Author: Rabindra

Edvancer wins the Technology and AI Institute of the Year Award

New Delhi, 18th July 2023: Edvancer, a leading provider of industry-driven online education, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the prestigious “Technology and AI Institute of the Year” award at the 2nd Edition of ET HRWorld Future Skills Award from The Economic Times. The award ceremony took place on July 13, 2023, at The Leela Ambience in Gurugram.

The Future Skills Award Is India’s largest L&D event, bringing together top industry leaders and decision-makers to discuss the changing landscape of Learning and Development. The conference aims to recognize innovation and achievement in the workplace.

Advanced stood out among its peers in the Technology and AI Institute of the Year, showcasing its commitment to providing industry-driven online education and addressing the limitations of the global education system. The award reflects Edvancer’s excellence in bridging the gap between industry needs and university output by offering practical, hands-on, short-term certificate courses created and taught by industry experts.

“We are delighted to receive the ‘Technology and AI Institute of the Year” award. This recognition is a testament to our relentless pursuit of empowering learners with industry-focused skills and knowledge,” said Aatash Shah, Co-founder of Edvancer.

“At Edvancer, we strive to revolutionize education by offering accessible and affordable courses that meet the changing demands of industry and technology. This award motivates us to continue delivering high-quality learning experiences and making a positive impact on learners’ careers.”, he added.

Lalit Sachan, Co-founder of Edvancer, added, “Being recognized as the top learning provider is a great honour for our team. We are grateful to the jury members for acknowledging our efforts and the positive outcomes we have achieved. This award further strengthens our commitment to providing relevant and practical education that empowers individuals to thrive in their professional journeys.”

Edvancer, founded in 2013 by Mr Aatash Shah and Mr. Lalit Sachan, is an esteemed venture of IIM-IIT alumni. In 2021, it became part of Global University Systems (GUS), an international network of higher-education institutions committed to offering accessible and affordable industry-driven global education. Edvancer’s innovative approach to online education and its focus on industry needs have made it a trusted partner for individuals seeking career-oriented skills.

The Award ceremony witnessed the presence of over 1000 attendees, including CHROs/HR leaders, Chief Learning Officers/Learning & Development heads, CEOs/MDs, and other prominent industry professionals. The conference featured interactive learning sessions, expert dialogues, and keynote speeches by more than 50 eminent speakers, providing valuable insights into the future of workplace learning.

Chingari And Bolt Global Team Up To Bring India’s Leading Content Creators Onto Social TV

Bengaluru, 13th July 2023: Across the rise and peak of web2 platforms, content creators have learned that it’s their imagination and work upon which a platform’s success relies.

Any benefits have been greatly skewed towards the operator on web2, rather than the creator. So it’s no surprise that as the digital world transitions into web3, platforms are emerging that offer a much fairer deal to the millions of people who are developing that amazing content.

Leading the charge are Chingari and Bolt+. Both platforms are tightly focused on building a sustainable creator economy that benefits everyone fairly. Platforms upon which creators can build a community, a content catalogue to be proud of, and a genuine career.

Chingari is one of India’s biggest rising social stars, offering a social, short-form video platform that’s supercharged with a vibrant web3 ecosystem. With more than 50 million users and boasting over 1.6 billion views, it topped the Indian download charts and provided a home to the country’s biggest creators, along with their huge communities of fans.

Bolt has approached social content from a different angle. Bolt+ is a web3 content-sharing platform with a smart TV app that’s pre-installed on over 8 million TVs, a self-custody BoltX digital asset wallet, and its own EVM-compatible media-focused blockchain, BoltChain. Combined with the BoltOS toolset, content creators have everything they need to launch, operate, and earn from their very own interactive TV channels.

“A partnership between Chingari and Bolt was an easy choice,” says Sumit Ghosh, CEO and co-founder at Chingari. “We share a lot of the core values, not least of them being a fair and sustainable economy for content creators. So we’re kickstarting our partnership by launching a Chingari TV channel on Bolt+. This new social TV experience allows us to bring some of India’s most popular and prolific content creators to television for the first time.”

