IBM and NASA to Create New AI Foundation Model for Weather and Climate

• IBM collaborating with Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Government of Kenya and the United Kingdom's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre to expand application of IBM's geospatial AI technologies to urban heat island mapping, reforestation and climate resiliency in aviation.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced new efforts that apply its geospatial AI technologies, including IBM's geospatial foundation model developed in collaboration with NASA, to climate efforts including analysis of urban heat islands in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); reforestation across Kenya; and climate resiliency in the United Kingdom (UK).

IBM continues to advance its AI model strategy in part through the creation, training, fine-tuning and open-sourcing of foundation models – models that can be used for different tasks and apply information from one situation to another – designed for domains beyond natural language, including geospatial applications.

These models, which are trained on geospatial information such as satellite images, present a unique opportunity to address climate change because unlike traditional AI models tailored for specialized tasks, geospatial foundation models – encompassing satellite and weather data – create knowledge representations from petabytes and exabytes of climate-relevant data that can facilitate accelerated and streamlined discovery of environmental insights and solutions. These models can also be fine-tuned and applied across a multitude of areas driving or revealing climate change, from flood detection to fire scars.

"Climate change is a real and pressing issue that we must find new ways to address as quickly and efficiently as possible, including through today's most advanced AI technologies," said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow and Vice President, Accelerated Discovery at IBM. "AI foundation models utilizing geospatial data can be a game-changer because they allow us to better understand, prepare and address the many climate-related events effecting the health of our planet in a manner and speed never before seen. We are hopeful these technologies can help accelerate the rate at which we derive and apply solutions for a safer and healthier planet for future generations."

Analyzing urban heat islands in the UAE

By the end of this century, many cities will likely experience disruptive and excessive heat waves if GHG emissions continue at high levels. To develop sustainable and equitable plans to keep cities habitable, the rising heat levels must be accurately mapped and addressed.

IBM and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) are pioneering an attempt to apply foundation models to the mapping of urban heat islands – areas with significantly higher temperatures compared to surrounding locations. This innovative research specifically applies a fine-tuned version of IBM's geospatial foundation model to understand the urban environment in Abu Dhabi and how the underlying landscape in the UAE impacts the formation of urban heat islands.

To date, the model has informed efforts that have succeeded in a reduction of heat island effects in the region by more than 3oC (5.4 F)1. Going forward, the model is expected to continue to provide unique insights that inform the development of urban design strategies designed to help reduce urban heat stress in changing climates.

Professor Tim Baldwin, MBZUAI Acting Provost, said: "Our collaboration with IBM marks a groundbreaking effort to utilize foundational AI models in analyzing and identifying solutions to urban heat islands for Abu Dhabi and parts of the UAE, a region which is particularly affected by climate change. This research underscores the vital role of AI in tackling global issues, emphasizing the urgency of continued exploration and innovation. By harnessing the power of AI, we are not merely addressing challenges; we are proactively shaping solutions for a sustainable future. In a world confronted by unprecedented challenges, MBZUAI stands at the forefront of pioneering research in AI, recognizing the transformative power it holds."

Advancing reforestation and water sustainability in Kenya

In December 2022, President of Kenya H.E. D.R William Ruto unveiled the National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign designed to plant 15 billion trees across Kenya by 2032, including in areas of critically affected water towers – forested landscapes that retain water and source many rivers throughout Kenya. While water towers account for about three quarters of the nation's water resources, deforestation is contributing to increasing water scarcity in these regions.

IBM and the Kenyan government's office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change Ali Mohamed have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign through a new "adopt-a-water-tower" initiative. The effort will be fueled by a new digital platform that leverages IBM's geospatial foundation model to enable users to track and visualize tree planting and tree growing activities in specific water tower areas. Local developers can also create fine-tuned models combining the IBM geospatial model with their own localized information to monitor forest restoration and measure above-ground biomass such as sequestered carbon, ultimately mobilizing on-the-ground efforts to plant more trees across Kenya's water tower regions.

The President's Spokesperson, Mr. Hussein Mohamed, MBS, said: "We recognize that technology plays a pivotal role in unlocking our full potential, optimizing resource utilization, and seizing opportunities. It serves as a means to ensure that we harness our resources most effectively to drive our grassroots-driven economic transformation agenda. Through our partnership with IBM, we have the capability of harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and geospatial data to advance our climate ambitions. These ambitions include planting 15 billion trees, rejuvenating our vital water towers, fostering increased collaboration with the private sector to promote a just energy transition for communities around our forests. Simultaneously, this collaboration will enhance our capacity to equitably participate in the carbon economy. The potential of this collaboration extends beyond our borders and has the capacity to be replicated in other nations seeking to enhance their forest cover while also improving the economic and health well-being of their communities."

Elevating climate resiliency across the United Kingdom

In 2021, IBM and the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Hartree Centre collaborated to explore the application of next-generation technologies including AI from IBM to address climate risk and resiliency across the UK.

Now, IBM, STFC and Royal HaskoningDHV, a global consulting engineering company, have collaborated to establish a new service, leveraging IBM's geospatial AI tools, that seeks to automate and scale climate risk assessment processes for organizations. The service's first use case will focus on the aviation sector, in which IBM's geospatial AI will assess impacts weather-related issues, 
including:

• Short-term impact of extreme weather on aviation operations.
• Long-term impact of climate change on future airport operations and infrastructure.

In addition, IBM and STFC Hartree Centre, through the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation, are advancing a new area of research with Dark Matter Labs and Lucidminds, as part of their TreesAI project. The research project will apply IBM geospatial AI technologies to their Green Urban Scenarios (GUS) model to map urban locations where trees can be planted to help alleviate the risk of surface water flooding. The effort will eventually inform an end-to-end digital planning platform for urban planners, project developers and green urban investors across the UK.

Kate Royse, Director at STFC's Hartree Centre, said: "There has never been a more important time to prepare for the challenges posed by climate change, both from an industrial and societal perspective. Here at STFC's Hartree Centre we're excited to be working with IBM and Royal HaskoningDHV, using advanced AI technologies to help the aviation industry prepare for climate risks, and become more resilient against the effects of extreme weather. Equally, our collaboration with IBM and Dark Matter Labs on the TreesAI project through our HNCDI programme will enable smarter decisions based on accurately predicting and managing flood risk, which is critical to all future city planning. Advanced AI technologies are key driver in enabling us to build a more resilient world against the adverse impacts of climate change."

Djeevan Schiferli, Climate Intelligence Business Strategist, Royal HaskoningDHV said: "Operational and strategic planners in every company require a clear understanding of how weather and climate-related incidents affect their business operations. By harnessing AI and geospatial data, we will super charge our climate risk assessments on a global scale."

Chloe Treger, TreesAI UK Lead, said: "Over 300,000 properties are at risk of surface-water flooding. Without action, this figure is set to almost double by 2055 due to climate change and urbanisation. Through our collaboration with IBM and STFC, we have been able to observe how trees contribute to reducing surface water flooding risks across the city under different scenarios, using GUS. This has enabled us and our partners to make the business case for tree planting and maintenance. After a successful pilot in Glasgow, we are now looking for further locations to embed this powerful data-enabled decision-making tool."

Extending NASA collaboration to apply generative AI to weather

Beyond their initial commitment to build and deploy a geospatial foundation model, IBM and NASA have also announced work on a new, separate AI foundation model for weather and climate. By applying AI technology from IBM, the model aims to improve the accuracy, speed and affordability of weather forecasting and other climate applications. Sample applications of the model not only include forecasting, but also super-resolution downscaling, identifying conditions conducive to wildfires, and predicting meteorological phenomena. IBM researchers will work alongside NASA domain experts to train and validate the model.

Tata Technologies Valued At $6.4 Bn Post Market Listing

Tata Technologies, the first Tata Group company to go public in since 2004, now valued at ₹532.64 billion ($6.4 billion).

