Unity Technologies, Tata Elxsi Launch Centre of Excellence to Accelerate Digital Transformation

Unity Technologies, creator of the flexible, high-performance end-to-end development platform used to create real-time interactive 2D, 3D, VR and AR experiences, today announced a collaboration with Tata Elxsi to launch a Centre of Excellence (CoE). The CoE will serve as a global innovation platform that brings together Unity developers, researchers and industry stakeholders to  encourage  knowledge sharing of best practices in digital transformation.

The Unity-Tata Elxsi partnership is significant as it builds the single largest pool of Unity developers in India. Despite economic fluctuations and market uncertainty, this is a bright spark in the Asia Pacific region, As it continues to build  opportunities for augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR).

Unity reaches nearly 3 Billion devices around the world, and is used to author more than two thirds of all AR/VR content, Tata Elxsi brings the integrated expertise of combining Design, Technology and Content Development capabilities. With global design centres, Tata Elxsi has been helping clients globally to create compelling experiences and enhanced workflow for customers across industries. With Unity’s expertise in futuristic technologies like AR/VR, combined with Tata Elxsi’s turnkey capabilities, this Centre of Excellence will propel latest innovations. The  CoE will contribute to the continued growth that Unity has already seen across sectors including architectural visualisation, film and entertainment, automotive, engineering and manufacturing, as well as government. 

Quentin Staes-Polet, Director South Asia Pacific, Unity Technologies, said, “Augmented and virtual reality  technologies are fast transforming how businesses innovate, collaborate and communicate. The CoE in partnership with Tata, is testament to the success of Unity’s platform and its developer ecosystem, not just for games, animation and film, but across industries which are using AR/VR in innovative ways. In an era where VR/AR applications are changing countless industries – from education, to manufacturing, architecture and art – Unity is enabling the developers of tomorrow achieve greater success today. We’re delighted to partner with Tata Elxsi’s team, an established global leader in design and innovation”

Commenting on the CoE, Anil Sondur – Executive Vice President, Tata Elxsi said, “Augmented and virtual reality technologies are the next generation of computing. Tata Elxsi foresees usage of these advanced platforms across various industries and verticals. Tata Elxsi is already in a leadership position in the use of these technologies for several industries and has used Unity as a development platform. This global partnership will enable Tata Elxsi to support new applications for customers across industries worldwide.”

At the upcoming Unite Austin 2017 event, Tata Elxsi will be showcasing its latest innovations and solutions in Augmented and Virtual Reality using the Unity platform.

Nafex India Creates India’s First Reverse Bidding Platform for Currency, Prepaid Forex Cards and Remittances

Foreign exchange buying and selling is now a transparent and convenient process with the rates aggregation platform from Nafex India. Nafex India has collaborated with more than Nine hundred RBI approved money changers and authorised dealers, who bid real-time for any individual currency, prepaid forex card or remittance requirements put up on the platform. Rates comparison allows consumers to compare rates offered, proximity of the money changer, and make an informed decision to get the best deal for their forex requirements. This is a significant shift from the traditional model of rates dictated by banks, travel agencies, and grey market operators.  The reverse bidding for currency exchange, forex cards and outward remittances is uniquely available only on the Nafex India platform.

According to Annie Kumar, co-founder and Managing Director, Nafex India “ The money changer market in India and several parts of the world is going through a disruptive phase. Monopolistic rates controlled by few agencies is no longer working out with consumers. Flexibility, transparency, convenience and value are emerging as key considerations for forex buyers and sellers.  Nafex India endeavors to safeguard interests of consumers and build trust in transactions.”

The promoters of the company, Jeethmal Mutha and Annie Kumar, have spent two decades in the forex and travel & hospitality industry. The company has tied up Pan India Money changers like Weizmann, Poundwize, UAE Exchange, Spice Money, Centrum along with several hundreds of regional money of changers are participating in the reverse auction. Leisure travel, education, medical treatment are key areas of focus for Nafex India.

Nafex India platform includes currencies from US, Canada, UK, Australia, Europe, UAE, Saudi, Singapore, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand.  Forex is delivered at the consumer location.  Within a short time. From its launch, the Nafex India platform has witnessed 100,000+ transactions worth USD 40+ Mn in currency alone apart from Forex cards & remittance. “Convenience without compromising privacy is the hallmark of our platform,” said Jeethmal Mutha

Nafex plans to add more features to the platform  such as B2B and to build end-to-end expertise for enterprise and individual money changing solutions globally.  Currently present in 100 cities, Nafex plans to rapidly launch its services in other Indian cities.

