17, May 2025
Alliance Pre-University College Invites Applications for Science and Commerce Streams
Mumbai / Bengaluru, 17 May 2025: Alliance University, Karnataka’s first Private University established in 2010 and recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), is pleased to announce the opening of admissions for the 2025 academic year at Alliance Pre-University College.
The College offers courses in Science and Commerce streams. In the Science stream, students can choose between two subject combinations: PCMB or PCMC. For the Commerce stream, students can opt for either CEBA or SEBA.
Alliance Pre-University College offers integrated training for JEE, NEET, K-CET, and CA Foundation, with a curriculum aligned to these competitive exams. The programs focus on conceptual clarity, academic rigor, and future pathways in engineering, medicine, science, commerce, and business. Students benefit from expert-designed materials, regular revision, and testing to strengthen analytical and reasoning skills for exam success.
Dr. B.H.S Thimmappa, Principal at PU College stated, “Alliance Pre-University College is committed to academic excellence and mentoring students to think independently, act responsibly, and lead confidently. We are dedicated to carrying forward the legacy of Alliance Education in shaping individuals who are ready for both academic and real-world challenges.”
Merit scholarships are available to students who score highly in the SSLC / Class 10 / equivalent board exams. In addition, students enrolled in the Pre-University program may also become eligible for exclusive merit-based scholarships in undergraduate programs offered at Alliance University across disciplines such as business, commerce, law, engineering, sciences, media studies, design, and liberal arts.
The College supports a hands-on, practical approach to education with well-maintained laboratories, a well-stocked library, digital learning resources, and collaborative spaces. Dedicated sports and cultural facilities further support the holistic development of students. The infrastructure is designed to be accessible and adaptable, meeting the evolving needs of learners.
Career counselling at Alliance Pre-University College is personalized and comprehensive. Students receive guidance from subject experts and mentors who help them align academic interests with career goals. Through aptitude assessments, real-world insights, and exposure to diverse fields, the college ensures that students make informed decisions instead of following conventional career paths. Workshops and guest lectures by Alliance University faculty further enrich the academic experience and prepare students for future studies.
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- By Neel Achary
17, May 2025
Gloocal Communications Honored with ‘Gems of Maharashtra’ by Times Network for Excellence in Digital Marketing & Public Relations Solutions
Mumbai: Gloocal Communications Pvt. Ltd. has been felicitated with the prestigious Gems of Maharashtra award by Times Network for its outstanding contribution to the fields of Digital Marketing and Public Relations Solutions. The award was presented by the Hon’ble Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of Maharashtra.
With over a decade of experience, Gloocal Communications has been a trusted name in the domain of PR and Communications. The company has successfully partnered with leading brands across diverse sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, travel & tourism, D2C, startups, solar energy, automobiles, and retail, among others. Known for its innovative strategies, impactful campaigns, and client-centric approach, the agency has earned multiple accolades from prestigious industry platforms.
In response to evolving communication trends, GC Digital, a sub-vertical of Gloocal Communications, has emerged as a frontrunner in the digital space, particularly in the area of visual storytelling and integrated digital marketing solutions.
Bhaskar Tare, Director of Gloocal Communications & GC Digital, expressed, “Recognition is always a motivational boost to do more and chase excellence. It’s an acknowledgment of our team’s relentless efforts, creativity, and the unwavering trust of our clients. At Gloocal, our philosophy has always been client-first, and that focus continues to help us build credibility and long-term partnerships. This honour is dedicated to all our stakeholders and clients.”
Parag Dhurke, Director of Gloocal Communications & GC Digital, added, “This award is a testament to our commitment towards delivering innovative communication strategies that drive real impact. We are proud to represent Maharashtra on this prestigious platform and remain committed to setting new benchmarks in PR and digital marketing.”
17, May 2025
Signature Global aims 21.5 pc rise in sales bookings to Rs 12,500 cr in FY26 on strong demand
Realty firm Signature Global is targeting 21.5 per cent increase in its sales bookings to Rs 12,500 crore for the current fiscal as it plans to launch multiple housing projects to encash strong housing demand. According to an investor’s presentation, the Gurugram-based company has provided guidance for sales bookings or pre-sales at Rs 12,500 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal. “The company plans to grow sales at 20 per cent in FY26 over FY25 and aims to consistently maintain this growth over the long term,” Signature Global said. The company’s sales bookings rose 42 per cent to a record Rs 10,290 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal. Signature Global on Thursday reported a 48 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 61.12 crore for the latest quarter ended March. Its net profit stood at Rs 41.25 crore in the year-ago period.