Tata Technologies, a subsidiary of Tata Motors (TML), made an impressive market debut on Thursday, November 30, listing at a 140% premium to the issue price of ₹500. The stock opened at ₹1,200 on the NSE and ₹1199.95 on the BSE.

The ₹3,042.51 crore issue of Tata Technologies is also the best listing since November 2021 for an IPO size of greater than ₹500 crore. The last IPO from the Tata Group was Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)in 2004.

With its market listing, Tata Technologies beat the valuation of its peers like KPIT Technologies (KPIE.NS), L&T Technology Services (LTEH.NS) and sister Tata Group company Tata Elxsi.

Tata Technologies is a pure-play manufacturing-focused engineering research and development (ER&D) company, primarily focused on the automotive industry.

Its revenue CAGR over the last three years has far exceeded that of Tata Elxsi, L&T Technologies, and KPIT Technologies. Its EBITDA margin, at 23.7 ℅ remains more or less equal to industry standards. With a P/E ratio of 18.2x, the Tata Technologies IPO was priced fairly, said analysts.

Philippines' Bank of Commerce Selects Infosys Finacle Suite for its Core Banking

Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY), and Bank of Commerce (BankCom), an affiliate of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) group and one of the fast-growing universal banks in the Philippines, today announced the bank’s decision to select Infosys Finacle Suite for its core banking transformation.

The Infosys Finacle Suite of offerings, which includes Finacle Core Banking, Finacle Liquidity Management and Finacle Customer Data Hub solutions, will replace BankCom’s legacy platform and help the bank engage, innovate, and operate better to keep pace with evolving market expectations.

The key highlights of the digital transformation include:

• Finacle’s componentized core banking solution will allow BankCom to replace the existing legacy core systems in a risk-mitigated manner to digitally transform its business.
• The Finacle Core Banking solution will provide the bank with a comprehensive set of capabilities, including flexible product factories that will enable BankCom to unlock innovations with simple configurations to introduce differentiated products and services.
• The Finacle Liquidity Management solution will enable BankCom customers to identify, manage, and optimize liquidity across borders, currencies, and banks, on the go and on a device of their choice.

The Finacle Customer Data Hub solution will help unify customer data management across the organization. It will empower BankCom users to have a real-time view of customer relationships across platforms and channel applications. The solution will deliver a strong digital foundation to create and deliver personalized services and experiences.

Michelangelo R. Aguilar, President and CEO, Bank of Commerce
said, “We are pleased to have chosen Infosys Finacle due to its established presence in the Philippines, robust solutions suite, and record of reliable delivery in the market. The modernization of our core banking system is an integral part of BankCom’s digital transformation journey as a universal bank in delivering a truly digital banking experience to our clients. It will enable us to operate better, innovate, and keep pace with industry best practices, regulatory requirements, and evolving expectations of the markets we serve, notably the San Miguel Group and SMC ecosystem.”

Venkatramana Gosavi, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Sales, Infosys Finacle, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with Bank of Commerce in their digital core banking transformation journey. With Finacle's proven suite of solutions, we are confident that the bank will be able to achieve a client-focused banking platform, aligned with the bank’s strategic business and technology requirements. This partnership marks yet another milestone in our presence in the Philippines over the last two decades and underlines our commitment to helping Philippine banks stay ahead in the digital age.”

Tata Power Renewable Energy To Develop 200 MW Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy Project with SJVN Ltd.

The installation is expected to offset ~9 lakh metric tonnes of CO2 emissions annually

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), a subsidiary of the Company, one of the largest renewable energy players in India, has received a Letter of Award (LOA) for developing a 200 MW Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) project with SJVN Limited (SJVN). SJVN is an Indian public sector undertaking (PSU) involved in hydroelectric and renewable power generation and transmission and has been designated as the Renewable Energy Implementing Agency (REIA) by MNRE for achieving the nation's target of achieving 500 GW by 2030.

To meet the 200 MW FDRE requirement, the plant has been meticulously sized with a hybrid combination of solar, wind, and battery storage of appropriate capacities. This ensures that the energy generated by the plant is dispatched as and when needed by discoms during peak hours, providing stability to the grid.

FDRE provides round-the-clock power supply and supports the discoms in meeting Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and Energy Storage Obligation (ESO).

This is the first FDRE power tender won by TPREL, showcasing its commitment to ushering in reliable and sustainable energy solutions. The tender includes a Greenshoe option, allowing for additional capacity beyond the initial 200 MW.

This strategic collaboration with SJVN marks a significant milestone in TPREL’s journey to expand its portfolio and contribute to the nation's sustainable energy goals.

The project is expected to be commissioned within 24 months from the PPA execution date. The project was awarded through competitive bidding, followed by a reverse e-auction. The installation will offset ~9 lakh metric tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

With this win, the total renewables capacity of TPREL reaches 8,314 MW, which comprises 4,100 MW of projects in different phases of development and with an operating capacity of 4,214 MW, including 3,200 MW in solar projects and 1,014 MW in wind projects.

Wipro Launches Continuous Compliance Solution Built on Amazon Security Lake

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) a leading technology services and consulting company, has announced the launch of their Continuous Compliance Solution built on Amazon Security Lake in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Amazon Security Lake automatically centralizes an organization’s security data from across their AWS environments, SaaS providers, on-premises environments, and cloud sources into a purpose-built data lake. Wipro’s solution is designed to equip enterprises with advanced capabilities to meet compliance requirements in a continually evolving regulatory landscape by providing ongoing visibility into compliance posture and governance of business applications from pre- to post-cloud migration.

“The importance of mitigating security risk and maintaining compliance without sacrificing agility and innovation has never been greater,” said Tony Buffomante, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Cybersecurity Risk Services at Wipro. “The Wipro Continuous Compliance Solution addresses security and compliance challenges by effectively collecting all relevant data and signals within Amazon Security Lake. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI), the solution delivers actionable insights, providing our customers with a nearly real-time view of their compliance and security posture.”

A Solution for the Modern Regulatory Environment

The dynamic nature of compliance necessitates flexibility and agility in business strategies, as well as a scalable infrastructure that enables companies to continually adjust their operations to remain in adherence. As organizations increasingly move to cloud, the importance of maintaining data compliance without sacrificing agility and innovation has never been greater.

The Wipro Continuous Compliance Solution aims to reconcile these objectives by offering a unified platform where companies can manage, monitor, and maintain compliance requirements seamlessly. Built on Amazon Security Lake, the solution benefits from scalable architecture, robust security features, and ease of integration.

"We recognize that navigating the complex maze of regulatory compliance is a significant challenge for businesses today,” said Jason Eichenholz, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Ecosystems & Partnerships at Wipro. “The Wipro Continuous Compliance Solution reaffirms our commitment to helping our clients stay ahead of legal and compliance requirements while maintaining the necessary flexibility to accommodate and enable future growth."

Among the key features and benefits of the Wipro Continuous Compliance Solution are:

• Comprehensive Global Compliance Frameworks: Out-of-the-box support for compliance standards such as GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and more.
• Real-time Monitoring and Alerts: Continuous assessment of data and real-time alerts for any compliance-related anomalies.
• Automated Reporting: Simplified and automated generation of compliance reports for internal review and external audits.
• Cost-effective and Scalable: Leveraging AWS's pay-as-you-go model for scalable and cost-effective compliance management.
• In-depth Analytics: Analytical tools that provide insights into data usage, potential risks, and optimization opportunities

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients’ most complex digital transformation needs. Leveraging our holistic portfolio of capabilities in consulting, design, engineering, and operations, we help clients realize their boldest ambitions and build future-ready, sustainable businesses. With nearly 245,000 employees and business partners across 65 countries, we deliver on the promise of helping our clients, colleagues, and communities thrive in an ever-changing world. For additional information, visit us at www.wipro.com

Bengaluru Gets AMD's Largest Global Design Center; 500,000 Sq.Ft. Campus to Host ~3000 Engineers

The AMD Technostar R&D campus in Bengaluru is part of the $400 million India investment announced by the company at Semicon 2023

The 500,000-square-foot campus plans to host approximately 3000 engineers

AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today inaugurated its largest global design center in Bengaluru, marking a milestone in the company's commitment to expand research, development, and engineering operations in India. The state-of-the-art campus plans to host approximately 3,000 AMD engineers in the coming years, focused on the design and development of semiconductor technology including 3D stacking, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more.