Microsoft Azure is the Cloud of Choice for Marico; Helps Increase Data Processing Speed by Over 150%

Marico Limited, India's leading consumer products company in the wellness and beauty space, has recently adopted Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse to improve their business productivity. The adoption of the fully-managed, highly-elastic, petabyte-scale, warehouse-as-a-service cloud-based relational database has helped Marico increase their data processing speed by over 150%.

In the FMCG space, the volume of data being generated fluctuates greatly during certain periods, especially the month beginning and ends or during season and festival time. This puts unforeseen burden on the existing IT infrastructure in managing the data flux. The window for extraction, transformation and loading of huge amount of data is limited to a few hours. This deployment has freed Marico from regular hardware refresh owing to data volume variability, and provided the flexibility of scale-up or scale-down on demand. They now have an end-to-end data solution (database, data warehouse, big data, visualization, advanced analytics) that unlocks insights from any data. This has given Marico complete control of data management and more agility for business decision-making during critical times. They have also overcome the need for creating disaster recovery or backup infrastructure.

“With the growing surge of data, and the burden that used to come along with it, Microsoft has helped us in eliminating the need for over-provisioning. We wanted to gain control over the churn and speed of data, and Azure SQL Data Warehouse has not only helped achieve this but also helped us gain business insights from big data and advanced analytics.”, said Mukesh Kripalani, Chief - Business Process Transformation & IT, Marico.

“The deployment at Marico addresses the current FMCG market need for an integrated, intelligent cloud-based database management system. The solution will help Marico stay ahead of the market with faster and more accurate decisions. We have always aimed to reduce complexity and redundancy, and ensure data privacy and security through the Microsoft Cloud. We are excited to be associated with the growth of Marico”, said Peter Gartenberg, General Manager, Enterprise Commercial, Microsoft India.

In India, numerous FMCG customers are leveraging Microsoft Azure as their cloud platform to develop cutting edge digital and data analytics capabilities. Microsoft’s commitment to deliver enterprise-grade cloud platform that is open, flexible, affordable and secure has resonated strongly with Indian companies.

Jet Airways Connects Two New Routes - Bangalore-Amsterdam and Chennai-Paris from October 2017

Jet Airways has announced two new routes between the India and Europe. The flights will begin on October 29 and will be operated with Airbus A330 aircraft. The service between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Bangalore Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) will have daily flights.

This will be Jet Airways’ third daily service between India and Amsterdam – one of its three European gateways, and will complement its existing direct daily operations to Amsterdam from Mumbai and Delhi, strengthening the airline’s as well as the nation’s connect with the Netherlands.

Speaking on the occasion, Alphonsus H.M. Stoelinga, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, said –“Like four hundred years ago, today again, the Netherlands is India’s hub in Europe. Hub for twenty per cent of all Indian exports to the European Union. Hub for Indian companies increasingly choosing the Netherlands as the ideal location for their European headquarters or distribution centres. And hub for travellers: the number of visa we issue to Indian citizens is increasing at 25% per year. In 2017, the Netherlands received 30% more Indian tourists than last year.”

Vinay Dube, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways, said, “Bengaluru is witnessing rapid growth in business, commerce and tourism, accelerating the demand for quality services to and from key destinations across the world. Our latest non-stop service not only strengthens Jet Airways’ footprint in the city but is also another step forward in the realization of our core purpose of connecting more of India to the world, by facilitating seamless one-stop access from Amsterdam to 64 destinations across Europe and North America, with our codeshare partners”.

Non-stop connectivity to Amsterdam illustrates its importance as a significant European and North American gateway for both passenger and cargo traffic. In fact, guests travelling via Amsterdam on connecting flights between Jet Airways and codeshare partners KLM and Delta, will enjoy enhanced connectivity via codeshare services between Bengaluru and as many as 43 European destinations such as London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Birmingham, Bristol, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Rome and other key cities, as well as to 21 leading cities across North America such as, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Miami, New York, Newark, Seattle among several others.

Additionally, guests of Jet Airways can take advantage of its unique and unmatched advantage that allows them to travel through one gateway and return via another, on a single itinerary from its three European gateways, viz. Paris, London and Amsterdam. At the same time, guests who are members of Frequent Flyer programmes of the codeshare partners - JetPrivilege (JP), Flying Blue and SkyMiles – can easily accrue and redeem points on each other.

The introduction of direct intercontinental flights from Bengaluru will not only boost corporate and leisure travel but also contribute to significant growth in cross border trade and commerce. In fact, guests arriving in Bengaluru can leverage Jet Airways’ onward connectivity to 11 domestic destinations including its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi for extended pan-India connectivity to other destinations from its 44-city strong network.

