Mindtree Builds A Digital Command And Control Solution For Larsen & Toubro’s Green Hydrogen Plant In Gujarat, India

Mindtree, a global technology services and digital transformation company, today announced that it has designed and implemented a digital command and control solution for Larsen & Toubro (L&T), an Indian multinational engaged in EPC projects, hi-tech manufacturing and services, for the company’s recently commissioned Green Hydrogen Plant in Hazira, Gujarat.

Built using Insights NxT, the IoT and data analytics platform of Mindtree NxT, the state-of-the-art solution enables remote monitoring and control of all services at the plant to help optimize operational and energy costs, and drive effective utilization of resources such as solar energy and battery energy storage systems. The solution is equipped with preventive and predictive data analytics capabilities to provide real-time insights into plant performance and support data-driven decision-making. This will help reduce the plant’s carbon footprint and improve operational agility by increasing electrolyzer efficiency and reducing downtime.

The solution utilizes Insights NxT platform to interface with complex operational technology systems to capture mission-critical data, and enable different degrees of analysis and levers to streamline energy consumption. This aids quicker adoption of new clean energy, improved environmental monitoring and reporting, and competitive pricing of products and services.

“We are committed to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to meet the energy needs of tomorrow while reducing our environmental impact,” said Derek M. Shah, Senior Vice President and Head of Green Manufacturing and Development at L&T. “At our heavy engineering unit in Hazira, we use natural gas for welding and heat treatment operations. The solution developed by Mindtree will help us effectively reduce the plant’s carbon footprint by mixing green hydrogen with natural gas, facilitating swifter adoption of cleaner fuel and alternative energy sources. This will boost our ability to better fulfill our sustainability goals while significantly enhancing our operational efficiency.”

“The solution brings together Mindtree’s extensive digital engineering and transformation expertise with L&T’s deep domain knowledge to advance the vision for a healthier environment,” said Venu Lambu, Executive Director and President of Global Markets at Mindtree. “Armed with sophisticated edge-to-experience and IoT capabilities, the solution will provide further impetus to clean energy through enhanced, real-time data from electrolyzer instrumentation, control system, and related ecosystem with advanced AI/ML algorithms. It sets a new benchmark in intelligent systems that can turn data into sound sustainability decisions, responsible actions, and profitable outcomes.” 

About Larsen & Toubro

Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in EPC Projects, Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Services. It operates in over 50 countries worldwide. A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for eight decades. For more information,  visit https://www.larsentoubro.com/.

About Mindtree

Mindtree [NSE: MINDTREE] is a global technology consulting and services company that enables enterprises across industries to drive superior competitive advantage, customer experiences and business outcomes by harnessing digital and cloud technologies. A digital transformation partner to approximately 275 of the world’s most pioneering enterprises, Mindtree brings extensive domain, technology and consulting expertise to help reimagine business models, accelerate innovation and maximize growth. As a socially and environmentally responsible business, Mindtree is focused on growth as well as sustainability in building long-term stakeholder value. Powered by more than 37,400 talented and entrepreneurial professionals across 24 countries, Mindtree — a Larsen & Toubro Group company — is consistently recognized among the best places to work. For more,  visit www.mindtree.com or @Mindtree_Ltd.  

Manipal Institute of Technology And CII Mangalore Chapter Organize Academia- Industry Conclave 1.0

Manipal Institute of Technology in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Mangalore chapter successfully organised the Academy and Industry Conclave 1.0 at Manipal. The conclave witnessed the esteemed presence of Industry & senior faculty members of engineering colleges from Udupi and Mangalore districts who discussed the plausible collaborations for innovative projects in the recent future. The objective of the conclave was to forge partnerships with industries for academic, research projects, start-ups, and related activities.

The conclave was inaugurated at the hands of Shri. Kurma Rao M, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Udupi District in the presence of Shri. M Venkatesh, Managing Director, MRPL and a distinguished alumni of MIT Manipal and Lt. General (Dr.) M D Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and other esteemed guests on the dais.

Dr. Somashekara Bhat, Joint Director, MIT welcomed all guests and delegates, while the overview of the conclave was given by Commander (Dr.) Anil Rana, Director, MIT. Shri. Gaurav Hegde, Chairman, CII Mangalore presented the CII activities in Mangalore and across the country.