The campus was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Cabinet Minister for Railways, Telecommunications, Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. AMD executive leaders including Mark Papermaster, executive vice president and chief technology officer; David Wang, senior vice president of GPU technologies and engineering; Brian Amick, senior vice president of central engineering; and Andrej Zdravkovic, chief software officer and senior vice president of GPU technologies along with the AMD India leadership team were present.

The AMD Technostar campus is part of the company’s $400 million investment in India over the next five years, announced at Semicon India 2023. The campus will serve as a centre of excellence for the development of leadership products across high-performance CPUs for the data center and PCs, data center and gaming GPUs, and adaptive SoCs and FPGAs for embedded devices.

The 500,000-square-foot campus and office space celebrates Indian art and craft, with huddle spaces and conference rooms designed to foster collaboration and creativity. The space features modern R&D labs spread over 60,000-square-feet and a large demo centre for visitors to experience AMD products and solutions. The campus also includes a cafeteria acoustically engineered to host gatherings of more than 2000 employees and a gym and a yoga centre to promote the holistic health and well-being of AMD employees.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications & Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India said, “India's semiconductor program launched under the leadership of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays strong emphasis on supporting the design and talent ecosystem for semiconductors. AMD setting up its largest design center in Bengaluru is a testament to the confidence global companies have in India.”

Mark Papermaster, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, AMD said, “We are pleased to inaugurate our largest global design center in Bengaluru today. This investment strengthens our relationship with India and showcases our confidence in the exceptional engineering talent that the country has to offer. The relentless pursuit of engineering excellence and innovation is the cornerstone of our success. This new design center will help propel technology and product development across the AMD portfolio, fueling the next generation of high performance, adaptive and AI computing solutions for our customers around the world.”

Jaya Jagadish, India Country Head, AMD said, “The India Design Centre started with a handful of employees in 2004. Today, 25% of AMD’s global workforce is located in India and they support the development of AMD leadership products for data center, gaming, PC and embedded customers. This new facility marks the next milestone in our growth journey to be a significant contributor in the advancement of semiconductors.”

Deepak Agarwal, Bengaluru Site Lead, AMD said, “I feel extremely proud to be the site head of our new Technostar campus. It is more than just a state-of-the-art building. It is the embodiment of our mission to build great products that accelerate next generation computing experiences. The campus will provide a great workspace for our India teams to be creative and innovative in their pursuit to support the company’s growth as a high performance and adaptive computing leader.”

Samsung Unveils Galaxy A05 with Signature Galaxy Design, 50 MP Camera and Large Display at INR 9999

Samsung Galaxy A05 features powerful MediaTek G85 Processor, 6.7’’ HD+ display combined with a massive 5000 mAh battery.

Consumers can own Galaxy A05 at just INR 875 per month with No Cost EMI Options

Samsung, India’s largest electronics brand, today announced the launch of Galaxy A05, the newest addition to its popular Galaxy A series. It aims to provide consumers with an immersive viewing experience and great photography capabilities with an impressive 6.7” HD+ display, 5000 mAh battery and a 50MP wide angle camera, making it a top choice for consumers.

“Galaxy A05 is an awesome blend of powerful technology and affordability without compromise. Dedicated to meaningful innovation, this device boasts a massive 5000 mAh battery, an impressive 6.7” inch HD+ display, MediaTek G85 processor and much more, along with the iconic Galaxy signature design. With this device in hand, MZ consumers are set to explore the power of Samsung’s innovation with bold features and seamless interface, taking us one step closer to the pinnacle of customer experience” – said Akshay S Rao, General Manager, MX Business, Samsung India.

Awesome Performance

Galaxy A05 is powered by MediaTek G85 processor, delivering outstanding performance. The MediaTek G85 processor provides enhanced power and speed, enabling effective multi-tasking. Galaxy A05 is available in two storage variants, 4GB+64 GB and 6GB+128GB. Additionally, it comes with RAM plus feature, which intelligently analyses usage patterns and provides extra virtual RAM of upto 6 GB. This ensures smooth app operation and enhances multitasking capabilities of the device for the users.

Awesome Display

Galaxy A05 features a large 6.7” HD+ display for an immersive viewing. The big screen makes scrolling through social media feeds easy for the tech-savvy Gen Z and millennial customers. With Galaxy A05, binge-watchers can effortlessly enjoy their favorite entertainment while on the go.

Awesome Camera

Users can now double the fun with Galaxy A05’s dual camera setup that features a 50MP wide angle camera, that excels in capturing vibrant and detailed photos, even in challenging low light conditions and a 2MP depth-sensing camera ensuring high quality portrait pictures with a range of modes to capture unforgettable moments. The 8MP front camera guarantees your selfies are sharp and clear.

Awesome Battery

Galaxy A05 comes with a massive 5000 mAh battery that can easily last up to two days, enabling long sessions of streaming, sharing, gaming and more, so that you get more time to do what you love. Additionally, the device also supports up to 25W Super-Fast Charging that can easily get the smartphone back to full power quickly.

Awesome Looks

Galaxy A05 features the popular Galaxy Signature design along with a sturdy frame with a linear patterned backside, delivering a refined build and finish. The smartphone will be available in three refreshing colors, including Light Green, Silver and Black.

Awesome Security with Face unlock

With Galaxy A05 users don’t have to worry about complicated passwords or hard to remember unlocking patterns. All you need to unlock your phone is you. Now, enjoy the utmost privacy with the face unlock feature on Galaxy A05.

Awesome Experience

Galaxy A05 stays future-ready with 4 years of security updates and 2 generation of OS upgrades.

Memory Variants, Price, Availability and Offers

Galaxy A05 is priced at INR 12499 for the 6GB + 128 GB variant and INR 9999 for the 4GB+64 GB variant and will be available across Samsung exclusive and retail stores, Samsung.com and other online portals. As a special offer, consumers can purchase Galaxy A05 with No Cost EMI using Samsung Finance+ and through attractive EMI options with banks and NBFC’s starting INR 875 per month. Additionally, consumers can get limited time period cashback worth INR 1000 using SBI credit cards.

Cipla and Skye Air Mobility Launches Drone-based Medical and Pharma Delivery Services in Himachal Pradesh

Commenced operations in flood-affected Himachal Pradesh.

Indian multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, Cipla Limited (BSE: 500087; NSE: CIPLA EQ), has announced the launch of drone-powered deliveries for its critical medicines (cardiac, respiratory and other essential chronic therapies) for hospitals and pharmacies in Himachal Pradesh, India, in partnership with Skye Air Mobility, a Gurugram-based drone delivery tech company focused primarily on healthcare, e-commerce and food logistics.

The use of drones will support on-time delivery of Cipla’s medicines to chemists and clinics in remote areas, while minimizing risks such as delays, temperature excursions affecting cold chain products, and roadside accidents. Cipla is the first among large Indian pharma companies to adopt drone- based deliveries to facilitate expedited supply to stockists in remote areas.

In its inaugural phase, the company has successfully completed several drone deliveries in Himachal Pradesh covering approximately 50 kilometres distance in under 25 minutes. This has been vital amidst adverse and prevailing weather conditions that have impacted conventional transportation routes in the state.

