide a professional degree; it instills in us the knowledge and responsibility to use that degree for societal and global transformation.”

MIT-WPU’s commitment to nurturing individuals who are not only academically successful but also socially responsible is a testament to the enduring influence of Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D Karad’s vision.

Easebuzz Announced Its Integration Support For All Third-Party Payment Orchestrators

* This merchant-first approach advocated by Easebuzz supports stacked expert solutioning for payments. The approach empowers merchants to work with the Technology Service Provider (TSP) of their choice leading to  improvement in payment efficiency and underlying economics.

Easebuzz, one of India’s leading Payment Aggregators, has announced its support for third party router integrations in payment orchestration. The platform advocated a merchant-first, stacked solutioning approach that aims to benefit Indian businesses as it gives them the flexibility to select Technology Service Provider (TSP) of their choice. The approach allows merchants to fully leverage the payment orchestration benefits like dynamic routing, enhanced transaction success rates, tokenization etc.

India's digital payments industry is experiencing remarkable growth, fuelled by a surge in transaction volumes, with 42% year-on-year (YoY) growth in FY 2023-24. While many Indian businesses are incrementally adopting digital mode of operations, they are also dealing with challenges like fragmented payment systems leading to increased transaction failures.

A right set of stacked solutioning i.e., payment gateways coupled with an efficient payment orchestrator helps merchants efficiently deal with the challenges in managing complex payment flows. In this merchant-first model, payment orchestration streamlines even the most complex transactions, such as UPI plug-in, which is further enhanced by Easebuzz’s CVV-less checkouts, discount engine etc. that bring numerous benefits to merchants like higher cart conversion rates and increased Average Order Value (AOV).

Rohit Prasad, MD & CEO, Easebuzz  in a statement said "Our mission has always been to simplify payments for our merchants as well as for the end consumers. By supporting stacked expert solutioning approach through integrations with leading TSPs and payment orchestrators like Juspay, Nimbbl, Paytring etc, Easebuzz ensures that merchants have access to best of the technology platforms for managing their payments and optimising their financial operations. We are committed to a transparent and healthy payment ecosystem that supports India’s dynamic and growing digital economy.”

Easebuzz is also extending sector specific software solutions with embedded payment infrastructure to help businesses manage end-to-end payments and associated financial operations like automated reconciliation, invoice management & accounting, comprehensive dispute resolution system etc. These solutions ensure seamless financial management and improved collection efficiency, particularly benefiting small and mid-sized merchants . 

About Easebuzz

Founded in 2014, Easebuzz is a full-stack payment solutions platform serving more than 2,00,000 businesses of all sizes and scale in India. With a mission to become a one-stop Financial Operating System for businesses, Easebuzz helps companies manage end-to-end financial operations around digital payment collections, payment disbursals, connected banking, split payments, automated reconciliation, vendor payments, sub-merchant management, refund management etc. through plug-and-play API solutions. Besides serving SMEs and startups in India, the company also caters to mid and large corporate businesses from various sectors of the economy, including travel & tourism, education, retail, NBFCs, insurance, e-commerce, D2C, government etc.

Niva Bupa Health Insurance Launches #KaamMeinShaanHai Campaign To Celebrate Advisors As ‘Health Captains’

*  #KaamMeinShaanHai campaign empowers advisors by celebrating their pivotal role in ensuring customer well-being and driving a sense of pride and purpose in their profession.

Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (formerly Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited), one of India’s leading standalone health insurers, has launched its latest campaign, #KaamMeinShaanHai. This initiative is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the invaluable contributions of its advisors and agents. The campaign was unveiled in Bangalore in the presence of the advisor community. As part of this campaign, the advisors are being recognised as "Health Captains" since they play a pivotal role in protecting families and guiding customers through critical health decisions during times of medical need.

Individual agents continue to play a key role in increasing the penetration of health insurance in India. However, they are often underappreciated and seen as mere intermediaries or middlemen by most people. Niva Bupa conducted an internal dipstick amongst its advisors and found lack of acknowledgement and respect within their own family and society at large a key pain point. Advisors are involved at each stage of the health insurance journey, from guiding the right product to explaining the product benefits and then assisting with policy issuance to playing an extremely crucial role during a medical emergency. From arranging an ambulance and taking care of admission in the hospital to ensuring that all documentation is taken care of for the claims process, advisors go beyond their call of duty to help the customers and their family when they are most vulnerable. Their selfless acts during these crucial times often goes unnoticed and is not acknowledged enough.