Shri. Nagaraj V Nayak, Joint Director - DIC, Shri. Andaru Deviprasad Shetty, President - UCCI, Shri. K Prashanth Baliga, President – DSIA, Udupi and Shri Shashidhar Pai Maroor, President – KCCI presented the details of regional industrial activities, clusters, potential challenges and opportunities to the audience.

Deputy Commissioner, Udupi, Shri. Kurma Rao M, IAS, elaborated on the interactions between District administration with Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Manipal Institute of Technology and said “We appreciate the efforts of MIT students for developing the website for its implementation at the DC office, Udupi. We encourage different heads of industries to interact with academic institutions to develop innovative solutions for the administration related problem”s.

Lt. Gen. (Dr) M.D Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education said “A mutual engagement between the industry and academia is the key to development of all the sectors of the economy. We at MAHE have always focused on providing opportunities to our students to interact with reputed industry experts. The MIT-CII Academy Industry Conclave 1.0 is another step in this direction. Collaborations like these are also essential in exploring industry challenges and collectively finding the solutions”

Shri. M Venkatesh, Managing Director, MRPL said “Being at this conclave brings back fond memories of my student life at Manipal Institute of Technology. An event like this helps industry professionals to stay in touch with academia.  At MRPL we have a few ongoing projects with regional academic institutions. We invite the students to carry out industrial training at MRPL as the importance of industry academia interactions in the present scenario has increased more than ever”

Shri. Gaurav Hegde, Chairman, CII Mangalore said “There are plenty of potential business opportunities suitable for coastal regions of Karnataka like food and fish processing, eco friendly plastics etc but there are also certain challenges like goods transports system, employee skill upgradation. Industry academia collaborations can help solve these issues. Through CII we aim to establish fruitful interactions between industries and academic institutes to create a win-win situation at both the ends”

Expressing his happiness on the success of the conclave, Cdr (Dr) Anil Rana, Director, MIT, MAHE, Manipal said, “I express my gratitude and extend my congratulations to the entire team at MIT and CII for successfully organizing Academy and Industry Conclave 1.0. Around 26 industry representatives and head of CII-Mangalore, KCCI, UCCI and DSIA along with regional institutes participated in the event. This conclave has paved the way for more such fruitful collaborations in the future. We urge the local industries to connect with our Institute and share their challenges to find feasible solutions through mutual engagement.”

The One-Day long Conclave witnessed several activities taking place such as:

Hackathon which was themed ‘smart roads, transports, and logistics’. Hackathon saw a total of 90 students divided across 23 teams hailing from different parts of Udupi and DK district participating in the event.

Interactions between start-up innovators and the relevant industries which unravelled conversations that would help start-ups provide their innovations with the best possible commercialisation techniques.

Showcasing of state-of-the-art facilities of regional engineering colleges and exploring Internship & placement opportunities for students.

The conclave concluded with a Panel discussion that aimed to help further strengthen Academy and Industry relationship. The biggest highlight of the discussion was the unravelling of the fact that the biggest problem faced by both the fields was that of a communication gap between the two. This problem could be solved by initiatives from the Industrial end to share technical and business-related challenges faced by them with the academia to develop viable solutions for the same. This panel discussion forum provided the students with an opportunity for an enriching experiential session.

Ecom Express Gears Up Infra For A Robust Festive Season Rush

*Doubles its parcel processing capability to 6 million per day~ 

*Increases operational area across hubs, sort, and delivery centers to over 4 million sq. ft~ 

*Anticipates 60-65 per cent volume increase in the festive peak~ 

Ecom Express Limited, one of India’s leading technology-driven full stack logistics solutions providers to the e-commerce industry announced that it has expanded its footprint to over 4 Million sq. ft. across its network to manage the high demands of e-commerce shipping during the festive season. Additionally, the Company has added automation to the majority of its sort center facilities thus increasing its parcel processing capacity to over 6 Million per day. 

A significant portion of expansion and investments into automation, including enhancement, has been activated in 14 cities, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Surat, Jaipur, Indore and Bhubaneshwar. This massive capacity augmentation has been done to bring greater supply chain efficiencies to Ecom Express’ already existing pan-India network that serves over 27000 PIN codes using approximately 3000 last mile delivery centers.  

