Reliance Industries' WhatsApp Chatbot becomes 1st AI chatbot to Assist Shareholders in Capital Market

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries has leaned on its new partner Facebook's WhatsApp to launch a chatbot to provide answers to shareholders on its mega Rs 53,125-crore rights issue.

The chatbot, the first one rolled out for a public offering, has been developed by Jio Haptik Technologies, sources in know of the development said.

The company is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist investors in the Indian stock markets for the first time.

The AI-powered chatbot answers shareholders' queries on the Rs 53,125 crore rights issue, the largest in the history of India Inc, they said.

Replies by the chatbot are in English, while FAQ videos are in English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati and Bangla.

The company has more than 2.6 million shareholders while WhatsApp has more than 400 million users in India.

The chatbot, which can be accessed by sending a message to +91-79771 11111, offers links to video tutorials and provides answers on topics such as important dates related to the rights issue, shareholder entitlement, trading in physical shares and sample forms.

When contacted, an RIL spokesperson declined to comment.

RIL's Rs 53,125-crore rights issue opened for subscription on May 20 and will close on June 3.

The firm's subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm had in April last year acquired chatbot-maker Haptik Infotech for Rs 230 crore and said it would invest another Rs 700 crore, over a period, for expansion.

Sources said all replies on the chatbot are replica of FAQs posted by lead managers to the issue on traditional channels.

A 'Hi' WhatsApp message to the Jio number +91-7977111111 activates the chatbot service. The relevant among the 75+ replies is triggered depending on what the user chooses among the intuitive questions.

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, the chatbot augments services of brokers, sub-brokers and call centres on queries of generic nature, particularly from senior citizens already comfortable with WhatsApp.

The 75+ replies include important dates, a calculator on rights entitlement and monies therefore to be paid in the initial installment, the fractional entitlement if any, how to trade the rights entitlement (trades were allowed till Friday, May 29), how to apply, payment methodologies, how to access forms or access the lead managers and the helplines.

Like humans, a chatbot is trained, at scale and 24x7, to refine its responses as it fields more questions.

SpaceX became 1st Pvt Company to Launch People into Orbit

A rocket ship built by Elon Musk's SpaceX company on Saturday successfully blasted off with two NASA astronauts into orbit from the US state of Florida on their way to the International Space Station, marking the dawn of a new age in commercial space travel.

The blastoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida also assumes significance as it marks the launch of humans into orbit from US soil for the first time in nearly a decade.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (49) and Doug Hurley (53), lifted off at 3:22 pm EDT Saturday atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.



With the liftoff, SpaceX became the first private company to launch people into orbit, a feat achieved previously by only three governments: the US, Russia and China.

The reusable, gumdrop-shaped capsule called Crew Dragon, would now take the two American astronauts to a 19-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS at 10:29 am EDT on Sunday.

The successful launch, which was postponed early this week due to inclement weather, gave Americans something to cheer about as in the last three months they have lost over 100,000 of their countrymen due to the coronavirus that has brought the country's economy to its knee. More than 40 million people have lost their job and the pandemic has pushed the economy into a recession.

Top US leadership including President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and thousands of curious Americans had gathered to watch the launch live on a bright Sunday afternoon.

Congratulating Musk, NASA and the astronauts, Trump described the launch day as a great day for the country.

"I'm so proud of the people, of NASA, public and private. When you see a sight like that, it's incredible. When you hear that sound — the roar — you can imagine how dangerous it is," he told reporters soon thereafter.

"I think this is such a great inspiration for our country. Our country is doing well... We suffered something that was terrible. It should have never happened — it should have never come out of China... That's one of the reasons why I wanted to be here today and I think any one of you would say that was an inspiration to see what we just saw," Trump said.

The President said he spoke with Musk, whom he called one of the "great brains." He also spoke with the two NASA astronauts prior to takeoff.

"What a historic opportunity to watch the first launch of astronauts from American soil to the Space Station since 2011," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. "Launch America is the first big step on our roadmap to the Moon for Artemis," he said. NASA's Artemis programme, the US initiative to explore more of the lunar surface, aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

"This is a dream come true for me and everyone at SpaceX,” said Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla.

"It is the culmination of an incredible amount of work by the SpaceX team, by NASA and by a number of other partners in the process of making this happen," he said.



"Today a new era in human spaceflight begins as we once again launched American astronauts on American rockets from American soil on their way to the ISS, our national lab orbiting Earth," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

"The launch of this commercial space system designed for humans is a phenomenal demonstration of American excellence and is an important step on our path to expand human exploration to the Moon and Mars," he said.

"Today, in lifting our ambitions and our imaginations to the heavens, the United States has once more reshaped the future of space travel," said Joe Biden, former US Vice President and Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee.

"When Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to the ISS, they added their names to the long list of heroes who have changed the way we think about our universe and our place in it,” he said.

"Their voyage not only marks the return of American astronauts travelling to space from US soil, but a pioneering new phase of public-private cooperation for the peaceful exploration of space," Biden said as he asserted that the seed of today's launch was planted by the Obama-Biden administration.

"We planted the seeds of today's success during the 2009 Recovery Act, which according to NASA, has saved taxpayers up to USD 30 billion and invigorated an aerospace industry in Florida that accounts for more than 130,000 jobs in the state," he said.

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas Lucas said, "Today marks a new era in space travel".

"It's been nearly 10 years for we last launched American astronauts from American soil on an American rocket. The successful launch today is the culmination of years of hard work and commitment through NASA's Commercial Crew Program," he said.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy said the launch of the spacecraft is a "testament to American ingenuity and our country's profound ability to overcome challenges as they arise, particularly in the age of COVID-19".

Congresswoman Kendra Horn, chair of the Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, congratulated NASA and SpaceX on successful demonstration launch of astronauts Hurley and Behnken to the ISS. Known as NASA's SpaceX Demo-2, the mission is an end-to-end test flight to validate the SpaceX crew transportation system, including launch, in-orbit, docking and landing operations. This is SpaceX's second spaceflight test of its Crew Dragon and its first test with astronauts aboard, which will pave the way for its certification for regular crew flights to the station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Programme.

After successfully docking, the crew will be welcomed aboard the International Space Station, where they will become members of the Expedition 63 crew, which currently includes NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy.

File Sharing Website WeTransfer Blocked by Govt

The government has ordered internet service providers to block computer file sharing website WeTransfer on request of the Delhi Police due to security reasons.

The order issued by the Department of Telecom on May 18 directed all ISP to block two download links on Dutch website WeTransfer and also the entire website www.wetransfer.com.

"Delhi Police had requested the IT ministry to block two download links and the entire We Transfer website immediately. Following which orders were issued to the website and links suggested by the Delhi Police," an official source told PTI.

Meity asked the DoT to direct internet service providers to block the website.

"The compliance be submitted immediately failing which shall inter-alia invite initiation of actions under licence conditions," the DoT order e-mailed to several ISPs said.

Yes Bank Acquires 24% Stake in Dish TV Post Invocation of Pledged Shares

Yes Bank said it has acquired over 24 per cent stake in Dish TV India following invocation of pledged shares due to debt default by the DTH service provider and other group firms.

Yes Bank Limited, pursuant to invocation of pledged shares, has acquired 44,53,48,990 equity shares of Dish TV India Limited constituting approximately 24.19 per cent of the post-issue paid-up share capital as at March 31, 2020, it said in a regulatory filing.

Shares were acquired on invocation of pledge subsequent to default/breach of terms of loan to Dish TV India Limited, it said.

Further, Yes Bank said there was default/breach of terms of credit facilities sanctioned by it to Essel Business Excellence Services, Essel Corporate Resources, Living Entertainment Enterprises, Last Mile Online, Pan India Network Infravest, RPW Projects Private, Mumbai WTR and Pan India Infraprojects.

The companies are part of the Subhash Chandra-led Essel Group.

Dish TV is a direct to home (DTH) entertainment service provider. It had a consolidated total income of Rs 6,218.28 crore as on March 31, 2019. PTI KPM

8-Year-Old from India becomes One of the World’s Youngest Certified Game Developer

While the covid19 pandemic has forced the entire world to observe lockdown, it has also given everyone a chance to hone their skills and add some value to themselves, especially the children who are learning various things online and are using the opportunity to do something different.

In the same way, eight-year-old Etasha Kumari has brought laurels to the country by becoming the one of the world’s youngest certified game developer.