Commenting on the milestone, Cipla’s Global Supply Chain Head, Swapn Malpani said, “Driven by our purpose of ‘Caring for Life’, we are leveraging technology to make healthcare more accessible and extend our circle of care to all our key stakeholders. As we accelerate our digital agenda across all functions, implementing drone-powered distribution enhances our supply chain resilience, strengthens connects with channel partners, helps us stay future ready and maintain reliable, prompt delivery of our trusted high-quality drugs to stockists and patients in the region."

In future, Cipla aims to scale the service through distribution to hospitals and expand market coverage to inaccessible and hilly terrains such as Uttarakhand and Northeast in India.

High Profile Execs of Microsoft and AWS Quit Event Over Fake Profiles of Female Speakers

High-profile tech executives of Microsoft and AWS have pulled out of an upcoming developers conference after accusations that the organizer fabricated female speakers' profiles, reported Bloomberg.

Leaders in the developer community - including Microsoft's Scott Hanselman and Kelsey Hightower, a former developer advocate at Google - cancelled their appearances at DevTernity, which has tickets costing as much as $870, said the report.

Participants discovered the fake profiles after Gergely Orosz, who runs a popular tech newsletter, posted on social media that he had identified fabricated profiles of women on DevTernity's speakers list. He also claimed to have found fake women's profiles on the speakers lists for previous and future events.

"It struck a chord with the developer community, which saw the practice as misleading and potentially deceitful, and a step backward from their goal of diversity in male-dominated tech events," explains the Bloomberg report.

Gregely Orosz, showing profile of one of an alleged fake speaker, wrote on X (formerly Twitter)," DevTernity has had fake women speakers listed for years. Here is fake Anna Boyle’s “colleague” fake Natalie Stadler claimed to be at Coinbase (no such person ever worked there ofc - I checked). She “spoke” in 2022 there as well. Just incredible."

DevTernity has had fake women speakers listed for years.

Here is fake Anna Boyle’s “colleague” fake Natalie Stadler claimed to be at Coinbase (no such person ever worked there ofc - I checked).

She “spoke” in 2022 there as well.

Just incredible.https://t.co/q4mpwrw3ym pic.twitter.com/2sdhEcuORc

— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) November 25, 2023

The event's organizer, Eduards Sizovs, said in a post on X (Twitter) that he “auto-generated” a fake woman’s profile after a female speaker had dropped out of the conference, but that it was a placeholder and not meant to imply a more diverse conference. He later removed the fake profile.

"... you know that I have high standards of work and professional ethics. You know that DevTernity has been my life's work, and DevTernity is the event that I love and deeply care about. We've always delivered on the promise, and the event has been highly regarded by both speakers and attendees. It's all the result of hard and ethical work. 8 years in a row," Eduards said in an X post.

Almost half of the 23 speakers still listed on the event’s website have withdrawn from the conference, according to social media posts and interviews with panelists. 

Over 100 Gujarat Engg. College Students Duped by Gurugram Startup, Misused Documents for ₹2.5 Crore Loan

Over 100 students of a reputed engineering college in Ahmedabad, Gujarat have been caught in the scam of a dubious startup in Gurugram, said a report by iamGujarat.com authored by Ashish Chauhan. The students claim that the alleged startup took their documents and misused them on the pretext of giving them jobs. The startup took an education loan of Rs 2.1 lakh in the name of each student while keeping students in dark. When the students started getting calls from the bank for EMI, the students then came to know that the loan was taken in their name. Loans of more than 2.5 crore rupees have been taken in the name of 124 students.

The Gujarat Police has not yet registered a complaint in this matter because they say that this is a civil case, said the report. 

Citing the students, the report further said that these 124 students were selected in the group through campus placement in 2021. Two supposed representatives of the startup came to the Engineering college located in Sola, a suburb area of Ahmedabad city. The students says that the loan was taken two months after the students were hired. The startup claimed that they provide business consultancy to firms. This Gurugram-based startup,  the name which remain undisclosed in the report, was paying students irregularly. However, when reminders for EMIs of Rs 5,000 started coming from a well-known bank, these
students realized that the loan had been taken without their knowledge and consent.

The EMI amount was deducted from the account of the students who had balance in their bank account. While the CIBIL (credit rating) score of those who did not have a balance in their account was adversely affected. Students were not able to repay the loans, which they had not taken in first place, so their credit rating was going down. Students were mostly given work from home by this startup.

When the students confronted the representatives of the alleged company, the representatives said that the issue would be resolved quickly and that they need not worry.

One of the selected students in 2021 was automobile engineer Alwaz Pathan. He has recently filed a complaint at the Shahpur police station in Ahmedabad and has alleged fraud against two representatives of the company. "During the selection, he made us sign an agreement and took our digital signatures besides taking several documents.

"During the selection, he made us sign an agreement and took our digital signatures besides taking several documents. We were told that the job would be confirmed after a one-year probation period. Few days after my probation started, I received an SMS regarding EMI. When I asked the company about the EMI, they said that they will settle the amount in my salary. They neither gave us salary nor nor reimbursed us any amount", said Pathan.

Alwaz Pathan then realized that this startup had taken an education loan of Rs 2.10 lakh in the name of each student by misusing his documents and digital signature. Alwaz resigned from the firm but later came to know that the company had cheated 100 more students who graduated from the batch between 2021 and 2023 in this manner.

According to Alwaz Pathan, the future of the recruited students is uncertain as the company recently declared bankruptcy. "Many students do not have funds in their bank accounts. The CIBIL scores of students unwittingly caught in the scam have deteriorated." Alwaz Pathan's lawyer Irshad Mansoori said that he approached the Sola police but they refused to register a complaint. "We also approached the cyber crime police but they also did not take up the complaint.

According to information collected by Times of India from police sources, "Many students do not have funds in their bank accounts. The CIBIL scores of students unwittingly caught in the scam have deteriorated." Alwaz Pathan's lawyer Irshad Mansoori said that he approached the Sola police but they refused to register a complaint. "We also approached the cyber crime police but they also did not take up the complaint. After which we approached the Shahpur police but they refused to register an FIR as it was a civil case", said Irshad Mansoori.

TCS Launches AWS Generative AI Practice Focussed on Responsible AI

• Next step in its strategy to deepen AI expertise after having completed foundation training on GenAI for 100,000 employees across the world
• TCS AWS GenAI practice will focus on using responsible AI frameworks and its PacePort™ innovation hubs to build a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and services for every industry sector
• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company, extends its strategic partnership with TCS and AWS to manage its digital transformation journey leveraging AWS generative AI services.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) has launched its AWS generative AI practice, to help customers harness the full potential of AI and AWS generative AI services to transform different parts of their value chain and achieve superior business outcomes.

Generative AI has captured the attention of enterprises globally for its potential to significantly reshape industries. TCS has been at the forefront of helping clients across different industries explore relevant use cases for generative AI through proofs of concept and pilots. Using its deep domain knowledge across different industry verticals, TCS has developed an extensive catalog of use-cases for generative AI.

To accelerate its customers’ journeys, TCS has invested in foundation training of over 100,000 employees on generative AI. It is now focused on deepening their expertise further, including certification of over 25,000 employees on AWS generative AI services and with the announcement of this new practice today.

TCS’ AWS generative AI practice will help enterprises choose and quickly scale the right solutions for their unique business needs and transform their organizations, using AWS’ services such as Amazon Bedrock. TCS’ consultants will help clients explore the most impactful use-cases in their business context, experiment collaboratively and co-innovate generative AI-powered solutions.

This co-innovation can take place at TCS Pace Ports™, the company’s innovation and research hubs located in major city hubs including New York, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Amsterdam, and Tokyo. At these sites, the teams can also leverage work done by academic researchers and start-up partners from TCS’ innovation ecosystem.

“To make generative AI deployment effective and trust-worthy, we must approach the technology holistically across multiple dimensions including creativity, productivity, and business value. Drawing from all the investments we have made in building deep capabilities in generative AI, our strong partnership with AWS, and contextual knowledge of our customers’ businesses, we help them take a comprehensive approach to realize the true potential of generative AI to drive their growth and transformation,” said Krishna Mohan, Deputy Head, TCS AI.Cloud unit.