Legions of fans, who are already using the Chingari mobile app, can now watch their favourite creators on the silver screen through the Bolt+ smart TV app. A whole new audience can watch, engage with, and support creators from the living room through the dedicated social TV experience Sumit is talking about.

This also heralds Bolt’s big push into India. While already massively popular across Australia, Africa, South Africa, South Asia, and Europe, Bolt has been acutely aware of the untapped creative talent awaiting it in India. The opportunity for those creators to make the leap onto TV without sacrificing the interactive aspects of their existing communities has never been more achievable.

“India is a country that’s been able to see the benefits of web3 for a long time,” says Bolt Global CEO Jamal Hassim. “Millions of content creators have been waiting for that revolution to happen. That’s clear from the meteoric rise of Chingari and the rapid adoption of its web3 technology by those millions of talented content stars. Those same creators now have the potential to also broadcast their content on TV. That’s the ultimate goal of online creators who are working to turn their content into a real career – one that’s even shared by the likes of Mr Beast and Lilly Singh. This partnership between Bolt and Chingari not only makes it possible for every one of them to do this, but makes it easy.”

Bolt and Chingari have a lot more in the works as their partnership grows. This initial expansion into the world of social TV for creators and across the Indian territory for the web3 content delivery platform is an exciting first step that everyone is invited to join in with.

RAI Joins Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Association to increase collaboration and cooperation

India, July 13, 2023: Retailers Association of India (RAI) was invited to attend the FAPRA Joined HOD & ED Meeting 2023 held in Ayutthaya, Thailand organised by Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA), and hosted by the Thai Retailers Association (TRA). Eleven (11) countries who are members of FAPRA represented by their Heads attended the meeting.

Retailers Association of India (RAI), represented by Kumar Rajagopalan (CEO of RAI), was inducted as a full member by the Executive Council. The onboarding of RAI on FAPRA will provide RAI members an exposure to first-hand learnings and support in the APAC retail market.

Speaking about the development, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “We are thrilled to announce that the Retailers Association of India (RAI) is now a member of the esteemed Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA). We believe that this membership signifies a new chapter of increased collaboration, information sharing, and growth for Indian retail at large. We now aim to collaborate and cooperate to bring in the best practices across the region.”

Dr. Chatrchai Tuongratanaphan, Vice President, Thai Retailer Association, said,

“We are pleased to welcome the Retailers Association of India to the Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) This is a significant development in the growth and evolution of the retail industry in the APAC region. India’s remarkable retail growth, characterized by the rapid proliferation of both online and offline platforms, along with a swelling consumer base, presents a unique opportunity for all of us to learn, adapt, and grow. Their experience in managing this growth, and harnessing it in innovative ways, is something we are keen to understand and learn from,”

“Simultaneously, the inclusion of RAI into FAPRA provides a platform for us to share our insights and learnings, derived from our respective markets. It presents a two-way street for knowledge and idea exchange that could help shape the future of the retail industry in the Asia Pacific region.”

“As we embrace the diversities in our retail landscapes, we also celebrate the common goal of providing the best for our consumers. We are confident that this collaboration will be mutually beneficial, stimulating progress, innovation, and sustainable growth across all our retail sectors.” Dr. Chatrchai Tuongratanaphan further added.

Evelyn Salire, Secretary-General, Philippine Retailers Association, expressed, “We are happy to welcome the Retailers Association of India into the Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA). This is a step forward in promoting collaboration and exchange of ideas within the retail industry in the APAC region. India, with its vast young population, holds enormous potential and new opportunities for the retail sector. This young demographic represents a dynamic, tech-savvy, and evolving consumer base that can be a catalyst for innovation and growth in the retail industry across Asia Pacific.”

“Furthermore, the inclusion of RAI in the FAPRA strengthens our collective capacity to share best practices, learn from each other’s experiences, and foster an environment that encourages innovation. We believe that through open dialogues and consistent collaboration, we can navigate the challenges of the retail industry, foster sustainable growth, and contribute to the betterment of the retail landscape in our region. We look forward to the unique perspectives and fresh ideas that our colleagues from India can share. More power!” Evelyn Salire further added.

The Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) is the premier group of the national associations for retail in the Asia pacific having about 18 economies in APAC to date, including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, China, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Mongolia and Kyrgyztan. The FAPRA welcomes retail associations and chambers of commerce representing the retail sector in APAC countries to join as members. FAPRA aims to promote information exchange and discuss issues for the development of commerce, retailers and improvement of citizens’ lives. For more info www.fapra.net

About Retailers Association of India:

Retailers Association of India (RAI) is the unified voice of Indian retailers. RAI works with all the stakeholders for creating the right environment for the growth of the modern retail industry in India. It is a strong advocate for retailing in India and works with all levels of government and stakeholders with the aim to support employment growth and career opportunities in retail, to promote and sustain retail investments in communities from coast-to-coast, and to enhance consumer choice and industry competitiveness.

Millennial Urban Comfort – ‘Real’ Value in a Changing World

– By Akash Pharande, Managing Director – Pharande Spaces

India has been witnessing a consistent rise in urbanization over the years. A survey by the United Nations projects that by 2030, over 40.76% of India’s population will live in urban regions. World Bank statistics from 2017 add weight to this estimate – in that year, about 34% of the country’s population already lived in cities.

India’s urbanization trend will continue, and by 2050, India will be among the leaders in global urbanization, along with China, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United States. And India’s urban ethos is driven by young people – dual-income nuclear families and up-and-coming single professionals.

Data from Statistica, which shows the age distribution of India between 2011 and 2021, lean towards 67.51% in the 15-64 age group. In 2022, the median age of an Indian was 28.7 years, as opposed to 38.4 in China and 48.6 in Japan.

Simultaneously, the nuclear family is quickly taking over as the majority of Indian families today have broken away from their once-joint origins and are now defined by five or fewer individuals.

Nuclear Family – The Urban Phenomenon

Today’s millennials aspire to live lifestyles based on modern options. They want to be financially independent, select their life partners without being influenced by the older generation, raise their own kids in modern, urban settings, and send them to reputable schools and colleges.

The success of a modern nuclear family depends on maintaining a laser-like focus on earning power, job advancement, and savvy investments. As a reward for this focus, modern young Indians expect to live in security and comfort and look for homes that can deliver this comfort.

The Millennial Comfort Revamp

While the pursuit of comfort hasn’t changed over the generations, its definition certainly has. For India’s young urbanites today, a comfortable home is defined by adequate size, the right location, smart home features, and top-grade amenities and facilities.

Where their parents may have been happy to live in smaller homes near the city’s traditional office hubs, stretching their budgets to buy such homes, subjecting the family to chaotic, cramped inner-city living, a massive number of Indian millennials grew up in such limited environments and are determined to live better lives.

This orientation has, in recent years, caused developers to shift their focus from compact housing projects near the core areas to spacious townships and gated communities in the suburbs. These projects have everything that the previously popular ones lacked – greenery, sustainability features, technology-driven comfort and convenience, high-level security, and, most of all, enough space for the family to grow.

The always-crucial factor of location has also undergone a sea change. The inner city has fallen out of vogue. The preference of young Indian urbanites has gone from ‘central’ to ‘well-connected’. The metro system and ring roads have caused our cities to expand hugely in scope, making less expensive outlying areas even more desirable than the congested city centers.

Various reports by leading real estate consultants highlight the increased demand for bigger homes made affordable by their non-central locations and reliable by their developers’ reputation for quality.

Townships – New Urban Comfort Standard

With ultra-modern townships now being developed in non-central locations, high-grade comfortable living standards have become a very approachable goal. The previous mold has been broken, and an entirely new standard of urban comfort has been set. These projects have everything it takes to live spaciously.

Young Indians are buying into projects that support their desire for space, convenience, and safety both inside their homes and within the projects. Unlike in previous years, there is now a huge demand for on-site amenities that improve the quality of life. It’s no longer just about four walls but an integrated lifestyle.

The best-selling townships today feature spacious and well-designed living spaces, incorporating modern architectural and interior design principles. They prioritize functionality, aesthetics, and the efficient utilization of space, enhancing residents’ overall quality of life.

They also have advanced security systems, such as CCTV cameras, access control mechanisms, and security personnel, which create a safer living environment. Unlike the housing projects of yesteryears, these townships have highly efficient facilities management systems that tackle waste management, maintenance, repairs, and utility upkeep.