Etasha Kumari is 8 years old and is a student of Manav Bharti India International School. Along with her regular studies, She is also pursuing an online certificate course on "Coding" through WhiteHat Junior. WhiteHat Junior is founded by the former employees of the leading companies like Google, Microsoft, Intel, Discovery and Amazon.

WhiteHat Jr prepares kids 6-14 for this new world. Kids learn fundamentals of coding--logic, structure, sequence and algorithmic thinking--to generate creative outcomes eg animations and apps. The one year course has many levels, and children are given certificates at every level. After completing all 8 levels with the top ranking, children also get a chance to visit Silicon Valley, USA and ISRO for an onsite experience of "Coding World".

In just 2 weeks time, Etasha Kumari has completed 2 levels and developed various games through coding and completed the project in the shortest time possible and has achieved the book of world's youngest certified game developer.

WeWork India Close to Sign 2400 Seats Office Deal with Commonwealth Bank of Australia

WeWork India is close to sign an office deal with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, an Australian multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Asia, the US and the UK. According to the report by Economic Times (ET), WeWork may close deal of 2400 seats office at WeWork's Manyata tech park facility in Bengaluru.

The office-space, which has a 4 years lock-in period, will be fully fitted by WeWork, said the ET report citing three people aware of the deal.

Commonwealth Bank was the first Australian bank to open a branch in Mumbai when it started its operations in August 2010, in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services, BaNCS platform, to provide trade finance, remittance and foreign exchange services attracted by the high potential for trade between Australia and India.

According to ET, WeWork India, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of Embassy Group, plans to raise $200 million (about Rs 1,421 crore) to expand its India operations. The company currently has 40,000 members and 57,000 desks in 34 locations.

Earlier this month it was reported that WeWork India will lay off around 20% of its total 500 employees with effect from June to cut its operational costs after its business hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

In February this year, WeWork partnered with upGrad, India’s leading online higher education company, to introduce industry-relevant programs and higher learning to the workplace, with an objective of enhancing member experiences and advancing their professional journeys

To Manufacture NASA's Coronavirus Ventilators, 3 Indian Companies Get Licence

Three Indian companies have got licences from NASA to manufacture its indigenously developed ventilators for critical COVID-19 patients.

The three Indian companies are Alpha Design Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bharat Forge Ltd and Medha Servo Drives Pvt Ltd, the space organisation said in a statement on Friday.

Apart from the Indian firms, 18 other companies, including eight American and three Brazilian, have been selected to manufacture the critical breathing devices.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is an independent agency for space research, aeronautics and related programmes in the US, developed the ventilator specifically for coronavirus patients at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JLP) in Southern California.

The JPL engineers designed the special ventilator -- called VITAL -- in little over a month and received 'Emergency Use Authorization' from the Food and Drug Administration on April 30.

The VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally) equipment uses one-seventh the parts of a traditional ventilator, relying on parts already available in supply chains, the space organisation said.

This high-pressure ventilator offers a simple, affordable option for treating critical patients while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe COVID-19 symptoms. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals, the NASA statement read.

"The VITAL team is very excited to see their technology licenced," said Leon Alkalai, manager of the JPL Office of Strategic Partnerships.

"Our hope is to have this technology reach across the world and provide an additional source of solutions to deal with the on-going COVID-19 crisis," he said.

NASA said VITAL was developed with input from doctors and medical device manufacturers.

A prototype of the JPL device was successfully tested by the Human Simulation Lab in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Mount Sinai on April 23.

To Manufacture NASA's Coronavirus Ventilators, 3 Indian Companies GetLicence

VITAL prototype was tested by a team from UCLA. Credits: NASA
VITAL prototype was tested by a team from UCLA. Credits: NASA

A modified design, which uses compressed air and can be deployed by a greater range of hospitals, was recently tested at the UCLA Simulation Center in Los Angeles.

A high-fidelity lung simulator tested almost 20 different ventilator settings, representing a number of scenarios that could be seen in critically ill patients in an intensive care unit, it said.

"VITAL performed well in simulation testing with both precise and reproducible results," said Dr Tisha Wang, clinical chief of the UCLA Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

"In addition, the setup and operation of the ventilator was quick and user-friendly. The UCLA team commends JPL for actively contributing to the COVID-19 response and successfully addressing one of the key medical needs in the sickest group of patients," a media statement said.

The coronavirus, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city, has claimed 1,02,836 lives in the US, with over 1.7 million confirmed cases so far. The global death toll has crossed 3,50,000. PTI LKJ IND AKJ

Accenture Acquires Ahmedabad-based Byte Prophecy, An Automated Insights & Big Data Analytics Firm

Accenture has acquired Byte Prophecy, an automated insights and big data analytics company based in Ahmedabad, India, to meet the growing demand for enterprise-scale AI and digital analytics solutions across the region.

The acquisition will add nearly 50 data science and data engineering experts, with a particular focus on insight automation, to Accenture Applied Intelligence. The move will deepen existing consulting and technology capabilities that help clients in areas such as data foundations and advanced analytics.

“Across industries, decision making has become more complex, and businesses are increasingly relying on advanced analytics and AI to ensure insight driven, rapid decision making,” said Piyush N. Singh, Accenture’s market unit lead for India and sales lead for Growth Markets. “Beyond advanced technology capabilities, Accenture brings our clients a co-innovation mindset, and in Byte Prophecy we found a partner with the right mix of technology and consulting skills, and a client-centric innovation culture.”

Founded in 2011, Byte Prophecy has worked closely with Accenture Ventures since 2018 on open innovation efforts, collaborating and co-innovating with Accenture and its clients in Asia Pacific on advanced data and analytics projects.

“Our team has already been working with Byte Prophecy over the past two years, and together we’ve helped clients build the strong data foundations that are the cornerstone for successful AI adoption,” said Athina Kanioura, Accenture’s chief analytics officer and global lead for Applied Intelligence. “Officially making Byte Prophecy’s people and capabilities part of Accenture is a testament to the shared vision of shared success we’ve seen in our joint efforts.”

“Our experience working with Accenture has helped us better understand customer pain points and fine-tune our solution to respond with greater agility to clients’ needs,” said Mrugank Parikh, co-founder, Byte Prophecy. “The opportunity to become part of Accenture Applied Intelligence will enable us to jointly build stronger assets and expand our services to more clients in the emerging markets. We are excited about our journey ahead and are looking forward to exploring the wide opportunities this union will bring to our people and clients.”

Accenture’s acquisition strategy involves delivering on existing, as well as emerging client needs with speed and scale. Over the past year the company has made Applied Intelligence acquisitions in Australia, Spain, North America and the U.K. to enhance its portfolio of technologies and help clients across those markets scale AI.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Applied Intelligence is Accenture’s approach to scaling AI for our clients. We embed AI-powered data, analytics and automation capabilities into business workflows to accelerate time to value. Our expertise in defining end-to-end strategy, combined with deep data infrastructure capabilities, cognitive services and industrialized accelerators help smooth clients’ path to AI adoption, extending human capabilities and supporting clients in scaling AI responsibly. Recognized as a leader by industry analysts, we collaborate with a powerful global alliance, innovation and delivery network to help clients deploy and scale AI within any market and industry.

Source - newsroom.accenture.com

To Deal China, UK Approaches for New 5G Club of 10 Democracies, including India: Report

The British government has approached the US with the prospect of creating a 5G club of 10 democracies, including India, amid growing security concerns related to Chinese telecom giant Huawei, according to a UK media report.

A so-called “D10” club of democratic partners, including G7 countries – UK, US, Italy, Germany, France, Japan and Canada – plus Australia, South Korea and India will aim to create alternative suppliers of 5G equipment and other technologies to avoid relying on China, ‘The Times' reported.

The move to speed up such a club comes as the UK launched an inquiry into Huawei's involvement in the country's mobile network upgrade in the wake of US sanctions against the company.

“We need new entrants to the market. That was the reason we ended up having to go along with Huawei at the time,” the newspaper quoted a UK government source as saying.

Nokia and Ericsson are the only European suppliers of 5G infrastructure and experts say that they cannot provide 5G kit as quickly or as cheaply as Huawei.

Britain has labelled Huawei a “high-risk” vendor and therefore its involvement in the UK's 5G upgrade comes with a 35 per cent market cap, including a ban on its participation in the sensitive “core” of the network.