T.A. Krishnan, Founder & CEO, Ecom Express said, ‘’We are seeing tremendous growth in tier III and beyond markets and these have been at the forefront of e-commerce growth. In the past two years, we have witnessed the demand almost double with 80 per cent of our deliveries happening in tier III and beyond. With rising disposable incomes, growing internet penetration, and emerging D2C brands, there is a huge amount of growth yet to be realized here. We continue to build robust networks and infrastructure that offer smart supply chain solutions, as well as efficient delivery services, to help small businesses unlock new opportunities as the frontiers of e-commerce advance.’’ 

According to the Company’s internal data, the order volume during the upcoming festive week is expected to increase by 60-65 per cent from the normal months with 45-50 per cent parcel pickup from Tier III and IV cities. Thanks to Ecom Express’ investments in infrastructure and state-of-the-art technology and automation, the Company has doubled up the capacities of its operations significantly to cater to e-commerce players and end customers. 

For the peak festive season rush, Ecom Express is also hiring seasonal staff and onboarding gig-workers and sees a 35 per cent jump from last year. About 60-65 per cent of the hiring will take place in tier III/IV cities and remote parts of the country. 

About Ecom Express:  

Ecom Express Limited is one of India’s leading end-to-end technology-enabled logistics solutions providers to the Indian e-commerce industry. Headquartered in Gurugram, Ecom Express was incorporated in 2012 by T. A. Krishnan, Manju Dhawan, K. Satyanarayana and Late Sanjeev Saxena with their 100+ years of cumulative experience in the Indian logistics and distribution industry. Ecom Express has a presence in all 28 states of the country and operates across 27,000+ PIN codes in India. Through its deep reach strategy, the company has the capability to deliver to 95%+ of India’s population. 

For more information, visit: https://ecomexpress.in/ 

Future Generali Brings Spotlight On “Everyday Wellness” Rewarding You For ‘Active Health Management’

~ Launches FG Health Absolute, a Comprehensive Health Insurance product ~ 

~ Product offers guidance, access to wellness platforms as also rewards, and loyalty programmes ~ 

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII), one of India’s fastest growing, top 10 private general insurance company has launched a comprehensive health insurance product - FG Health Absolute. This latest health insurance offering is designed towards empowering customers to actively manage their health and leading a healthy lifestyle.  

FG Health Absolute comes with a host of wellness benefits provided as a part of the product - The policy helps customers to access value added services like tele counselling, webinars on mental and physical health, vouchers for wellness centres, fitness, sports and diagnostic centres and regular health check-ups to ensure a healthy and fit lifestyle.  

This product comes with a loyalty program that enables customers to encash their reward points for premium discounts, availing a variety of goods, memberships etc. in the renewal policy. Under its wellness programme, customers are encouraged to undertake stress and happiness checks, and health risk assessments, twice a year, in addition to annual expert wellness assessments and lifestyle disorder monitoring. Monthly tracking has been included towards monitoring fitness and healthy lifestyle of the customers, ensuring a comprehensive approach towards physical and mental wellbeing.  

Speaking alongside the launch of FG Health Absolute Anup Rau, Managing Director & CEO, Future Generali India Insurance says, “The pandemic has brought forth better appreciation for active health management, amongst individuals. While on one hand we are witnessing enhanced customer interest in health products and expect this segment to grow substantially, we are also sensing customer need for an all-encompassing health product, with enhanced features and maximized benefits”. 

He further adds: “FG Health Absolute is a step in the direction of providing customers with a proposition that not only suits their ask for a comprehensive product but goes a step further by encouraging them to practice healthy habits, regularly, for a holistic health. This solution caters to almost all possible healthcare requirements, from wellness and value add services, which are the USPs of the product, to enhanced mother and child care as well as overseas treatments for specific illnesses. In keeping with our focus on being an ‘Inclusive’ insurer, with this product, we are also taking an important step by expanding the scope of ‘Family’ definition for our health indemnity products, to offer protection to members of the LGBTQIA+ community & members in a live-in relationship”.  

