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“Bandicoots come to the rescue of sanitation workers: Prayagraj’s Manhole Cleaning Gets a High-Tech Upgrade!”

Prayagraj Nagar Nigam is set to receive three Bandicoot Robotic Scavengers developed by the Kerala-based national award winning start-up Genrobotics, to help clean its manholes. This move is a part of the Nagar Nigam’s efforts to promote cleanliness and hygiene, while also reducing the deaths of manual scavengers due to he hazardous conditions in the manhole.

The city will now implement a scheduled approach of manhole cleaning wherein these pits will be cleared off at timely intervals, ensuring efficient clearing of the clogs and blockages. Kerala has recently achieved complete robotisation of manhole cleaning which accelerated this transition. The move is part of the Swach Survekshan 2023 and Safai Mitra Suraksha Protocol, which aims to create a clean and healthy environment for sanitation workers and community as a whole. Apart from Prayagraj other regions like Kanpur, Aligarh, Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh have been currently using Bandicoot Robot Technology.

“The Bandicoots are a game-changer in the sanitation industry. They provide a safe and efficient alternative to manual scavenging, which is not only hazardous but also violates the human rights and dignity of sanitation workers. We hope that the introduction of the 3 Bandicoot Robots in Prayagraj will inspire other cities to adopt this technology and improve the lives of sanitation workers.” Officials from Prayagraj said.

The Bandicoots have already proven to be highly effective in Kerala, where they have completely transformed the way manhole cleaning is carried out. The robots have not only increased efficiency but have also reduced the number of accidents and injuries suffered by sanitation workers. The adoption of Bandicoot Robots in Prayagraj is expected to have a similar impact like that of Kanpur, promoting safety and reducing the risk of exposure to hazardous waste.

Bandicoot robots are currently deployed in 17 states of India and 3 UT’s and they are transforming the sanitation ecosystems. Bandicoot with its human-like robotic arms, specially designed bucket system, and its sewerage and waterproof cameras can eliminate the requirements for human entry and offers an entire solution for the man-hole cleaning problem. Other cleaning techniques do exist, such as sucking and grabbing machines; however, sucking machines are unable to remove the pure solid wastes, while grabbing machines can only clean less than 20% of the area inside a manhole. Due to these drawbacks, these techniques have limitations which Bandicoot Robotic Scavengers have solved.

Training manual for gender trainers Women’s Day Celebrated at Navrachana University

Women’s day was celebrated at Navrachana University under the broader theme of embracing equity.
The event organized by the Women Development Cell of NavrachanaUniversity saw the participation of various organizations: Udayan
Care, Sahaj, Schools of Navrachana Education Society.

The event comprised the release of a training manual for gender trainers which would be used by Schools, Universities and Community Based

Organizations. A reel campaign with #embraceequity and AAO SOCH BADLEIN (Let’s change our thinking) by
Schools of Navrachana Education Society, Udayan Shalini is launched. A short performance of the same as a flash mob was performed by students of BBA, MBA and Udayan Shalini.

Ms. Shivani Joshi, architect and founder of Pink Coyote and RJ Kshitij were the Guests of Honor for the occasion. Smt. Tejal Amin talked

Women in Saree turned out in large numbers at VKC Pride Saree Walkathon

Thanjavur: Inner Wheel Club of Tanjore in association with VKC Pride has organised a Saree Walkathon on Saturday. The event was to promote traditional attire and break the stigma over traditional attire and fitness among women. Over 2500 contestants aged above 18 years participated in different age categories. Brihadeeswarar Temple was the starting point of the walkathon. 4 KM was the maximum distance to walk. The event was organised as part of the golden jubilee year celebration of the Inner Wheel Club of Tanjore. Participants aged 18 to 35 contested in 4 KM and 36-59 in 3 KM ranges. First three winners of each category received cash prizes of Rs 7500, Rs 5000 and Rs 2500, respectively. It was a 1 KM long walk for senior participants aged 60 years and above. First three winners in this category received Rs 5000, Rs 3000 and Rs 2000, respectively.