The review into Huawei, launched last week by the UK”s National Cyber Security Centre, followed the announcement of US sanctions to block the sale of American chips to the company.

UK security officials fear that the ban will prompt China to use cheaper, less secure technologies, instead of verified US versions.

Officials are, meanwhile, examining proposals to curb the installation of Huawei kit in the 5G network from 2023.

According to the newspaper, increasing the partnership of like-minded democracies forms part of the ongoing reappraisal of the Chinese firm's involvement in the UK.

The US in recent months has increased its action against Huawei, China's first global tech brand and a maker of network equipment and smartphones, preventing it from doing business in the US, as it believes the company known for its technological advancement in 5G is being used by the Chinese leadership to serve their interest.

The Trump administration says Huawei is a security risk, which the company denies, and is trying to persuade European and other allies to shun its technology for the next-generation telecom networks.

China has accused the US of raising phony security concerns to hurt a rising competitor to American tech companies.

The Benefits of Reading Online Reviews

We live in a digital world where everything is available online. If you do a lot of online shopping, there are many benefits to reading professional reviews. Online reviews can give you all the info you need to make a wise and informed purchase.

Online shopping, services and casino reviews


It is estimated that online shopping accounts for 14,1% of total retail sales worldwide, and this trend will only continue to grow. Online shopping is undoubtedly more convenient than having to spend time in a store, and thanks to Amazon you can now get anything you want - delivered straight to your door. Moreover, online shops generally have a bigger selection of products, whether you are shopping for a TV or some new clothes.

There are many benefits to researching the products you want to buy. By reading online reviews, you get all the information you need before clicking the checkout button. Tech blogs and online review sites specialise in reviewing new products, often before they hit the market.

At DPReview, for example, you can find expert reviews of the latest cameras. If you take a few minutes to read a review, you might save money by avoiding a bad purchase.

Online services and casinos have reviews as well. Many websites offer comprehensive reviews of the most popular streaming services, internet providers, movies, video games and so on.

If you are into online gambling, you probably know that there are hundreds of casinos on the internet. By browsing TeleVega review and similar review sites, you can find useful information about the best casinos and avoid the bad ones. Expert online reviews have made it easier to find honest information about any product or service.

User reviews of restaurants and hotels


User reviews have become an essential addition to e-commerce. These days, many online shops and services offer a user review section where customers can rate their satisfaction. The main benefit of reading user reviews is that you can get the opinion of thousands of people at a time. If a product or service has a low rating, you can be pretty sure that it’s not worth your money or time. Furthermore, user reviews are usually honest and unbiased. The fact is that most customers wouldn’t go through the effort of reviewing a product unless they had a strong opinion about it.

The next time you are planning a holiday or a night out, it might be worthwhile to check out a few user reviews before you make a booking. On websites like TripAdvisor and Expedia, you can find user reviews of almost every restaurant or hotel under the sun. These reviews will give you all the information you could want before booking a table or room: quality, price range, level of service and more. You can also use user review websites to find the best local restaurants, bars, hotels and more. Some sites even let customers write reviews of their latest visit at the dentist. With so many user review sites, is easier than ever to make informed purchases.

Children’s Healthy Snack Brand Timios Raises Funding led by Mysuru-based Rangsons Technologies

Timios, a Bangalore based packaged healthy snack brand for children has raised Pre Series A funding led by Rangsons Technologies LLP, part of NR Group. The round also saw participation from Paipal Ventures LLP. The funds will be used towards product development, strengthening the existing distribution network and enhancing the technology platform. Timios had earlier raised funding from MTR Foods Pvt Ltd in 2018. 

Timios was founded by brother sister duo Aswani Chaitanya and Hima Bindu in 2016. The idea came about when Aswani moved to India from the UK in 2014 after spending about 15 years at top tier investment banks. Once he returned with family, as parents, Aswani and his wife were  in search of healthy age appropriate snacks for their two young boys.

[caption id="attachment_145977" align="alignleft" width="300"] Aswani Chaitanya_Timios_ CEO[/caption]

Unlike in the developed markets, there were no options for healthy yet tasty snacks designed for children. He realized the gap in the market and teamed up with his sister Hima Bindu, who holds a Masters degree in Nutrition and has worked as a research associate at an agriculture university and as part of the research and development team of a leading FMCG company. The duo founded Timios to create healthy yet flavourful and age appropriate food products  for children.

Commenting on the announcement,  Aswani Chaitanya, CEO and Co-Founder of Timios said “A  lot of millennial parents today are extremely conscious about what their children consume as part of their healthy diet. This increasing awareness and shift towards healthy, natural and organic food choices for children have been the key reasons behind the success of our products. The response we have received so far has been overwhelming. With new investment, we will continue to develop more innovative products and expand our footprint. We are very pleased to bring on board Rangsons Technologies LLP and Paipal Ventures LLP to be a part of our next phase of growth. In addition to the investment, we value the tremendous experience and strategic vision they bring to the table".



Pavan G Ranga, CEO, Rangsons Technologies LLP said “We are very excited to onboard this journey. We believe this to be a unique category and the team has developed a very relevant product line to address the current need in the market. Timios has demonstrated impressive growth within a very short period of time. We truly believe that Timios is addressing a large unmet need in the category of healthy packaged snacks for children. With an experience rich team and new innovative products, Timios has the potential to capture a significant share in this category."

Ajith R Pai, Partner, Paipal Ventures LLP saidAswani and his team bring in passion and energy in everything they do.  Their effort over the last few years has laid the foundation for the brand and the company to be well positioned to grow in this under-served market for healthy and nutritious food for children.  I am confident that with this new investment Timios can scale up significantly to be the defining brand in the category it operates."

Timios has a range of healthy food products designed for children. Timios products are age appropriate covering age ranges starting from 6 months to 12 years. (Babies, toddlers and schoolers). Each product is made with 100% natural ingredients and contains zero preservatives. With 7 categories of products, Timios offers finger food, munchies, energy bars, breakfast cereal, biscuits, probiotic bites and much more. Each of these products are designed in suitable portions to provide the necessary nutrition. Timios will soon be introducing weaning food and other snacks  for toddlers and schoolers. 

Timios is available on their website www.mytimios.com, online platforms like Amazon, Bigbasket, Firstcry and Flipkart. With 250+ orders every day, the company also sells its products in over 350 offline stores (organic stores and kids/baby stores). 

Timios, part of FirmRoots Pvt Ltd, is a packaged healthy snack brand for children. Founded by brother sister duo, Aswani Chaitanya and Hima Bindu in 2016, Timios has a range of healthy food products designed for children. Timios products are age appropriate covering age ranges starting from 6 months to 12 years. (Babies, toddlers and schoolers). 

About Rangsons Technologies LLP 

Headquartered in Mysuru, Rangsons Tech LLP are a diversified business group with presence in Defence and Aerospace, Education, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Healthcare.

Rangsons Tech LLP is a part of NR Group, which was established in 1948, and today it is one of the largest business houses in South India. It’s flagship company N. Ranga Rao & Sons is the market leader in Indian Incense Industry led by its brand ‘CYCLE Pure Agarbathies’.

About Paipal Ventures LLP 

Paipal Ventures is an early stage family office investment fund that invests in passionate founders with a vision to scale.  Coming from a family of entrepreneurs it looks to support and nurture businesses that are unique and have an opportunity to dominate the market segment they are in.   Its past investments have been in diverse verticals such as Edtech, Agritech, Solar, Fashion & FMCG.

Paipal Ventures is part of the Mysuru based VWF Group founded in 1980 which began its journey as a manufacturer of lighting components. Over the years it has diversified into LEDs, Diamond tools & Agri Fresh Produce. 

Halonix becomes First Lighting Company to Ensure Protection Against COVID-19 through UV Light Sanitization of its Packaging

Halonix Technologies Pvt Ltd. (Halonix), India's fastest growing residential and institutional lighting company is taking extraordinary measures to ensure health and safety of its customers while it resumes speedy production at its manufacturing plant. Leaving no stones unturned in providing ultimate safety and protection to its customers, Halonix is sanitizing all its products and packages through UV Light Sanitization, so that the customers can remain free of any fear of infection amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In such a way, Halonix is also supporting nation's fight against the ongoing pandemic.