To address this issue, Niva Bupa has launched a campaign titled #KaamMeinShaanHai which aims to instil a sense of pride amongst advisors and celebrate them as a hero who make a difference in the lives of the customers when it matters the most. Under the #KaamMeinShaanHai initiative comprehensive learning modules have been put together to empower agents to upskill themselves not just on health insurance but healthcare as well to help them become wellness consultants for their customers. This will help the advisors guide their customers to the right doctors, at the right healthcare setups and help them understand the diagnosis and treatment.

As part of the campaign two digital films have been created which showcases instances of how advisors manage customer’s anxiety and selflessly take care of them during hospitalisation. The films have been conceptualised by Leo Burnett India and is available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam languages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZMIj3daJTo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTI0z5zZaow

In addition to these assets, a plan to shoot 1000 videos based on real life experience is planned under “Stories of Pride” initiative by the company.

Earlier the campaign was unveiled in the presence of the advisor community in Delhi, Mumbai and Patna. A series of events is scheduled in the coming days in major cities across India, including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kanpur, and Pune. These events will serve as platforms to provide advisors with insights, training, and resources to excel in their new roles.

Speaking on the launch, Nimish Agarwal, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Niva Bupa Health Insurance, said "Advisors are the cornerstone of India’s health insurance system, consistently going above and beyond to support families during their most vulnerable moments. The #KaamMeinShaanHai campaign is our heartfelt tribute to their indispensable contributions, celebrating their dedication and instilling a sense of pride in their crucial role. Through this initiative, we aim to empower our advisors with the tools, knowledge, and recognition they deserve and also upskilling them on the wellness front to ensure they play a more active, informed role as health captains. "

The campaign is underpinned by three pillars – empower, evangelize and engage. It will help the advisors confidently guide customers towards the best healthcare solutions and equip them with information which would make them trusted healthcare partners for their customers.

About Niva Bupa

Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited is a Public Listed Company on Stock exchange(s). Bupa Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd. is the Promoter of Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited. Bupa, a UK-based healthcare services expert, has seven decades of experience in the healthcare industry and serves a customer base of 50 million in over 190 countries.

Niva Bupa has over 210 branches across 22 states and 4 union territories in India as of Sep 30, 2024 and covers 17.8 million+ lives. The company has 10,190 hospitals empaneled in its hospital network as of Sep 30, 2024.

Niva Bupa has an annual average of 90%+ claim settlement ratio over the last 3 financial years. With an employee base of over 8,750 people, the company is a certified Great Place to Work five times in a row.

Britannia Partners With Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products To Launch Limited Edition Harry Potter-Themed Biscuits

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqGL8ko3uvg

Attention, witches, wizards, and Muggles alike! It’s time to fasten your seat belts and prepare to be spellbound—because Britannia is bringing magic to your snack time, giving you a chance to celebrate your love for Harry Potter in the most delicious way possible. Introducing “Britannia’s Pure Magic Choco Frames” – a Limited-Edition Harry Potter-inspired open choco biscuit crafted to delight your taste buds and transform everyday moments into indulgent celebrations inspired by the enchanting world of Hogwarts.

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBGCP), Britannia has curated a sensory experience to delight all Harry Potter fans. Each of the five biscuits in a pack is inspired by the world of Harry Potter, bringing back fond memories of Hogwarts and featuring intricate designs of the four iconic houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. But the magic doesn’t stop there— you may uncover a rare treasure: a biscuit embossed with the iconic Platform 9¾. With Britannia Pure Magic Choco Frames every bite takes you deeper into the world of choco indulgence.

Every Pure Magic Choco Frame is a delightful combination of textures and flavours—a crisp biscuit topped with a luscious bar of velvety chocolate. This limited-edition collection isn’t just a treat; it’s a collectible, perfect for gifting to fellow Harry Potter fans or indulging yourself. 

Siddharth Gupta, General Manager - Marketing, Britannia Industries, says "At Britannia, we are committed to constantly innovating and finding new ways to delight our consumers while evolving our portfolio to meet changing preferences. Our collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBGCP) marks a significant milestone as we bring a Harry Potter-inspired indulgence for fans through our Pure Magic Choco Frames. This strategic partnership is an attempt to bring the iconic legacy Harry Potter together with Britannia’s expertise in crafting indulgent treats for everyone. It’s more than just a product; it’s an opportunity to create a memorable moment, that resonates with fans across generations"

Harry Potter fans, don’t let this extraordinary opportunity vanish! The Britannia Pure Magic Choco Frames is available only for a limited time on Blinkit or your nearest Reliance stores. Grab your pack now, and let the magic unfold—because when it comes to Harry Potter, the magic is forever.