Total income declined to Rs 570.43 crore in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal from Rs 722.73 crore in the year-ago period. During the 2024-25 fiscal, Signature Global’s net profit jumped multifold to Rs 101.2 crore, from Rs 16.32 crore in the preceding year. Total income grew to Rs 2,637.99 crore in the last fiscal from Rs 1,324.55 crore in the 2023-24 financial year.
Commenting on the company’s performance, Signature Global Chairman Pradeep Kumar Aggarwal said: “The fiscal year 2024-25 has proven to be exceptionally successful across all facets of our business operations, including pre-sales, revenue, collections, and profit after tax. We have exceeded the annual targets…”
He said the company’s strategic emphasis on premium and mid-income segments, coupled with its capacity to anticipate market trends, has facilitated significant growth.
“As the residential real estate sector in the country remains robust, we are optimistic about achieving double-digit growth in the current financial year,” Aggarwal said.
Signature Global is one of the leading real estate developers in the country.
The company has developed many housing projects in Gurugram, with many more currently under construction.
The company has delivered 13.5 million sq ft of housing projects and has a strong pipeline of about 21.6 million sq ft of saleable area in upcoming projects, along with 46.38 million sq ft of ongoing projects, targeted for completion within the next 2-3 years.
16, May 2025
South Indian Bank Posts Record Net Profit of 1303 Crore, Recommends 40 Percent Dividend
South Indian Bank declared net profit of Rs. 1302.88 Cr for the FY 24-25 registering a growth of 21.75% compared to Rs.1070.08 Cr in FY 23-24.
While declaring the results Mr. P R Seshadri, MD & CEO stated that, the Bank achieved its highest ever performance in the following areas:
- Highest ever business of Rs. 1,95,104.12 Cr in the history of the Bank
- Highest ever net profit of Rs. 1,302.88 Cr in the history of the Bank
- Highest ever operating profit of Rs. 2,270.08 Cr in the history of the Bank
- Highest ever other income of Rs. 1,813.43 Cr in the history of the Bank
- Highest ever net interest income of Rs. 3,485.64 Cr in the history of the Bank
- Highest ever Provision Coverage Ratio (including write off) of 85.03%
- Highest Return on Assets of 1.05% in the last 20 years
- Highest Return on Equity of 12.90% in the last 11 years
- Reduced Net NPA of less than 1%.
Key Highlights
- Operating profit of the year increased by 21.55% from Rs. 1,867.67 Cr in FY 24 to Rs. 2,270.08 Cr in FY 25
- GNPA is down by 130 bps from 4.50% to 3.20 % on Y-o-Y basis
- NNPA decreased by 54 bps from 1.46% to 0.92% on Y-o-Y basis
- PCR including write off increased by 593 bps from 79.10% to 85.03% Y-o-Y basis
- PCR excl. write off increased by 310 bps from 68.66% to 71.77% Y-o-Y basis
- The Board of Directors had recommended 40% dividend subject to approval of the Share Holders in AGM
Deposits
- Retail Deposit grew by Rs 7,007 Cr from Rs 97,743 Crore to Rs 1,04,749.60 Cr Y-o-Y showing an increase of 7.17% on Y-o-Y basis
- NRI Deposit grew by Rs 1,906 Cr from Rs 29,697 Cr to Rs 31,603 Cr Y-o-Y showing an increase of 6.42% on Y-o-Y basis
- Savings Bank grew by 4.06% Y-o-Y from Rs 26,618 Cr to Rs 27,699.31 Cr
Advances
- Gross advances grew by Rs 7,153 Cr from Rs. 80,426 Cr to Rs 87,578.52 Cr showing an increase of 8.89% on Y-o-Y basis
- Corporate Segment grew by Rs 4,114 Cr from Rs. 32,084 Cr to Rs. 36,198 Cr showing an increase of 12.82% on Y-o-Y basis, in well rated borrower accounts
- Share of A and above rated accounts in large corporate segments stood at 99.70%
- Gold Loan portfolio grew by Rs 1,469 Cr from Rs 15,513 Cr to Rs 16,982 Cr showing an increase of 9.47% on Y-o-Y basis
- Housing Loan grew by Rs. 2,794 Cr from Rs. 5,083 Cr to 7,877 Cr registering a growth of 54.97%
