Aeofit Launches Range of Smart Wearables at Affordable Prices

Aeofit India, a New Delhi based startup has launched a range of Smart Wearables in India, focussing on Smart Watches and Wireless Earphones. The company's vision - "accessible technology for all" is reflected in its affordable pricing and high-performance product specifications.

In this COVID Era, keeping a tab on Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Blood Pressure and Temperature keeps you prepared for any diversions from a healthy lifestyle. Smart Watches by Aeofit focus on these fitness aspects, along with keeping up with the latest style trends. With state-of-the-art sensors, users can keep a track of step counts and sports activities aiming at a holistic approach to fitness.


Aeofit has also launched a range of audio devices under the Aeopods flag. The audio products focus on high fidelity sound and true wireless freedom at accessible prices.

 

Aeofit Smart Wearables Range

The smart watch line comprises of four models, each defining a niche. Noteworthy is the Aeofit Alpha, encased in an aluminium alloy frame, and multiple straps exudes a classy statement at any event. Formal dinner, or an early morning run, this watch is sure to be the star of the show. The Alpha sports a bright, high resolution LCD display and tips the scale only at 60 gm. Customizable watch faces, IP67 water resistance, multiple sport mode and seamless connectivity with BLE 5 make Aeofit Alpha your perfect accessory. The other models namely Orion, Nebula and Polaris are equally impressive with class defining features and deserve a check out.

The Aeopods line comes with two earphones, Echo and Rhythm. The Echo is powered by Qualcomm AptX technology and features one of the largest drivers in its class. True to its wireless freedom sensibilities, Echo is designed for sweat & splash resistance with a battery life to last a movie marathon. Environment Noise Cancellation combined with superior microphones, make them an essential part of your work from home kit. They deliver an excellent gaming performance with ultra-low 150 ms latency and immersive sound.

"Purchasing power in Indian household it not only limited to tier 1 cities but also to deeper rural and semi-urban areas that are yet to explore the digital world. We plan to bring the latest smart wearables tech not only to the young and tech savvy but also to the elderly where checking on vitals becomes a necessity," - Aeofit Spokesperson.

With the special inaugural pricing, you can get your hands on the Smart Watches starting at only Rs. 1999 and Earphones from Rs. 1299. For orders and product specifications, please visit, www.myaeofit.com and amazon.in.

Competition in Digital Payments Incur Amazon Pay (India), Paytm and PhonePe Loss of Rs.18 Crore Per Day in Total

 

Competition in digital payments has caused a collective loss of nearly $900 million (Rs 6,500 crore) for digital payment companies --  Paytm, PhonePe and Amazon's payments unit Amazon Pay in India for the year ended March 2020. 

The total loss for the three units translates to around Rs 18 crore per day. Compared to the financial year ended March 2019, the cumulative loss has gone down by 9-10%, but it is still more than double the loss in fiscal year 2018 (Rs 2,729 crore).

It is being said that continued aggressive spends on marketing and promotions led the losses incurred by these firms. Though two of these firms reduced cashbacks, but marketing & promotional spends and other costs remained high.

According to financial data accessed by Tofler, a business intelligence platform, One 97 Communications Limited, the parent firm of Paytm, reported its revenues for financial year 2019-20 as INR 3,351 cr, a 1 % fall since the last financial year. The company further reported a net loss of INR 2,833 cr during the same fiscal. This is 28 % decrease from the last financial year. The company’s total expenses for the fiscal were reported as INR 5,862 cr.

Amazon Pay (India) Private Limited, an online payment system, reported a net loss of INR 1,868 cr during financial year 2019-20 the same fiscal. The company’s total expenses for the fiscal were reported as INR 3,238 cr.

Though Amazon Pay (India) revenues for financial year 2019-20 increased to INR 1,370 cr, a 64 % jump since the last financial year. 

Phonepe reported a net loss of INR 1,771 cr during the same fiscal. This is 7 % decrease from the last financial year. The company’s total expenses for the fiscal were reported as INR 2,203 cr.

However, Phonepe's revenues for financial year 2019-20 increased to INR 427 cr, a 74 % jump since the last financial year, according to financial data accessed by Tofler.

Besides, Phonepe has spent on acquiring Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt as brand ambassadors for promoting the company through television commercials in order widen its reach to masses.

Migsun Acquires Stakes of HDFC and Ansal API in 37.5 Acre Ansal IT City Park, Greater Noida

Migsun Group, one of the names in Delhi NCR real estate to reckon with, has announced acquisition of HDFC and Ansal's stake in Ansal IT City Park (SEZ) Tech Zone, Greater Noida. The group now plans to develop the 37.5 acre mixed-use project with Commercial, IT, and Industrial. With the latest announcement, Migsun Group will have 100 percent stake after acquiring HDFC's 37% stake and the rest of Ansal API.

Strategically located the project with roads on three sides of the project. Giving details about the newly acquired project, Yash Miglani, MD, Migsun Group, said, "The project will have 50% IT/ITeS offices, 15% industrial, and 15% commercial. We are committed to make Noida a commercial hub; the new project is in line with our endeavour to provide world-class real estate in Noida region. We have committed ourselves to deliver projects on time. The time is ripe as there is a positive sentiment in the market."


Major export zones in the country, SEZs are given several incentives by the government. "These zones are major contributors to the growth of country's GDP. By developing this project, we want to be a part of this economic prosperity and bring in employment opportunities for the people in Noida region," adds Miglani.

The company is currently executing 16 projects, both residential and commercial, in various parts of Delhi NCR.


About Migsun Group

Migsun Group was set up in 1992 by legendary industrialist Mr. Sunil Miglani. In its three decades of existence, the Group has delivered more than 40 projects in various parts of Delhi NCR, collecting various national and international awards. The Group has been a pioneer in design and concepts in the real estate industry. The Group has launched a hospital project also in Ghaziabad.

Facebook Acquires CRM Platform Kustomer for $1 Billion

Facebook has acquired New York-based Kustomer, a startup specializing in customer-service CRM platforms and chatbots, for a reported sum of $1 billion. However, officially Kustomer said that the acquisition transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Started in August 2015, Kustomer is an omnichannel Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) CRM platform specializing in customer service.

"Kustomer businesses will continue to own the data that comes from interactions with their customers. Facebook eventually expects to host Kustomer data on secure Facebook infrastructure. In doing so, Facebook will act as a service provider at the instruction of business customers. This is an industry standard practice among many companies that offer service solutions", read the Kustomer website's announcement by Brad Birnbaum, CEO and Co-Founder, Kustomer.

"While Facebook will not automatically use Kustomer data to inform the ads that a user sees, businesses will have the option to use their data at Kustomer for their own marketing purposes, which may include separate advertising services on Facebook," it added.

Post acquisition, Kustomer will work closely with Facebook. In particular, Kustomer will enhance the messaging experience which is one of the fastest growing ways for people and businesses to engage.

Kustomer was last valued at $710 million in a private funding round and it raised $60 million in Series E round this month only.

Prashant Dwivedi Eyes Rs. 100 Cr. Business for his Cleantech Startup 'Navbharat Water' by 2023, Looks to Invest in Logistics

Prashant Dwivedi led Mumbai based cleantech startup, Navbharat Water Pvt. Ltd. has announced its objective to cross INR 100 crore business by 2023.

Backed by skilled staff and strong technical support, Navbharat Water offers Avant-grade customised wastewater management and treatment solutions. With state-of-the-art facilities, the firm provides comprehensive services to its clients. From treatment processes to recycling and reuse, it offers complete industrial, commercial, and domestic wastewater management solutions.

Prashant Dwivedi, MD of Navbharat Water Pvt. Ltd.

Established in January 2020, the firm is successfully offering its solutions to a varied clientele that includes industrial segments, hospitality, healthcare, retail segments, commercial buildings, IT parks, malls, warehouses, and large-scale infrastructure amongst others.

While most of the companies across the spectrum are witnessing a slump in their revenue, Navbharat Water has successfully scaled-up its business significantly.

Prashant Dwivedi, Managing Director of Navbharat Water, said, “We started in January 2020 and despite the lockdown, we managed to get some marquee customers that includes four major players in hospitality and realty sectors and some other customers in food tech. We are gaining projects at a fast pace and the numbers will swell dramatically.”

An IIM Calcutta alumni, Lawyer, and Environmentalist, Prashant Dwivedi founded Navbharat Water intending to protect the most valuable resource on the earth - water. “It is possibly the most important resource for humanity and we need to conserve it.”

“We set up Navbharat Water that’s into the business of water treatment with a view to doing our bit for the environment. We have the technology to set up STPs and ETPs that cover the entire gamut from basic water treatment to ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge),” he adds.

