Author: Rabindra

Communion Launches In Navi Mumbai

Mumbai, 30th September’23 : Navi Mumbai was missing out on a tropical-chic all day pet-friendly Café – a community space where people congregate, communicate, co-work and converse, with the best F&B offerings. Communion, the all-day cafe is here to save the day. Curated with a vision to make old-school comfort available in a rustic way, Communion is a space where patrons come together to bask in the comfort of food and ingredients from around the world.

Launched by ACME Hospitality, Communion is the space that Navi Mumbai needed – a casual café for a cup of coffee and dessert that can transcend into lunch and dinner with equal ease. With a light, bright, airy, colorful space with an extensive outdoor area, guests are welcomed with landscaping elements that exude the best of nature and instill an instant sense of peace. With the launch of Communion, Navi Mumbaikars will have found the next favorite all-day cafe to enjoy a wholesome and comforting gastromical journey. Communion’s interior is a testament to the power of minimalist elegance embracing the concept of “less is more.” The design team has meticulously combined natural materials such as sandstone and wood with a profusion of verdant greenery. Earthy tones of terracotta tiles, green, grey, and white dominate the decor, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere.

“With Communion, we wanted to create something that Navi Mumbai has not seen before – a community space serving the best of F&B in a charming atmosphere. . Communion is created keeping the new-age diner in mind – it is a space which is all about community and bringing people together from all walks of life. With a line-up of events including musical evenings, open mics, creative writing camps and more – this place will welcome one and all.” said, Sameer Uttamsingh – Founder and Creative Director – Acme Hospitality Management & Consulting.

With celebrity chef Karishma Sakhrani heading the F&B curation, the menu is created keeping in mind diverse taste palettes along with sharing plates that offer something for all. From local favorities such as mini gun powder idlies, zingy chicken popcorn, chili cheese samosas and magic masala fries to loaded nachos, hummus with zataar chips or even a pav bhajji fondue to Karishma’s special Avacodo toast, Mushroom Whipped Feta, Croissant Sandwiches, and more;the versatile menu has a myriad of options to satiate every craving!

Talking about the menu, Kairshma Sakhrani, said, “The menu was created keeping the community ethos in mind. Inspired by global ingredients and keeping in mind local palettes, the menu brings together the best of comfort in a plate. With an emphasis on comfort and familiarity, the menu will offer something for all. We are excited to go beyond the ordinary and deliver a beverage culture that Navi Mumbai hasn’t seen yet – From freakshakes to well roasted coffees, from smoothies to boba teas, Communion is all set to become the next-favorite hangout spot in the area”

Communion’s interior is a testament to the power of minimalist elegance embracing the concept of “less is more.” The design team has meticulously combined natural materials such as sandstone and wood with a profusion of verdant greenery. Earthy tones of terracotta tiles, green, grey, and white dominate the decor, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere.

Located in the heart of Navi Mumbai, Communion’s doors are now open!

Address – D Y Patil Deemed to be University – Navi Mumbai, School of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

L&T Finance partners with Ather Energy to offer up to 100 percent of Loan-to-Value (LTV) on Electric Vehicles (EV)

Mumbai, September 30, 2023: L&T Finance, a leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) hasa Two-Wheeler Finance business book size of Rs. 9,190 crore as on quarter ending June 2023. L&T Finance today announced its partnership with Ather EnergyIndia’s first intelligent electric vehicle manufacturer with presence in 100+ cities across the country.L&T Finance is amongst one of the leading financiers in the new Two-Wheeler segment and under the partnership, L&T Finance will provide up to 100% financing of the Loan-to-Value of the Electric Vehicles (EV) offered by Ather Energy to its customers. The amount of loan being financed will be on an On-road price basis i.e., inclusive ex-showroom, RegionalTransport Office(RTO), and insurance on the vehicle, and will be determined based on the credit profile of the customer.