The FG Health Absolute cover, designed in line with the health insurance requirements of India’s diverse populace, is one of the best and most comprehensive healthcare policies available today. In addition to the coverage against a host of healthcare requirements, including maternity and new-born expenses, infertility treatment, overseas treatment, OPD focus on mental and physical health, vaccination cover for children up to 12 years of age, and home healthcare, among others, FG Health Absolute offers a girl child benefit where maternity Sum Insured is increased by additional amount of INR 10,000 on the birth of a girl child.  

The salient features of Future Generali’s new policy include coverage for the new born baby under its mother’s policy, until the expiry of the cover, enhanced vaccination coverage for new-borns, a reinstatement of comprehensive mental illness benefits under OPD cover, enhanced cover for Lasik and Cataract treatments, as well as the host of value added services and wellness rewards programmes. 

The policy, which is available across online and offline channels, features eleven sum insured options for customers, ranging from Rs. 3 lakhs to 100 lakhs and offers protection to a maximum of 15 family members. There is no upper age limit for customers, ensuring access to optimal healthcare at all stages of the individual’s life. 

Publishing of MSME State Profile - Facilitating Development of MSME Ecosystem In The States

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the Principal Financial Institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has been working closely with state governments to strengthen MSME eco-system at State level, based, inter alia, on recommendation of UK Sinha Committee report. SIDBI has extended technical assistance to state by setting up Project Management Unit (PMU) in 19 states. These PMUs have been working closely with nodal departments of State to facilitate shaping enterprise/industrial policies as also adopt good practices in other states.  

Under SIDBI Cluster Development Fund, concessional loan support to state governments for development of infrastructure in clusters is provided. In few of the states going beyond hard infrastructure, SIDBI has also extended soft infrastructure support in few clusters. SIDBI has been proactively engaging with state governments to avail this and build/enhance MSME infrastructure. 

As part of development initiative SIDBI also organised a national sharing and learn shop for state stakeholders, which had evinced appreciative participation.   

SIDBI brought out state profiles in respect of enterprise/industrial policies and good practices adopted in other states through our Project Management Units (PMUs) of 16 States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, J&K, West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar.   

SIDBI has for the first time come out with the MSME State Profiles of 16 States, which was launched on September 12, 2022. These State Profiles are to be provided to state governments for them to take advantage of the profiles and spread the best practices followed for the benefit of MSME in their respective state. 

CMD SIDBI stated that the objective of the MSME State Profile is to understand the existing practices and initiatives about the MSME ecosystem in the states across India. The reports contain the brief industry profile of the state, cluster development initiatives, supporting agencies, state promoted schemes, policies, and partnership with GoI in twinning various schemes. The report also captured the best practices that are being implementing in the other states and suggested measures to create more conducive environment to develop start-up entrepreneurs and strengthen existing MSMEs.   

About SIDBI:  

Since its formation in 1990, SIDBI has been impacting the lives of citizens across various strata of the society through its integrated, innovative and inclusive approach. Be it traditional, domestic small entrepreneurs, bottom-of-the-pyramid entrepreneurs, to high-end knowledge-based entrepreneurs, SIDBI has directly or indirectly touched the lives of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through various credit and developmental measures. For more information,  visit:  https://www.sidbi.in/   

FADA Concludes 4th Auto Retail Conclave – “Success Through Synergy”

* FADA launches Model Dealer Agreement & Inaugurated the FADA Academy 

* FADA Delhi & Delhi Government signs Memorandum of Understanding 

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) hosted the fourth edition of the Auto Retail Conclave on the theme of ‘Success Through Synergy’. The conclave witnessed the presence of automobile industry stalwarts from Indian and global automobile Manufacturers, along with over 300 dealer members from across the nation.  

Under the leadership of FADA President Mr. Manish Raj Singhania, the conclave witnessed the launch of the much-awaited "Model Dealer Agreement (MDA)." The new draft agreement visions to offer level playing field for OEMs and Dealer partners, in addition to further extending the responsibilities towards the end customers. FADA research studying over 100 global and Indian OEM- Dealer Contracts before coming up with the draft and visions enactment of the Auto Dealers Protection and proposes a Model Dealer Agreement to keep the agreement balanced.  