Now, the company is planning to cross INR 100 crore business mark by FY23-24. “I expect this business to hit 100 Cr. topline by 2023,” says Prashant Dwivedi.

Moreover, on the question of raising capital and building valuation like most of his peers are aggressively doing, he says, “I don’t see the need for it. Business, if done correctly, should be inherently profitable. I run debt-free businesses. I believe it’s better to have a 30cr/100 Cr. bottom-line/top-line than a loss-making 5000 Cr. business. Profitability is the key to any business that we do.”

Investment announcement

An active investor, Prashant Dwivedi, says, “We invest in businesses that have positive unit economics and help them scale up. One of the various companies that I have invested in is a spectacle lens manufacturing company and I have made it profitable in 3 years. We are growing 100% yoy and will continue to do so for quite some time. We started with one lab in 2017 and now have 4 labs in India. I basically identify and focus on making one investment every year and scale it up.”

While announcing his investment plans he said that he invests in the business that “Should be profitable, scalable, and sustainable. The founder plays the most important role, so he/she must be extremely passionate and motivated to scale the business. The founder’s energy coupled with our experience makes it fairly easy to scale up in a sustainable fashion.”

“I am sector agnostic and invest in whatever makes financial sense to me. I personally feel there’s a huge fortune to be made in brick and mortar businesses. There’s more stability and lesser heartburn. You can focus on building the business than be worried about the next round of funding. To be clear, I don’t imply that any model is good or bad, personally, I prefer keeping it simple,” he adds.

“Logistics is close to our heart and is currently primed for technological disruptions. There’s a desperate need to move beyond legacy systems. We are in touch with some startups that are targeting the correct problems that need to be solved. We will add at least one of these companies to our investment portfolio shortly.”

About Prashant Dwivedi

He is a Computer Engineer, 2004 batch, MBA IIM Calcutta 2008 batch, and LLB 2017 batch. He joined Deloitte Consulting after his MBA, worked for a year, and then came back home to take over a loss-making Exports business that belonged to his family and was on the verge of shutdown. After turning his family business profitable, he successfully established multiple startups across various sectors. Today, he is a successful serial entrepreneur and investor who is aggressively looking for making investments into some of the cutting-edge startups in India.

BGR Tech Excellence Awards 2020 Honours Exceptional Contributors for their Technological Innovation

New Delhi, December 30: In a one of its kind, the first edition of the BGR Tech Excellence Awards recognised and honoured innovators for their contribution in the field of gadgets, consumer electronics, and technology.

The 25 award categories that encapsulated the 'best in tech' were nominated and selected by experts from the Indian tech circle through online voting. For the 7 Editor's choice awards, the jury member included technology veterans, independent writers and consultants, and senior editors of online and print publications.

Rohit Chadda, chief executive officer, Digital Publishing, ZEE Group explained that the 25 awards categories were spread across six major verticals - Smartphones, TVs, Wearables, Audio Devices, Laptops, and Gadgets. "We had some of the most senior and experienced team of jury members which had a mix of senior editors, technology veterans, and writers. The choice of jury awardees was meticulously done," he explained.

Chadda pointed out that hundreds of users got an opportunity to win prizes worth lakhs of rupees through their 'Vote and Win' and 'Play and Win' section.

"Participants could log on the website and then submit their vote under various award categories. All voters got assured prizes. In our Play and Win, participants had a chance to feature in the leader board and win hourly, daily, weekly, and bumper prizes," He said.

It was perhaps for the first time that participants could honestly select their trusted brand and at the same time win prizes worth more than Rs 30 lakhs.

Besides the awards there was also a Tech conclave which discussed insights and views around technology with various tech experts, professionals and esteemed members of the tech fraternity in the power-packed panel discussions.

The awards witnessed Airtel Xtream as presenting sponsor. It was Co-powered by Housing.com, Amazon Prime, Volkswagen Connect, and Funn 88, supported by Intel, in association with Zee Business.

Here's a complete list of all the winners of BGR Tech Excellence and Conclave Awards 2020:

1. Most promising laptop brand award: Xiaomi

2. Laptop of the year award winner: Apple MacBook Air 2020

3. Best gaming laptop of 2020 winner: Asus Zephyrus G14

4. Editor's Choice award for the best business laptop winner: Dell Vostro 5402

5. Best value for money headphones winner: OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z

6. Most promising headphone brand award: Boat

7. Best affordable TWS earphones winner: OnePlus Buds Z

8. Earbuds of the year: Sony WF-1000XM3

9. Best speaker of the year winner: Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar

10. Editor's choice award for the best overall speaker: JBL charge 4

11. Best Innovation in wearables winner: Snap Spectacles 3

12. Best value for money wearable winner: Mi smart Band 5

13. Best smartwatch of the year winner: Apple Watch Series 6

14. Best fitness tracker of the year award: Fitbit Charge 4

15. Editor's choice award for the best overall wearable: Mi smart band 5

16. Best innovation in TVs: LG Rollable OLED TV

17. Best value for money smart TV award: Xiaomi Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition 32-inch

18. Most promising TV Brand: Vu

19. Best media streaming device award: Xiaomi Mi Box 4K.

20. Editor's Choice best budget smart TV of the year: Treeview India.

21. Most innovative gadget of 2020: LG Wing

22. Affordable gadget in 2020 that affected consumers positively award: LG g8x ThinQ

23. Best gadget of the year award: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

24. Editor's choice award for the best overall gadget: Oppo Find X2

25. Best Innovation in smartphone award: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

26. Best Value for money smartphone award: OnePlus Nord

27. Best Budget smartphone award: Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime

28. Most promising smartphone brand: Samsung

29. Best selfie smartphone of the year: Apple iPhone 12

30. Best smartphone of the year award: Apple iPhone 12 Pro

31. Editor's choice award for the best budget smartphone: Tecno Spark 6 Air

32. Editor's choice for best AI technology: Whirlpool

India Cities Happiness Report 2020: City Happiness Rankings, Impact of COVID-19 and Thought Leaders’ Insights

First India Cities Happiness Report covering thirty-four major cities measuring happiness across the country, the contributing factors to people’s happiness, the impact of COVID-19 on happiness, and insights from global thought leaders.

The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 13,000 people during October- November 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania. He is recognised for his extensive research, jointly ranked number one in average research productivity among management faculty (including IIMs & IITs) in India between 1968 to 2014.

John F. Helliwell, Co-Editor (with Jeffry Sachs and Richard Layard) of the World Happiness Report, Professor Emeritus, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia emphasises that Rajesh Pillania and his team did a signal service in extending the scope of world happiness research by providing data for 36 Indian states in India Happiness Report 2020. The India Cities Happiness Report 2020 further deepens understanding by monitoring the quality of life in 34 major cities.

In the happiness rankings of cities, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh are the top three. Among the Tier-I cities, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and New Delhi are among the top three whereas, among Tier-II cities, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Surat are the top three cities in happiness rankings. The results show age group, education, and income level are overall positively related to happiness and marital status is negatively related to happiness, i.e. unmarried people are happier than married people in big cities.

Jaime Lerner, World-renowned Architect & Urban Planner, Former President of the International Union of Architects and, Chairman, Jaime Lerner Arquitetos Associados, and Among 25 Most Influential Thinkers in the World (Time magazine, 2010), stresses on Remembering Togetherness for happiness in cities and emphasises that quality public spaces are the glue that can hold together sharing, trust, connectedness, a sense of civic duty, responsibility and pride because public spaces are the theatres where urban life happens.

The spirit of India is quite resilient, and the impact of COVID-19 varies across cities. It varies from the worst possible to the best possible among individuals in the study. Bengaluru, Kochi and Kolkata have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.

Francesc Miralles, Co-author of Bestselling book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life pinpoints people often believe that happiness is the absence of problems, and that's a big mistake.

The report contains insights from various thought leaders on happiness including Ruut Veenhoven, Pioneer and World Authority on the Scientific Study of Happiness, Emeritus Professor of Social Conditions for Human Happiness, Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands (EHERO), and, Director, World Database of Happiness; John F. Helliwell, Co-Editor (with Jeffry Sachs and Richard Layard) of the World Happiness Report, Professor Emeritus, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, and Distinguished Fellow, Canadian Institute of Advanced Research; Jaime Lerner, World-renowned Architect and Urban Planner, Former President of the International Union of Architects, Chairman, Jaime Lerner Arquitetos Associados and, Among 25 most Influential Thinkers in the World (Time magazine, 2010); Carlo Ratti, Director, MIT Senseable City Lab, Founding Partner, Carlo Ratti Associati and, Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization; Richard Florida, one of the World’s Leading Urbanists, University Professor at University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management, A Distinguished Fellow at NYU’s Schack School of Real Estate, and, Founder of the Creative Class Group; Padma Bhushan M. B. Athreya, Recognised as one of the Founders and Pioneers of the Indian Management Movement, and Ex-Professor London Business School, and Ex-Professor IIM- Calcutta; and, Francesc Miralles, Co-author of Bestselling book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.