- Vehicle Loan grew by 24.32% Y-o-Y from Rs. 1,599 Cr to Rs. 1,987
| Year ended | Year ended | |||
| 31-03-2025 | 31-03-2024 | Growth | % | |
| Gross Advance | 87,578.52 | 80,426 | 7,153 | 8.89% |
| Retail Deposits | 1,04,749.60 | 97,743 | 7,007 | 7.17% |
| NRI Deposit | 31,602.84 | 29,697 | 1,906 | 6.42% |
| Current Deposits | 6,030.41 | 6,075 | -45 | -0.73% |
| Savings Deposits | 27,699.31 | 26,618 | 1,081 | 4.06% |
| CASA | 33,729.72 | 32,693 | 1,037 | 3.17% |
| CASA % | 31.37% | 32.08% | -0.71% | |
| Gross NPA % | 3.20% | 4.50% | -130bps | |
| Net NPA % | 0.92% | 1.46% | -54bps | |
| Net Interest Income | 3,485.64 | 3,332.06 | 154 | 4.61% |
| Other income | 1,813.43 | 1,515.52 | 298 | 19.66% |
| Operating Profit | 2,270.08 | 1,867.67 | 402.41 | 21.55% |
| Provisions excluding tax | 513.19 | 338.92 | 174 | 51.42% |
| Profit before tax | 1,756.89 | 1,528.75 | 228 | 14.92% |
| Net Profit after tax | 1,302.88 | 1,070.08 | 233 | 21.75% |
| Bulk Deposit | 2,776.00 | 4,177 | -1,401 | -33.54% |
| Total Deposit | 1,07,525.60 | 1,01,920 | 5,606 | 5.50% |
|
Quarter ended |
||||
| 31-03-2025 | 31-03-2024 | Growth | % | |
| Net Interest Income | 868.32 | 874.67 | -6 | -0.73% |
| Other income | 572.37 | 346.03 | 226 | 65.41% |
| Operating Profit | 683.31 | 433.54 | 250 | 57.61% |
| Provisions excluding tax | 224.20 | 40.62 | 184 | 451.94% |
| Profit before tax | 459.12 | 392.92 | 66 | 16.85% |
| Net Profit after tax | 342.19 | 287.56 | 55 | 18.99% |
Mr. P R Seshadri, MD & CEO of the Bank, stated that, “While announcing the financial results, I am pleased to share that our strategy continues to center around sustained profitability, superior asset quality, a resilient loan book, and a robust retail liability portfolio. We are sharpening our organizational structure and leveraging digital technology to effectively achieve our business objectives.
During the reporting period, the Bank witnessed consistent growth across all targeted segments, with a sharp focus on acquiring quality assets in verticals such as Corporate Lending, Auto Loans, Housing Loans, and Gold Loans.
Aligned with our strategic intent of ‘Profitability through Quality Credit Growth’, we have successfully on-boarded new advances with low-risk profiles, ensuring a well-balanced and healthy credit portfolio.”
The Bank’s financial results include the financial results of its wholly owned subsidiary SIBOSL
Major Awards and Accolades won by the Bank in FY25
South Indian Bank has once again secured five remarkable awards at the IBA Banking Technology Awards this year.
The awards include:
- Best Tech Talent & Organisation (Winner)
- Best Financial Inclusion (Runner up)
- Best Digital Sales, Payments & Engagement (Special Mention)
- Best IT Risk Management (Special Mention)
- Best Fintech & DPI Adoption (Special Mention)
Securing these awards consistently underscores the Bank’s commitment to advancing in banking technology and highlights the digital prowess developed by South Indian Bank.
16, May 2025
Odisha Governor Inaugurates NSDC International Academy, Flags Off ‘Skill on Wheel’ at SDI Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar, 16th May 2025: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched an international academy at the Skill Development Institute (SDI), Bhubaneswar, campus today with an aim to empower the youth of Odisha and neighbouring states with skills for international career opportunities.
The NSDC International Academy, which will train the youth in skills that are in demand globally, in global languages, was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Governor of Odisha, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati. This is the first NSDC International Academy in Bhubaneswar.
The Governor also flagged off the ‘Skill on Wheel’ mobile training unit, designed to take skill development to the doorsteps of youth in rural and remote regions.