Halonix has installed UV Light sanitization tunnels at its facility to achieve complete decontamination of its products and packages. The company is also taking all the necessary precautions relating to hygiene, social distancing, besides sanitization of its facility. Halonix has also provided its employees with hand sanitizers, face masks gloves and soaps for washing hands frequently.

[caption id="attachment_145972" align="aligncenter" width="636"] Rakesh Zutshi, Managing Director, Halonix Technologies Pvt Ltd.[/caption]

Mr. Rakesh Zutshi, Managing Director, Halonix Technologies Pvt Ltd. said, "Halonix is presenting a fine example of business practices required at this time of unprecedented crisis arising out of the pandemic. By following the COVID-19 protocols in letter and spirit the company is safeguarding the lives of its consumers as well as its staffs alike. Taking it one step further we are sanitizing all our products and packages through UV Light Sanitization, hence we are also contributing our bit in the ongoing war against pandemic."

With the widest range of products across LED, Luminaires, Home Decorative Lighting, Commercial & Industrial Lighting, Street Lighting, Flood Lighting, Halogens and High Intensity discharge Lamps among others, Halonix is one of the largest players in the LED lighting segment in the country. Supported by its pan-India distribution and service capabilities, it is delivering these efficient, energy saving and environment friendly services to all corners of India. Moreover, using its expertise with these emerging technologies it has transformed the lighting at some of the largest airports, railway stations, roads and highways, retail stores, offices and factories as a turnkey solution.

~ Newsvoir

Google Issued 1755 Warnings to Users Globally on Govt-backed Attackers in April

Google sent out 1,755 warnings to users globally, including up to 100 in India, in April whose accounts were the target of "government-backed attackers".

In a blog post, Google said its Threat Analysis Group (TAG) tracks more than 270 targeted or government-backed groups from over 50 countries. It, however, did not clarify which governments have targeted these users.

Google shared recent findings on government-backed phishing, threats and disinformation, as well as a new bulletin to share information about actions it has taken against accounts that it attributes to coordinated influence campaigns.

"Last month, we sent 1,755 warnings to users whose accounts were targets of government-backed attackers," it said.

A heatmap on "Distribution of targets of government-backed phishing attempts in April 2020" showed that 51-100 users in India had received such warnings.

The tech giant said government-backed or state-sponsored groups have different goals in carrying out their attacks.

"...Some are looking to collect intelligence or steal intellectual property; others are targeting dissidents or activists, or attempting to engage in coordinated influence operations and disinformation campaigns," it added.

The company emphasised that its products are designed with robust built-in security features, like Gmail protections against phishing and Safe Browsing in Chrome, but it still dedicates significant resources to developing new tools and technology to help identify, track and stop this kind of activity.

"In addition to our internal investigations, we work with law enforcement, industry partners, and third parties like specialized security firms to assess and share intelligence," it said.

Outlining steps taken by the company, Google said it swiftly removes such content from its platforms and terminates these actors' accounts. It also routinely exchanges information and shares its findings with others in the industry, it added.

Google said in March, it terminated three advertising accounts, one AdSense account, and 11 YouTube channels as part of its actions against a coordinated influence operation linked to India.

The campaign, which was sharing messages in English supportive of Qatar, was consistent with similar findings reported by Facebook, it added.

"Since March, we've removed more than a thousand YouTube channels that we believe to be part of a large campaign and that were behaving in a coordinated manner. These channels were mostly uploading spammy, non-political content, but a small subset posted primarily Chinese-language political content...," it said. PTI SR MBI

IoT-based Solar Energy Firm Okra Closes Funding from Schneider Electric, Japan's GGG


Okra Solar, a tech company that helps communities in developing countries get access to electricity through its IoT (Internet of Things) based Solar Smart Grids, has just secured a round of investment from electricity giant Schneider Electric and also GGG (a conglomerate of Japanese power giants Tepco and Chubo Power). This funding shows in challenging times with COVID-19 looming, corporates are looking for new ways to be profitable — what better way than by bringing power and development to the 900 Million people who still don't have electricity.

The Australian technology startup has recently released two new products -- the Okra Edamame IoT Pod and the Okra Harvest software platform. Together, they enable energy utilities to rapidly energise off-grid communities using solar smart grids. We will use this additional funding to continue our expansion into key South-East Asian markets whilst prospecting pilot projects in Nigeria in Q4 of this year.

Okra Distributed Micro-Grid

Okra’s modular DC smart-grids enable households to receive 24/7 electricity for half of the operating costs of traditional AC minigrids. Its modular node-to-node distribution architecture and IoT to remotely control and monitor, enables unparalleled reliability for end-users and grid operators.

Okra's plug & play IoT controller, aka. the Okra "Pod"​, uses machine learning and remote monitoring to ensure power is efficiently distributed throughout a network of solar households. Its cloud software provides grid owners with real-time data so they know when and how networks should be scaled.

Okra Solar works with local utilities to transform #offgrid communities into energy abundant #microgrid economies. Connecting households together using smart distribution techniques makes energy more reliable and up to 10x cheaper than grid extension or AC micro-grids.

Covid 19 Testing Mobile Vans to Conduct Door-to-Door Tests in Nashik and Malegaon

ESDS Software Solution Pvt. Ltd., one of India’s leading IT solutions company has rolled out its mobile X-ray testing vans that can detect the possibility of COVID-19 in a patient in less than five minutes in the Nashik district and Malegaon to enable suspected patients and hospitals take a decision quickly without losing time which is critical to stop the spread of this virus.

These vans will be moving around in the Nashik district and Malegaon across all three zones (Green, Orange and Red). The aim is to provide door-to-door services across the regions.

AI powered anytime anywhere rapid testing solution AA+ COVID-19 indicates whether the patient is suffering from COVID-19 in less than 5 minutes. We have managed to detect more than 500 asymtomatic patients with 96% accuracy in last 8 days and over 1000 Symtomatic patients with 99% Accuracy. Our solution is a complete contactless testing procedure, where all the health officials have to collect the Chest X-ray reports, upload them on a web browser https://portal.aacovidtest.com and just click on the submit button. Post clicking on the submit button, it will quickly indicate whether the patient is suffering from COVID-19 or not.

The other existing tests such as the SWAB test take between four to five days before the results are out which is very time consuming for everyone. SWAB test is recommended only after 5th day from the time of infection, while AA+ Software claims to read X-Ray of a person positively within 24 hours of infection.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Piyush Somani (Founder, CMD & CEO, ESDS) said “The AA+Covid 19 mobile X-ray vans will help us reach patients at short notice and relieve the pressure on the hospitals in Nashik and Malegaon and our accuracy rate is over 96 per cent giving both the patient and the hospital the confidence to take the next steps immediately and stop the chain of transmission."

He further added, “Both the Nashik and Malegaon Municipal corporations are using this techonolgy and we have also partnered with over 50 hosptials and radiologists in the region. People need not be worried about X-Ray radiation, as we are using new generation Digital X-Ray machines which have much lesser radiation and in India X-Ray machines are very commonly used in Hospitals, it’s my firm belief that, the only way to break the chain of Covid-19 is X-Ray based rapid detection and isolation of the Covid-19 carriers till they test negative".

ESDS is also inviting partners, NGOs, hospitals & radiologists to collaborate with them and this will help make the techonolgy available to everyone and help in curbing the spread of the disease.

Born with a global mindset, ESDS began its operations from the Tier 2 city of Nashik (India) in 2005 and presently has its footprint in 19 nations across APAC, Europe, Middle East, the Americas and Africa. ESDS acts as a catalyst for digital transformation in the modern outcome-based economy by enabling organizations to embrace advanced technologies.

At ESDS, we believe in creating lifetime relationships and fostering a culture of co-existence by uniting minds that are passionate about delivering innovative solutions and exuberant customer experience. ESDS makes a positive impact on the lives of 50 Crore Indians over a span of 15 days through all the Government (150 Customers) and Banking organizations(350 Banking customers) served on it’s patented Cloud Technology.

PITCH8 - Online Startup Pitching Competition to Help Founders Raise Money

Following the success of StartupManthan and StartupMilaap, RaiseMyStartup came up with their very first online Live startup pitching competition (PITCH8) to help founders raise money during this pandemic.

PITCH8 is an online fundraising event, that was held on 9th May 2020.



This initiative designed only for B2B SaaS Startups where they got a chance to pitch their innovative ideas/startup to Investors virtually across India.