People are optimistic about the future and generally scored more on happiness after five years compared to scores today. In the future happiness rankings after five years, Ludhiana, Jammu and Amritsar are the top three.

Carlo Ratti, Director, MIT Senseable City Lab and Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization highlights that the key issue cities are facing is the relationship between the natural and the artificial worlds resulting in more happiness; and, don’t focus just on new technologies but use them to build cities for lovers and friends.

The three key takeaways for governments, organisations, and individuals are first different cities are at different levels of happiness rankings. There is a pressing need for more discussion, focus, and the application of happiness in the Indian context. Second, knowing is not enough, happiness needs to be practised. Third, choose and put into practice all or some or at least one of the insights from this report.

Professor Pillania has been researching, writing, teaching and training students and senior management people on happiness for the last five years. He has taught and trained 1000s of students and senior management people on strategy, innovation and happiness over the last 20 years. His recent books are Amazon Bestseller, ‘Happiness Strategy: Strategy and Happiness for Everyone’ and, ‘Happiness Diary: My Experiments with Happiness’.

The full report is available for free at www.pillania.org

Author of India Cities Happiness Report 2020
Professor Rajesh K Pillania,
Professor of Strategy, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, INDIA.
Email:rajesh@pillania.org         
Phone:91-9818961019   
    
Dr. Rajesh K. Pillania is rated and awarded the Top Professor for Strategy in India by ASSOCHAM and Education Post. He is recognised for his extensive research, jointly ranked number one in average research productivity among management faculty (including IIMs & IITs) in India between 1968 to 2014. His research and/or academic experience include the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode; Smith School of Business, University of Maryland; Harvard University; and Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, India among others.

India to Export its Surface to Air Missile Akash's System Globally

Cabinet Approves Export of Akash Missile System and Creates a Committee for faster Approval of Exports

Test firing of the en:Akash missile. A medium-range surface-to-air missile. Operating in conjunction with the en:Rajendra radar, it can intercept targets up to 30 km range and 18 km altitude. Powered by a solid-fueled booster and a Ramjet engine, Akash can reach Mach 2.5 speed.
[Image -Frontier India Defense and Strategic News Service, CC BY-SA 2.5 IN, via Wikimedia Commons]

Under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat, India is growing in its capabilities of manufacturing wide variety of Defence platforms and missiles. Akash is country’s important missile with over 96 percent indigenisation. 

Akash is a Surface to Air Missile with a range of 25 Kms. The missile was inducted in 2014 in IAF and in 2015 in Indian Army.

After its induction in the Services, interest is shown in Akash missile by many friendly countries during International Exhibitions/Def Expo/Aero India. The Cabinet approval will facilitate Indian manufactures to participate in RFI/RFP issued by various countries.

So far, Indian defence exports included parts/components etc. The export of big platforms was minimal. This initiative of the Cabinet would help the country to improve its defence products and make them globally competitive.

The export version of Akash will be different from System currently deployed with Indian Armed Forces.

Besides Akash, there is interest coming in other major platforms like Coastal Surveillance System, Radars and Air platforms. To provide faster approvals for export of such platforms, a Committee comprising of Raksha Mantri, External Affairs Minister and National Security Advisor has been created.

This Committee would authorise subsequent exports of major indigenous platforms to various countries. The Committee would also explore various available options including the Government-to-Government route.

Government of India intends to focus on exporting high value defence platforms, to achieve target of 5 Billion USD of defence export and improve strategic relations with friendly foreign countries.

Akash is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for Missile Systems, Bharat Electronics (BEL), Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division and Larsen & Toubro for other radars, control centers, launcher systems in India. 

Akash missile system can target aircraft up to 30 km away, at altitudes up to 18,000 m. It has the capability to neutralize aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles. It is in operational service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

Hyderabad-based Olectra-Evey Trans Wins 150 Electric Bus order from PMPL

Olectra Buses

HYDERABAD, India , Dec. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric mobility leader and pioneer in electric bus manufacturing Olectra Greentech and Evey Trans Private Limited (EVEY) have received the letter of award from Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd. for 150 electric buses under FAME-II scheme of Government of India. The order is for the supply of 150 electric buses on Gross Cost Contract (GCC) / OPEX model basis for a period in the range of 10-12 years (Contract period).

EVEY Trans will procure these 150 electric buses from Olectra Greentech, which shall be delivered over a period of 12 months. The maintenance of these buses shall also be undertaken by the company during the contract period.

With this new order, the total electric buses to be delivered by Olectra Greentech Limited (OGL) against above and earlier orders are over 900 buses. These 150 buses order are a part of recently announced L-1 bidder for 353 buses (disclosed on 16th December).

"We are happy to announce that we have bagged 150 electric buses of 12 meters from Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMPL). OGL/EVEY is already operating 150 buses in Pune and with this new order, the fleet size will be 300 Electric buses, which is highest in the country. This is a proud moment for both OGL & EVEY Trans," said Sharat Chandra , CEO & CFO, Olectra Greentech Limited.

These 12-Meter Air-Conditioned buses will have a seating capacity of 33 + Wheelchair + Driver with electronically controlled air suspension to ensure a comfortable ride to the passengers. The buses will be equipped with CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of the commuters, a wheelchair for differently-abled and elderly people, Emergency button, USB Sockets for mobile charging. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery installed in the bus enables it to travel more than 200 km on a single charge based on traffic conditions. The technologically advanced electric bus has a regenerative braking system which allows the bus to recover part of the kinetic energy lost in braking. The high-power charging system enables the battery to get fully recharged in between 2 and 5 hours. It has electronically controlled air suspension to ensure comfortable travel.

About Olectra Greentech Limited (A Group Company of MEIL)

Established in 2000, Olectra Greentech Limited (a public listed company) - part of MEIL Group, pioneered the introduction of electric buses in India in 2015. It is also the largest manufacturer in India for Silicone Rubber/Composite Insulators for power transmission and distribution networks.

89 Startups Pitched their Indigenously Developed Innovations, Ideas to Indian Army

In a major push to support Atmanirbharta and to promote an innovation ecosystem, the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), conducted an outreach webinar for startups in emerging technologies. 89 startups pitched their indigenously developed innovations, ideas and proposals to Indian Army through virtual presentations in webinar format from 17 to 28 Dec 2020.

The proposals focused on the field of Drones, Counter Drones, Robotics, Autonomous Systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum computing, Blockchain technology, 3D printing, Nanotechnology and Medical applications.

The webinars, organised by the Army Design Bureau (ADB), received a massive response where 13 proposals were shortlisted for further examination based on their viability and applicability for the Indian Army. Prospective users and domain specialists from Army Headquarters and Army Training Command attended the event.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chief of Indian Army, Lt Gen SS Hasabnis, underlined the importance of self-reliance in the defence sector and called upon the defence industry, particularly the startups to invest in emerging and niche technologies. The Deputy Chief also assured the startups that the Indian Army will assist and handhold them in co-developing innovations and technologies which can enhance the operational capabilities of the Army.

Earlier this month, Defence Ministry's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved proposals to procure equipment worth Rs.27,000 Crore from domestic industry in order boost its "Make in India" programme initiative.

Earlier in February this year, UK India Business Council (UKIBC) and SIDM have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen Defence Collaboration between the UK and India.

Manohar Reddy is the new President for TiE Hyderabad for the year 2021

Manohar Reddy is the new President for TiE Hyderabad for the year 2021

Helping startups; building global partnerships that matter are few among other focus areas for the year 2021, says Manohar Reddy, the President-Elect

TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Hyderabad, the global entrepreneurial network, announced that Manohar Reddy will take over the reins as Chapter President for the year 2020. He succeeds Sridhar Pinnapureddy, who will demit his office on 31st December. 

TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is a go-to network of over 15,000 global entrepreneurs across 63 cities in 14 countries, and TiE, Hyderabad is one of the most vibrant, award winning and renowned chapters worldwide.

TiE Hyderabad shot into fame across the globe for its recent TiE Global Summit 2020 (TGS 2020), the biggest entrepreneurial summit ever held on the planet which attracted 50,000 plus entrepreneurs, including Bill Gates from across the globe. The event not only put Hyderabad on a global map but earned it a rightful place for its entrepreneurial spirit.