They have well-designed community spaces and recreational facilities such as parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, gyms, and community centers. These promote an active and healthy lifestyle, encourage social interaction among residents, and provide spaces for relaxation and leisure activities.

Tech-savvy millennials also expect technology that enhances their living experience. Smart home systems, such as automated lighting, temperature control, visitor monitoring, and appliance control, have increasingly become must-haves in the new urban comfort sphere.

Comfort with a Conscience

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Indian millennial’s concept of urban comfort also includes having an easier conscience. They expect sustainability features that address the mounting environmental concerns that are constantly in the news now.

Sustainable and energy-efficient features such as solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, rainwater harvesting systems, and green spaces reduce the project’s carbon footprint, lower utility bills, and result in a more environmentally friendly community.

Indeed, the concept of urban comfort has come a long way over the years. And indeed, it is a constantly evolving theme that will see rapid and regular changes in the years to come. Indian homebuyers expect a lot more from their homes than their parents did – and developers have little choice but to deliver ‘real’ value in a changing world.

Union Minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurates the Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility laboratories at SAMEER- Centre for Electromagnetics, Chennai

Chennai, July 2023: Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India dedicated fully automated state-of-the-art, Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility (EMI/EMC) laboratories for qualifying the electronic equipment and systems for Military and Civilian Applications. These laboratories are established at SAMEER- Centre for Electromagnetics, today at Chennai.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar highlighted that Government of India has been promoting indigenous ecosystem for the development and manufacturing of defence and aerospace products in the country. It is mandatory that defence and aerospace products qualify for the Military Standards (MIL STD) and DO standards before deployment.

According to National survey, total Indian market for EMI and EMC tests is estimated to be approximately INR 640 – 660 crore and it is expected to touch approximately INR 1,000 – 1,200 crore by the year 2030. This growth in demand for these testing requirements is expected to be driven by increasing indigenization in manufacturing of the electronic components and products.

Pursuing the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives, SAMEER-Centre for Electromagnetics (CEM) has established state-of-the-art, Military Standards (MIL STD) testing laboratories for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) compliance at Chennai. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. With the rising need of next generation technologies, reduced time to make product market ready and need of stringent compliance requirement associated with consumer awareness, SAMEER-CEM is fully prepared to meet the challenges of EMI/EMC compliance.

Dr. P. Hanumantha Rao, Director General, SAMEER, said that, “it is a milestone achievement in the journey of SAMEER’s efforts as an R&D Laboratory, to develop, deploy and successfully commission advanced EMI Laboratory. SAMEER’s services were utilised by many Government Industries/labs, MNCs, Start-up industries, SSI/MSME, etc. who are manufacturing different categories of products like Automotive, Military, ISM, Avionics, etc. SAMEER’s services were utilised by many companies to get CE mark, FCC ID, etc. for their products, which is essential to export their products to EU, USA, etc. SAMEER has been actively pursuing R&D in the areas of Intentional Electromagnetic EMI (IEMI) and high energy Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to protect the critical electronic infrastructure”.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, also inaugurated the indigenously developed Medical Linear Accelerator (LINAC) System deployed at Adyar Cancer Hospital, Chennai. This LINAC system is designed and developed by SAMEER. Under the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister, MeitY had funded the development of 6 MV Medical LINAC for making the cancer treatment affordable to the Indian Citizens. SAMEER has been developing advanced 6MV Medical LINACs and the indigenous machines have delivered more than four lakh patient exposures at various hospitals so far.

SIDDHARTH, 6 MV Medical LINAC is an advanced radiation therapy machine that generates X-Rays of 6MV energy on command. Thus, no radioactive waste is produced from the machine. The generated X-Ray is radiated in a precisely controlled manner on cancerous tumour using Treatment Planning System. SIDDHARTH is a type approved machine and qualifies all regulatory requirements posed by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). More than 70% patients who require radiotherapy can be treated using this machine.