The Conclave was inaugurated in the presence of our distinguished Guests, Mr. Vinod Aggarwal, President Elect, SIAM, Mr. Sunjay J Kapur, President ACMA, Mr. Arvind Kapil, Country Head-Retail Assets, HDFC Bank, and Mr. Amar Jatin Sheth, Treasurer FADA.  

Hon’ble Guest, Mr. Vinod Aggarwal, President Elect, SIAM, acknowledged the significant contribution made by the dealer community in the auto industry since their existence, said, the dealer community has been the extended face of the brand for the customer. It is our privilege to work closely FADA and complement each other’s assets. Since the Indian Auto industry faced a lot of ups and downs caused due to inflation, less supply and high fuel prices we are confident to witness the recovery of the industry. During last year, the growth has been particularly observed in domestic sales of vehicles. Thus, we are yet to reach the peak level of 2018 – 2019 but we have already reached in the pre pandemic level in most of the automotive sectors.  

Apart from this we are looking forward to step ahead for a new phase of growth in the industry, the recovery of the industry has been in the hands of auto OEMs and automobile dealers, who further plays an integral part.  

Hon’ble Guest, Mr. Sunjay J Kapur, President ACMA, said, component is an important part of the automobile ecosystem and we are committed to offer our OEM dealer partner will the best ease of supply of accessories. We have seen strong sales over the past few months and anticipate breaking non-covid global records. We have also had erratic supply and logistical difficulties, which have led to problems with a scarcity of semiconductors. Recognizing the impressive resiliency displayed in the face of difficulties, the dealership sector is anticipated to transform into the mobility sector. Globally, the EV industry has had rapid expansion, and the use of digital platforms is also well-liked. Given that the pandemic has forced us to operate in a hybrid manner, it is practical to support WFH to facilitate improved performance. Public awareness and road safety initiatives should both be emphasized. 

Welcoming all the members from the entire automotive ecosystem at the Auto Retail Conclave, Mr. Manish Raj Singhania said, “Dealerships have been a responsible and credibly integral part of the automobile industry ever since its existence. On behalf of the dealer community, I wish to assure our OEM partners & customers that as a community we are entrusted to serve each of them to the best of our abilities, and the industry will strive to offer all customers a unique buying and ownership experience every time they visit a dealership. This year, we are thus extremely delighted to present two of our very intelligent verticals: FADA GenX, a vertical for the future generation of auto dealers, and Women in FADA, which encourages female entrepreneurs who run any department of dealerships to join FADA. 

The launch of "Model Dealer Agreement (MDA)"marks a significant turning point for the community. The model dealer agreement will provide a level playing field to both the dealer partner and OEMs in addition to giving them a significant amount of confidence towards a long-term association and an exciting future. Since the auto dealership industry requires significant capital investment and it takes dealers 4-5 years to break even. It is imperative that our agreement safeguards and create a balance between OEMs and Dealers since they are both crucial components of a single ecosystem. In addition to boosting dealer and OEM confidence, a stronger dealer agreement would instils a sense of increased accountability for both parties towards the end users. A bigger contribution to the growth of the economy in the form of capital investments & job creation would come from the amount of confidence that MDA instils in the sector. Without relocating them, the auto dealer community currently employs more than 4.5 lakh people directly and indirectly; improved business confidence will boost this number. 

The Model Dealer Agreement is a document that FADA strongly advises OEMs to consider since it is intended to maintain all parties equally responsible for their obligations and to advance the auto industry and the consumer ownership experience. In order to protect Indian car industry & customers from any uncertain & abrupt exits from the country or business, we also require the Indian government to introduce Auto Dealer Protection Act.” 

Mr. Singhania  further added; India sells around 2 crore vehicles annually, with the 2W market accounting for over 70% of sales, totaling 1.4 crore vehicles. These cars are subject to a 29% effective tax rate that is made up of 28% GST + 1% cess. Indians desire to own a car, but the 2W product is more of a need than a pleasure. We look forward to advocating for a reduction in the GST rate from the current effective rate of 28% to 18% to all the states and the GST Council members. As a result, all parties involved will gain from the rise in car sales. Therefore, 2-Wheeler industry in India, which is in decline for several reasons, including rising product prices, high fuel prices, rising cost of ownership, etc., will benefit from this action. 