Manohar Reddy is the Founder and CEO of Feuji Inc., which is a global technology, a services company that provides right-shoring, low-code application development and proposal writing solutions.

Manohar Reddy is associated with TiE for a long time and is currently serving it as Vice President. He played a pivotal role in just concluded TiE Global Summit—TGS-2020.

Welcoming Manohar Reddy as the new President of TiE Hyderabad, Sridhar Reddy Pinnapureddy, Founder and CEO, CtrlS Datacenters, Cloud4C and the outgoing President said, the Chapter looks forward to Manohar's knowledge, and entrepreneurial experience to further TiE's mission in fostering entrepreneurship." He further added, "I am confident that Manohar will play a key role in engaging the entrepreneurial ecosystem through innovation, funding, mentoring and create value for stakeholders."

Setting the agenda for TiE Hyderabad in 2021, Manohar Reddy said, "The new leadership will continue the momentum with a focus on outcome-based initiatives, cross-chapter collaboration and building global partnerships that matter." Commenting on how Tie Hyderabad plans to impact startups in the coming years, he said, "TiE programs will continue to focus on helping startup entrepreneurs connect local investors, grow and scale businesses, providing timely advice and able mentorship, and enabling businesses to access new markets."

Together with him, a new board will also take over reins of the Chapter from January 1, 2021. The new board besides Manohar Reddy, CEO as the President comprises of Suresh Raju, Managing Director, Golden Hills Capital as Vice President; Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder and CEO, CtrlS Datacenters and Cloud4C as Immediate Past President. The other board members for 2021include Bhat Dittakavi, Founder, CEO, Data Scientist, Variance Ai; JT Rao, Chairman & MD, win AMR Systems Pvt Ltd; Murali Kakarla, CEO, Innobox Systems; Narasimhan Venkatesh, Sr. Director-Engineering, Silicon Labs; Ranvijay Lamba, MD & Country Head, Arcesium India; Rashida Adenwala, Founder Partner, R&A Associates; Sanjay Jesrani, Founder and CEO, Go North Ventures; Srinivasu Satti, Founder and MD, Finvista Advisors; Venkat Kamalakar Bundla, Angel Investor and MD, Garphi Biosciences Pvt Ltd and Viiveck Verma, Founder & CEO, Upsurge Enterprise Solutions.

TiE Hyderabad has played a key role in supporting entire startup ecosystems during the pandemic year through different initiatives. The Chapter is the proud recipient of the Best Global Chapter award this year. Each year, TiE Hyderabad impacts over 1,100 start-ups and 6,400+ students, conducts around 130 events and activities to encourage and nurture next-generation entrepreneurs.

Some of the well-known programs include TiE Grad, TiE Young Entrepreneurs, TYE Summer, Open Mic, Mentor Advisor, Deeptech SIG, Investor Connect, Knowledge Series, Leadership Series & My Story, among others.

More about TiE Hyderabad

TiE Hyderabad steers over 100 programs for chartered members, associate members, and other ecosystem partners and provides startups and its members access to about 3,000 successful entrepreneurs and professionals across the globe. Around 150 charter members are Hyderabad-based and volunteer for mentoring, education, and providing access to customers and investors through the global network.



The chapter hosted the world's largest entrepreneur summit in December 2020, which received an overwhelming response with over 53,000 registrations and enjoyed an attendance of 30,000+ entrepreneurs across the globe. This is the first time in TIE Global Summit's history, to feature a remarkable count of over 250 marquee speakers, 150 mentors, 180 companies, 500 innovation leaders, 234 Incubators, and to produce 60 hours of digital content of leaders, innovators and startup founders. TiE Hyderabad's OpenMic was held as a part of TGS2020 with over 250 speakers from 18 different countries, participating non-stop for 60 hours.

 

Agritech Startup qZense Secures INR 4.5 Crore in Seed Investment Led by Venture Catalysts

qZense, an agritech start-up for quality control and management of fresh produce, secures INR 4.5 Cr seed investment led by Venture Catalysts

The platform's IOT-enabled device employs NIR spectroscopy and artificial olfaction to provide real-time insights for quality assessment and management in fresh produce

Mumbai, December 30th, 2020: Venture Catalysts, India's first and largest integrated incubator and accelerator, has recently led INR 4.5 Cr seed investment in qZense Labs, an agritech start-up for quality control and management of fresh produce. The funding round was led by Manish Modi (MD, Mastermind Capital) & VedantLoyalka (Chairman, Curae Health). 9Unicorns, an idea-stage accelerator VC invested in the same round along with participation from other prolific investors like The Chennai Angels, Entrepreneur First, London based VC and Lumis Partners.

Founded in 2019, by RubalChib and Dr SrishtiBatra, qZense aims to transform the Indian fresh food supply chain industry with its end-to-end IOT-based solution for providing quality assessment and management of fresh produce. Around 40% of the fresh, post-harvest produce in the world is lost due to factors such as internal spoilage, low shelf-life, and over-ripening during transportation. Intuition-based, manual decision-making is the leading cause behind this considerable inventory loss and suboptimal margins, making quality assessment and management of fresh food an area of concern in the retail market. This is where qZense enters the picture.

The start-up solves the problem by providing a non-destructive and accurate qualitative grading of fresh foods across the supply chain to food businesses and retailers. Its innovative technology captures the internal quality of food by employing NIR and olfactory senses and machine learning algorithms to provide an accurate analytical assessment of various internal quality parameters. These include ripeness, brix, storage and shelf-life. It also uses a web dashboard to offer real-time insights and alerts regarding the scanned produce.

Speaking on the investment, RubalChib – Founder at qZense, said, "We are glad to partner with Venture Catalysts and The Chennai Angels. Their support will enable us to take another step towards our vision of becoming a one-stop-solution for quality assessment of fresh produce. We will leverage the capital infusion to bolster our expansion plans by scaling the team and accelerating our marketing endeavours."

Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-founder & President – Venture Catalysts & 9Unicorns, commented, "The digital boom has undeniably put the Indian agritech industry on the map. The space is witnessing new developments every day, each innovation addressing specific pain points in the sector. One such pain point is managing the quality of fresh produce and minimizing its wastage. qZense is aiming to address and resolve this pertinent issue by leveraging the power of digital technology. The founding team's dedication and the start-up's IP are well-positioned to disrupt the market space worth USD 2 billion. We are confident that the start-up will transform the experience of Indian food businesses and retailers for the better."

"This Founding team is very competent with complimentary and highly complex skillsets. We believe that their solutions have the potential to optimize revenues and minimize wastage for all players in the agri food chain. We also see promising large use cases in harvesting of sugarcane and vanilla where non destructive measurement of sugar content will hugely benefit the farmer community", said K Chandran, CEO of The Chennai Angels.

Leveraging its digital platform, qZense aims to empower food businesses and retailers to not only minimize their produce loss but also to determine the optimal margins of freshness. Its software platform offers two products to ensure an effective and seamless delivery of service.The Q-Scan is a handheld scanning device for grading the internal quality. The second product Q-Log comprises olfactory loggers responsible for measuring the quality of produce during storage and in logistics.

About Venture Catalysts

Venture Catalysts is India's first integrated incubator. It invests $250K – $1.5 Million in early stage start-ups that have potential to create enduring value for over a long period of time. Venture Catalysts brings a lethal combination of Capital, Mentoring and Business Network to help investee companies to succeed. Their innovation provides value to start-ups through its extensive angel network, funding, community, services and co-working facility.

About 9Unicorns

9Unicorns is India's First Accelerator VC providing acceleration support & seed funding to early-stage start-ups. The funding can be provided up to $100K per start-up in the first round, and may invest further $500K-$2Mn in successive rounds with its co-investors. From the idea stage to the angel stage, it supports start-ups across various themes & sectors.

9Unicorns' strength & focus is to provide a hands-on support ecosystem for start-ups, beyond capital. 9Unicorns, besides investment, opens doors to the startupsfor access to a wide network of successful founders, category-leaders, CXOs of large corporations, seasoned angel investors & partners of global VC funds. Every portfolio company receives acceleration support for 3 months & post-investment support of 18 months.

P Rajendran Felicitated with IIT Delhi Alumni Award for Outstanding Contribution to National Development – for Corporate Excellence

NIIT Limited, a global leader in Skills and Talent Development, announced that P. Rajendran, Joint Managing Director & Co-Founder, NIIT Ltd. has been felicitated with the prestigious IIT Delhi Alumni Award for Outstanding Contribution to National Development - Corporate Excellence. The award was presented during an exclusive three-day online Conclave - IIT Delhi Alumni Fest 2020 themed ‘Exploring the New Normal’ from 26-28 December 2020, and part of IIT Delhi's Diamond Jubilee celebration.