PITCH8 - Online Pitching Competition


More than 60 startups have applied for the PITCH8. All the applications were evaluated by the investors panel. Out of 60, only 10 curated B2B SaaS-based startups got chance to pitch and woo the investors with their innovative ideas.

There was 8 investment funds who participated included Bhavish Sood, Modular Capital; Saurabh Lahoti, Pentathlon Ventures; Rohit Goyal, Windrose Capital; Charles Owen, EV2 Ventures; Akshay Kothari, Fluid Ventures; Neeraj Tyagi, Venture Catalysts; Vineet Khurana, Chandigarh Angel Network; Sandro Stephen, Indian Angel Network.

Through this event, 4 startups are in final round of discussion while one startup signed the term-sheet for the funding.

Earlier this year through StartupMilaap event, couple of startups have already been received funding worth Rs. 5 Cr.

RaiseMyStartup is a funding platform where entrepreneurs connect with potential Investors, mentors, corporates and other start-up stakeholders.

We make it easy to raise investment from our diverse and balanced portfolio of disruptive businesses curated investors. Get the capital you need to grow your business.

For more information, please visit www.RaiseMyStartup.com.

With 1 Cr COVID-19 Tests/Month, IIT Alumni Council to Set Up Mega Lab in Mumbai

As part of its effort to fight the COVID pandemic, the IIT Alumni Council on Thursday announced the setting up of a mega lab in the metropolis with a capacity of 1-crore tests per month.

The council also said it will soon start identifying partners for the same through a global competition.

Having launched the first 'Covid Test Bus' in the city earlier in the month, the council also said trials have already begun on two of the supercomputer clusters in the megapolis, which alone has seen more than 35,000 cases out of the close to 1.58 lakh in the country and nearly 2,000 of the over 4,700 deaths in the country so far.

While vaccine is still more than a year away in the best case scenario, the testing capacity has emerged as the biggest challenge. So the focus of the lab is to ensure timely testing, therefore their focus is on detecting, preventing and treating the disease with timely as well as affordable testing.

It can be noted that the council has also set up COVID-19 Taskforce under the chairmanship of K Vijay Raghavan, an IIT Kanpur alumnus and the principal scientific officer to the Centre, with 20 IIT directors as members, along with many other distinguished alumni of the institutes.

"The IIT Alumni Council has decided to set up the largest genetic testing laboratory for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases after consulting global experts in the areas of virology, RT-PCR machine manufactures, test kits, pooling algorithms, AI, machine learning, robotics and microfluidics.

"A dedicated team has already started work on designing the MegaLab Mumbai with a capacity of 10 million RT-PCR tests per month," said Ravi Sharma, president of the IIT Alumni Council.

"The MegaLab will be based on the end-to-end Kodoy indigenous technology stack and will have adequate capacity for testing the entire population of Mumbai for infectious diseases, once a month," he added.

The COVID-19 Taskforce, announced on March 25 itself — the day the first phase of the now-nine-weeks long national lockdown was announced, has various working groups involving over 1,000 dedicated alumni spread all over the world to finding/creating appropriate solutions to fight the pandemic.

Apart from these, the council also set up digital X-ray systems at the Poddar Hospital that uses AI to detect coronavirus for the first time in the country on April 23. On May 1, it also launched the country's first 'COVID Test Bus' in the city and from May 10, it started work on indigenising the test kits.

The MegaLab Mumbai is the latest initiative of the IIT Alumni Council with an aim to design and establish the largest genetic testing laboratory for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases like tuberculosis with an end-to-end capacity to carry out over 1 crore tests a month.

The MegaLab will be based on the end-to-end Kodoy indigenous technology stack, and for implementation, the Kodoy stack is divided in 64 steps from (collection of) virus in the throat to the virus being ultimately zapped/disinfected by UV at the completion of testing in a RT-PCR.

The testing infrastructure will comprise the vehicle mounted automated sample collection stations in cars or cabs and Covid Test Buses, while the MegaLab will comprise robotic contactless sample transport from the vehicles to the testing line with robotic pooling followed by high speed RNA extraction using magnetic bead technology.

The IIT Alumni Council is the largest global body of alumni, students and faculty across all the 23 IITs with over 100 city chapters.

BookMyShow Lays Off, Furloughs 270 Employees

Online ticket booking platform BookMyShow has laid off or furloughed 270 employees as it expects its revenue to be "greatly reduced" in the coming months, hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

Several tech-led businesses including Ola, Uber, Zomato and Swiggy have laid off hundreds of employees in the past few weeks as they struggle against reduced earnings and uncertain business environment.

"...we have had to resort to the task of reducing our costs to align them with what we believe will be greatly reduced revenues in the months to come...Out of 1,450 employees at BookMyShow in India and globally, about 270 employees across various functions and teams, will be impacted through this exercise," BookMyShow chief executive Ashish Hemrajani said in an email to employees.

This includes those who will be put on furloughs, along with those who we will have to part ways with, at least, as of now, he added.

He said the company has tried to do it best to offer financial support, continued health insurance cover and outplacement support for those impacted by the downsizing exercise.

Hemrajani said the teams that are staying back have voluntarily taken salary cuts ranging from 10 per cent to 50 per cent at the leadership level, given up their bonuses and all salary raises.

The company has cut all other expenses and renegotiated with vendors, partners and landlords and after exhausting all other cost-saving measures, it took the decision as a "last resort", he said, adding that the layoffs are "not a reflection" of the individual's performance or ability.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, multiplexes, theatres and stadiums were closed and people stayed indoors, which impacted these businesses as well as those in ancillary services. PTI SR

Voot Partners with upGrad to Expand its Content Play to Edutainment


  • Industry experts to offer young working professionals & students insights on diverse topics

  • Innovative formats including short, snackable educational videos (edutainment) for today’s new age audience

  • Academic content videos for students to continue to enhance their learning curve amidst lockdown


In these unprecedented times, Indian consumers across demographics and geographies are opting for the digital route to access services across industries. The two industries that have witnessed a spectacular growth during such times are OTT video platforms & the online education industry. The association between VOOT, India’s leading streaming platform and upGrad, India’s largest online higher education company opens a doorway for consumers and working professionals to seamlessly access the best of entertainment and education videos, all under one roof.

VOOT, home to hours of exciting entertainment content across formats and genres, with this thoughtful partnership, is pioneering the cause for young Indian professionals by providing them quality upskilling content as part of its repertoire. A dedicated upGrad segment on the VOOT app will unleash its viewers into a pool of informative content around the new-age domains of Data Science, Blockchain, Tech and Management, which are carefully curated by upGrad’s in-house content team to help working professionals enhance their employability quotient. Additionally, to provide in-depth and accurate knowledge, the playlist will also include new-age anecdotes in the form of snackable videos and sessions hosted by industry leaders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The segment will include upGrad Shotgyaan, Crash course in Data Science and a recently curated interesting list of Work From Home (WFH) tech tips as starters with frequent additions being made to the binge-watch content library.

Speaking on the initiative, Akash Banerji, Head- AVOD business, VOOT said, “In these times, with digital assuming a decisive role in a user’s life, our objective with VOOT is to deliver a truly enriching and inclusive content slate that elevates the user experience and engagement. Blending our entertainment proposition with learning through this partnership with upGrad, is not only an innovative solution for young minds, but also enables us to widen our reach and user base.

Announcing the partnership, Gaurav Kumar – President, Corporate Development said, “Young India is hooked on to the OTT platforms for their daily dose of entertainment and therefore, it is exciting to have a special window that seamlessly lands them to a new-age upskilling content playlist, that will add up to their professional growth at large. With our insightful storytelling format and innovative execution, we look forward to shedding the stereotypical emotion attached with education of being serious.”

Explore the best of Entertainment and edutainment at one click on VOOT!

upGrad has been awarded the title of ‘Best Tech for Education’ by IAMAI in 2019. upGrad received the ‘Best Education Brands’ award by Economic Times in 2018, Most Innovative Companies in India' by Fast Company in 2017 and has made it to LinkedIn’s ‘Top 25 Startups’ two years in a row in 2018 and 2019.

Trust Lacking Within the Cybercriminal Underground - Trend Micro Research

Report details changing tactics and global demand for new malicious services like Deepfake ransomware and AI bots


Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today released new data on cybercriminal operations and patterns for buying and selling goods and services in the underground. Trust has eroded among criminal interactions, causing a switch to e-commerce platforms and communication using Discord, which both increase user anonymization.