Customers of Ather Energy can avail EV financing under various lines of products from L&T Finance like Verified Income Proof (VIP) Loan, VIP Pro Loan, Sabse Khaas Loan (SKL), SKL Pro, Centum Loan, and Express Loan. For all these products except for Express Loan, the customers can avail the loans at an annual rate of interest of 6.99% per annum. In case of Express Loan, a product for all, customers are not required to submit any credit profile or income proof,but the annual rate of interest is slightly higher at 7.99% per annum. All these offerings from L&T Finance have a TAT of under 5 minutes and are with a loan tenure ranging from 3 months to 48 months and the rate of interest is exclusively offered to the customers of Ather Energy.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Sanjay Garyali, Chief Executive – Urban Finance, L&T Finance, said, “We are excited to partner with Ather Energy and this partnership is a part of our Company’s shared commitment of providing mobility which helps in contributing towards the reduction of carbon footprint and making India a cleaner & greener country. Further, the partnership reinforces our focus on the fourth pillar within L&T Finance’s Lakshya 2026 strategy where under ESG and CSR whatever the Company does has to be environmentally responsible and sustainable.”

“For the Indian Two-wheeler segment, we expect strong growth across the industry. This growth is expected to be fuelled by improved purchasing power, increased dependence on personal mobility for millennials, and shifting preference towards vehicles powered by technology and artificial intelligence. Considering these aspects, it won’t be surprising to see the penetration of vehicle financing in India, which currently stands at around 60% and grow to 75% in the next few years,” Mr. Garyali added.

Mr. Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy said, “Ather has since inception, focused on building strong partnerships with banks, NBFCs etc to introduce lucrative EV financing for our users. In-fact today, more than 50% of Ather’s customers opt for vehicle financing as their preferred mode of purchasing our scooters. We are delighted that this collaboration with L&T Finance will allow us to further accelerate EV adoption by offering users multiple finance products to choose from, based on personal preferences. Their reach, credibility and expertise will be a huge asset as we expand our distribution footprint to more geographies.”

Details of the Loans

Adani Gangavaram Port inducts two advanced locomotives at the port

Visakhapatnam: September 30th, 2023: Adani Gangavaram Port, the deepest and the most modern port in the country today, announced the induction of two advanced locomotives WDG3A as part of the ongoing efforts to enhance capacity and productivity at the port . The addition of these locomotives represents a significant stride in improving the rail infrastructure within the port, aligning perfectly with the port’s commitment to provide top-tier logistics services.

Adani Gangavaram Port is investing significantly in expanding and enhancing the internal rail network. These state-of-the-art locomotives will play a pivotal role in streamlining cargo handling processes and advancing the development of a warehouse facility, complete with integrated rail capabilities, which will become operational in the coming months.

According to Adani Gangavaram Port Limited management “We are extremely delighted on the induction of our new locomotives. This exemplifies our commitment to enhancing efficiency and better serving our customers. These enhancements will elevate our operational standards and contribute to our mission of exceeding customer expectations. We at Adani Gangavaram Port offer substantial economic benefits to Indian importers combined with highly efficient port operations and evacuation system with faster turnaround time & delivery. We are happy to see the trade derive benefits of modern deep-water infrastructure.”

Cost Pressures, Viewer Expectations Play Prominently as M&E Businesses Seek Cloud Agility

Bengaluru, India — September 30, 2023 — Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud company that powers and protects life online, today published a new research study examining the trends behind the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry’s adoption of cloud technologies. The study, commissioned by Akamai and conducted by Forrester Consulting, surveyed 225 respondents from M&E businesses globally, the majority of whom either influence or have final decision-making authority over streaming architectures and/or cloud workflows within their organizations. The results showed that 73% of M&E businesses are considering moving away from large, legacy cloud providers in favor of more portable, cloud-native setups due to cost pressures, among other findings.

High customer expectations driving cloud adoption in the M&E sector

M&E businesses were early cloud adopters, with 92% of respondents reporting they are either “successful” or “very successful” with cloud-based technology, and 77% reporting their cloud journeys are progressing faster than expected. This uptake has been driven by high customer expectations, with 76% of those surveyed reporting their users expect zero downtime, buffering, or playback errors.