The conclave witnessed a series of sessions with industry abled leadership sharing their views & vision for the sector & its challenges. The key Power Panel discussion were on Perfecting Supply & Demand followed by Dealer Satisfaction Study – Hits & Misses 

Panel 1: Perfecting Supply & Demand  

The Supply and demand imbalance has been a concern for the industry for quite some time now, the efficient industry leadership panelists’ discussion on many scenarios that demonstrate the necessity of refining the supply and demand curve, each of the segment and variant is witnessing a unique challenge. Higher supply than demand in 2W ICE, lower supply than demand in ICE PV and 2W Electric. This has significantly impacted the opportunity. The efficient panelists gave recommendations and suggestions on how to maintain a healthy inventory, consistent market research to be done to gage the demand cycle, etc.  

The editor of Autocar India, Mr. Hormazd Sorabjee, moderated the panel, which includes 

Mr. Ashutosh Varma, National Sales Head, Hero MotoCorp, Mr. Ravneet S Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, Mr. Sabyasachi Chakraborty, National Head Sales (2-Wheelers), Greaves Electric Mobility, Mr. Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India, Mr. Tarun Garg, Director - Sales, Mktg & Service, Hyundai Motor India, Mr Vikas Pandey, Executive Vice President, HDFC Bank, Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Enfield, Mr. Soham Misra, State Chairperson, FADA West Bengal.  

MoU Ceremony between FADA Delhi and Delhi Transport Department 

To make the ownership process easier, FADA Delhi and the Delhi Transport Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Since FADA and Delhi Transport are collaborating to implement numerous measures, including easy verification, paperless registration, offering a unique ease of vehicle ownership to the customers. The Minister and Secretary state Transport are working closely with FADA to improve the entire consumer experience. 

The ceremony took place in the presence of Mr. Kailash Gahlot, Hon'ble Minister of Transport & Environment, Govt of NCT of Delhi, Mr. Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary-cum-Transport Commissioner, Transport Department, Govt of NCT of Delhi, Mr. Om Prakash Mishra, Special Commissioner Transport- Road Safety, Transport Department, Govt of NCT of Delhi, Mr. Manish Raj Singhania, President, FADA, Ms. Garima Misra, State Chairperson, FADA Delhi 

Panel 2: Dealer Satisfaction Study 2022 (DSS’22) – Hit & Misses  

The panel discussion on the Dealer satisfaction Study 2022, a project launched by FADA and PremonAsia, will analyze and debate the ease of expanding a business as well as other initiatives undertaken by OEMs. 

The panel will be moderated by Mr Sumant Banerji, National Editor, LiveMint and leading industry expert will participate such as Mr Hardeep Singh Brar, Head - Marketing & Sales, Kia Motors India, Mr Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, Mr Sanjeev Kumar, Head- M&HCV, Ashok Leyland, Mr Satinder Singh Bajwa, Sr. Vice President Head - Sales and Customer Care, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mr Sharvik Shah, State Chairperson, FADA Rajasthan. 

Women In FADA 

FADA has developed a programme to support women in the auto sector that will encourage them to look at potential opportunities. Highlights of the effort will be presented by Ms. Garima Misra, Chairman of Women in FADA and State Chairperson of FADA Delhi. 

FADA Academy  

The dealership industry employs over 4.5 lakh people directly or indirectly without having to relocate them. To revitalize and further strengthen the automobile industry with efficient and abled manpower, FADA initiates a vision to providing the industry with some trained & skilled labor to the auto industry, FADA established the FADA Academy. The Inauguration program was launched by the Chairman, Academy & Research, Mr. Vinkesh Gulati.  

Dealer Satisfaction Study 2022 Presentation of Awards  

An award ceremony was conducted to honor the winners of FADA’s Dealer Satisfaction Study - 2022. Earlier a study was done by FADA in partnership with PremonAsia, a consumer-insight driven consultancy & advising organization located in Singapore. The survey data was disseminated across industries & categories on a pan India basis, spanning a broad geographical and OEM brand. The felicitation categories of OEMs earning the prize include 2W; CV; PV (Mass); PV (Luxury); and crème de la crème. 