"This report highlights the threat intelligence we collect and analyze from global cybercriminal networks that enables us to alert, prepare and protect our corporate customers and partners," said Ed Cabrera, chief cybersecurity officer for Trend Micro. "This research helps us inform businesses early about emerging threats, such as Deepfake ransomware, AI bots, Access-as-a-Service and highly targeted SIM-swapping. A layered, risk-based response is vital for mitigating the risk posed by these and other increasingly popular threats."

The report reveals that determined efforts by law enforcement appear to be having an impact on the cybercrime underground. Several forums have been taken down by global police entities, and remaining forums experience persistent DDoS attacks and log-in problems impacting their usefulness.

Loss of trust led to the creation of a new site, called DarkNet Trust, which was created to verify vendors’ and increase user anonymity. Other underground markets have launched new security measures, such as direct buyer-to-vendor payments, multi-signatures for cryptocurrency transactions, encrypted messaging, and a ban on JavaScript.

The report also reveals the changing market trends for cybercrime products and services since 2015. Commoditization has driven prices down for many items. For example, crypting services fell from US$1,000 to just $20 per month, while the price of generic botnets dropped from $200 to $5 per day. Pricing for other items, including ransomware, Remote Access Trojans (RATs), online account credentials and spam services, remained stable, which indicates continued demand.

However, Trend Micro Research has seen high demand for other services, such as IoT botnets, with new undetected malware variants selling for as much as $5,000. Also popular are fake news and cyber-propaganda services, with voter databases selling for hundreds of dollars, and gaming accounts for games like Fortnite can fetch around $1,000 on average.

Other notable findings include the emergence of markets for:

  • Deepfake services for sextortion or to bypass photo verification requirements on some sites.

  • AI-based gambling bots designed to predict dice roll patterns and crack complex Roblox CAPTCHA.

  • Access-as-a-Service to hacked devices and corporate networks. Prices for Fortune 500 companies can reach up to US$10,000 and some services include access with read and write privileges.

  • Wearable device accounts where access could enable cybercriminals to run warranty scams by requesting replacement devices.


Trends in underground marketplaces will likely shift further in the months following the global COVID-19 pandemic, as attack opportunities continue to evolve. To protect against the ever-changing threat landscape, Trend Micro recommends a multi-layered defense approach to protect against the latest threats and mitigate corporate security risk.

To find out more and read the full report, please visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/in/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/trading-in-the-dark

Riverbed Technology appoints Alex George as Country Manager for India & SAARC

The company’s sales team has moved to a partner-led model to align with market needs


Riverbed recently announced the appointment of Alex George as the Country Manager for India. His role will encompass growing Riverbed’s market share in India, as well as the management of Sales and Channels across SAARC. In addition to this appointment, Riverbed India’s sales team has moved to a partner-led model to align with market needs, ultimately simplifying business processes and maximizing growth potential.

[caption id="attachment_145942" align="alignleft" width="257"] Alex George, Country Manager of Riverbed India[/caption]

Under his leadership, Riverbed India’s 150-strong team will continue to serve its 1,200 existing customers as well as offering counsel to those businesses that are looking for solutions for the first time in the wake of COVID-19.

With over 20 years of experience, Alex approaches the role of India and SAARC lead with a strong skill set spanning across channel management, sales management and business development.

Alex previously held the position of Director of Sales for the Western Region, which saw him play an instrumental role in building up a diverse portfolio of customers for Riverbed India across a range of verticals.

Prior to his roles at Riverbed India, Alex held the position of Regional Sales Manager at Hitachi Data Systems, where he managed large enterprise accounts across the banking, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing industries.

 “With networks becoming more and more complex, Riverbed India has worked hard to be local business’ simple solution,” Alex George, Country Manager of Riverbed India says.

“We experienced significant growth this past year and I look forward to continuing to build on this momentum by ensuring local businesses are aware of Riverbed India’s capability to assist with any issues across the networking spectrum, catering to all workloads across on-prem, on cloud and SaaS applications.”

“We’re very excited for Alex to take on this new role, especially during this time of unprecedented digital change. Our offering to customers has never been more integral in ensuring business continuity as our global workforce becomes remote. His deep expertise in network performance and visibility is extremely valued, particularly as customers look to Riverbed as a source of support and guidance through this time,” says Richard Steranka, VP of Sales, Asia Pacific and Japan at Riverbed Technology. 

Riverbed India’s team features a number of divisions including sales, systems engineering, technical support, IT and R&D. The depth and breadth of Riverbed’s expertise locally ensures that solutions are developed with local customer concerns front of mind. This allows Riverbed to cater to all workloads across on-prem, cloud and SaaS applications and ensures it has the ability deploy technology unique to each customer’s needs.

Riverbed continues to be a market leader in maximizing performance and visibility for networks and applications both in India and globally.

Riverbed enables organisations to maximise performance and visibility for networks and applications, so they can overcome complexity and fully capitalise on their digital and cloud investments. The Riverbed Network and Application Performance Platform enables organisations to visualise, optimise, remediate and accelerate the performance of any network for any application. The platform addresses performance and visibility holistically with best-in-class WAN optimisation, network performance management (NPM), application acceleration (including Office 365, SaaS, client and cloud acceleration), and enterprise-grade SD-WAN. Riverbed’s 30,000+ customers include 99% of the Fortune 100. 

To Support Innovation in Healthcare Startups, Nasscom partner Siemens Healthineers

Medical technology firm Siemens Healthineers and the industry body Nasscom on Thursday said they have entered a partnership for collaboratively nurturing innovation in healthcare startups.

Siemens Healthineers and Nasscom's Center of Excellence for IoT & AI (internet of things and artificial intelligence) will work with the Indian startup ecosystem to make healthcare more accessible and affordable, the partners said in a joint statement.

Through this partnership, the startup ecosystem in India will benefit from the global experience of the Siemens Healthineers Technology Accelerator in collaborating with businesses that are working on cutting-edge technologies in the areas of imaging, diagnostics and digital health leveraging AI, internet of medical things (IoMT) and robotics, it added.

The technology accelerator in India will facilitate collaboration between business lines of Siemens Healthineers and the startups through proof-of-concept or co-creation projects with a potential to result in joint development, commercial partnership or supplier engagement, the statement said.

Siemens Healthineers will support the startups in further validating their solutions, providing domain expertise and enabling access to technology building blocks, it added.

"A global crisis at this level has led to downturns, however, it has also led to business disruptions and transformations which have opened a plethora of opportunities to tenacious entrepreneurs," National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) President Debjani Ghosh said.

Indian startups have continued to prove their resilience by developing solutions that would help society cope with the pandemic on a daily basis, she added.

Siemens Healthineers will also be a member of the advisory committee for Nasscom Center of Excellence's Lifesciences and Healthcare Innovation Forum (LHIF) to provide guidance in driving the innovation agenda in the healthcare industry, the statement said.

Siemens Healthcare Pvt Ltd MD and President Gerd Hoefner said, “This is an important milestone for our large research and development set-up in India”.

By combining Siemens Healthineer's technology leadership and its comprehensive portfolio with Nasscom's connect with the community, this partnership will strengthen the ecosystem and enable it to create new value for the healthcare industry, he added.

IIT Roorkee to Conduct Research for Identifying Antivirals to Tackle COVID-19

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee will conduct research on the identification of antivirals to treat SARS-CoV2. This development comes after a proposal led by Prof. Pravindra Kumar has been given a go-ahead by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). The study will identify small molecule inhibitors to target key viral replication enzymes- RNA dependent RNA polymerase (nsp12), viral proteases (Mpro  and PL2pro, ) and the Methyltransferase or MTase (nsp14). These enzymes are virus specific that are encoded with genetic material (RNA) of the viral pathogens.

Virus specific protease catalyzes the cleavage of specific peptide bonds in viral polyproteins. The study will be funded under the intensification of Research in High Priority areas (IRHPA) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).



“The objective of the study is to identify antiviral molecules to combat COVID-19. It will expedite the process of identification of drugs through an in-silico approach that is based on computer-aided simulation of their molecular structures. I would like to thank the Science and Engineering Research Board for reposing faith in us” said Prof. Pravindra Kumar, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Roorkee. 