The new service will also enhance Jet Airways' cumulative daily cargo capacity to Europe by as much as 15 tons facilitating increase in trade of various commodities such as flowers, perishables, pharmaceuticals, heavy machinery, garments, electrical and medical equipment, auto parts as well as exotic food items.

Jet Airways will deploy its Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the route for a relaxed and enjoyable flying experience. The A330 features a spacious cabin with ergonomically-designed seats having ample leg-room, lie-flat beds in Premiere, award-winning inflight entertainment as well as all the other comforts associated with long-haul, international travel.

The airline has also introduced its specially-designed JetEscapes Holidays at attractive all-inclusive rates. These packages are specially crafted to provide the airline's guests with an enchanting and relaxed travel experience and include return Economy airfare, airport/ local transfers, hotel accommodation with breakfast, sightseeing, travel insurance and the chance to earn 5 JPMiles* for every Rs 100 spent on JetEscapes for JP members.

Jet Airways’ latest non-stop service to Amsterdam also coincides with its launch of additional non-stop services between Chennai - Paris and Mumbai - London, which also commence on the same day.

For guests travelling to North America, the airline’s latest services to Amsterdam, Paris and London, complement the one-stop connectivity it already offers via its Abu Dhabi gateway, together with its strategic partner - Etihad Airways.

The new service will be operated in codeshare with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France and Delta Air Lines, with each airline placing their respective codes on the service.

·         Flight 9W 235 departs Ámsterdam at 10:50, arrives Bangalore  at 00:40 +1.

·         Flight 9W 236 departs Bangalore at 02:25, arrives Ámsterdam at 08:35.

The route between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Chennai International Airport (MAA) will have 5 weekly flights.

·         Flight 9W 127 departs Paris at 10:10, and arrives Chennai at 00:15 +1.

·         Flight 9W 128 departs Chennai at 01:45, and arrives París at 08:10.

These new routes will complement existing operations in Amsterdam to Delhi and Bombay and Toronto as well as direct flight from Paris to Mumbai. In addition will allow passengers from the India, connecting via Amsterdam and Paris to 35 destinations across Europe and 24 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico with the codeshare partners of Jet Airways.

Three Prestigious Oracle Excellence Awards for Infosys as Specialized Cloud Services Partner

Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology, outsourcing and next-generation services and Cloud Elite member of Oracle Partner Network, today announced it has been awarded three Oracle Excellence Awards for expertly delivering solutions based on Oracle technology.

Infosys has been awarded the 2017 Oracle Excellence Award for Specialized Partner of the Year under CX Cloud category both globally and in North America. Infosys earned these two recognitions for its ability to deliver innovative customer experiences with a mobile-first approach. The company’s offerings cover the entire spectrum of Oracle CX Cloud, including pre-built Industry solutions and integrations through PaaS solutions.

Infosys has also won the 2017 Oracle Excellence Award for Specialized Partner of the Year in North America for the on-premise-to-cloud Business Model Transformation category. This award recognizes Infosys for providing a comprehensive, end-to-end Oracle Cloud solution spanning Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and lift-and-shift on-premise legacy applications to the cloud.

“Our goal was to provide our sales representatives, sales managers and sales leaders with meaningful intelligence that they can actually use to manage and measure their business,” said Anil Roy, VP, Enterprise Applications, Ricoh USA Inc. “Infosys partnered with us for this CRM Transformation initiative to create the roadmap for future technology architecture for the organization.  Together, we have started migration to Oracle Cloud PaaS to provide meaningful analytics to our sales teams. We not only expect significant cost savings but also anticipate a reduction in the time taken for a new business requirement to production deployment.”

Infosys is also an Oracle Cloud Managed Service Provider (MSP), helping enterprises accelerate their cloud journey and achieve compelling business value by combining Oracle’s IaaS and PaaS with expertise from Infosys Cloud Consulting, implementation and managed services. Infosys’ differentiated tools and solutions, such as Infosys Workload Migration Suite and Infrastructure Management Suite, together with Oracle Infrastructure-as-a-Service can empower enterprises to leverage their existing IT investments while accelerating their journey to the cloud.

In addition to Infosys, two of its clients – Cummins and Ricoh – have also been recognized by Oracle with the 2017 Oracle Proactive Support Champion Individual Award and 2017 Oracle Innovation Award - Application Development, respectively, based on solutions Infosys helped these two companies implement.