Looking ahead, however, the report highlighted concerns around the ability of existing cloud infrastructures to future-proof the M&E industry’s growth. According to the Forrester study, “M&E companies are reevaluating their cloud provider relationships, seeking trusted partners to overcome top challenges and accelerate content production.”

Business costs, data growth are top of mind for the M&E industry

Rising costs are having a notable impact on M&E businesses’ cloud strategies. Among respondents, 73% are considering moving away from traditional cloud providers due to cost pressures, while 63% report the costs are difficult for their business to manage long-term.

Increasing data volume is highlighted in the report as complicating respondents’ abilities to further adopt cloud infrastructures. Thirty-six percent anticipate more than 50% growth in data volume over the next three years, and 68% agree that data volume complicates infrastructure adoption.

“Cloud provider partners must evolve to meet M&E customers’ data demands,” according to the Forrester study. “As many consider refactoring their cloud provider relationships, they seek partners to meet them where they are and help with their cost, data egress, and hosting needs.”

Key cloud use cases

Storage is the most common streaming use case for cloud services, according to nearly 60% of respondents. Meanwhile, at least half of the organizations surveyed are also using the cloud for key functions like content protection (DRM/watermarking), billing and subscription management, and performance analysis.

“This research shows the dynamic nature of the workloads that M&E businesses are running on cloud services and infrastructures today. What’s more, the research also reveals that an impressive number of those businesses — half or more — are using the cloud for some of their most critical functions,” said Todd Loewenstein, Akamai senior manager of media industry marketing. “As more and more content becomes available to consumers through over-the-top (OTT) services, M&E businesses need to store and protect this content on a cloud that can scale with their changing needs.”

Competitive advantage

With M&E, and video streaming services in particular, becoming an increasingly crowded market, businesses are looking to cloud providers to help them improve the customer experience (CX) and retain a competitive advantage. Sixty percent said they have seen or would expect to see CX improvements thanks to cloud investments, and 59% have realized or would expect increased ability to generate and access real-time insights.

“The study helps quantify what we’re hearing from customers and prospects about the current state of their cloud journeys,” said Loewenstein. “They’re under huge pressures to deliver standout customer experiences while operating under intense budgetary constraints.”

“While these challenges are especially pronounced in M&E, they’re shared by businesses in other industries. This is one of the reasons Akamai is taking a fundamentally different approach to cloud computing,” Loewenstein added. “In introducing Akamai Connected Cloud earlier this year, we’ve designed cloud computing services that can help organizations break free of the traditional, centralized clouds, and start building on a more modern, distributed design, unlocking new flexibility and cost savings in the process.”

Decarbonisation, sustainability in focus at mjunction’s Steel Conference

September 30: India’s largest B2B e-commerce company, mjunction services limited, organised the 10th edition of Indian Steel Markets Conference at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on September 27 and 28.The theme of this year’s conference was “Indian Steel: Innovating Solutions for Smarter & Sustainable Future.”

Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Shri Amarendu Prakash, Chairman, SAIL and MrA K Saxena, CMD of MOIL with additional charge MECON, among other industry leaders, spoke on issues relating to challenges of decarbonisation of the steel sector and the need for collaboration between industry players to achieve it.There was call for collaborations to indigenise the technologies and achieve domestic production of key inputs to reduce imports.

While looking at ways to expand the steel market, steelmakers need to look at steel manufacturing value chain, from mining to Renewable Energy consumption, which itself will generate demand for steel, MrAmarendu Prakash, Chairman, SAIL said.

Mr Vishwanath Suresh, Director (Commercial), NMDC Ltd, deliberated upon other challenges like logistical constraints leading to circuitous movements of material and lack of beneficiation of iron ore.

In his opening address, Mr VinayaVarma, MD of mjunction, said that the Indian steel industry is passing through challenging times related to reduction of greenhouse gases and achieving decarbonisation.