The NSDC International Academy has been started by NSDC, in collaboration with the SDI to prepare the Indian youth for global employment opportunities through comprehensive foreign language training and pre-departure support. Through this initiative, NSDC and SDI Bhubaneswar aspire to equip youth with the competencies required to succeed in overseas job markets.
The ‘Skill on Wheel’ is a state-of-the-art mobile training unit designed to deliver doorstep skilling to students across Odisha. This initiative is another innovative step to democratize access to skill training, bringing modern infrastructure and industry-aligned programs directly to the doorsteps of learners across the state.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, commended the role of Skill India Mission and NSDC in empowering youth and praised the achievements of SDI. He said, “This world-class campus, developed with an investment of Rs. 500 crore over 47 acres at the foothills of the historic Barunei Hill, stands as a model for skill training excellence. With multiple Centres of Excellence and strong industry collaboration, SDI Bhubaneswar has already emerged as a finishing school for Engineering, Polytechnic, and ITI graduates.”
“I hope SDI Bhubaneswar will continue to rise as a Skill Academy of National stature and bring greater pride to our state, Odisha,” he added.
Hon’ble Minister of State for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education, Government of Odisha, Shri Sampad Chandra Swain praised the initiative and reaffirmed the Odisha Government’s commitment to building the state as the Skill Hub of Purva Bharat. He referred to SDI Bhubaneswar as the “Bati Ghara” (lighthouse) for the youth of Odisha as well as Eastern India.
The launch event also witnessed the presence of Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development & Technical Education Department; Shri Ranjan Bhowmick, CEO of SDI Bhubaneswar, and Shri Rajesh Kumar Tripathy, COO of SDI Bhubaneswar; Smt Rasmi Govil, Director (HR), Indian Oil Corporation; along with senior officials from NSDC and other dignitaries from the skilling ecosystem.
NSDC International Academy is operational in other key regions including Pune, Amritsar, Bhatinda, and Greater Noida as well.
16, May 2025
Transform Enterprise Workloads up to 4x Faster with Agentic AI
India—May 16, 2025— You’re likely aware of the huge appetite organizations of all sizes have to leverage AI technology to rethink their business and deliver intelligent, data-driven outcomes faster. Recent research shows that 64% of enterprises are investing in AI in 2025, and 63% are accelerating cloud migration plans. The correlation between these is important for you: migrating your mission-critical applications and data to build a trusted foundation is what transforms good AI into great AI.
This increasing need to move to the cloud doesn’t change the fact that migrating and modernizing workloads remains one of the most tedious (but critical) projects for your enterprise to undertake. At AWS, we’ve spent nearly two decades leading enterprise migration and modernization, helping tens of thousands of customers like you transform their businesses. Despite that, 75% of enterprise workloads remain on premises, with 70% of Fortune 500 companies still running on software written over two decades ago. And traditional migration and modernization projects often stretch to 18 months or more, creating a bottleneck in your path to AI innovation. In 2024, we asked ourselves: What if we could combine our 19 years of migration expertise with the latest advancements in AI to eliminate bottlenecks and accelerate transformation projects from years to months or even weeks? The result is AWS Transform, a revolutionary service that uses agentic AI to accelerate and simplify the migration and modernization of your infrastructure, applications, and code.
Introducing AWS Transform: The Future of Your Enterprise Modernization
AWS Transform (previewed as Amazon Q Developer transformation capabilities at re:Invent 2024) uses specialized AI agents to remove the heavy lifting and automate complex migration and modernization tasks for your VMware, mainframe, and .NET workloads, delivering completed transformation projects up to 4x faster. This new agentic AI service uses AWS advancements in foundational models, LLMs, machine learning, graph neural networks, automated reasoning, and AI infrastructure to deliver an entirely new migration and modernization experience for you. And the results from our preview speak for themselves:
- AWS Transform agent for .NET can modernize Windows-based .NET applications to Linux up to four times faster than traditional methods and realize up to 40% savings in licensing costs.
- AWS Transform agent for mainframe can decompose monolithic z/OS COBOL applications into components that can be run in the cloud in minutes instead of months.
- AWS Transform agent for VMware can automate the conversion of on-premises VMware network configurations to AWS equivalents up to 80 times faster than manual approaches.