TCS offers a comprehensive portfolio of generative AI services and solutions including consulting and advisory, solution design and prototyping, large language model training and fine-tuning, guardrail agent design, project delivery and ongoing maintenance. TCS is building a responsible AI framework to help enterprises navigate the ethical and safe uses of AI.

TCS’ AWS generative AI practice will use that technology to help customers uncover and classify organizational knowledge and abstract out insights that optimize their business decision-making or create content. The resultant solutions significantly enhance customer experience and employee productivity.

Further, to drive up productivity of its clients’ IT organizations, TCS will help them deploy Amazon CodeWhisperer to provide generative AI-powered code recommendations to developers directly, saving them the effort and enhancing the quality of their code.

“Generative AI is one of the most transformational technologies of our generation, allowing organizations to reimagine their customers’ experience, increase employees’ productivity, and enhance overall business operations. AWS has been focused on making AI accessible to companies of all sizes and across industries, and by deepening the AWS and TCS relationship through the TCS generative AI practice, more customers can easily and quickly leverage and benefit from generative AI,” said Vasi Philomin, Vice President of Generative AI, AWS.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents and a portfolio of 24 global brands, has also enhanced its partnership with TCS as a strategic technology partner to manage the hotel group’s core systems and IT business and digital transformation journey on AWS.

"At Wyndham, we’re on transformative digital journey as we pursue our mission of making hotel travel possible for all. Through our work with TCS and AWS, we’ve been able to migrate our systems to the cloud while further investing in data standardization. These investments have allowed us to build a foundation that will not only help to accelerate future innovation, but also realize the promise of generative AI powered by Amazon generative AI services,” said Scott Strickland, Chief Information Officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

TCS offers enterprise customers end-to-end services and solutions around cloud migration, application, and data modernization, managed services, and industry-specific innovation on AWS. TCS holds several AWS validated qualifications, including membership in the AWS Premier Tier Service Partner Program, AWS Managed Service Provider, AWS Public Sector Partner Program, AWS Solution Provider Program, AWS Well-Architected Partner Program, and over 35 AWS Competencies and Service Validations. TCS’ large pool of AWS cloud-ready professionals leverage their domain knowledge and AWS technology building blocks to create transformational solutions contextualized to specific industry sub-verticals. For more information, visit www.tcs.com/tcs-aws.

Tech Mahindra Launches AI, ML, Analytics and AR/VR -Powered Sports Tech Platform Built on AWS

Tech Mahindra launches a sports cloud platform built on AWS to provide an immersive fan experience globally, powered by AI, ML, Analytics and AR/VR

To provide personalised fan experiences while offering data-driven insights to sports enthusiasts and organisations worldwide

Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, announced it has collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build a sports cloud platform. The offering focuses on building next-generation digital capabilities for sports organisations and delivering immersive and personalised experiences to sporting enthusiasts worldwide. The sports cloud offering is the result of a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) signed between the two organisations in September, 2023, with a shared vision to bring the sports institutions closer to the fans, and the fans closer to the action. The SCA supports ease of access for Tech Mahindra to AWS resources and services, and allows both entities to participate in joint go-to-market initiatives and drive business growth.

The increasing need for enhanced experience among sports fans, the growing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) experience for efficient management of sports stadiums, and the growing demand for data-driven insights by sports organisations is expected to fuel the overall growth of sports technology.

Tech Mahindra and AWS will collaborate to offer a comprehensive digital platform to sports organisations, offering use cases related to content and community engagement, customer data management and audience segmentation, and sports analytics, while delivering immersive stadium-to-home fan experiences by leveraging augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/ VR), and metaverse gamification. The cloud offering will also enable sports organisations to build and transform digital properties of sports teams and franchises and generate new revenue streams by developing new services and features tailored to audience needs.

Tech Mahindra aims to deploy its sports cloud offering to enhance the digital capabilities of sports leagues, franchises, and organisations, providing immersive and personalised experiences to fans worldwide. Punjab Kings, a professional franchise Cricket team based in India, has been working with Tech Mahindra to engage fans by bringing content, community, and commerce together.

Satish Menon, CEO, Punjab Kings, said, “I'm pleased to know about Tech Mahindra’s collaboration with AWS to build a sports cloud, and it’s exciting that it can accelerate the digital transformation aspiration for sporting organisations. Combining action from on-and-off-the-field with digital initiatives can create new opportunities for global sporting organisations to engage fans and take them deeper into the game. This can enable sporting organisations to plan broadcasting and content development in more creative ways, and offer greater game insights, all from a fan’s perspective. My best wishes to the teams from Tech Mahindra and AWS.”

Built on AWS, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, Tech Mahindra’s sports cloud offering will be powered by real-time analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high-performance compute for AR/ VR, enriched broadcasting, and Web 3.0 technologies, enabling high volumes of digital data to be processed in real-time, and providing sports fans with an elevated experience.

The platform will use AWS native services, and specialist AWS services such as AWS Elemental MediaLive for delivering 24/7 linear channels and live events at scale; AWS Elemental MediaConvert for transcoding content for broadcast and multi-screen delivery; Amazon Kinesis Data Streams for storing and ingesting various streaming data in real-time at any scale; and Amazon Managed Blockchain, a fully managed service designed to help customers build resilient Web 3.0 applications on both public and private blockchains. Tech Mahindra will also leverage Amazon SageMaker – a fully managed ML service from AWS that enables developers and data scientists to build, train, and deploy ML models for any use – to power AR/VR video and image analytics, and enable fans to experience virtual stadium tours, live events, shopping, and access footage from sporting events.

Samira Bakhtiar, General Manager, Media, Entertainment & Sports, AWS, said, “AWS provides cloud-enabled technologies that are at the heart of digital innovation, athlete performance optimisation, and epic fan engagement, transforming the way sports are played, analysed, and enjoyed. Tech Mahindra shares our passion for the sports industry, and our belief that cloud, AI, ML, and emerging technologies will drive the sports technology of the future. Our collaboration with Tech Mahindra will enable leading sports organisations to take the fan experience to the next level by creating immersive experiences and providing data-driven insights. We are excited about the potential to make sports more engaging and enjoyable for fans, and more productive for sports organisations around the world.”

Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said, “New-age technology and data-driven insights are changing the way we consume sports. At Tech Mahindra, we are committed to investing in sports tech to provide personalised experiences for sports fans worldwide. Our collaboration with AWS, that offers the broadest and deepest set of cloud services, will transform how fans interact with their favourite sports, creating a dynamic and captivating experience for viewers. By building sports cloud on AWS, we aim to build a personalised, fan-focused community that transcends physical sports. The platform is positioned to disrupt the sports tech industry by providing opportunities for sports organisations and franchises worldwide to create a delightful fan engagement experience that is built on content and community, leading to commerce.”

As part of its NXT.NOWTM framework, which aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’, Tech Mahindra has a deep focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver enhanced experience and enable digital transformation to meet the evolving needs of the customer.

Tech Mahindra offers innovative and customer-centric digital experiences, enabling enterprises, associates, and society to Rise for a more equal world, future readiness, and value creation. It is a USD 6.5+ billion organisation with 148k+ professionals across 90 countries helping 1250+ global customers, including Fortune 500 companies. It is focused on leveraging next-generation technologies including 5G, Metaverse, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and more, to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers. It is the only Indian company in the world to receive the HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta Seal for its commitment to creating a sustainable future. It is the fastest growing brand globally in ‘brand value rank’ and among the top 7 IT brands globally in brand strength with AA+ rating. With its NXT.NOWTM framework, Tech Mahindra aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’ for its ecosystem and drive collaborative disruption with synergies arising from a robust portfolio of companies. It aims at delivering tomorrow’s experiences today and believes that the ‘Future is Now’.