As global supply chains realign, India is a favourable place to secure new manufacturing investments. In order to keep the momentum going, the steel industry in India is aiming to be competitive through innovations in sale, buy and logistics functions. Product sustainability, efficient supply chain management, innovative digital solutions and circular economy are the key enablers to take the industry forward.

Towards this, mjunction has taken some initiatives – one of them is creating a Met Coal Platform to help Indian buyers buy met coal as per demand-supply scenario prevailing in India. mjunction has also designed online platforms to ensure that steel scrap generated from various sources i.e. ELV scrap, Home Scrap, Industrial scrap etc are consistently available to consumers from all over India, thereby contributing to a more sustainable steel production.

“We, at mjunction, help the steel companies procure scrap of consistent quality, delivered to their location, making it hassle free and transparent,” Mr Varma informed on the sidelines of the conference.

Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Successfully Handled Cargo for the Prestigious MotoGP Bharat

New Delhi, September 30, 2023: Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal is proud to announce that it has successfully handled Import and Export cargo for the MotoGP Bharat organised at Buddha International Circuit, Greater Noida. Çelebi successfully handled a total of around 150 pieces each way, consisting of about 40 superbikes and amounting to nearly 900 tons of inbound and outbound cargo.

This extensive operation involved impeccable planning, stakeholder alignment and coordination, high collaboration and efficient handling of all EXIM consignments for the thrilling motorsport event. The successful handling of ultra-customised sports vehicles, which use advanced electronics and the very latest materials, requires a range of specialized equipment and infrastructure. Çelebi was well-prepared with main deck loaders, lower deck loaders, heavy-duty forklifts, flatbed trucks, experienced operators, and real-time coordination with all stakeholders, ensuring a seamless cargo operation.

In total, 8 wide-body freighters (747s) were involved in this operation, with three different aircraft operators.

Mr. Kamesh Peri, CEO of Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal, expressed his enthusiasm for Çelebi’s role in India’s first-ever MotoGP event, stating, “We are thrilled to have facilitated our expertise during India’s first-time hosting of MotoGP. Çelebi delivered seamless cargo handling services, underscoring our unwavering commitment to excellence. With our state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled & motivated team, Çelebi was highly equipped to handle special cargo handling requirements. We are proud to have contributed our services to the successful hosting of MotoGP Bharat, ensuring that this remarkable event ran smoothly.”

Times Prime Kicks Off Spectacular Birthday Fiesta Celebrations: Unlocks Exclusive Offers and Exciting Launches

New Delhi, Sept 30, 2023: Times Prime, India’s premier digital membership service, has launched its Birthday Fiesta. The week-long birthday festivities are filled with amazing offers, exclusive launches, and unbeatable deals exclusively for Times Prime members.

During this week, members can enjoy a complimentary 1-month Tinder Gold subscription, free Healthkart Membership, a Myglamm voucher worth Rs. 500, two free snacks from To Be Honest (TBH), free contact lenses from Lenskart, free de-stress head massage and flat Rs. 300 off on a minimum bill value of Rs. 1,000 at Lakme, and a 25% discount on a minimum order value of Rs. 2,299 at Tira.

In addition to these fantastic offers, Times Prime has partnered with payment leaders Paytm and Pay With Rewards, to provide exclusive discounts of Rs. 100 and Rs. 250, respectively, on all payments made during the celebration. An exclusive offer of a one-year OTT bundle subscription, including Sony Liv and Disney+ Hotstar, is also on the cards.

Commenting on the benefits of its anniversary, Harshita Singh, Business Head of Times Prime, said, “It is our anniversary week, and we are excited to bring amazing deals and new launches for our members. Along with existing offers, patrons will also have access to new launches at unbeatable prices and premium entertainment bundles that are bound to elevate their membership experience to new heights.”

Congratulating Times Prime on another year of remarkable success, a spokesperson from Tira said, “We are excited to be a part of the Times Prime Anniversary celebrations and congratulate the brand on its incredible journey. In celebration of their anniversary, we at Tira have curated a special gift for all Times Prime members and look forward to many such milestones together.”