These awards were instituted by the IIT Delhi Alumni Association (IITDAA) in 1999 to honour IIT Delhi alumni for their contribution towards National Development, and are conferred each year to enhance the awareness of the work done by IIT Delhi Alumni in their professions, impacting national development.

Speaking during the occasion, Ravindra Kumar, President, IIT Delhi Alumni Association (IITDAA) said, “We value the outstanding achievements by IIT Delhi Alumni in their respective fields and are immensely proud of the contributions made by them. I congratulate all the awardees on their achievement.”

On receiving the award, P. Rajendran said, “It is a once in a lifetime moment for me to receive this prestigious award. I thank the entire IITD Alumni for conferring this honour on me for Corporate Excellence.”

“It was indeed a transformational point in my life when I moved into the start-up NIIT Limited and co-created the company with the founders. I am blessed to be a part of the NIIT journey, a company where the key mantra remains ‘NIIT is people’. My gratitude to every member of NIIT from yesterday and today, who have helped NIIT impact the lives of over 35 million learners worldwide,” added Mr. Rajendran.

For Rajendran, the root of and the route to corporate excellence lay in the hands, minds and spirit of the People at NIIT. With the stated belief that ‘NIIT is People’, he led innovative people initiatives for over three decades, bringing out the best in NIITians and helping them realise their vast inherent potential to grow continuously – in the profession, in the family and in their impact on the community. These led to great team work, high emotional and social quotients in NIITians, making them a unique breed of high performing professionals. When they move out of the company, they don the title of ‘Forever-NIITian’ proudly. NIIT received many acknowledgements - Innovative HR Practices, Top 25 ‘Best Places to work for’, Star Employer, 4th rank in India’s Best companies to work for and more.

An IIT Delhi Alumnus of the 1974 B.Tech EE, Rajendran is a member of the core team that developed and brought NIIT to its present position of global standing, since its inception in 1981. Rajendran also serves on the Board of Management of the not-for-profit NIIT University and is actively engaged with the not-for-profit NIIT Foundation, which addresses the skilling and employability needs of youth from the underprivileged segments of the society.

It may be recalled that members of the founding team of NIIT, Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman & Co-Founder, Vijay Thadani, Vice Chairman & MD and Co-founder, are among the past recipients of the prestigious IIT Delhi Distinguished Alumni award and Arvind Thakur, Former Vice Chairman & MD at NIIT Technologies Ltd., has been felicitated as the distinguished Alumnus of NITIE Mumbai and is a silver medallist from IIT Kharagpur.

2020 HR Technology Trends Paving The Way For 2021 And Beyond

HYDERABAD, India , Dec. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Darwinbox , cloud-based human capital management platform shares 4 defining digital workplace trends from 2020 in their state of HR tech report.

In a report that surveyed 180+ HR leaders from 145 Asian Enterprises , Darwinbox compiled the 'State of HR Tech ' that depicts organisational response to COVID-19 identifying short-term and long-term trends which will continue to shape the talent and tech needs in future.

"2020 was the year that changed everything - the way we live, work or connect. As the pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge, we saw HR leaders move urgently to protect employees, ensure business continuity and build resilience. In such times when immediate action was critical, most leaders embraced a new agenda - one which is digital-first and fosters agility," said Chaitanya Peddi , Co-founder, Darwinbox.

This movement which started in 2020 will continue to rise in 2021 and here are the 4 trends which will dominate the HR technology landscape.

Trend 1: Accelerated Digital Transformation

The Darwinbox survey found that 84% of organisations have either adopted at least one HR tech solution during the pandemic or planning to in the next 12 months.

COVID-19 presented itself as the biggest driver for digital transformation since organizations found themselves in a position where they have to ensure business continuity while ensuring employee safety. While 58% of organisations saw the adoption of one or more HR tech solutions to meet these immediate priorities, 26% reported undergoing a complete digital transformation project by 2021.

Trend 2: Cloud Technology To The Rescue

When it comes to adapting to the new governance, cloud HRMS' did 2X better than non-cloud counterparts and 3X better for ensuring business continuity.

Organizations using cloud HR technology have been 55% and 50% more effective than others in remote engagement and facilitating employee safety, respectively. The ability to go mobile-first, less dependence on IT, accessibility, and seamless integrations are among the many benefits of cloud systems that make cloud HRMS the most suitable for the new normal.

Trend 3: 3 Of The Top 4 HR Tech Investments Were Solutions For Remote Work Management

The report identified that 60% organisations invested in remote workforce management tools, 59% on digital hiring & onboarding while 41% on video calling infrastructure.

The massive amounts of infrastructural investments already made into these technologies and organisations openly coming out in favour of a remote workforce are a clear indication that remote work is here to stay.

Trend 4: Building Agility - The Most Critical Objective Of Digital Transformation

73% of organisations reported the top priority of HR digital transformation to become an agile and future-ready organisation.

With a stronger focus on building lean systems and processes, organisations have realised the importance of being able to pivot quickly and efficiently in order to sail through turbulences. Not just the current one but any disruption that the future may hold.

Although 2020 saw the genesis of these trends, they will define the overall business and talent strategies for 2021 and beyond. Organisations are grabbing opportunities which the pandemic has presented to better themselves and stay ahead of the curve.

Darwinbox has been enabling top Asian organisations to capitalise on these trends and build a stronger workplace. 135+ enterprises with the likes of Ujjivan Bank , Mahindra Logistics , Max Bupa , Kirloskar Group , Kotak Life , and Tata Cliq have gone through a cloud HR Technology transformation with Darwinbox, completely remotely in 2020.

About Darwinbox

Darwinbox is a new-age & disruptive mobile-first HRMS platform built for the large enterprises to attract, engage, and nurture their most critical resource - talent.

Recognized as one of the most preferred HCM platforms in Asia by Gartner , Darwinbox is a cloud-based HCM platform that takes care of all HR needs across the employee lifecycle from hire to retire. With AI-based deep-tech features like Voicebot, Advanced Talent Analytics, intelligent CV shortlisting etc., the solution helps organisations leverage technology to enable a #SmarterWorklife.

Founded in 2015 by Chaitanya Peddi , Jayant Paleti , and Rohit Chennamaneni , the company currently serves 450+ global enterprises present in over 70+ countries and is backed by Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed India Partners, Endiya Partners and Mohandas Pai's 3one4 Capital.

Coming Soon India’s 1st Autonomous Navigation Testbed TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad

Union Minister of Education virtually lays foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’- India’s first Test bed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial)

Special Features of this Facility include Test Tracks, Emulation of Real-World Scenarios, State of the Art Simulation Technologies, Road Infrastructure, V2X Communication, Drone Runways and Landing Area, Mechanical Integration Facility, Centralized Control Room/Ground Control Station, Hangars and many more.

Union Minister of Education Shri. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, virtually laid foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s first Test bed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial) in the presence of Honorable Minister of State for Education Shri. Sanjay Dhotre, Dr. B. V. R. Mohan Reddy (Chair Person, Board of Governors, IIT Hyderabad), Prof. B. S. Murty (Director IIT Hyderabad) and senior officials from Ministry, Department of Science & Technology (DST), GoI and IIT Hyderabad.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has sanctioned Rs. 135 crores to IIT Hyderabad under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set up a Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.). The Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation Systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Remotely Operated Vehicles at IIT Hyderabad, known as 'TiHAN Foundation' has been incorporated as a Section-8 company by the institute in June 2020.

#TiHAN - Un nouveau pôle d'innovation technologique sur les systèmes autonomes de navigation et d'acquisition de données placera l'Inde dans une frontière technologique avancée reconnue mondialement: @SanjayDhotreMP @IITHyderabad @GITAfunding pic.twitter.com/1N1ssDGwpK https://t.co/qwyB35mDFc

— India in Congo (@IndiaCongo) December 30, 2020

Expressing this delight to witness this technology advancement Shri Pokhriyal said “TiHAN Foundation, established at IIT Hyderabad, is a multi-departmental initiative, including researchers from Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical and Aerospace, Civil, Mathematics, and Design at IIT Hyderabad with collaboration and support from reputed institutions and industry. It is a great step towards ‘AtmaNibhar Bharat’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Digital India’, he said. With an essential focus on the research and development of interdisciplinary technologies in the specific domain area of "Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems," this hub focuses on addressing various challenges hindering the real-time adoption of unmanned autonomous vehicles for both terrestrial and aerial applications, he added.”

Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre complimented the remarkable initiative taken by IIT Hyderabad team. Dr. B. V. R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman BoG, IIT Hyderabad has praised the hard work of IIT Hyderabad Faculty for this gigantic project.

Congratulating the TiHAN Team, Director IIT Hyderabad, Prof. B. S. Murty said, “One major requirement to make unmanned and connected vehicles more acceptable to the consumer society is to demonstrate its performance in real-life scenarios. However, it may become dangerous. Especially in terms of safety, to directly use the operational roadway facilities as experimental test tracks for unmanned and connected vehicles. In general, both UAV and UGV testing may include crashes and collisions with obstacles, resulting in damage to costly sensors and other components. Hence, it is important to test new technologies developed in a safe, controlled environment before deployment”.

Highlighting the importance of this facility Project Director - TiHAN & Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Dr. P. Rajalakshmi said, “Several organizations worldwide have developed test beds or proving grounds to investigate the functioning of unmanned and connected vehicles in a controlled environment by replicating different scenarios, ranging from frequently occurring to extreme cases that may ensue in real-life traffic operations. 

At present, there is no such test bed facility in India to evaluate the autonomous navigation of vehicles. Therefore, it is envisioned to address this gap by developing a fully functional and exemplary test bed facility dedicated to Connected Autonomous Vehicles - CAVsin a portion of the beautiful IIT Hyderabad campus. The hub's focus sectors include Intelligent, Autonomous Transportation and Systems, Agriculture, Surveillance, and Environmental & Infrastructure Monitoring.”

Total Area 2 Acres of land has already been allocated in the IIT Hyderabad campus and the facilities are planned in phases. All Smart poles are enabled with communication providing technology with some Poles designed with sprinklers to simulate rain scenario. The developed test bed will be available for use by all the industries, R&D labs, academia conducting research and development in the broad areas of autonomous navigation.

Bank of Baroda Launches Digital Lending Platform Aimed at Paperless Process for Retail Customers

Bank of Baroda, country’s third largest public sector bank, has launched the Digital Lending Platform, which enables prospective retail loan seekers to get loans digitally through a paperless process at the convenience of their place and time of choice.

 
Pre-approved Micro Personal Loan is offered to existing selected customers to shop anything through offline / online partner channels and pay later in easy EMIs. Customers can also avail the amount into their Savings bank account and convert it to EMIs from 3 to 18 months through m-Connect+ (Bank’s mobile banking app) in 60 seconds.

Shri. Vikramaditya Singh Khichi, Executive Director, said, “The primary objective is to provide exceptional customer experience, personalized customer journeys and scale the lending business through digitization. Bank has attempted to digitize itself internally by building a high-performing, innovative environment, which has allowed bank to reduce time-to-market for their products. Bank envisages to outpace the banking industry growth by 1.50 times at CAGR of 16% over next 5 years by adopting digital first lending approach across retail, MSME and agriculture segments.”

Further, the Digital Lending Platform provides ‘In Principle approval’ for Home Loan, Car loan and Personal Loan in 30 minutes without human intervention. The digital loan process is done from the various sources of the loan applicant’s financial profile and the applicant will get ‘In Principle approval’ in 4 simple steps. The prospective applicants can avail the facility through multiple channels - website, mobile banking, internet banking and social media as well.
 
The Bank will offer ‘Online Loan against Fixed Deposits’ through Digital Lending Platform, which enables the Fixed Deposit customers to avail loan against their Online FD instantly through mobile banking and net banking facility.
 
With launch of Digital lending Platform, Bank believes that personal loan disbursements will be completely digitized first followed by MSME and Agriculture disbursements. As such Bank envisages that the digital share of disbursement in retail lending will grow to 74% over 5 years.
 
Dr. Ramjass Yadav, Chief General Manager, Bank of Baroda said, “We endeavour to accelerate our digital journey and continue to invest and innovate to transform Bank into a completely digitised organisation. Digital lending platform will help the Bank to double the non-corporate book by 2025.”
 
Shri. Akhil Handa, Head- Fintech, Mobility and Digital Lending Dept. Bank of Baroda said, “Our aim is to reposition existing operating models with a ‘Digital First’ model and to achieve this, we will rapidly launch new products to serve our increasingly digital customer base.”

President of India to Confer the Digital India Awards 2020 on 30th December

President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind will virtually confer the Digital India Awards 2020 on 30th December 2020 at 11:00 AM via video conferencing. In line with Digital India’s vision, this is the first time that the entire process of the Digital India Awards is being conducted online from nominations to screening to the final awards ceremony. National Informatics Centre (NIC) under Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has been conducting the biennial Digital India Awards (DIA) to promote innovation in eGovernance and digital transformation of government service delivery mechanism.

Union Minister of Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Secretary (MeitY) Shri Ajay Sawhney and other dignitaries will attend the event virtually from different locations including the Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, and Kolkata, Bhopal, and Chennai.

The event will commence on 30 December 2020 at 11:00 AM. The event will be telecasted live on Doordarshan and will also live streamed on NIC Social media platforms:

NIC Webcast- http://webcast.gov.in/digitalindiaawards

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/nationalinformaticscentre

Twitter- https://twitter.com/NICMeity

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/NICIndia

Digital India Awards have been institutionalized under the ambit of National Portal of India to honor exemplary initiatives/practices in Digital-Governance. The National Portal of India (https://india.gov.in) is a Flagship Project to facilitate single window access to Government Information and Services in cyberspace.

The awards have been held for 5 seasons earlier, in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016 & 2018. The Awards were initially known as Web Ratna Awards until 2014 and were re-named Digital India Awards from the 2016 season.

The 6th Digital India Awards 2020 have been announced under the following six categories:

1. Innovation in Pandemic: To felicitate a Government Entity which has developed an outstanding, innovative digital solution to facilitate the citizens to undertake various activities with ease during the time of pandemic in areas like communication, health, education, travel etc. or to ensure continuity of government services.
2. Excellence in Digital Governance – MINISTRY / DEPARTMENT (Central): To felicitate a Ministry or Department of the Government of India which has a comprehensive digital presence and displays a high level inter and intra-Department Integration in its digital initiatives. Integration with electronic authentication and digital payments are also assessed.
3. Excellence in Digital Governance – STATE / UT: The Award acknowledges the State/UT of India that displays exemplary initiative in establishing comprehensive digital presence in sectors like health, labour, finance, social justice and environment leading to the accomplishment of sustainable development goals.
4. Excellence in Digital Governance – DISTRICT: To reward the accomplishments of the District administration which has displayed exemplary focus on providing comprehensive information to the citizens in the regional language. Entries must display the spectrum of coverage highlighting the important facets of the district in terms of tourism, art, culture, handicraft and access to utilities.

Open Data Champion: Open Data Championship Award is to acknowledge the Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations/ States for proactive, timely and regular release of datasets/resources through Web Services/APIs on the Open Government Data (OGD) Platform (https://data.gov.in) in compliance with the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP).

Exemplary Product: The award honors those products that have made their mark in the field of Digital Governance. The product must have shown a high degree of replicability, scalability and must be successfully implemented by government departments / entities. Aspect of Digital security is a primary criterion of evaluation.

In addition to above six categories, Jury Choice Award will be conferred to honour excellence in design and implementation of National Public Digital Platform.

Central Government Ministries /Departments /Offices /Institutions, State Government Departments /Offices /Institutions, District Administrations and Indian Missions Abroad were eligible to apply for the Digital India Awards (https://digitalindiaawards.gov.in). A project could be nominated for more than one category.

In order to initiate and steer the activities for the Digital India Awards 2020, a high level Jury under the Chairmanship of Secretary, MeitY with representation from government, industry and academia was constituted.

Online nomination process for DIA 2020 commenced from the 23rd October and was open for one month, during which 402 nominations were received. Shortlisting and ranking of the nominations is done by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi who have been associated with the previous editions of the awards as nomination processing partners. Shortlisted nominations in each category were presented to the jury to finalize the winners in each category through online presentations.

Poised for Growth: Eltropy Announces Hiring Push

https://ift.tt/34UwZ1b

Business Wire India

Eltropy, an award-winning Text Messaging platform designed for financial institutions is hiring for multiple positions on its Bangalore and Milpitas, Calif-based teams.

 

Eltropy is currently accepting applications for multiple opportunities, including engineering, sales and customer success positions. All current openings are full-time and offer competitive salaries, stock options and annual bonuses.

 

The hiring push comes in response to Eltropy’s exponential growth over the year - growing from 15 to 140 customers from 2019 to 2020. In anticipation for future growth and demand, building its engineering team with qualified, best-in-class talent is key.