Gritzo launches #RemoveTheTag Campaign to celebrate International Women’s Day

New Delhi, March 7th, 2023 – Gritzo, a brand of Healthkart and the first of its kind brand in the personalized nutrition drink for children has announced its latest campaign #RemoveTheTag. The campaign celebrates women entrepreneurs who have successfully broken free from societal labels.

As a part of the campaign, Gritzo has launched a video series featuring three prominent women entrepreneurs including Harini Sivakumar, Founder & CEO Earth Rhythm, Tapasya Sharma, Co-founder, Gnist Fashion and Shivani Popat, Co-Founder, Rashki. The videos will showcase their journeys, challenges, and triumphs, and will inspire women to not limit themselves as per the societal norms and remove any tags that limit them towards their journey to success. The campaign will be amplified across multiple digital touchpoints including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Here are the link to the videos :

● Reaction video featuring all three entrepreneurs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0x9Qn8sHbA

● Harini Sivakumar, Founder & CEO Earth Rhythm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebXi4rzWB7M

● Tapasya Sharma, CO-Founder, Gnist : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlmR39WAuAw

● Shivani Popat, Founder, Rashki : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxrPSLux5o

Gritzo recognizes that women are powerful and capable individuals who transcend societal perceptions. Through their #RemoveTheTag campaign, Gritzo seeks to celebrate women’s strength, resilience, and accomplishments while also encouraging everyone to support and empower successful mom entrepreneurs in both their personal and professional lives. The campaign emphasizes on the fact that how women can succeed even more by shunning social stigmas.

While unveiling the campaign, Mr. Subhadeep Dasgupta, Brand Head at Gritzo said, “International Women’s Day is an important opportunity to recognize the incredible contributions of women to our society and at the same time acknowledge the strength of women who often face the burden of societal stereotypes. We are thrilled to launch the #RemoveTheTag campaign and to highlight the incredible achievements of these three remarkable women entrepreneurs. Stories like these are a testament to the power of women and the importance of removing the labels that hold them back. With our campaign, we hope to inspire and uplift women entrepreneurs everywhere and encourage everyone to support women’s rights and gender equality.”

On being a part of the campaign, Harini Sivakumar, Founder & CEO Earth Rhythm expressed, “I am honored to be a part of Gritzo’s #RemoveTheTag campaign for International Women’s Day. As a mompreneur, I understand the challenges women face in breaking down stereotypes and proving their worth. But I believe that we don’t need tags to define us, because as women, we are capable of balancing both our roles and responsibilities. Let’s continue to break down barriers and empower women everywhere to reach their full potential.”

Adding to this, Tapasya Sharma, Co-founder at Gnist Fashion said, “It feels great to be identified not only as a mother but also as an entrepreneur through Gritzo’s #RemoveTheTag initiative this women’s day 2023. The passion with which I conceptualized Gnist is the same as my motherhood; I have nurtured the brand with all my heart, and it just feels unnecessary to be tagged to define ourselves. It is past time to acknowledge that passion is not dependent on judgment! With this, I hope to be a part of a revolution in which women empower society and open our minds to become more capable.”

Shivani Popat, Founder at Rashki, added, “It’s not a problem to be recognized as a woman entrepreneur or a mom entrepreneur if it inspires others, but when we label entrepreneurs by gender, it leads to unnecessary bias and inequality in society. I’m delighted to be associated with Gritzo, a brand that shares this belief and has recently launched the #RemoveTheTag Women’s Day campaign to eliminate all labels from women entrepreneurs. My desire for success is to be based solely on merit, not gender. The same goes for my male colleagues; if they deserve greater success, they should receive it. Let’s establish a meritocracy that ensures everyone, including future generations, receives what they deserve, regardless of gender.”

The video series has gone live across all the social media platforms to celebrate the spirit of all the empowered women from 28th February as part of International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2023.

