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Konica Minolta flags off ‘Print Xpress’ Initiative, aims to attract potential printing businesses

New Delhi, 23rd March 2023: Promoting Konica Minolta’s 150-year legacy, Konica Minolta India, a leading name in providing digital printing solutions & services, recently flagged off its first mobile roadshow platform titled “Print Xpress – Innovations in Print” in the presence of Managing Director, Mr. Katsuhisa Asari, Mr. Kuldeep Malhotra, Dy. Managing Director & all the senior leadership members. The one-of-a-kind roadshow showcased Konica Minolta’s Production Printer AccurioPrint C4065 High Chroma Engine – AccurioPress C73hc and finished Print Application Zone to educate the customers about new business opportunities in the digital print business. The core objective to launch this innovative platform is to connect with new customers and showcase new business possibilities to the existing players and also to new entrants in the digital production printing space.

As part of the Print Xpress, the four coaches carrying the digital presses set out to travel in all four directions while demonstrating their usage to potential and existing customers. The roadshow started from Greater Noida and is aimed to cover the nation’s T2, T3, and T4 towns like Meerut- Gorakhpur, Samastipur- Tezpur, Ranipet- Karwar and Kavali & many more, focusing on the customers and unmet locations.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mr. Katsuhisa Asari, Managing Director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., said, “We are excited to launch Print Xpress, our latest initiative to expand our reach and introduce our advanced printing technologies to the customers. We look forward to meet the new customers we will make via this nationwide show. We are proud to pioneer innovative solutions and services in India’s printing, imaging, and document management industries. We are committed to helping our customers to achieve more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable workflows. We will continue to strive for excellence in everything we do.”

Konica Minolta in India is committed to contributing towards the nation’s growth and India is one of the top 5 nations in producing a maximum number of unicorn companies we see a lot of demand potential from tier 2, 3, and 4 towns.

“Print Xpress is the first initiative in the digital production printing domain wherein modified coaches are used to exhibit our solutions to a wide array of potential customers, including Jobbers, photo lab owners, print businesses, and creative agencies, residing in different cities and towns. As an industry leader, we hold more than 50% market share and offer the most comprehensive product portfolio from pre-press to post-press.

‘A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way’ Print Xpress is the perfect example to showcase our commitment towards reaching and educating new potential customers and existing businesses to start and grow. In the last 12 years, we as a leading brand grew multi folds said, Mr. Kuldeep Malhotra, Dy. Managing Director, Sales & OP Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

Over the years, the Indian government has introduced many initiatives to strengthen the nation’s economy. The Indian government has been effective in developing policies and programs that are not only beneficial for citizens to improve their financial stability but also for the overall growth of the economy. Over recent decades, India’s rapid economic growth has led to a substantial increase in its demand for exports.

Besides this, a number of the government’s flagship programs, including Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India, the Smart City Mission, and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, are aimed at creating immense opportunities in India, Print Xpress is an initiative in the same space where Konica Minolta is providing the platform to understand new business opportunities in digital production printing domain.

Spotflock sees India cloud business as biggest opportunity for IT Players

Hyderabad, March 23, 2023: It is encouraging to note that the Government is looking at incentivizing domestic cloud companies to scale their operations as it is in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat policy. The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Rajeev Chandrashekar in a Twitter Spaces interaction a few days ago said that the Government is planning an incentive scheme to help domestic cloud technology companies and startups tackle the domination of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google in this space.

According to Sridhar Seshadri, CEO & Co-Founder, Spotflock Technologies Private Limited, “The Minister’s announcement is encouraging for the domestic cloud industry, as it will not only be cost-effective but the cost of hosting will reduce for the Indian companies. This will lead to further adoption of this service by a large set of Indian companies.’’

India’s overall public cloud services market is projected to hit US $13 billion by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 23.1 percent in 2021-26, according to research firm IDC. The market’s revenue totaled US $ 2.8 billion for the first half of 2022.

Seshadri added, “Our experience has shown that a large number of smaller companies are keen to move on to the Cloud as they find it more convenient and there are economies of scale that they can leverage as they compete with global companies. It is not only the private sector that will benefit from Cloud adoption but Public Sector Undertakings will also reap the benefits.’’

The Indian start-up ecosystem is growing at a fast pace and there is a demand for Cloud adoption, but rising costs impact the demand for the services.

The Cloud industry in India is resilient and it has shown a growth of over 23 percent, which is amongst the highest in the world. This has encouraged many Indian companies to offer Cloud services. In fact, there are many such firms offering services to various state governments in India.