AWS Transform uses a chat experience that acts as a knowledgeable transformation assistant, helping you specify objectives, share project context, assess business plans and cost savings, review and adapt transformation plans, review and approve code and infrastructure suggestions and more. AWS Transform also brings together your cross-functional teams in a unified web experience where you can review tasks, track progress, and collaborate throughout the project keeping you in control of transformation plans for your most complex legacy applications including:
Modernizing Windows-based .NET Applications to reduce costs by up to 40%
The AWS Transform agent for .NET accelerates your .NET Framework application porting from Windows to Linux, reducing operating costs by up to 40%. This cost savings is achieved by reducing your Windows Server licensing costs, version upgrades, maintenance, and end-of-support challenges, while also shrinking transformation costs across analysis, planning and refactoring. Using the .NET agent, you can chat using natural language to share transformation objectives and project context, and have AWS Transform analyze dependencies, apply domain expertise from past modernization journeys to develop customized modernization plans, and autonomously transform code, execute unit tests, generate transformation summary, and validate Linux-readiness.
AWS Transform enhances performance and scalability of your applications by transforming .NET Framework application code to cross-platform .NET which is Linux ready, and porting private packages, automating unit test execution, and providing explainable transformation decisions. This new agent enables you to transform hundreds of applications in parallel with consistent results through a unified web experience, streamlining collaboration across your teams and empowering you to efficiently tackle large-scale modernization projects.
“By using AWS Transform for .NET to port one of our .NET Framework applications to .NET Core 8, we reduced 70% of the modernization effort, with 100% success. As we continue our modernization process for the entire core application, we estimate a total development time and effort reduction of up to 80%. The next steps include incorporating one of our major backend applications into the transformation effort from Windows to Linux, deploying it on Amazon ECS and AWS Fargate as microservices.” – Enrique Zazueta, Grupo Tress Internacional (GTI), Director of Software Development
Accelerating Mainframe Modernization from Years to Months
You can now streamline your entire modernization process with the AWS Transform agent for mainframe, accelerating timelines by up to 50% while reducing risk and complexity. Through the chat interface, you can define high-level modernization goals and negotiate your job plan. When you’re ready, AWS Transform processes your mainframe applications written in COBOL, JCL (Job Control Language) and those relying on CICS (Customer Information Control System) transaction manager, BMS (Basic Mapping Support) screens, DB2 databases, and VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) data files.
You’ll benefit from advanced code analysis that rapidly identifies dependencies and missing files, reducing downstream project delays. Using Graph Neural Networks, you can decompose your monolithic applications into manageable modules, enabling targeted modernization approaches while preserving your critical business logic. Throughout the project, AWS Transform acts as your AI assistant, learning from your progress and answering questions about your programs based on generated technical documentation.
When you’re refactoring applications, you can convert your COBOL, JCL, and DB2 to Java and Postgres, leveraging state machines and state transition graphs for enhanced accuracy. For reimagining your applications, you’ll get comprehensive technical documentation, business rules, and logical flows extracted from millions of lines of your code. With intelligent orchestration of AI agents, you can modernize your mainframe applications in the cloud with greater speed, simplicity, and confidence while preserving your institutional knowledge through detailed documentation.
“By leveraging AWS Transform’s AI agent functionality, we were able to significantly streamline the process that would typically require experienced engineers to accurately interpret, document, and verify the relationships between programs and the logic of business codes. For instance, in the analysis of complex components—a task that would normally take approximately one month—we confirmed that the same process could be completed within just about one week. This represents a major step forward in enhancing both efficiency and productivity.” – Hitoshi Okayama, General Manager, Broker Dealers System Service Department, Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.
Reducing VMware Modernization Planning from Weeks to Minutes
You can avoid rising VMware licensing fees while optimizing your infrastructure and reducing operational overhead with the AWS Transform agent for VMware. The chat interface guides you to add connectors to your on-premises VMware environments or upload your asset inventories from third-party tools. After you specify your goals, the agent automates tasks such as application discovery, dependency mapping, migration planning, network conversion, server migration, and EC2 instance optimization. You’ll have the ability to review, approve, and edit artifacts through a human-in-the-loop mechanism.
Using Graph Neural Networks, you can analyze your network traffic and communication patterns to identify dependencies and automatically generate optimal migration wave plans. You can convert your complex network configurations to AWS equivalents, including VPCs, subnets, security groups, and transit gateways, while addressing your network migration challenges through enhanced capabilities like isolated VPCs and flexible Hub-and-Spoke configurations. With AWS Transform for VMware, traditional network configuration tasks that typically take two weeks can be completed in one hour, and migration wave planning that usually requires weeks of analysis can be completed in 15 minutes.