Tech Mahindra is part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945, one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology, and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality, and real estate. The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

To Fight Air Pollution in Delhi-NCR, Tata Power To Incentivize Its Employees to Purchase EVs at Special Benefits

In a major thrust to improve air quality in Delhi NCR, Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies, today launched a special program to incentivize its employees to switch to EVs. This announcement is aligned with Tata Power's 'Sustainable is Attainable' movement, which encourages adoption of green energy solutions and products to commit to a Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE).

Tata Power and its subsidiaries have nearly 4000 employees working in the Delhi NCR region and are focused on building a culture of responsible environmental practices among the employees through initiatives like Climate Crew, which aims to mobilize the workforce to opt for green practices.

Under this program, Tata Power has encouraged its employees to purchase EVs, and is also offering free charging facility at select office locations including reimbursement of charging costs beyond company premises. Tata Power has also tied up with EV market leader Tata Motors to make available popular EVs at special prices for employees, with priority delivery post booking, and long term and low EMI financing covering the entire cost of the vehicle.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Himal Tewari, CHRO, Chief - CSR & Sustainability, Tata Power said, “We are encouraging our employees to embrace e-mobility and champion the cause of sustainable lifestyle by reducing individual carbon footprint. Tata Power is cultivating a culture of environmental stewardship, empowering every employee to become a 'Climate Action Hero' through such initiatives. We hope this move will also contribute towards improving the AQI in Delhi NCR, the city with one of the highest vehicular densities in the country."

Tata Power currently has an expansive EV Charging network consisting of 250+ e-Bus charging points, and 500+ public and semi-public charging points across Delhi NCR.

Tata Power is a leading integrated power company and a part of Tata Group, India’s largest multi-national business conglomerate. The company has a diversified portfolio of 14399 MW, spanning across the entire power value chain - from renewable and conventional energy generation to transmission & distribution, trading, storage solutions and solar cells and module manufacturing. As a pioneer of clean energy transition in India, Tata Power has 5539 MW of clean energy generation, which constitutes 38% of its total capacity.

The company has also committed to achieve carbon neutrality before 2045.Tata Power has established India’s most comprehensive clean energy platform, with offerings such as rooftop solar, microgrids, storage solutions, EV charging infrastructure, home automation et al. The company has also attracted global investors to support its growth and vision. Tata Power has successfully partnered with public and private entities in generation, transmission & distribution sectors in India, serving approx.13 million customers across the country. To know more about Tata Power, visit www.tatapower.com

SAP and Infosys Introduce Industry Cloud Solution to Identify, Track, Predict, and Refine Carbon Emissions During S&OP

For companies to act sustainably, responsibly, and efficiently, they must harness the power of data-driven decisions and advanced technology to reduce their carbon footprint and create sustainable product portfolios.

At a September 2022 Hack2Build event, Indian IT & technology major, Infosys, also a partner of SAP, presented a solution for organizations to identify, track, predict, and refine carbon emissions during sales and operations planning (S&OP) and make sustainable decisions. The solution, Sustainable S&OP and Carbon Footprint Management, was built using SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP) for Supply Chain, SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), SAP Integration Suite, and SAP Sustainability Footprint Management.

Built on SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), S/4HANA and SAP Product Foot print management the Infosys carbon footprint solution calculates carbon emission based on greenhouse gas protocols and Global warming potential across procurement, production and distribution processes. [Download the Document] 

Infosys’ carbon footprint solution calculates carbon emissions based on greenhouse gas protocols and global warming potential factors across an organization’s procurement, production, and distribution processes. It helps calculate key information, such as estimates of CO2e emissions per order level, thereby helping to make decisions that can ensure a smaller carbon footprint.

The solution also provides an innovative framework to help companies identify, track, predict, and refine their carbon emissions numbers throughout the entire supply chain process.

“Infosys is delighted to publish the Infosys Sustainable S&OP and Carbon Footprint Management Solution through the SAP-validated partner use case program,” said Atul Chorbele, AVP at Infosys. “We are confident that customers across industries will benefit from adopting this solution.”

Holger Brammer, Global Partner Ecosystem vice president at SAP, praised this partner solution and the development process: “It was impressive to see how fast Infosys developed this solution on SAP BTP and integrated it with SAP S/4HANA, SAP IBP, and SAP Sustainability Footprint Management. I’m quite confident that this solution will resonate very well with customers.”

Infosys’ solution is part of the SAP-validated partner use case program. The program was established to give SAP service partners the ability to showcase, position, and promote solutions and spotlight their expertise of SAP Business Technology Platform, leveraging the power of SAP’s vast customer base and industry networks.

The SAP-validated partner use case program offers service partners the ability to:

• Get amplified market reach: Increased visibility enables service partners to target a broader audience, opening doors to new markets and untapped opportunities. Leveraging SAP’s robust platform, partners can position themselves strategically and expand their global reach.
• Collaborate and co-innovate: Participating in the SAP-validated partner use case program can foster collaboration with SAP experts, industry leaders, and customers.
• Access a dynamic ecosystem: Partners can benefit from SAP’s ecosystem, where they can collaborate, exchange knowledge, and share best practices with some of the industry’s best leaders.
• Develop customer-centric solutions: The program helps put the customer at the core of solution development. Service partners can gain valuable customer insights though interactions facilitated by SAP, leading to better-tailored products and services that can precisely address users’ pain points.

The program presents opportunities for both customers and service partners to flourish. By achieving certification, service partners can earn credibility, expand market reach, and foster collaborative innovation with industry giants. Its streamlined processes help accelerate time-to-market, providing a significant advantage in today’s fast-paced business landscape.

India Mandates Blending of Compressed Bio-Gas in CNG (Transport) and PNG (Domestic) Segments of CGD Sector

• CBG Blending Obligation (CBO) to encourage investment and facilitate establishment of 750 CBG projects by 2028-29 : Petroleum Minister Hardeep S Puri
• CBO to help in saving forex, promoting circular economy and achieving Net Zero Emission
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF/Bio- ATF) indicative blending percentage targets set
• Production of ethanol from maize to be promoted through various multidepartment initiatives
• CBG Blending Obligation (CBO) will promote production and consumption of Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) in the country, said Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs.

In a major step towards enhancing use and adoption of CBG, the National Biofuels Coordination Committee (NBCC), chaired by Union Petroleum Minister announced yesterday the introduction of phase wise mandatory blending of CBG in CNG (Transport) & PNG (Domestic) segments of City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector.

The key objectives of the CBO are to stimulate demand for CBG in CGD sector, import substitution for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), saving in Forex, promoting circular economy and to assist in achieving the target of net zero emission etc. Highlighting the key outcomes of the CBO, Shri Puri Said that it will encourage investment of around Rs. 37500 crores and facilitate establishment of 750 CBG projects by 2028-29.

It was, inter-alia, decided that:

1. CBO will be voluntary till FY 2024-2025 and mandatory blending obligation would start from FY 2025-26.
2. CBO shall be kept as 1%, 3% and 4% of total CNG/PNG consumption for FY 2025-26, 2026- 27 and 2027-28 respectively. From 2028-29 onwards CBO will be 5%.
3. A Central Repository Body (CRB) shall monitor and implement the blending mandate based on the operational guidelines approved by Minister, PNG.

Discussions also took place for promoting production of ethanol from maize with all stake holders especially with Department of Agriculture and Department Food and Public distribution (DFPD) to make it a prominent feedstock in coming years. It was discussed that the last few years there is increase in Maize cultivation area, yield per hectare and production. Work has been initiated by this ministry in consultation with Department of Agriculture and DFPD to further develop high starch yielding varieties, improve quality of maize DDGS (Dried Distillers Grain Solids) by removing aflatoxins, faster registration of new seed varieties with high starch. To further promote maize training program for distillers with seed companies has also been initiated.