 

"This is an exciting time for Eltropy," said Chandra Bhople, chief talent officer at Eltropy. "Finding the right people to fill these positions is one more major step in the right direction in Eltropy’s journey. Increase in demand for remote communication and industry accolades have contributed to Eltropy’s success. Now it’s time to ensure we have the right people in place to continue providing the best product and service for our new and existing customers.”

 

“As financial institutions look towards 2021 and beyond, they are realizing the value of Text Messaging for communication and productivity,” added Ashish Garg, founder and CEO of Eltropy. “As a result, Eltropy is consistently seeing record boosts in ARR. Building up our worldwide team is essential for both Eltropy and our customers to realize their full potential.

 

Skills candidates must possess include:

 

• Leadership qualities: High energy, self-motivation and self-discipline
• Strong communication skills
• Team spirit
• Time-management skills
• Organizational skills

For more information about job opportunities at Eltropy or to apply, visit www.eltropy.com/careers.

 

About Eltropy

 

Eltropy enables financial institutions to communicate with members over Text Messaging in a secure and TCPA-compliant way. Using Eltropy’s platform, Lending, Collections, Sales, Marketing, Service, Risk Management, Internal Communications and other teams leverage Text Messaging to boost member engagement and enhance experience. Eltropy also integrates with IT systems, such as Symitar and Corelation, and uses Analytics to provide engagement insights. For more information about Eltropy, please visit eltropy.com.

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201229005468/en/

KAGAAY Announces India's First Gamified Online Real Estate Property Flash Sale

KAGAAY - India’s first Gamified Realty Sales Enablement mobile app, is all set to launch India’s very first Property Flash Sale. The sale will commence in January 2021 on the KAGAAY mobile app.It is expected that more than 10k inventory across four states will participate in the sale. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for home buyers to cash in on some unbelievable offers in real estate and get their dream home at the best price ever.

Announcing the sale Ms. Swapna More, Co-Founder KAGAAY said that, “The pandemic has dealt a major shock to the sector and the sale of residential units plummeted in 2020. At such a time, we believe KAGAAY’s Flash Sale is a ray of hope for developers as well as buyers. Our main aim for hosting this sale is to boost the real estate market by creating a demand among customers, who will benefit from exclusive deals offered by developers. This is a unique initiative where we bring in KAGAAY’s deep expertise in real estate marketing and technology to create a platform which will benefit buyers immensely and bring transparency in the property buying process.”

KAGAAY is an ISO 9000: 2015 and a RERA certified company, it is also registered with Start-up India. The app is ready to download for iOS and Android users and has already received a Google Play rating of 4.8. On registration and link sharing, it also offers redeemable reward coins to the newly registered users. The prospective buyers can also take part in a small survey to self-evaluate their home buying choices. The information provided by the prospective buyers in the survey will also help KAGAAY in understanding the psychodynamics of home buyers, their preferences, likes/dislikes etc. using which KAGAAY will be able to provide better home buying choices to the buyers.

The App has been designed and developed with two major perspectives in mind:

1. Fast track asset liquidation enablement for realtors and bankers
2. Right price asset advantage for investors and buyers.

Talking about the App Mr. Tushar Desai, CTO, said that, “Year 2021 will be of 'Innovate or Perish’. KAGAAY is our attempt to bring digital revolution in Real Estate Sales Process. Through its unique AI ML-enabled approach, KAGAAY will be able to find financial and social exhaust of the buyers in advance. KAGAAY’s buyers and properties matchmaking algorithms are based on 2 decades of real estate sale transactions data available with the founders. Whether you are a tech-savvy or new to technology, the app caters to all types of home buyers. The smart, beautiful and powerful app will enable billions of users across the globe to get all the important information about the property they wish to buy and at the same time provide them “right” price advantage. KAGAAY’s power is, 'Zero Manual Intervention'. KĀGAAY Flash sale event will be conducted completely in an automated way.”

KAGAAY has already met with resounding success in a similar endeavour last year. In 2019, KĀGAAY had launched its first draw for a Mumbai based realtor Commander Estate Developers LLP, which had seen a total number of 196 number of properties worth Rs 49 Cr being booked. Despite the pandemic leading to halting the property registrations quite early, the realtor had still managed to complete registrations of sale agreement of 80 properties through first draw of lots, generating a total business of 15.16 Cr in this challenging period for real estate.

While KĀGAAY had collected registration fees of 3.22 Lacs INR through 521 number of registrations, the EMD (Earnest Money Deposit) collected in that first draw was 21L INR through 421 number of applications.

Re-invent the audio entertainment experience with the new advanced Philips Audio range of products

• Announces new tower speakers SPA1140 and SPA1100 with 2.0 Channel Stereo
• Introduces TAE1205BK In-ear wireless headphones with 7 hours of playtime and IPX4 design
• Launches BT2003GY and TAS1505BK in the Bluetooth speaker category 

NEW DELHI, Dec. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As everyone moves closer towards the new decade, TPV Technology today announced the launch of 5 new products across the Philips audio range to celebrate the year end festivities. The new range of products include tower speakers, Bluetooth speakers and in-ear wireless headphones that are now available at leading e-commerce platform, Amazon and Flipkart along with offline retail channels.

Commenting on the new launches Mr. Shailesh Prabhu, Country Head, TPV Technology India Pvt. Ltd. said, "With everybody continuing to stay at home, consumers are now looking for an all immersive cinematic home entertainment experience. Whether it is about watching their favourite movies, binging on their favourite shows, listening to their favourite songs or attending work calls and online classes, customers are now looking for an uninterrupted sound experience more than ever. To bridge this gap of providing an unparalleled experience, we are extremely excited to expand our audio range with products that are elegant yet durable and feature ground-breaking technology. We hope our products enhance the festive mood of all our consumers."

SPA1140 & SPA1100

The all new tower speakers SPA1140 and SPA1100 come with 140W and 100W output respectively. Consumers can now feel the thumping sound while watching a movie, listening to music or having a small get together. The speakers also support a mic where users can sing their favourite songs and celebrate the festive season in the comfort of their homes. Very elegant and durable, the tower speakers have a wooden cabinet for rich sound output with matt finish to go with the interiors of one's house. Available at INR 19,990 and INR 15,990, these speakers deliver every minute sound detail with high quality tweeters for superior high tones.

TAE1205BK

Another exciting launch includes the Philips in-ear headphones, TAE1205BK priced at INR 3,799 which come with splash and sweat resistant wireless technology that delivers great sound, a comfortable in-ear fit and up to 7 hours of playtime. These in-ear headphones are a perfect fit for fitness freaks and music lovers. A quick 15-minute charge keeps the music playing for another 1.5 hours.

TAS1505BK & BT2003GY

Other products that have been launched in the Bluetooth category are BT2003GY and TAS1505BK priced at INR 3,499 and INR 1,990 respectively. BT2003GY sports a compact design and USB Type-C charging, an ideal for the globetrotting fashionista in everyone. It also features a Micro SD card space for easy play back. TAS1505BK comes equipped with IPX7 waterproof technology, 8 hours of playtime with a punchy bass and vibrant sound, perfect for working professionals and college students to attend their work-calls and online classes.

These products will be available across leading ecommerce sites, Amazon and Flipkart along with offline retail channels. TPV's current retail presence is spread across 35000+ stores with more than 200 distributors. There are also plans to enhance the robust after sales network with a target of doubling the current service centres count. 

Product features:

Philips Tower Speakers SPA1140 and SPA1100

Speaker top inputs and control

Power, volume and track controls are located on the top panel of the master speaker unit of the system. In addition to this, the various connectors have also been placed here - for all convenient usage.

Exceptionally clear sound

Thanks to the sophisticated speaker technology and the wide sound range performance, one will enjoy exceptionally clear sound from the lowest to the highest tones.

Tweeters

Using a high-end tweeter on each speaker box dramatically improves the reproduction of high frequencies. Music comes to life and movies sound like they are meant to, as the full range of high frequencies is perfectly reproduced.

Philips True Wireless Headphones TAE1205BK

IPX4

With an IPX4 rating, these true wireless headphones are resistant to splashing from any direction. They won't mind a little sweat, and one doesn't need to worry about getting caught out in the rain.

Secure, flexible, comfortable

Flexible wing tips fit under the ridge of the ear, enabling a secure fit and better passive noise isolation. An oval acoustic tube and interchangeable earbud covers enable a comfortable in-ear fit. The flat headphone cable sits comfortably behind the neck whether the earbuds are in or out.

Magnetic earbuds

These headphones have magnetic earbuds that stick together, and a flat headphone cable that resists tangling. When pulled out of a bag or pocket, these headphones won't need to
be untied before one can tune into their playlist.