Gaja Capital Business Book Prize Announces Its Fourth Edition

Gaja Capital, one of India’s leading growth stage private equity firms, has today announced the Fourth Edition of the ‘Gaja Capital Business Book Prize.’ The Book Prize was instituted to encourage and inspire Indian entrepreneurs, business owners, authors, and journalists to write and share their stories with the world. It offers a prize money of INR 15 lakhs, making it the biggest book prize in the country to honour authors transforming the business ecosystem with their creativity.

Each year, the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize receives a diverse and wide range of nominations from leading publishers in India. This year too, nominations included books on Entrepreneurship, Indian family businesses, India’s digital tech revolution, important events in the Indian business landscape, economics and stories of personal success and failure covering the entire gamut of Indian business from independence to more recent, contemporary stories.

The jury for the fourth edition of the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize comprise stalwarts from the worlds of industry, investments, academia, public policy, and governance: Manish Sabharwal, Chairman TeamLease (Chairman, Jury), Imran Jafar, Managing Partner & Co-founder- Gaja Capital, Dr. Lakshmi Venu, MD of Sundaram-Clayton Ltd (SCL),  Michael Queen, Former Chief Executive of 3i (British Multinational PE fund),  Prithvi Haldea, Founder Chairman of Praxis Consulting (Prime Database), Neelkanth Mishra, Managing Director and Head of Equity Strategy, Asia Pacific for Credit Suisse, Shailesh Haribhakti, Founder and Managing Partner of Shailesh Haribhakti & Associates Chartered Accountants and Upendra Kumar Sinha, Former Head, RBI Expert Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

Gopal Jain, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Gaja Capital, said “India has a rich history of successful businesses that have been looked up to by entrepreneurs all over the world. Learning from their stories is what gives future entrepreneurs the courage to wade through various hurdles and emerge victorious. At Gaja Capital, we believe that over the next few decades, Indian entrepreneurship and business models should be written about, critiqued, celebrated, and improved to create a vibrant business ecosystem, that is built to last.

I look forward to the fourth edition of the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize and I’m confident the Jury will curate an excellent reading list that should be on the bookshelves and desks of entrepreneurs, business owners and anyone interested in India’s growth potential. I am especially hopeful that these interesting stories encourage young entrepreneurs to read and learn from the experience of others. As for writers, journalists, and entrepreneurs, this will continue to serve as a platform to share their stories and create a body of knowledge that others can leverage and build upon.”

The Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2022 longlist of 10 books is a must read: (1) Broke to Breakthrough: The Rise of India's Largest Private Dairy Company by Harish Damodaran, (2) Disrupt and Conquer: How TTK Prestige Became a Billion Dollar Company by T.T. Jagannathan and Sandhya Mendonca, (3) Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico by Harsh Mariwala and Ram Charan, (4) Indomitable: A Working Woman's Notes on Work, Life and Leadership by Arundhati Bhattacharya, (5)  Maverick Effect: The Inside Story of India's IT Revolution by Harish Mehta, (6) Rahul Bajaj: An Extraordinary Life by Gita Piramal, (7) Tata - The Global Corporation That Built Indian Capitalism by Mircea Raianu, (8) The Ambuja Story by Narotam Sekhsaria, (9) The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential by Naushad Forbes and (10) Xiaomi: How a Startup Disrupted the Market and Created a Cult Following by Jayadevan P.K.

The winning book will be assessed not only basis the overall caliber of narration and research, but also on the quality of its insights and capacity to motivate and instruct young entrepreneurs. The jury will announce the shortlist in November 2022, and the winner in January 2023.

Amrit Raj's book "Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield," a gripping account of how a strong Indian brand became global, received the 2021 Gaja Capital Business Book Prize. Mint journalist Mihir Dalal had won the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2020 for his debut book, Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story. The 2019 prize was won by Girish Kuber, the author of The Tatas: How a Family Built a Business and a Nation.

About Gaja Capital

Gaja Capital is India’s leading growth stage, private equity firm. Gaja Capital invests in technology and technology enabled companies in high growth sectors such as Education, Financial Services, Consumer, Healthcare and Software. Its recent investments include LeadSquared, India’s leading high velocity sales execution software and Xpressbees, India’s leading ecommerce fulfilment company.