Seshadri concluded, “We have observed a lot of interest amongst Indian companies especially, those in the growth stage and those that are keen to maintain cost advantages in terms of services and they are open to Cloud services as they see value in the whole proposition. This move will lower the costs and grow the Indian IT industry.’’

Anupam Rasayan signs MoU with the Government of Gujarat (GoG) with an investment of Rs. 670 Crores for setting three new units

Surat, March 23, 2023: Anupam Rasayan India Ltd. (NSE, BSE: ANURAS), one of India’s leading custom synthesis & specialty chemical players, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Gujarat for setting up new plants with an investment of Rs. 670 crores. These plants will be set up in Jhaghadia and Sachin in Gujarat. The company aims to commission the plants before 2025.

The large part of the plants will focus on manufacturing Fluorochemicals which will service the demands of existing and potential clients catering to Agrochemical, Polymers, and Pharma sectors in Japan, Europe, and America.

Speaking on the occasion, Anand Desai, Managing Director of Anupam Rasayan, said, “We are pleased to announce the MoU we have signed with the Gujarat Government for setting up three new plants in Surat and Bharuch. The investment of Rs. 670 crores is in line with the strategic move to expand our operations and strengthen our manufacturing capabilities.

The new units will bolster our growth prospects and allow us to diversify our product offering. We will introduce niche Fluoro derivatives on an exclusive basis for the relevant customer”

Mars Wrigley’s SNICKERS® unveils two new Exam Bar Campaigns

India, March 23, 2023: SNICKERS®, the nougat, caramel and nuts-filled chocolate bar from Mars Wrigley, globally known to animate its brand proposition of ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ through a range of iconic films is back with two new quirky films, introducing two new characters – Alexander and Einstein. The latest digital and TVC films capture the daily struggles of Gen Zs and Millennials. These struggles further turn up in dramatic and exaggerated reactions, especially when hunger strikes. The new brand films bring to life two relatable and popular characters to present a humorous take on the sudden onset of ‘Hunger Pangs’.

Talking about the launch of the new SNICKERS® films, Varun Kandhari, Director of Marketing, Mars Wrigley,India said, “The brand proposition of SNICKERS®, ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’, has become iconic and is loved by consumers across the world. The campaign has a simple message that while stress and hunger can get to the best of us, one can always grab a SNICKERS®. The films are also relatable for younger generations dealing with highly stressful situations such as exams and have an universal appeal. At Mars Wrigley India, we are led by our purpose of creating a billion better moments for consumers and communities, and we are confident that the audience will love the new TVC as we celebrate the joy associated with SNICKERS®.”

The film with Einstein opens with two friends deeply involved in pre-exam night preparation, showcasing how one of
them transforms into the iconic character Einstein in a dramatic way. The character is hungry and stressed and starts believing that scores are inconsequential. To bring her back to her senses, her friend offers her a SNICKERS® and gets her to focus back on studying. The second film with Alexander, highlights the pre-exam anxiety and stress,
showcasing how one of the friends is all set to wage a war. Seeing his friend transform into a character like Alexander, his friend offers him a SNICKERS® and rushes him to the examination hall.

On the campaign, Akashneel Dasgupta, Chief Creative Officer, Network Advertising, said, “You are not you when you
are hungry’ is such an enduring, versatile idea for SNICKERS®. It’s an idea that keeps giving campaign after campaign.

We are happy to be a part of this one which makes small hunger relevant in the lives of young people and students.”
Additionally, the SNICKERS® consumer packs especially curated for exam fever are available at the nearest stores and have a promo code that offers 100% assured UPI cashback on INR 20, INR 35, and INR 50 SNICKERS® variants. The films are available in nine languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telegu, Bengali, Oriya, Gujrati, and Marathi on both TV and digital platforms. Below are the links to the Hindi version of the TVCs.

•  Snickers l Alexander Hindi 20s
•  Snickers Einstein 20s Hindi Campaign Details/ Agency credits:
•  Agency: Network Advertising
•  Creative: Akashneel Dasgupta (Chief Creative Officer), Ishrath (ECD), Rajan (ECD)
•  Account Management: D B Murli (COO), Shilpa Kamath (Sr. V.P.), Chirag (Group Account Manager)
•  Production House: Karman Line Films
•  Producer: Viveck Daas Chaudhary
•  Director: Reema Das Chaudhary

Fintech Yatra 2023 identifies 14 start-ups with the potential to change India’s fintech landscape

Mumbai, March 23, 2023: The Fintech Meetup’s fifth edition of Fintech Yatra 2023 has so far interacted with over 250 Fintech start-ups across Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad. The city sessions focused on deal identification for the Yatra team while offering valuable feedback, mentoring sessions, etc. to founders through Yatra’s network of senior bankers, angel investors, and venture capitalists.