Practical Tech Gadgets to Gift this Women’s Day

As the majority of India’s population, women represent a significant portion of the nation’s untapped economic potential. Be it Home or our Workplace women have constantly played a vital role in the growth of the society. International Women’s Day is celebrated to acknowledge the achievements and contributions of women in our daily. Technology has played a significant role in helping women’s hustle and succeed in their life and career in general.

To keep their daily hassles seamless and smooth, here are few gadgets that can simplify the lives of Women’s for your perusal.

• Nokia X30 5G
• Amidst this gifting frenzy, let this cool sustainable smartphone be your ideal gifting option this women’s day. Nokia X30 is a flagship smartphone, with high-quality features and premium looks. It is equipped with 50MP PureView camera with OIS support, clubbed with a 13MP ultrawide camera making the low-light photos better with Night Mode 2.0 and Dark Vision. One doesn’t have to worry about unlucky spills and splashes as it has IP67 rating which makes it water resistant. Moreover, this flagship phone is made out of 100% recycled aluminium frame and a 65% recycled plastic back, taking a step towards sustainability. Overall, the Nokia X30 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a high-quality, durable, and reliable smartphone. The perfect gift for a better & Sustainable tomorrow
•  Nokia T21 Tablet:
• The Nokia T21 tablet is the upgraded version of the Nokia T20. Its build quality sets it apart from its rivals, with its all-aluminium chassis a real highlight – It feels durable – as though it can withstand the occasional drop without much fuss. It has long-lasting battery, regular software and security updates, premium European built experience and looks.  Comes with 8MP rear camera with flash + 8MP front camera.  Whether for work or play, this ultimate family-friendly tablet is in it for the long run, plus, it’s loaded with fan-requested features, such as HD video streaming, voice calling, and NFC. With the T21, Nokia has done what it does best. A budget tablet that looks stylish and performs reasonably well considering its price.
• Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera
• The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera captures your loved ones’ happy moments in more detail, use a close-up lens at a distance of 35–50 cm to get that perfect shot. They can even snap low-key pictures with only one click. The camera analyses balanced brightness for taking a photo and determines the best setting based on the environment. A perfect gift to capture all those fun moments and cherish them through polaroid pictures.
•  Fitbit Sense Smartwatch
• Fitbit Sense is a fitness-oriented smartwatch, one of the best ones in the market that comes with all the necessary features to keep track of your health. It has an ECG heart rate tracking with alerts for irregular heart rhythms, an EDA sensor to detect stress levels, and even a skin temperature sensor. Also features both Google Assistant and built-in Amazon Alexa. The Fitbit Sense can be a perfect smartwatch to gift the women in your life and remind them to keep a tab on their health.
• Dyson Airwrap Hair Styler Complete Set
• This beauty gadget is truly an investment, Dyson Airwrap is a fully customisable styling tool to deliver a range of styles for all Indian hair types, without extreme heat. The curling wands and accessories are where the magic really happens. Dyson Air Wrap has something for every hair type (basically a saviour for women) and is a daily use gadget, best for those who shoot at home or those who style hair before leaving for work. And it is better to invest in one device than use four or five of the. If your woman is concerned about hair damage with all the experiments they do, then the AirWrap is 100% worth it.

Citykart celebrates Holi with its new campaign with the tagline Isse Sasta Fashion Bazaar Kahi Nahi

New Delhi, March7 th, 2023: Citykart, one of India’s largest value retailers focusing on family fashion retail in Tier-II and Tier-III towns, has announced the launch of its Holi campaign around the theme Full Paisa Vasool, with the tagline Isse Sasta Fashion Bazaar Kahi Nahi. As a part of this campaign, the company offers the latest apparel designs, starting at an affordable price of Rs. 99.

Also, Holi merchandise (Pichkari, Gulal and Ballon) is available at stores this year at Citikart stores. As part of the Holi promotion, products from different categories such as home goods and travel luggage will be available at a discounted price. Customers who make a purchase of Rs.1499 or more will have the opportunity to buy products such as a dinner set, a duffle trolley bag with wheels, and a casserole set (3 pieces) for only Rs.199 as they are worth of Rs. 799.