“At SourceFuse, we’re excited about the transformational potential of AWS Transform for VMware. By automating critical steps like dependency mapping, network translation, and wave planning, we’ve seen execution times improve by up to 90%, while reducing manual effort by 80%. This capability empowers us to deliver faster, lower-risk migrations, helping our customers achieve cloud readiness sooner and build a scalable, future-proof foundation on AWS.” Rajiv Lokare, Head of DevOps, SourceFuse
Ready to start your transformation?
We are excited about the significant shifts we’ve been able to drive by applying agentic AI to reducing transformation complexity and accelerating timelines. This is the just beginning of our journey of rethinking the migration and modernization of your most critical workloads and we look forward to helping you use AWS Transform to start yours. Reach out to your AWS team or one of our AWS Migration and Modernization Competency partners today to leverage our Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) and Experience-Based Acceleration (EBA) programs to plan your transformation. Or dive into AWS Transform on your own to experience the power of agentic AI and intelligent automation for unprecedented speed, scale and performance as you migrate and modernize to AWS and embrace AI to drive innovation for your business.
16, May 2025
IntrCity, RailYatri Onboards Mashrise as Monetization Partner
Mumbai, 16th May 2025 – Mashrise, the leading digital marketing solutions provider, is proud to announce its appointment as the official monetization partner for the Digital and Offline Monetization Mandate for RailYatri, a flagship brand of Stelling Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which also operates IntrCity SmartBus, one of India’s most advanced intercity bus networks.
Through this partnership, Mashrise will be responsible for building and executing end-to-end monetization strategies across IntrCity/RailYatri’s digital platforms and offline travel assets. This includes branded content, performance-driven advertising solutions, in-app integrations, transit media, and on-ground activations within the expansive RailYatri and IntrCity SmartBus network.
Mrityunjay Kumar, Co-Founder, Mashrise, shared, “We are excited to partner with IntrCity & RailYatri, who has been instrumental in modernizing the travel experience in India. With this mandate, our goal is to create innovative, high-impact monetization solutions that not only unlock new revenue channels but also enhance the commuter experience for millions of users across digital and physical platforms.”
Dinesh Rathi, Founding Member, RailYatri & IntrCity, states, “We take pride in deep integrating with brands and provide them custom crafted solutions that are both digital and on-ground—making the travel experience more exciting for customers. Our partnership with Mashrise, given their strong foothold in the fast evolving media and advertising world, will further elevate the Brand Solutions we offer. Together, we aim to boost brand impact and find fresh, engaging ways to connect with travelers—whether it’s through smart tech, frictionless commerce, or fun interactions during the journey. Our deep tech and data driven approach enables us to deliver campaigns at scale with the highest ROI”
With a strong presence across rail and intercity road travel, RailYatri has grown to become one of India’s most widely used travel platforms, offering real-time train and bus information, ticketing services, and personalized commuter experiences. Coupled with IntrCity SmartBus, a tech-enabled bus service with premium features like sanitized coaches, onboard washrooms, and AI-based fleet management, further strengthens the brand’s nationwide footprint.
This partnership represents a significant milestone for RailYatri as it plans to scale new heights in the Indian market, while Mashrise takes charge of crafting captivating campaigns for brands that resonate with modern consumers.
16, May 2025
Swiggy Launches Student Rewards Across 200 Cities in India
National; May 16, 2025: Swiggy Limited India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, has officially launched its Students Rewards Program, a youth-focused initiative that offers never-before, exclusive discounts and benefits to lakhs of college students across campuses in the country.
The Students Reward Program is currently live in close to 2000 campuses across 200+ cities, from major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, to smaller ones with growing student population like Dehradun, Rajkot, Sonipat and Patiala. The program is set to expand to 4500+ campuses nationwide by July 2025. To unlock the benefits, students need to verify their college email ID via the “Student Rewards” section in the accounts tab of their Swiggy app. Once verified, they will get access to a host of exclusive offers. Students whose colleges are not onboarded can write to swiggyforstudents@swiggy.in with their college specific email address.
Whether it’s the tech colleges, state universities, private institutions, or media and design colleges, Swiggy is creating a rewards experience that is customized, high in impact and scale, as well as deeply local and culturally tuned to student life. The program in its pilot phase is getting a lot of love in the form of a large number of sign-ups from colleges such as Kalinga Institute of Technology, Bhubaneshwar; Thapar University, Patiala; IIT Bombay, BITS Pilani, Goa and many more.