On Friday, another important announcement was made for promoting biofuels in the country. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF/Bio- ATF) initial indicative blending percentage targets were set by the committee. Based on the comments received from the stakeholders, like MoCA, Niti Aayog, OMCs, etc., the capacities of Sustainable Aviation Fuel plants coming up in the country and projected ATF sales, the following initial indicative blending percentages of SAF in ATF are approved:1% SAF indicative blending target in 2027 ( Initially for International flights) 2% SAF blending target in 2028 (Initially for International flights). 

Google To Invest in Bengaluru based Generative AI Startup CoRover.ai

Search giant Google is on verge of investing close to $4 million in Bengaluru based conversational & generative artificial intelligence startup Corover.ai, report several media outlets including, Economic Times, citing people privy to the matter.

In June this year, the startup has announced that it would introduce BharatGPT, a Generative AI (text, voice, video) for Indian organisations and in Indian languages. This makes Corover among a handful of Indian tech startups building an indigenous large language model (LLM), i.e. BharatGPT, which claims to support more than a dozen Indian languages.

Google had already financed the startup with $500,000 in an non equity funding, in March this year.

Now in a latest, Google is reportedly in discussions to invest $4 million in equity following the official launch of BharatGPT in the coming weeks.

Further, Google will provide credits to Corover to access cloud computing. The cash financing will go into scaling BharatGPT further.

Founded in 2016, by Ankush Sabharwal, Kunal Bhakhri, Manav Gandotra and Rahul Ranjan, Corover helps enterprises to improve the top line via lead-generation and engagement (Up-Sell & Cross-Sell) and also grow the bottom line via round-the-clock AI Virtual Assistant (AI Video Bot, AI Voice Bot, AI Chat Bot) which automates 70% of the customer support.

Among its investors, Corovers has CanBank Venture Capital Fund, Lead Angels, Cognify, Karekeba Ventures, and IIIT-Delhi.

Demat Dos and Don'ts: A Comprehensive Guide to Responsible Trading

In the fast-paced world of stock trading, having a Demat account is almost a prerequisite for investors. Demat accounts facilitate the seamless buying and selling of securities electronically, eliminating the hassle of physical share certificates. However, with great power comes great responsibility. To ensure a smooth and responsible trading experience, here's a comprehensive guide to Demat dos and don'ts.

The Dos

1. Stay Informed: Knowledge is power in the stock market, especially when you want to open a demat account. Regularly update yourself on market trends, company performances, and economic indicators. Being well-informed helps you make prudent investment decisions.

2. Diversify Your Portfolio: The age-old adage "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" holds true in trading. Diversifying your investment portfolio across different sectors and asset classes helps mitigate risks and enhances potential returns.

3. Set Realistic Goals: Understand your financial goals and set achievable targets. Having clear objectives will guide your investment strategy, whether it's wealth creation, income generation, or capital preservation.

4. Regularly Monitor Your Portfolio: Keep a close eye on your investments. Regular monitoring helps you identify trends, make timely decisions, and, if necessary, rebalance your portfolio to align with your financial goals.

5. Use Stop-Loss Orders: Protect your investments by setting stop-loss orders. These orders automatically sell a security when it reaches a predetermined price, limiting potential losses during market volatility.

6. Choose a Reputable Broker: Selecting a reliable and reputable brokerage firm is crucial. Research and choose a broker with a good track record, transparent fee structures, and excellent customer service to ensure a smooth trading experience. There is a great scope in stock market, so you must take advantage of it.

The Don'ts

1. Don't Chase Trends Blindly: Even though a stock is gaining popularity, there are better investments for you. Conduct thorough research before making decisions, and avoid blindly following market trends.

2. Avoid Overtrading: Excessive buying and selling can lead to higher transaction costs and reduced returns. Stick to your investment plan, and avoid the temptation to tinker with your portfolio constantly.

3. Don't Ignore Risk Management: Assess your risk tolerance and invest accordingly. Ignoring risk management can expose you to unnecessary financial stress. Be realistic about potential losses and plan accordingly.

4. Steer Clear of Unverified Tips: Rumours and unsolicited stock tips can be dangerous. Base your decisions on thorough research and verified information rather than relying on hearsay or unverified sources.

5. Avoid Timing the Market: Timing the market perfectly is nearly impossible. Instead of trying to predict short-term fluctuations, focus on long-term trends and the fundamentals of your investments.

6. Don't Neglect Your Demat Account Security: Protect your Demat account credentials and use secure devices for trading. Regularly update passwords and enable two-factor authentication to safeguard your investments from unauthorized access.

7. Resist the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The fear of missing out on a potential gain can lead to hasty decisions. Be patient and stick to your investment plan, avoiding the urge to chase after every new opportunity.
Conclusion

Responsible trading involves a combination of informed decision-making, disciplined strategies, and risk management. By following these Demat dos and don'ts, you can confidently navigate the complexities of the stock market and increase your chances of achieving your financial goals.

Coca-Cola Launches Its Marketplace on ONDC – 'Coke Shop'

American beverage giant Coca-Cola's India unit has announced that it has joined the government-initiated Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), while also launching its own marketplace, the 'Coke Shop', on the platform.

The initial association with ONDC is being supported through SellerApp, which will help the company leverage the ONDC network with its data-driven insights, market intelligence, and strategies.

“Through the ‘Coke Shop’ marketplace model, Coca-Cola is benefitting retailers by enabling them with another channel to sell their products whilst simultaneously facilitating multiple touchpoints for consumers to purchase from. Retailers who have not been able to access major e-commerce platforms will now have an opportunity to regain customers and cater to a wider audience,” the beverage major said in a statement.

The company joins a slew of FMCG companies that have come onboard ONDC. The other FMCG brands that have joined ONDC include Hindustan Unilever, Polycab,Me n Moms, Mama feast, BRBChips, Ustraa, Sublime, Fackelman, Keventer, Brill, Hyderabad Foods, Healthkart, Nourish Mantra, Buy One Gram, Selzer, and Dugar Oversees.

Coca-Cola rival PepsiCo had already joined ONDC in August this year.

Coca-Cola's bottling partner in India, Moon Beverages Limited, will be the ‘Network Participant’ for its offerings on the platform, ensuring consumers have seamless access to its beverage portfolio, said the company in a release.

"We are happy to see Coca-Cola join onto our network on this transformative journey and give consumers an exceptional shopping experience while offering expanded choices for buyers on the network,” said T Koshy, managing director and chief executive officer, ONDC.

Coca Cola India currently has a strong network of close to ~ 4 million retail outlets across the country.

New UPI Guidelines: Your UPI ID/Number May Diactivate If Fails Latest NPCI Guidelines

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) the creator of successful payment method UPI, has laid out new guidelines making banks and third-party UPI (Unified Payments Interface) apps disable IDs inactive if you won’t meet the latest conditions announced.

NPCI has mandated that all UPI Apps including TPAPs (Third Party Application Providers) and PSP (Payment Service Provider) Banks shall implement the same by 31st Dec'23. This directive is applicable to all relevant stakeholders for appropriate actions.

“In the realm of digital payments, it is essential for customers to regularly review and verify their information within the banking system to ensure a safe and secure transactional experience. However, it has come to our attention that customers may change to a new mobile number without disassociating their previous number from the banking system," NPCI mentioned in the latest notification. 

Deactivation refers to disabling inward credit functionality for unused UPI IDs and linked phone numbers. The deadline for this automated culling is December 31, 2023.

Banks and app providers must separate associated phone numbers and UPI IDs that have no financial or non-financial transactions in the past calendar year.

The guidelines apply to all major UPI apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM and Amazon Pay among others.