True to the brand’s central tenants of making fashion affordable and comfortable, the company presents a wide range of styles, fabrics and cuts for men, women, infants and toddlers. The collection includes jeans, tops, tees, palazzos and multiple other options.

Mr Sudhanshu Agarwal, Founder and CEO of Citykart, said, “At CityKart, we aim to make fashion affordable and accessible to all sections of the population and this Holi, we are taking this a step further. True to the campaign’s tagline, we offer the latest in the fashion world at entry price points. We look forward to styling the country with our designs this festive season.”

Citykart has launched its much-awaited Spring-Summer collection of vivid and vibrant summer colours and prints. The collection is available offline at Citykart stores in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the North Eastern regions.

Vedanta Sesa Goa’s #IronLadiesIndia campaign salutes the iron will of women

Goa, 7th March 2023: In line with Vedanta’s commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion at the workplace, and women empowerment as a whole, Vedanta Sesa Goa has launched a campaign #IronLadiesIndia on International Women’s Day to highlight the massive contribution of women in the society and to felicitate them for their exemplary achievements. Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO, Sesa Goa, Vedanta Limited felicitated such outstanding women viz- Sucheta Dessai, SP, Training, Goa Police, Siya Shaikh, Founder of GoWomania, WEBN & GoenKart and Manaswini Prabhune Nayak, Journalist and prominent social worker.

For Vedanta, the objective of this year’s #IronLadiesIndia campaign was to use its platform to promote women from society, who have become an inspiration for others by pushing the boundaries and thereby instilling confidence in women around the country. The company launched a campaign on its digital and numerous communication platforms that demonstrated the laudable achievements of women from community and Vedanta Sesa Goa. Videos of Vedanta Sesa Goa employees and community women achievers highlighting their journeys, were shared on social media and through other communication platforms.

In line with this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘DigitALL- Innovation and Technology for gender equality’, the women employees from Vedanta Sesa Goa, who have contributed exceptionally to the field of digital were also felicitated namely Suvarna Raut, Pooja Prabhu, Priyanka Korgaonkar, Amanda D’Souza, Nikita Singh, Swetha J S, Soumi Halder, Monalisa Diniz, Muriel Pereira, Ashwini Sinari and Shrijaya Chauhan as a part of the campaign. The campaign has received an overwhelming response from employees and business partners of Sesa Goa as well as the community at large.

Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO, Sesa Goa Business, Vedanta Limited, said, ” Every day is ‘Women’s Day’ as they are an integral part of our lives. At Vedanta, we strive to inculcate an inclusive culture and values through various initiatives that acknowledge diversity in all its forms. I firmly believe that promoting gender equality and empowering women is essential for the holistic development of our nation.”

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Sucheta Dessai, SP, Training, Goa Police, said, “On International Women’s Day, I want to highlight how women are contributing immensely to all sectors across the world. Women are definitely the stronger lot and the sacrifices they make managing both the outside world and home is commendable. It’s heartening to see so many young women at Sesa Goa making a mark across different fields. My best wishes to the whole team of Sesa Goa for this campaign saluting the iron will of women”

Ms. Richa Dubey, CHRO – Sesa Goa, Vedanta Limited said “Today, we are celebrating the Iron will of the Women on ‘International Women’s Day’. Women are breaking the barriers, challenging the norms and leading the way forward, towards a more equitable world. At Sesa Goa, we are committed to creating a workplace that is diverse, inclusive and equitable in all its forms .Let us support the endeavours of these #IronLadiesIndia in bringing a positive change in the world.”

At Vedanta, high-potential women employees are identified and nurtured to build a pipeline of women CXOs. Vedanta Group has framed best-in-class leadership development programmes like V-Lead and Tarang to promote diversity and inclusion at the workplace. Vedanta Group is always a step ahead to recognise and reward the contributions of employees without any biases and has rolled out an equal opportunity policy that aims to encourage equal employment opportunities without any discrimination.