Inline remote

Take a call, pause a playlist. All without touching the smartphone. Smart Bluetooth pairing means these headphones remember the last devices they were paired with. 

Check out some other amazing Bluetooth headphones here: Best Bluetooth Earphones In India 2021

Philips Bluetooth Speakers

BT2003GY

Built-in microphone

This speaker also works as a speaker phone. When a call comes in, the music is put on pause and one can talk via the speaker. Call for a business meeting or call from a friend, either way it works great.

Built-in rechargeable battery

Play music out loud - anytime, anywhere. The built-in rechargeable battery lets the user enjoy their personal music without the fuss of entangled power cords and the inconvenient search for an electrical outlet.

TAS1505

Tough and IPX7 waterproof

This portable Bluetooth speaker is IPX7-rated-which means it can withstand total immersion in water up to 1 m deep for up to 30 minutes. One can party in the shower, by the pool, or even in the pool.The wireless range is 20 m.

8 hours play time

Sound stays clear even when the music is played loudly, and a passive radiator boosts the bass. The user gets 8 hours play time, and a full charge takes 2.5 hours. The Bluetooth connection is stable, and pairing is simple.

About TPV Technology

TPV is one of the world's leading monitor and LCD TV manufacturers, along with being a consumer electronics key player in the field of audio visual digital entertainment. TPV concentrates on developing, manufacturing and marketing Philips branded TV sets (Europe, Russia, Middle East, South America, China, India and selected countries in Asia-Pacific) and audio products (all around the globe) by means of an exclusive brand license agreement with Philips. We do this by combining the design expertise of TP Vision (100% owned by TPV) and innovative Philips brand heritage with the operational excellence, flexibility and speed of TPV Technology. With these combined strengths, we bring high-quality TV sets to the market: smart and easy to use with sophisticated styling. We believe in creating products that offer a superior audio and visual experience for consumers. With Philips TVs, TPV is a global leader in the hospitality market.

TPV has 11 production sites, 28 brand offices, 3 R&D centers and employs close to 32,000 people in several locations around the globe. We have been able to drive our growth over the years by leveraging our economies of scale and core competencies in R&D, manufacturing, logistic efficiency and quality. 

We Founder Circle Closes 8 Investments in Just 100 Days; Invested over $400K in Total 8 Deals

We Founder Circle (WFC) – a startup investment platform, has successfully closed 8 startup investment deals within 100 days of its operations. The platform works on founders-backing-founders model, allowing facilitation of funds for startups at seed investment stage. WFC enables investments of USD 50K- USD 150 K amount in early -stage startups that are fueled with ambition, sustainability and strategic approach.

Until now the platform has successfully conducted 03 open pitch session & few direct curation in which it has raised funds for 8 startups including Anveshan, Belora Paris, YPayCard, Knocksense, Deciwood, Humus, Vidyakul & Couch Fashion. The startups hail from fields including- Edtech, Fintech, AI, Fashion, Agrotech etc. WFC has already invested over USD 400K in total since its inception. The brand has over 500 angel investors in its community to strengthen the platform and enable fundraise as per the startup requirement.

Renowned startups founders like Ankit Mehrotra of DineOut, Ashutosh of Beardo, Deepak Tuli of Goibibo, Deepak Sahni of Healthians, Akash of Zypp, Kushang of SupplyNote, Rohit Raj of Chatrbox have joined the Founders-Backing-Founders community by WFC to scale up the startup economy in India. Apart from financial support, the platform also provides access to cross-border founders community, peer-to-peer learning, access to global acceleration programs, business development opportunities etc.

“When a startup is at seed stage, investors work on credibility of the founder and not just the startup model. If a founder is seeking financial support and has rapport in founders’ community, it becomes easier to arrange funds. We Founder Circle has only become more relevant during the current unprecedented times. Due to pandemic funds have gone dry and startup community has come to a standstill. It is the time when things can only recover with mutual support. Hence, we are working on founders-backing-founders model to refuel the community. We have already closed 8 deals in just 100 days of operations which proves that the model is the need of the hour,” said Mr. Neeraj Tyagi- CEO & Founder, WeFounder Circle.

The platform is already in aggressive talks with over 30 startups and aims at going on a funding spree in the first half of 2021.

About WFC

Established in 2020 in Mumbai, We Founder Circle is a global community of successful founders & strategic angels that have come together to push the startup industry and steer it towards an aggressive growth. It invests USD 50K- USD 150 K amount in early -stage startups that are fueled with ambition, sustainability and strategic approach. WFC provides seed funding, business development and global networking opportunities to startup as it believes early-stage startups need a lot beyond just financial support to become scalable and stable.

For Yrs Urban India Continue to Breathe Toxic Air, Incentivising Vehicle Conversions to Clean Fuels An Immediate Solution until EV Become Commercially Viable

What about our immediately available clean air solutions?

In absence of immediately available clean air options, urban India will continue to breathe toxic air for years

The lack of urgency to respond to air pollution crisis is causing irreparable harm to the health of millions of Indians

Rolling out clean gaseous fuels such as Auto LPG can bring about an immediate difference in air quality of several Indian cities

Incentivising vehicle conversions to clean gaseous fuels can be an immediate solution until Electric Vehicles become commercially viable

New Delhi : As poor air quality coupled with hazardous smog continues to perpetually choke the capital and other Indian cities, lack of urgency to respond is both frustrating and appalling. With an overwhelming policy thrust on EVs and a complete dearth of focus on immediate clean air solutions, millions of Indians are likely to continue breathing toxic air for years.

As we observe National Pollution Control Day, it is pertinent to note that by banking totally on long term solutions like the EVs, India is missing out on low hanging fruits that can help bring about an immediate difference in air quality. Clean gaseous fuels such as Auto LPG are one such under-utilised solution that can bring about immense benefits to urban air quality by controlling hazardous vehicular tailpipe emissions.

Indian Auto LPG Coalition, the apex body of Auto LPG suppliers in the country, is underlining the need for the government to incentivise vehicle conversions to Auto LPG to be able to leverage an immediate air quality benefit.

"Even though the annual stubble burning process impacts Delhi’s air quality most seriously at the onset of winters, truth is that residents of the capital breathe toxic air for most part of the year. Hazardous vehicular emissions continue to be a major source of poor air quality in urban India. Yet, the fact that policymakers do not display any urgency in addressing the above and focus only on long-term deployment of EVs is frustrating. Lack of use of immediate clean energy solutions such as Auto LPG implies that millions of people have no hope of breathing clean air any time in the near future,” said Mr. Suyash Gupta, Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition.

With a bulk of Delhi’s and most Indian cities’ air pollution woes emanating from the transport sector, it is important that well calibrated near and long term measures are initiated to address this problem. The capital and other polluted Indian cities need to shift a substantial part of their private vehicles to cleaner fuels like Auto LPG in the short term until EVs become widely viable. Much like the capital undertook a major transformation drive by converting its DTC buses fleet to CNG 20 years back, another similar transformation drive is needed on personal vehicles and cars.

Tailpipe emissions resulting from vehicles include oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2) as well as particulate matter.

“We already have readily available and clean alternative fuels that can help us achieve significant gain in air quality in a short span of time. With much lower emissions of not only carbon but also nitrogen oxides and particulate matters, Auto LPG is such a readily available alternative to petrol and diesel. What we need is a clear policy tilt towards clean alternative fuels and a plan to incentivise vehicle conversions to Auto LPG. The government must do this by subsidising conversion costs, reducing GST on Auto LPG as well as on Auto LPG/CNG conversion kits to encourage use of the eco-friendly fuel", added Mr Gupta.

A policy thrust towards cleaner fuels will also push OEMs towards investing in more Auto LPG variants, offering greater options for consumers.

Auto LPG is the third most widely used automotive fuel used globally after petrol and diesel. It has almost 50% lesser PM emissions than CNG and Petrol and 80% lower PM emissions than Diesel. Vehicles using Auto LPG as fuel also emit much lower CO2, making Auto LPG one of the most eco-friendly fuels on the block. Also, LPG has been classified by United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (UNIPCC) for having a global warming potential of zero, implying that is not a greenhouse gas.

About IAC:

Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC) is the nodal body for the promotion of Auto LPG in India. Members of the Coalition include the Oil Sector PSUs, Private Auto LPG marketers, Kit Suppliers and Equipment Manufacturers. The Coalition works closely with the World LPG Association and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

IAC is also a member of “Central Motor Vehicle Rules - Technical Standing Committee” (CMVR-TSC) & “Standing Committee on Emission Legislation” (SCOE), TED26 (Bureau of Indian Standards), Government of India.