The groundwork of the research has already been prepared by the completion of in silico work based on high throughput virtual screening approach to assess the binding affinity of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs targeting Mpro-a viral protease.

The study will leverage a computer-based high throughput virtual screening approach to identify antiviral molecules from various compound libraries that will be validated for antiviral potential. It will be conducted in collaboration with Prof. Shailly Tomar, Dept of Biotechnology, IIT Roorkee, and Dr. Gaurav Sharma from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar who will aid in assessment of the antiviral efficacy of the identified molecule to treat SARS-CoV2. 

 “This approach can be path breaking in the identification of antiviral molecules to fight COVID-19” said Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee.

IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, sciences, management, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences. Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing technical human resources and know-how to the country.

Empowering Asia’s Health Care Sector in the Battle Against COVID-19

In this article, Dr Keren Priyadarshini, Regional Business Lead, Healthcare, Microsoft Asia, reflects on how healthcare systems across Asia Pacific can augment their capabilities to maximize limited resources and manpower in the fight against COVID-19, with insights from other healthcare experts that have informed her reflection.




[caption id="attachment_145917" align="aligncenter" width="251"] Dr. Keren Priyadarshini[/caption]

 

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic is stretching health care systems across the Asia Pacific region and around the world. The infrastructure and supply chains of health care providers are being challenged, and our health care front-liners work tirelessly to provide treatment and support in a time of unprecedented demand for patient care. And if there is one question on the minds of those of the pandemic’s front-line it is most likely: “Can we do more with less?"

It is crucial to speed up routine tasks and services, especially during this time when a growing number of patients and limited resources can quickly overwhelm staff. We have seen how collaboration with customers and partners has taken on a speed and agility that we’ve not encountered before and how new cloud-based solutions, often leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, can do much to augment the work of doctors, nurses and first responders.

It can start with better managing resources and protecting the health of personnel and patients from the very moment someone enters a hospital.

Taipei’s Yonghe Cardinal Tien Hospital deployed digital first-line protection measures and resource management in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. It installed a “2-in-1” detection device at its main entrance that collects and analyzes data with AI and machine learning to scan individuals as they enter the hospital’s lobby. It sends out an alert if there are potential health concerns – such as a raised temperature. Scanning from a distance and autonomously minimizes risk for everyone. It also has delivered much-needed efficiencies by significantly streamlining the number of staff who are needed to monitor arrivals. That means more time and personnel can be allocated to patient care.

Similarly, Austin Health in Melbourne has introduced COVID-Care systems to improve their capacity to cope with anticipated demand. Patients no longer have to come to the hospital but can use a self-assessment tool instead. If advised to be tested, they are also advised of the nearest testing clinic or, if directed to Austin Health, can book an appointment. Another of the system’s tools monitors the symptoms of recuperating patients. Using AI and algorithms, COVID-Care automatically alerts doctors to follow up with patients via telehealth consultations and determine if the patient needs to go to the hospital or can stay home.

AI and machine learning can greatly assist front-liners and alleviate the stress on our health care systems. Since the beginning of March, health organizations have created 1,600 COVID-19 self-assessment bots with the Microsoft Healthcare bot service that help respond to inquiries and free up health care workers. This has served over 31 million individuals across 23 countries to date. More than ever, it is crucial that patient needs are met despite limited resources, to ensure the well-being of our communities and technology can support that.

Ensuring accessibility to health care in safe conditions through remote care


There are more challenges when a patient is fighting COVID-19 along with existing medical issues. Let’s take for example a COVID-19 patient who also has a broken limb. Could an orthopedic doctor attend to the patient without entering the isolation ward themselves?

The team at Austin Health has addressed this with their deployment of Microsoft Teams and Teams Navigator to help their 8,500 staff collaborate and assist doctors in conducting virtual ward rounds. They can check in on their patients in the isolation wards, while maintaining a safe distance.

In India, Fortis Healthcare has introduced tele-consultations, which have proved helpful for those like expectant mothers and individuals with mental health conditions who need continuous treatment and high frequency care.

We see how health care providers like HealthCare Global (HCG), India’s largest provider of cancer care, addressed this challenge by adopting Teams Virtual Consult. Doctors now schedule and conduct virtual consultations with patients who can continue receiving the necessary care from the safety of their homes.

Similarly, in China, Sichuan’s Huili County People’s Hospital and Chengdu’s Third People’s Hospital deployed a remote consultation platform, connecting patients in need from a remote part of the country with the quality medical care provided from a distant facility. Doctors use Surface, Azure and AI to carry out remote online consultations. They can also discuss cases and diagnoses with fellow physicians remotely.

Reimagining access to healthcare


Bain and Company’s 2020 Asia-Pacific Front Line of Healthcare survey revealed that the adoption of digital health services due to COVID-19 is not just unprecedented, but also one that will endure. Nearly 50% of patients said that they expect to use digital health tools in the next five years, and 91% of consumers said they would if the costs were covered by an insurance provider or employer.

Dr. David Rhew, global medical chief officer at Microsoft, reinforces this perspective, saying, “This pandemic has given us a great understanding that we need digital tools in health care. Tools that enable everything from telehealth to remote patient monitoring, care team collaboration and care at home. Virtualizing and streamlining other aspects of care from ventilator management to supply chain management have now become vital elements of health care in the COVID-19 era."

Access to medical supplies, especially as countries remain under lockdown, is another critical element for the safety and well-being of communities. In response, Zuellig Pharma, one of the largest health care services groups in Asia, ensures that vital supplies get to those who need them. They launched a 24/7 interactive engagement platform to assist their customers – hospitals, clinics and pharmacies – with placing orders for prescription drugs, medical devices or consumer health products any time, anywhere to make sure that every medical facility and every patient have access to the medicines they need.

During the pandemic, limited access and possible shortages to pharmaceutical supplies have raised concerns around counterfeit drugs entering the market. In response, Zuellig Pharma has also fast-tracked the development of eZTracker, which allows consumers to verify the authenticity of a medicine by scanning a code on the packaging.

Gearing up for the battle ahead


In the short span of time since the emergence of COVID-19, we have already seen significant changes in the way that health care is delivered. Undoubtedly, the pandemic will have a profound impact on the whole industry for years to come.

I cannot agree more with Dr. Rhew, who emphasized that, “a safer return to the workplace will require a lot of changes in how businesses will be run. Every organization must adjust, and Microsoft has the ability to support them."

As efforts to battle the pandemic continue, we are hopeful that technology will continue to play a meaningful role in equipping health care experts with the tools they need for meaningful patient care and contributing toward research for a cure.

As part of our efforts, Microsoft has mobilized an AI for Health initiative with $20 million dedicated to help on the front lines of research, where our data scientists can best contribute: data and insights; treatment and diagnostics; allocation of resources; dissemination of accurate information; and scientific research.

We’ll also be offering Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, our first industry-specific cloud offering, in October. This will help bring together capabilities for customers and partners to enrich patient engagement, connect caregiving teams and improve operational efficiencies. Ultimately, to address the most pressing challenges the industry is facing today.

We’ll also continue to work with our partners, including ATGENOMIX, a startup in Taiwan that is providing virus genome sequencing technology, which runs on Azure HPC, to speed up research and health care analysis, and support vaccine development.

Ultimately, the collaboration across our broad ecosystem and beyond is crucial to effectively address the challenges of this global crisis and support our customers in building their resilience and agility so they can continue to provide so much needed care for the communities.

We are committed to working together to empower health care organizations in the fight against the adverse effects of the pandemic and in the long run, support their pivot toward better experiences, better insights and better care.

5G will Boost Financial Inclusion in Emerging Markets in Asia

Driving improvements in the digital space, 5G has accelerated financial inclusion in emerging markets in Asia. Analysts of the financial holding Robocash Group forecast that with its help, about 3 million of the unbanked and underbanked will get access to financial services in both Vietnam and the Philippines by 2025. Indonesia will have 9-11 million, and India – 60 million.

Smartphone penetration rising in APAC annually by 10.8% on average is one of the main drivers for the commercial adoption of 5G. The extensive adoption of mobile phones and Internet penetration stimulates the progress of Asia in this field. Statista reports that, with an increase in the number of smartphone users in Indonesia to 89.9 million by 2022, the penetration rate will grow from 26% in 2018 to 33% in 2023. In Vietnam, the share of smartphone users will rise from 34% in 2018 to 40% by 2021. The Philippines are predicted to show the same rate (40%), up from 32% in 2018. India may expect to have 36% of smartphone users in the country by 2022, i.e. 10% more than in 2018.