14 start-ups have been identified given their innovative approach and path-breaking business models and shall now be invited to Yatra’s upcoming cohort. The Fintech Yatra, currently happening in Delhi and expected to conclude in May, will add another 5-8 names to the list. As next steps, the cohort will be closely introduced to Yatra’s network of financial institutions and mentors to improve the product and reduce go-to-market timelines. Subsequently, lead up to a ‘demo day’ with 20+ investors.

Here are some key highlights from the Yatra:

•  65 Fintech Conversations came from Mumbai.
•  Bangalore saw a 25% rise in fintech startup growth.
•  50% are senior financial professionals; 15% are returning home to harness India’s growth potential.
•  5% were founded by women or had a woman co-founder.

Abhishant Pant, Founder, The Fintech Meetup, and General Partner, YAN Angel Fund, said, “We are thrilled to see the overwhelming response to The Fintech Yatra this year. In light of the recent challenges faced by the fintech industry with regard to downturn in funding, turnout of founders for Fintech Yatra conversations is a testament to the resilience and creativity of entrepreneurs in this space, and we are confident that the partnerships and innovation opportunities forged at The Fintech Yatra will help founders accelerate their journey.”

“Another trend we have observed is that quite a lot of senior bankers and financial services professionals are starting up after spending over 15 years in financial services,” Pant added. “Interacting with 50+ fintech entrepreneurs in Bangalore was quite a refreshing experience. It was exciting to listen to founders try to solve the problems and fill the white spaces in the financial services industry with a fresh approach. The Fintech Yatra has been an excellent platform for bankers like me to share our experience and knowledge and, simultaneously, learn from founders on their resilience in starting up and aiming to build sustainable organizations by solving genuine problems,” says Ashish Singhal, Former MD & CEO, SVC Bank & Former MD, Experian CIC. “Fintech as a segment continues to have great potential and remains our core focus area for backing founders. Associating with Fintech Yatra has been a great experience, as founders are thoroughly guided with idea validation, market access, and feedback around venture capital,” says Vidya Sagar, Managing Partner, July Ventures.

The Fintech Yatra, which previously invested in 16 startups including unicorn OneCard and unicorn M2P fintech, has gathered unprecedented momentum in 2023 with a host of major VCs, such as DMI Sparkle Fund, BEENEXT, Omidyar Network India – Impact Investor, Pentathlon Ventures, IIFL Fintech Fund, July Ventures, Disruptors Capital, Piper Serica, Eximus Ventures, Inflexor Ventures, and Ideaspring Capital, among others, coming on board for active conversations
during the event.

Navarati Week – Recipe By Chef Tarun Sibal

By Chef Tarun Sibal

Amaranth and Peas Vada, White pea salad
Ingredients
1 cup Amaranth seeds
2 cups water
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 large potato, boiled *
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup coriander leaves
2 green chillies, or as per the preference of heat
2 tbsp ghee, or any oil that has a high smoking point
1 Cup boiled white peas
1 tbsp melted butter
½ cup kachumber ( onions, tomatoes, chillies, with chat masala and lemon) Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the amaranth and peas. Salt the stock if it is not already seasoned. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

In a food processor, roughly pulse the coriander leaves, walnuts and green chillies. You don’t want to make a paste. Just hand-chop them if you so choose. Mix it with the amaranth, peas and potatoes. Add salt, pepper and cumin seeds. Roll into equal size balls and slightly flatten them.

Heat the ghee until it’s very hot and add the fritter to the pan. Let it sizzle and crisp up on one side and then flip them over. They take about a minute on each side. Mix the warm white peas with kachumber, add the butter.
Serve together

NTPC commemorates World Water Day with pledge on sustainable water conservation across the value chain

Mumbai, March 23, 2023: NTPC Limited, India’s largest power producer, today commemorated World Water Day through a conference on ‘Sustainable Supply Chain with Focus on Water Sustainability’, by NTPC along with prominent supply chain partners and vendors to observe World Water Day 2023.