In its circular, NPCI directed that, in order to prevent the inadvertent transfer of funds to unintended recipients and safeguard the interests of UPI users, the following guidelines are being issued to the UPI 

ecosystem:

• All TPAPs and PSP banks shall identify UPI IDs and associated UPI numbers and phone numbers of customers who have not performed any financial (debit or credit) or non-financial transactions for a time period of 1 year from the UPI Apps.
• UPI IDs and UPI Numbers of such customers shall be disabled for inward credit transactions. Further to this, PSPs shall deregister the same phone number from UPI mapper as well.
• Customers with inward credit block UPI IDs and phone numbers shall re-register in their respective UPI apps for UPI mapper linkage. Customers can make payments, non-financial transactions using UPI Pin as needed.
• UPI apps shall perform Requester Validation (ReqValAd) before initiating 'pay-to-contact'/'pay to mobile number'. UPI Apps shall show the customer name which has been fetched before initiating the transaction and shall not display the name which has been stored/cached at the apps end.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Exits Paytm Selling Entire Stake for $164.7 Million

Warren Buffet-owned Berkshire Hathaway has sold its entire stake in One97 Communications Ltd, the parent company of Payment Tech giant Paytm. Berkshire Hathaway sold its entire stake in the company for about 13.71 billion rupees ($164.70 million) through a bulk deal on Friday.

Berkshire sold its entire 2.46% stake in Paytm, which accounted of more than 15.6 million in numbers and were bought by Ghisallo Master Fund and Copthall Mauritius Investment. Both these entities bought 42,75,000 and 75,75,529 shares, respectively.

Copthall Mauritius Investment is an investment firm in the finance sector and stocks whereas Ghisallo Master Fund operates as an investment firm and registered at Cayman Islands. Earlier in this month, Copthal Mauritius also sold 3.47 lakh shares of Reliance Industries through open market transactions, for about Rs 81 crore.

Back to Berkshire's divestment in Paytm, the transaction concluded at an average price of ₹ 877.2 per share. Berkshire earned nearly Rs 1,371 crore from the deal.

With this, Berkshire Hathaway has exited Paytm incurring an overall loss of about ₹600 crore. Berkshire invested in Paytm in September of 2018, valuing Paytm at $10 billion post that investment. 

Paytm, which was Warren Buffett's only investment in India, had also been recently named as one of the inclusions in the MSCI Global Standards Index.

Besides Paytm, Berkshire also sold its stake in Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group and China's Alibaba Group.

Deepfake: Minister Held Digital India Dialogues with Digital Intermediaries on Deep Fakes, IT Rules Compliance

Platforms and Intermediaries Commit to Tackling Deepfakes Under Existing Laws

“Platforms have agreed that within the next 7 days, they will ensure that all terms and contracts with users expressly forbid them from engaging in the 11 types of content laid out in the IT rules”: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

“MEITY has confirmed the imminent appointment of a ‘Rule 7’ officer and a digital platform for users to report any violations by intermediaries”: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar 

In a Digital India dialogue session held on Friday, Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, reiterated the need for safe and trusted internet, and for social media intermediaries to be accountable to Digital Nagriks. Following Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s concerns about deepfake threats, all platforms and intermediaries agree to align their community guidelines with the IT rules, specifically targeting 11 types of content that causes user harm including Deepfakes.

Addressing the media after the session, the Minister affirmed the collective commitment of platforms and intermediaries to confront deepfake challenges within the bounds of current regulations.

The Minister said, “All platforms and intermediaries have agreed that the current laws and rules even as we discuss new laws and regulations, they provide for them to deal with deepfakes conclusively. They have agreed that in the next seven days they will ensure all the terms and views and contracts with users will expressly forbid users from 11 types of content laid out in IT rules. The Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji had already highlighted the issue of deepfakes and the threats and challenges that it represents to a safe and trusted internet last year. MEITY has conveyed that there will be an imminent appointment of a rule seven officer shortly and a digital platform for digital nagriks to report violations of law by intermediaries. Digital nagriks have rights to a safe and trusted internet and intermediaries are accountable for providing the same."

Acknowledging the progress in grievance redressal mechanisms, Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar urged continued collaboration with intermediaries to address challenges such as deepfakes and misinformation.

“We have in partnership, the government and platforms done considerably well in terms of addressing grievances. I must congratulate intermediaries for proactively doing this. However, there is more to be done, especially in the areas of misinformation, deepfakes and advertising of betting illegal betting platforms and advertising of fraudulent loan apps. These continue to be threats to safety and trust online,” the Minister further added.

Wipro To Bring Generative AI To Healthcare Insurance Companies Using NVIDIA AI Enterprise

Collaboration brings together companies’ deep expertise and research in AI and large language models, powered by NVIDIA AI Enterprise software

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading technology services and consulting company, has recently announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to help healthcare companies accelerate adoption of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) through AI-driven strategies, products, and services.

Wipro will leverage NVIDIA AI Enterprise software for the production of AI across its current portfolio of healthcare solutions in Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare, and Medicaid to improve member experience, increase enrolment, and help support claims adjudication. As a result, healthcare organizations will be able to achieve faster, and easier consumption of large language models (LLMs) powered by NVIDIA AI Enterprise, leading to increased productivity, deeper member intelligence, and better operational efficiencies and paving the way for the next wave of healthcare solutions.

“We are delighted to team with NVIDIA to develop next-generation, scalable AI solutions to help our healthcare clients tap into the power of generative AI,” said Nagendra Bandaru, President and Managing Partner, Wipro Enterprise Futuring. “This collaboration will allow us to deliver AI-enabled innovation for the healthcare industry at scale and drive healthcare solutions with advanced computing capabilities. We are looking forward to building healthcare specific solutions for a new era of AI-led innovation and business transformation.”

The collaboration will leverage the NVIDIA AI platform for generative, speech, and translation AI, including NVIDIA AI Foundation Models for building and customizing generative AI models for any application in the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, such as NVIDIA NeMo and Riva, and the NVIDIA DGX platform.

The integration of these technologies with Wipro’s Enterprise Generative AI (WeGA) framework will enable Wipro to co-develop and deploy custom models for speech and translation AI, as well as other LLMs. Wipro has already developed multiple AI-first enterprise offerings across the healthcare industry leveraging the NVIDIA AI platform. These include an industry-leading billing and enrolment solution in the Medicare and ACA market segment, provider and member services leveraging gen AI capabilities, and specific offerings to improve claims processing and provider data accuracy.

“We are excited to expand on this collaboration with NVIDIA. Wipro’s deep healthcare experience, innovative AI frameworks, and platforms combined with NVIDIA’s leadership in accelerated computing and AI will help the world’s largest healthcare entities to embrace new AI capabilities and re-imagine their business,” said Jason Eichenholz, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Ecosystems & Partnerships at Wipro.

Wipro plans to continue building NVIDIA-powered solutions that will help automate the software development lifecycle and accelerate digital and business transformation. Through an AI Center of Excellence with NVIDIA, Wipro engineers will receive large-scale ongoing training on NVIDIA’s application frameworks in areas like generative AI, the metaverse, conversational AI, and data analytics to accelerate the development of custom solutions.

“Companies are eager to integrate multilingual, voice-enabled generative AI into business applications that are powered by the highest-performing, most energy-efficient solutions available,” said Manuvir Das, Vice President of Enterprise Computing at NVIDIA. “The NVIDIA AI platform supports Wipro’s ongoing commitment to provide its clients with the most advanced, secure, and reliable AI technology and services.”

Most recently, Wipro has been working with the healthcare sector in transforming the contact center experience through generative, speech, and translation AI, providing patients with accurate, contextual, personalized, and timely responses to their care needs based on their past medical records, claim history, and provider information.

For more information on Wipro’s collaboration with NVIDIA, please visit https://www.wipro.com/partner-ecosystem/nvidia-alliance/

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients’ most complex digital transformation needs. Leveraging our holistic portfolio of capabilities in consulting, design, engineering, and operations, we help clients realize their boldest ambitions and build future-ready, sustainable businesses. With 250,000 employees and business partners across more than 60 countries, we deliver on the promise of helping our clients, colleagues, and communities thrive in an ever-changing world. For additional information, visit us at www.wipro.com.