Fire-Boltt introduces its Ninja Fit smartwatch for fitness enthusiasts

New Delhi, 6th March 2023: Home-grown wearables brand Fire-Boltt announces the launch of its all-new smartwatch – ‘Ninja Fit’ for fitness enthusiasts. The smartwatch comes with a minimalistic design and a 9.5 mm ultra-thin body which makes this smartwatch super lightweight and stylish. Equipped with a 1.69-inch full-touch HD display and 240*280 pixels of resolution, Ninja Fit is the right mix of style and functionality. The smartwatch will be available for purchase on Amazon & Fireboltt.com from 8th March onwards at an introductory price of INR 1299.

Designed for fitness enthusiasts, Ninja Fit comes with 123 sports modes that enable users to track their performance on the go. Whether you are running, cycling, or swimming, Ninja Fit ensures that you do not run out of training modes to work on. The smartwatch is IP68 water-resistant so one doesn’t have to worry about moisture and splashes. With a sleek and stylish design, the smartwatch boasts a range of advanced features that will take your fitness routine to the next level. Moreover, the smartwatch comes with over 100+ watch faces to go with your every mood and outfit. It also gives smart notifications so that you never miss out on any message or an important notification in any case.

Commenting on the launch, Aayushi Kishore and Arnav Kishore, Co-Founders of Fire-Boltt, said, “Ninja Fit is yet another chic and lightweight smartwatch for fitness enthusiasts who seek feature-loaded smartwatches on a budget. The smartwatch is purposefully designed to be lightweight while retaining robust and rugged aesthetics. We are confident that it will be well-accepted in the market. ”

Ninja Fit is fuelled by a powerful battery that can run non-stop for up to 5 days in classic mode and 30 days in standby mode. Additionally, the smartwatch is loaded with exciting features like periodical health & wellness reminders, music control, camera control, weather forecasts, a timer, and an alarm clock. The smartwatch can also track heart rate, sleep cycle, menstrual cycle, and SPO2 levels. Ninja Fit is available in 6 striking colour variants- Blue, Black, Beige, Green, Grey, and Red.

Second Wikimedia Technology Summit Brings Together Knowledge and Technology Experts To Reimagine The Future of Free and Open Knowledge

Hyderabad, March 07, 2023…….: International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH) and the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that operates Wikipedia and other free-knowledge projects, successfully concluded the 2nd Wikimedia Technology Summit at IIIT Hyderabad campus today.

The one-of-a-kind event enabled discussions around developing the future of the internet, forging enduring alliances, and engaging in open discussions about the cohesion between technology and open access to knowledge. It was organized by IIITH’s Indic Wiki Project – an initiative funded by The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), and supported by the Government of Telangana, to enhance the online presence of Indic language encyclopedias.

The second Wikimedia Technology Summit aimed to foster collaboration and innovation in the field of Indic language technology, with a particular emphasis on promoting open-source solutions and building a community of like-minded individuals and organizations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony Prof Vasudeva Varma, Centre Head, Language Technologies Research Center (LTRC), IIIT – Hyderabad said “We have a large number of people speaking Indian languages but the amount of ‘useful’ digital content available in these languages does not represent our cultural and linguistic richness. It is our immediate need to make knowledge available in our languages. Crowd-sourced encyclopedias like Wikipedia make huge contributions to enhancing the knowledge, awareness, and rationality of people. This summit addresses important issues in enriching content and knowledge available in human languages and the ways to overcome challenges.”

The event was kicked off on 2 March with a full-day mini-hackathon that brought together numerous open-source developers and programmers working on Indian Wikimedia projects to deliberate, create tools, and collaborate on MediaWiki to further the technology available for working on Indic Languages.

Following the mini-hackathon, the Summit featured a series of talks, and panel discussions on 3 and 4 March on topics such as the future of open knowledge, the creation of sustainable knowledge systems, digitization of content, and digital humanities – all with a focus on Indic languages. It also featured keynote addresses by leading experts from the field of Indic language technology, learning researchers, and technology platforms.