CII Karnataka announces its Thrust areas for growth & development in 2023-24

06 July 2023 Bengaluru: CII Karnataka hosted a Media Interaction today with Mr Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan, Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council & Managing Director, Kennametal India Ltd and Mr Venu Nuguri, Vice Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council and Managing Director & CEO, Hitachi Energy India Ltd, the elected leadership for CII Karnataka State 2023-24 addressing the media captains. During the interaction, the leadership highlighted the key focus areas for the State of Karnataka– being Growth, Inclusiveness, Globalisation & Building Trust. CII Karnataka will be taking forward the initiatives for the year 2023-24 aligned to the theme “Towards a Competitive and Sustainable Karnataka@100: Growth, Inclusiveness, Globalisation, Building Trust” through a strategy on Beyond Bengaluru towards enhancing competitiveness, promoting inclusiveness & facilitating sectoral growth initiatives. CII being the B20 Secretariat, has been hosting a lot of critical interventions and engagements in Karnataka and shall continue to contribute to the larger agenda of being a global powerhouse.

“As a part of our agenda this year, CII has been working closely with the Karnataka Government on key growth areas such as, ease of doing business, taxation policies, adoption of clean energy and alternative fuels, skilling and up-skilling initiatives as well as driving industrial growth beyond Bengaluru and development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities”, said Mr Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan. Highlighting the Vision for the state, Mr Vijaykrishnan mentioned, “Focus on Beyond Bengaluru towards enhancing competitiveness, promoting inclusiveness & facilitating sectoral growth initiatives for the State of Karnataka”. Further elaborating on the MSME focussed initiatives, Mr Vijaykrishnan also said, “CII Karnataka has been extensively promoting growth and development for MSMEs as well as converging on policy related interventions as MSME outreach has been a key focus area for the state.” He also mentioned about the persistent focus on Sustainability, Manufacturing & Operational Excellence, Emerging Sectors and Entrepreneurships & Startups and create an enabling ecosystem for the industries to thrive in the state of Karnataka especially through conducive policy frameworks. The state has also initiated taskforces to deliberate on sectoral interventions under Tourism and Hospitality and Healthcare, considering the growth potential of the state.

As part of the larger exercise commenced by the CII India@75 Foundation at the National level, CII Karnataka had undertaken a visioning exercise at the State level to evolve a State Vision Document i.e., Karnataka@100 which encapsulates the aspirations of stakeholders to create a shared vision for the State. The tagline for the National vision has been – Morally, Economically & Technologically Advanced (META) India by 2047. CII Karnataka in collaboration with IIMB worked to curate this vision document in consultation with multiple stakeholders across the state. Karnataka@100 – A Document for 2047 outlines the vision for the state’s growth in the next 25 years – focussing on Governance, Investment, Participation of stakeholders, Innovation, and Industry 4.0.

The membership engagement plans highlighted enhancing competitiveness and enabling growth for the industry. This would be further supported through engagements with CII’s specialised services delivered by its 10 Centres of Excellence, international market development initiatives and exposing member companies to industry best and good practises on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). Speaking to media persons, Mr Venu Nuguri said, “Emerging Sectors has been initiated as a new engagement plan, considering the membership strength of Karnataka, to catalyse the growth of the new age sectors like Aerospace & Defence, Electric Vehicles, ESDM etc. The Industry Institute Interaction, a new initiative from the last year’s agenda will be approached from an angle of building greater engagement between industry and academia to equip the youth with future-ready work and business skills emphasis. Considering the membership strength of institutes contributing to 11% of the overall membership, CII Karnataka will pursue this engagement effectively, contouring the nuances of upskilling and reskilling.

CII has been working with the Government of Karnataka on areas like Labour Codes, through IR experts, lobbying constantly for an effective and smooth implementation, Minimum wages, and other aspects related to labour relations. Decriminalisation under various acts will be another focus area under Policy advocacy for the state as this being a national agenda, to decriminalise minor offences and enhance ease of doing business. Skilling being a thrust area for the Government both at the Central and State levels, will be focussed along with the Industry Institute Interactions. CII proactively engages with various stakeholders including international consulates for business opportunities and initiatives like catalysing job creation through career fairs & internships and enhance sectoral competitiveness through focussed interventions such as the CII Indian Women Network and CII Young Indians.