About Britannia Industries

Britannia is a 100+ year old Company and is a market leader in the Bakery category in India with an annual revenue of over Rs 165 Billion. The company’s two focus categories include - Bakery & Dairy, with trusted & iconic brands such as Good Day, Marie Gold, Milk Bikis & Nutrichoice. Britannia products are available in over 80 countries. The Company manufactures its products in nearly 100 factories, which are made available in over 27 lakh outlets to eventually reach over 180 Million households in the country. The Company's vision is to be a responsible global, total foods company, and delight consumers with delicious, and wholesome snacks and beverages throughout the day.

About Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP):

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Revenue & Strategy division, extends the company’s powerful portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBDGCP partners with best-in-class licensees globally on award-winning toy, fashion, home décor and publishing programs inspired by the biggest franchises from Warner Bros.’ film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, DC, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Eurosport, Adult Swim, and more. With innovative global licensing and merchandising programs, retail initiatives, and promotional partnerships, WBDGCP is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

Vi Launches Number Rakshak Initiative At Maha Kumbh To Reunite Separated Pilgrims

*         Leading telecom operator is providing Rudraksh Tulsi bracelets engraved with personal emergency contact numbers to help remain connected

At every Kumbh Mela, thousands of individuals are reported lost or separated from their families. In 2013, approximately 70,000 people were reported lost during the Allahabad (now Prayagraj) Kumbh. This year has presented similar challenges, with news reports indicating that over 250 people were reported lost within the first few hours of the first day alone. As millions more are expected to gather on the most auspicious days for 'Shahi Snan' at Triveni Sangam in February, the fear of losing loved ones is a very real concern, given the risk of people becoming lost or separated in large crowd or while taking a sacred plunge. In response, India’s leading telecom operator Vi, has launched the ‘Vi Number Rakshak’ initiative to ensure that no one feels lost, disconnected, or gets left behind.

While technology has revolutionized how people connect, there are still many who are not digitally savvy, especially elderly and small children, who often do not even own a mobile phone, struggle to remember phone numbers or are not familiar with digital tools. Recognizing this reality, Vi has set up Vi Number Rakshak booth in the prominent area near Swami Ramanand Acharya Shibir Akhada.

This booth will provide pilgrims with complimentary bracelets made of sacred Rudraksh and Tulsi beads engraved with the personal emergency contact numbers of their family members or companions. This initiative will enable pilgrims to have a dependable medium of reconnecting without having to rely on mobile phones or internet connectivity.

Speaking on the occasion, Avneesh Khosla, Chief Marketing Officer, Vi emphasized the company’s people first approach, “Vi Number Rakshak highlights how the simplest solutions can play a critical role in connecting people. We are not just a telecom provider, but a people-first partner, especially when it matters most. This initiative reinforces Vi's commitment to finding the right solutions and demonstrates that the connectivity goes beyond the network."

Vi Number Rakshak embodies the spirit of Vi's philosophy of "Be Someone's We". It emphasizes the importance of fostering connections and collective support for one another, demonstrated in campaigns of the same name, which highlight the loneliness epidemic affecting urban youth and senior citizens. With Vi Number Rakshak at the Maha Kumbh, the ‘Be Someone We’ ideology takes on the mantle of caring for public safety and well-being at the site of such a large human gathering.

Additionally, to ensure seamless connectivity to Vi users visiting The Maha Kumbh Mela, Vi has enhanced network capacity by adding 30 new sites in Triveni Sangam as well as around 40 macro and high powered small-cells covering all major points in nearby areas. Additionally, 32 km of fiber has been deployed to strengthen backhaul connectivity to provide last mile connectivity in densely crowded areas, giving users crystal clear voice calls, seamless video streaming and high-speed data transfer.

About Vodafone Idea Limited

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is amongst India’s leading telecom service provider. The company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G and 4G platforms. Company holds large spectrum portfolio including mid band 5G spectrum in 17 circles and mmWave 5G spectrum in 16 circles. To support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence. The company’s equity shares are listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the BSE in India. The company offers products and services to its customers in India under the TM Brand name “Vi”.  For more information, visit: www.MyVi.in