With insufficient access to banks among the population, advanced mobile solutions and digital background have facilitated the development of alternative lending across the region. Thus, according to the report by Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, South-East Asia had the highest overall volume of $2.19 billion within the online alternative finance market in APAC (excluding China) in 2018.

At the same time, with the active use of 5G in the development of the Internet of things, the unbanked and underbanked are expected to see even more opportunities. The new layer of information on them can become a significant addition to the existing alternative data sources and machine learning methods. As a result, the efficiency of scoring of such customers will improve too. Company analysts think that the expansion of 5G itself can add 5% on average to an annual increase in disbursements in macro-regional alternative lending.

Extract 48 COVID RNA Samples in Just 17 Minutes with the Latest Technology from Genolution & Premas Life Science

Premas Life Sciences (PLS) and Genolution (a South Korea based company) has announced a new sales distribution agreement, appointing Premas Life Sciences as technology and knowledge distributor of Nextractor NX-48S Platform in India. Nextractor NX-48S is a fully automated Nucleic Acid Extraction system that can extract upto 48 samples in one run in 17 minutes only. These systems are currently being used extensively in COVID affected countries for Viral RNA Extraction for COVID-19 testing and in a short time we have already had 30 installations in India.

[caption id="attachment_145909" align="aligncenter" width="901"] Nextractor NX-48S Platform[/caption]

Through this partnership, Premas Life Sciences will empower Genolution's revolutionizing technology that can significantly ramp up the current efforts in #COVID19 testing, powered with Nextractor's complete automation, high throughput and reduced manual error.

Deuk Soo Na, Executive Director, Genolution commented, "We are very glad to have good and close relationship with highly esteemed Premas Life Sciences. We are pleased to serve Indian and Indian healthcare market with stunning 48-sample extraction of DNA/RNA in 17 min amid COVID-19. We expect closer cooperation with PLS in many fields in the future."

Dr. Debjani Saha, Group Product Manager, Premas Life Sciences commented, "We at Premas Life Sciences pride ourselves in bringing cutting edge technologies in the area of Genomics & Cell Biology to India and are elated to add Genolution to our ensemble menu of Products.

In the current COVID pandemic situation where we are looking for approx. 5 Lakh Viral RNA extraction per day, Nextractor's fast extraction protocol saves time and reduced manual error to get high quality RNA ready for high throughput downstream molecular analysis with RTPCR or NGS. Also, the minimal hands on time is extremely desirable while handling infectious samples."

The LEGO Group Collaborates with Save the Children and NITI Aayog to Support Children Impacted by COVID-19 in India

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown has had a particularly adverse effect on children, impacting their mental, physical and psycho-social well-being. The LEGO Group, the world's leading toy brand, in collaboration with two highly reputed organisations, NITI Aayog and Save the Children, has introduced targeted initiatives in India to promote 'Learning Through Play' and support home-based learning during these unprecedented times, while strengthening community efforts to respond to COVID-19. This is part of the LEGO Group and LEGO Foundation's overall commitment of US $50 million globally to help children and their families impacted by COVID-19.

The LEGO Group has aligned with Save the Children to promote responsive care-giving and play based learning practices for children aged 3-8 years both at state and national levels. This effort will help in strengthening communities to combat COVID-19 by providing educational kits and play materials for use at home as well as guiding parents and caregivers on hygiene and responsive caregiving. The initiative will also improve access to quality pre-school education through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and pre-school Centres when they re-open. It will focus on building capacity of pre-school Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and ICDS functionaries to support the development and school readiness of young children.

In addition, synergizing efforts, The LEGO Group will bring its global initiative 'Let's Build Together' to India. As a part of its collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, the LEGO Group will provide readily available offline, online resources and play activities for students that foster creativity skills and inculcate design thinking. The LEGO Group will also explore training webinars to build capacities for ATL teachers to conduct effective online lessons for students and also webinars for students under AIMs Tinker from Home campaign.

Commenting on the collaboration, Vivek Jain, General Manager, The LEGO Group (BU India) said, "With schools being closed, the education of more than 1.5 billion children and youth worldwide has been affected due to this pandemic. Currently, many educators and parents are stepping into new roles at home to ensure that children are in good health both physically and mentally. Our aim is to urgently support crisis-affected children to enable them to thrive and continue to learn through play. Through our 'Let's Build Together' initiative with Niti Aayog and our collaboration with Save the Children, our focus is ensuring that children of all ages can continue to be creative, to have fun and to develop the social, emotional and physical skills they need to thrive in the future."

Commenting on the collaboration, Bidisha Pillai, CEO, Save the Children, India, said, "Save the Children is delighted to partner with the LEGO Group to promote early childhood development for children aged 3 - 8 years, by enhancing their skills through playful learning experiences. We firmly believe that play based learning and positive parenting lays the foundation for providing children with the 'Right Start'. In order to overcome the effects of COVID-19 crisis, we will start by supporting parents and caregivers with advice on caregiving at home, including providing home based learning opportunities that will ensure children's social, emotional and physical development. Save the Children and the LEGO Group share a common focus and together we will create a better, brighter world for children."

About the LEGO Group

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK., Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO brick, it is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of play materials. Guided by the company spirit: "Only the best is good enough", the company is committed to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative play and learning. LEGO products are sold worldwide and can be virtually explored at www.LEGO.com. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, and the brick and knob configuration are trademarks of The LEGO Group. 2017 the LEGO Group.

TCS iON Readies Exam Centers to Operate with Social Distancing and Hygiene Norms Post Lockdown

Tata Consultancy Services to Implement Rigorous Set of Norms, Created with Medical and Public Health Experts, at its Exam Centers for Safe In-person Exams 


TCS iON™, a strategic unit of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has announced a new standard operating procedure called Social Distanced Assessments (SD-Assessments™) drawn up in consultation with leading medical and public health experts. This will help it conduct secure, proctored in-center assessments for recruitment and academic admissions in the post lockdown phase, without compromising on the safety of the candidates and proctoring staff. 

The pandemic has caused significant disruptions to the examination schedules. A large number of students seeking admission for higher education and youth seeking jobs are waiting for the exam process to be restarted. Additionally, in-center exams are critical as many students do not have access to reliable compute devices or adequate bandwidth to take online exams.

With the easing of lockdown rules and slow resumption of people movement, TCS has taken the lead to define a rigorous set of rules for conducting in-person exams. The SD-Assessments norms lay out the rules to be followed before, during and after an exam, to ensure that the necessary precautions, hygiene and social distancing requirements are adhered to. This will ensure the smooth and safe conduct of in-center exams at TCS iON’s centers.

The SD-Assessments norms have been designed based on TCS’ vast experience in conducting large scale in-center exams along with vital inputs from health experts from the exam section of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Some of the key norms laid out are: 

  • Staggered, touch-free entry into the test venue

  • Checks for symptoms along with Aarogya Setu App status verification

  • Sanitization before entry into the exam hall

  • Touch-free security checks, document verification, and registration

  • Non-intrusive, touch-free identity verification before, during and after the exam 

  • Multiple layers of hygiene norms for candidates and exam staff

  • Adoption of social distancing norms at all times


Venguswamy Ramaswamy, Global Head, TCS iON, said, Exam-conducting authorities are eager to resume assessments and at the same time, are anxious about the safety of students and everyone involved. We are grateful to the health experts from AIIMS and PHFI for providing invaluable inputs to our process for conducting social distanced assessments with all the necessary rigor and care."

TCS iON is a strategic business unit of Tata Consultancy Services focused on enabling institutions, government departments and organizations from multiple industry sectors to be efficient in their recruitment/admissions process, learning and skilling and overall business operations with the use of ‘Phygital’ platforms. These are platforms that overlay digital technologies over physical assets. TCS iON delivers this with a unique IT-as-a-Service model that provides easy-to-use, secured, integrated, and hosted solutions in a build-as-you-grow and pay-as-you-use business model. Serving clients with the help of best practices gained through TCS’ global experience, deep domestic market exposure along with industry leading technology expertise.                                                            

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 50 years. TCS offers a consulting-led, cognitive powered, integrated portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions. This is delivered through its unique Location Independent AgileTM delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 448,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $22 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index.

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