Ravi Kumar S., President and Deputy COO, Infosys, said, “Winning Oracle Excellence Awards under CX Cloud and On-Premise to-Cloud Transformation categories this year is an endorsement of  our innovation, investments and expertise in Oracle Cloud Applications, platform and infrastructure. We are also proud to be collaborating with Oracle as a Cloud Elite Partner in empowering and accelerating our customers’ journey to the cloud. Together, Infosys and Oracle reinvent enterprises, making them agile, connected and ready to succeed in the digital economy.”

JK Tyre’s Invests in 100 Toilets as Swachh Bharat Campaign in 1 Year

As a homegrown company rooted to real issues in the country, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd has been committed to contributing to the society, including improving health and sanitation facilities in places that are most in need of them. In 2016-17, the company directed its efforts towards aligning with the Government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, setting up more than 1100 toilets in rural areas in 17 villages in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, wherein our manufacturing plants are located. Aimed at alleviating the issue of open-defecation and raising awareness about the related health and security benefits of using toilets among the people, JK Tyre put its weight behind implementing a sanitation project in these villages.

JK Tyre officials put a check mechanism in place to ensure the maintenance and upkeep of the newly-built toilets by monitoring the conditions and water supply at periodic intervals. Regularly engaging stakeholders, including beneficiaries and reputed NGOs helped in the efficient delivery of sanitation services in the villages covered by the programme.

Pradyumna Pandey, Vice President-HR, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, said, “We have adopted an integrated two-pillar approach to address the problem of open defecation, an important factor contributing to health problems, specially in rural areas. We partnered with different stakeholders, including the Government, to work towards removing inconveniences in the proper maintenance of sanitation facilities, such as accessibility to water and hygiene in the use of a toilet. Our aim is to work with the Government to establish easily accessible individual household  toilets in rural areas so that India can become an open defecation-free nation by 2019. By building toilets in public places, particularly in schools, we also wanted to address another important issue that concerns security of girls and of their dropouts due to a lack of toilets. JK Tyre will continue to extend this initiative to other areas that lack such services.”

According to a report, about 23% of adolescent girls drop out from school every year due to lack of basic sanitation facilities. By providing basic amenities such as clean toilets and water, JK Tyre aims to create a long-term sustainable solution to this issue.

Ramnath Batham, Sarpanch village Panchayat Noorabad, Dist Morena, Madhya Pradesh, said, “it is matter of great pride for us that our village will be open defecation free very soon with active support of JK Tyre.  Earlier, village elders & women use to face difficulties more specifically during rains and sickness, while now it’s a thing of past now. “

JK Tyre has been working to drive awareness around the building and usage of toilets, and has invested in the construction and renovation of school buildings, anganwadis, community centres and public toilets to facilitate better sanitation facilities. The company plans to work for the construction of around 2000 individual household toilets during FY 2017-18.

Part of the JK Organisation, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd is a leading tyre manufacturer in India and amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world with a wide range of products catering to diverse business segments in the automobile industry. JK Tyre is the only tyre manufacturer in India to be included in the list of Superbrand in 2017, the sixth time the honour has been conferred upon the company.

JK Tyre has global presence in 100 countries across six continents, backed by production support from 12 plants - 9 in India and 3 in Mexico. Currently, the capacity across all its plants is about 35 million tyres per annum. In April 2016 JK Tyre acquired Cavendish India Limited from Birla Tyres. While acquisition added three modern plants to its portfolio taking the total count to 12, it helped the tyre major foray into the two/three wheeler segment as well.

Pioneers of radial technology, JK Tyre produced the first radial tyre in 1977 and is currently the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. With over three decades of technological innovation, JK Tyre offers tyre for entire range of passenger and commercial vehicles, starting from a 3 kg two-wheeler tyre to a 3.5 ton OTR tyre.

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd has a strong network of 4000 dealers and over 230 dedicated outlets branded as Steel-Wheels & has over 25 Truck Wheels providing complete solutions to Truck Tyre customers.

Accenture Innovation Challenge Launches to InspireYoung Innovators to Create Disruptive Business and Tech for Good Solutions

Accenture has launched the Accenture Innovation Challenge to inspire and catalyze technology innovation among college students across India. The Challenge invites full-time graduate, under-graduate and post-graduate students to imagine and develop innovative ideas that can create value for people and businesses and to discover their own innovation potential.

The Accenture Innovation Challenge encourages students to adopt new and emerging areas in technology and its applications such as blockchain, security, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and others. The contest will award seven winning teams including the Grand Prize winner and two category winners. All winners will receive prizes worth up to Rs.1,00,000 per member of the winning team, as well as certificates, trophies and a fast-track recruitment opportunity with Accenture. The winners will be judged by a jury panel from the business, technology and start-up fields. The shortlisted entries will be invited to present in a Grand Finale round to be held in Bengaluru towards the end of 2017.