Shri Ramesh Babu V., Director (Operations), and officials from multiple organizations participated in the discussions.

The event witnessed the release of the NTPC Water Compendium 2023 and the NTPC Sustainable Supply Chain Portal.

To showcase effective water conservation methods, a unique cross-sectoral representation of the NTPC value chain. Deloitte moderated a panel discussion featuring senior executives from IOCL, BHEL, Ion Exchange, GE, L&T, and NTPC.

The conference additionally featured a Business Case Studies session with representatives from Emerson, Inox, and Vikram Solar.

Premium Phones Like Galaxy S23 series to Stay in Demand Despite Slowdown: TM Roh

CHENNAI – Dr. TM Roh, President & Head of the Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said the premium smartphone market in India is likely to grow despite the economic slowdown. Rising adoption of 5G smartphones and the global consumer trend to buy smartphones that are more reliable will lead to growth in the Indian market, he added.

“Demand for premium smartphones, with a price tag of over $400 in India, is rising quickly as the 5G network expands. The 5G smartphone market here is expected to grow by over 60% in 2023, with the premium smartphone market projected to grow by more than 30%,” Dr Roh added.

Samsung recently said it had notched over 140,000 pre-bookings for its premium Galaxy S23 series in just 24 hours in India, twice the number of pre-bookings it received for the Galaxy S22 series last year.

“It is being very well received by Indian customers, especially the Galaxy S23 Ultra in green,” he said.

Dr. Roh, the youngest President ever appointed at Samsung, said the Indian smartphone market will keep growing and Samsung will be there for the ride.

According to analysts, India will have nearly 1 billion smartphone users by 2026, driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones in young consumers. India has over 600 million Gen MZ consumers, the largest in the world.

Dr Roh said Samsung will continue to invest in its R&D center in India and advance the smart factory technology at its manufacturing center in India.

“2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Korea and India’s diplomatic relationship. I am looking forward to the next 50 years and please continue to show your love and support for Galaxy products, which are created with effort, dedication and innovation,” Dr Roh said.

SHRM India to host SHRMI Talent Conference in Bengaluru on 5 th April

22 th March 2023, Bangalore: The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest HR association is organizing the 3rd edition of SHRMI Talent Conference. The theme of the conference is ‘Lead the Charge’ in 2023 and beyond. The Conference will be held offline on 5 th and 12th of April in Bengaluru and Mumbai respectively. The event is expected to witness 800+ HR leaders and CXOs across the 2 cities, 30+ knowledge sessions, 60+ Speakers, and showcase sessions encompassing 4 content pillars – Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Talent well-being, and Talent Development.

The world of work today is riddled with questions such as, “How do we transition into the new hybrid world while maintaining exemplary culture and innovation?”, and “How do we do this in an equitable and fair manner?”

This unique event for HR Professionals will equip them with the know-how on how to radically re-imagine fairness in the workplace, to build the high-performing, equitable organizations of tomorrow. Meant also for Talent Specialists & People Managers, SHRMI Talent Conference will help delegates find objective insights, strategic advice and practical
tools to achieve their most critical priorities.

HR Professionals will connect with and learn alongside peers and experts and thus gain practical and cross-functional insights to drive organizational performance through talent. The delegates will also learn new, short- and long-term workforce planning strategies to prepare for the future of work.

Prominent speakers at the conference are Anita Bhogle, Speaker, Author Partner & Learning Content Head, Pro search Consultants &Bizpunditz; Saurabh Govil, President & CHRO, Wipro;; Richard Lobo, Executive Vice President, Head HR, Infosys; Amit Sharma, CHRO, Volvo Group;; Vikas Maheshwary, CHRO, Biocon; among others.

The Conference will delve into topics like Talent at the Helm: Shift Towards a People-First Culture, The Equity Imperative: Nurturing Talent with Fairness, Pursuit of Wellness: Fostering a Workforce that’s Too Fit to Quit, Employment Value Proposition: Purpose Beyond the 3 Cs; Untapped Potential: Scripting the Perfect Employee DEI&B Storyboard, HR Leading the Digital Age: Employer-driven Upskilling and much more.

Achal Khanna, CEO of SHRM India, APAC & MENA, said, “Talent plays a vital role in any organization. It is essential for the HR fraternity to identify the right talent to take the company to greater heights. SHRM India believes in identifying those with immense talent and helping them achieve great success, along with their organizations. The Conference will help HR Professionals strategize to compete in today’s challenging talent marketplace.”