Commenting on the launch, Deepak Maloo, Vice President, Swiggy Food Marketplace said, “The Students Rewards Program is Swiggy’s way of being a part of the lives of students, not just as a convenience platform, but as a trusted companion in their college journey. We understand that for a large number of youngsters living away from home, whether in big cities or smaller college towns, food is often their closest connection to comfort, routine, and home. Swiggy’s new offering is especially designed to cater to students and unlocks specially curated, exclusive perks and access to incredible offers instantly.”
“Whether students are ordering dinner after a long day of lectures, fuelling late-night study sessions, or planning a birthday celebration with friends, Swiggy makes it effortless and affordable. We understand that when you are far away from home, the little things like your favourite meal showing up at the right time, makes all the difference,” he added further.
Yashita Berry, a third year student of VIT mentions “As a student, it is so nice to get some extra discounts. The sign up process was simple and I have already used two of the offers to order my meals”
Built for students between 18 to 25 years of age, the program serves both hostel residents and day-boarders, those who live on campus as well as those who order in between classes or while commuting. The benefits can be availed even while students are at home or on their internships, in a city different from the campus location.
With college students increasingly relying on digital platforms for food, entertainment, and everyday convenience, Swiggy’s Students Rewards Program is designed in line with the needs, habits and pace of today’s youth.
16, May 2025
Jayant Chaudhary Chairs ‘Skill Milan’; Five NSTIs Chosen as Centres of Excellence
Mumbai, May 16, 2025: The Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, chaired a high-level interaction titled Skill Milan with the heads of five National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) selected for transformation into National Centres of Excellence under the National Scheme for ITI Upgradation approved by Union Cabinet of 07th May 2025. During the Skill Milan interaction with five(5) selected NSTIs focused on strategic alignment to guide India’s skilling ecosystem toward future-readiness and global relevance.
The discussion centered on the strategic upgradation of the five NSTIs, with the goal of increasing the availability of qualified instructors. These institutes will be strengthened for instructor training, offering standardized, high-quality. As National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) for skilling, these NSTIs will also address sector-specific skilling needs. Positioned at the forefront of India’s skilling ecosystem, these institutions are a cornerstone of the ?60,000 crore scheme recently approved by the Union Cabinet.
Calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” the Minister emphasized the initiative’s potential to reshape the technical training landscape of India—creating institutions that not only meet today’s workforce demands but also anticipate and prepare for the needs of the future. “These NSTIs will set the pace of skill development in India,” said Shri Jayant Chaudhary. “We must move beyond infrastructure and focus on institutional excellence—by embedding work-based learning, training of high-quality instructors, and close industry collaboration. These Centres should become the anchors of innovation, employability, and global competitiveness in technical training.”
During the discussion, the Minister underlined the importance of building these institutions around real industry needs—through sectoral focus areas such as Automotive, Manufacturing, Textile and new age skills like Artificial Intelligence, EV and advanced manufacturing. The Centres will also aim to support entrepreneurship, research, and lifelong learning, while offering a full vertical pathway from certificate to advanced diploma levels in alignment with the National Credit Framework.
The Hon’ble Minister highlighted the need to maximize industry participation in the upgradation of NSTIs with strong coordination with State Governments to ensure that industry-institution partnerships are locally relevant, sustainable, and aligned with regional economic priorities.
Representatives from the five NSTIs—located in Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Ludhiana—shared their vision for the upgradation process. They spoke about aligning the curriculum with local industrial clusters, enhancing instructor capabilities through global exposure, and creating Centres for Industrial Collaboration to facilitate on-the-job learning and recruitment partnerships. Several representatives emphasized the importance of residential campuses to attract top faculty and learners from across the country.
The upgraded NSTIs will be provided with academic, financial, and administrative autonomy and will operate under a strengthened governance framework. These institutions are envisioned to serve as hubs of excellence that support the broader ITI network with curriculum redesign, pedagogical innovation and multiple entry multiple exit options to the trainees.
16, May 2025
Know Your Blood Pressure and Keep It Under Check
Dr. Murali Krishna CH V, Senior Neuro Phisician CARE Hospitals, Malakpet stated, “Hypertension is often symptomless in its early stages, which is why it’s called the silent killer. However, if left unchecked, it can cause irreversible damage to organs and lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, vision loss, and kidney failure. Awareness and timely management can truly save lives.”