During her virtual keynote speech, Selena Deckelmann, Chief Product and Technology Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, said “As we think about ways to increase digital adoption and participation, it is important for us to recognize the importance of local languages. Since multilingualism is a way of life, it has to be represented and celebrated!” She added, “So much good work is being done across the South Asia region that deserves recognition. This Summit is an opportunity to learn from and connect with each other on all of these efforts.”

Over the course of the event, which brought together top researchers, open technology enthusiasts, Wikimedia volunteers and members of WikiClubs (a project that aims to form youth clubs at educational institutions to enable creation of free and open content) – over 150 attendees had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of topics to discuss best practices and set the future course of knowledge access in regional languages on the Internet.

For more information about The 2nd Wikimedia Technology Summit 2023, including videos and presentations from the event, please visit the official website at https://indicwiki.iiit.ac.in/summit-2023/.

Swinging With Style: the Kga Premiere League, a Leading Golf Tournament Sponsored by Brookfield Properties and the Leela Palace Concludes in Bengaluru

7th March 2023, Bengaluru – Brookfield Properties and The Leela Palace Bengaluru are making a significant stride to elevate the game of golf in India through their collaboration as Title Sponsors for the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) Premiere League tournament popularly known as KPL. This contemporary format of the game concluded on March 3, 2023, with 24 teams vying for the top spot and the prestigious KPL Trophy. Cauvery Express (Owned by Nirod Kumar Lenka) received the coveted KGA Premier League Trophy while the Fanzart Eagles (Owned by Mr. Anil Lala) was the runner-up. The tournament, designed to be a thrilling experience, with a unique ‘IPL-like Format’ witnessed the participation of over 450 golfers and 500 attendees from the business community, along with members of the KGA. Several eminent personalities like Geetanjali Kirloskar – Director of Kirloskar Group, Kodandaram Ramaiah – Owner of MSR Hotels and Sitaram Shetty – Chairman of SNC Power Corporation Private Limited were part of the KPL.

As an extension of this association Brookfield Properties and The Leela Palace Bengaluru curated an exclusive 9-hole

shotgun format tournament on February 23, 2023, for the CXOs which was teed off by Vijay Amritraj, an ace Indian celebrity tennis player. The tournament also featured prominent names from the corporate world, such as Ranjan Biswas (Director, EY), Arjun Pratap ( a TedX Speaker and the CEO of EDGE, an AI-powered innovative HR tech provider), Dr. Mahesh Reddy (Director, Corporate Affairs & Projects – CSR, Dream Sports), Don Kyu Kim (from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea) and many such who engaged in some high-level corporate power play and kept the spectators on the edge of their seats. Another bespoke event ‘A masterclass with KGA golf champions’ is also on the cards.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Shantanu Chakraborty, Executive Vice President at Brookfield Properties, said, “We are excited to bring these exclusive experiences to our clients and partners across India. This partnership with KGA provided a bespoke platform for leaders from various walks of life to come together to connect, collaborate, exchange perspectives and bond over the game of golf.

Madhav Sehgal, General Manager of The Leela Palace Bengaluru added, “We at The Leela Palace Bengaluru are thrilled to be in association. With a shared vision and values, these initiatives promise exciting collaborations. We look forward to standing alongside Brookfield Properties in supporting and contributing to the growth of golf in India.”

Prithviraj Urs, President, KGA commented “I would like to begin by saying that it has been a great privilege for me to

have been to be part of this event and most importantly, to be able to play and enjoy the fellowship. I am delighted that Brookfield’s and The Leela, were are title sponsors for our KPL this year. They have brought in a wonderful hospitality angle, and we look forward to their partnership in the year ahead. The team at KGA led by Sanjay have also been simply superb.”

With such initiatives, Brookfield Properties and The Leela Palace Bengaluru are taking their partnership with the KGA to the next level, providing golf enthusiasts and partners with an opportunity to engage with the best golfers and experience the sport uniquely and memorably.