3, Mar 2023
BIF Broadband India Forum Hosts Professor N Yoshino for a Roundtable discussion on Spillover effects of Digital Infrastructure and Financing
New Delhi, March 3, 2023: Broadband India Forum (BIF), an independent policy forum and knowledge-based think-tank organised a Round Table Discussion with Prof. N Yoshino, Adjunct Professor at GRIPS and Professor Emeritus (Economics) at Keio University, and former Dean/CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute championing G20 goals on “The Spill over Effects of Digital Infrastructure and Financing” to address the challenges of attracting private investment in ICT infrastructure development.
Renowned Economist and proponent of the spill over theory, Professor Yoshino made a keynote presentation at the Round Table Discussion attended by dignitaries like Shri S.K. Mishra, Advisor (Finance), DoT; Shri Sanjeet Singh, Sr Advisor, NITI Aayog and Shri Vivek Narayan, DDG (Data Services), DoT and many other dignitaries from the Industry & Think Tank. Prof Yoshino presented a paper proposing the creation of financing models to address investment gaps in digital infrastructure.
The proposed mechanism would enable joint involvement and participation of the Government and potential private investors in sharing revenues accruing out of the use of Digital Infrastructure. This would be ploughed back for future growth of the sector. Prof Yoshino’s studies highlighted the spill over effects in Japan, where estimates of spillover effects were as high as 66%. A similar study is proposed to be carried out for India.
Outlining his proposed objectives for India, Prof Yoshino said “that the Spill over effects of ICT infrastructure on taxes obtained by the government could result in increase the rate of return by upto 15% for the investors. This innovative proposal has the potential to revolutionize the investment landscape in India’s digital infrastructure sector and will make it sustainable going forward.” He also said that it will be interesting to see how policymakers respond to this idea “ Overall, the Round Table Discussion with Prof. Yoshino provided valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges of financing digital infrastructure, and the critical role that private sector participation can play in driving the growth and development of digital infrastructure in a sustainable manner.
Mr. TV Ramachandran, President, BIF, said “As India moves forward with the goal to transform itself to a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, the need for large investments in all types of digital infrastructure is imperative. Digital Infrastructure needs to increase several fold in next five years to help achieve the goal of trebling GDP to USD 7.5 trillion over the next 5 years.” The Round Table Discussion held today brought together all the key stakeholders from Government, Industry etc. to deliberate on some innovative concepts that shall help provide the Government sufficient impetus to take up the agenda of accelerated growth of digital infrastructure in the country forward in the quest for finding new ways to achieve Broadband for All and Digital Inclusivity.
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- By Rabindra
3, Mar 2023
BQP’s aggressive plans to hire engineering talent even as Tech majors announce lay-offs
New Delhi/Bangalore, March 2023 – Since the beginning of 2023, there has been blood on the tech streets on a global scale. As economic growth slowed, tech companies worldwide, including major players such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, have given thousands of their employees’ pink slips. Interestingly, proving an exception amidst this bloodbath, an Indian deep-tech start-up BosonQ Psi (BQP), is also all set to add to its team in a significant way.
BosonQ Psi (BQP) recently launched the first Quantum-powered computer-aided engineering (CAE) software suite – BQPhy®. The software suite enables enterprise customers to perform complex simulations using Quantum computers. BQPhy® has already been used for proofs-of-concept with global automakers and will serve customers from verticals including but not limited to automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, and biotechnology.
Proving to be an exception to the rule
Despite mass lay-offs announced by Tech majors, BQP is actively hiring talented individuals passionate about engineering the future and looking to work in deep tech and quantum computing.
BQP is expected to continue its upward graph in 2023 and saw significant growth last year. In addition, BQP is rapidly scaling its operations as it plans to hire 50 percent of its quantum workforce from India.
Founded in late 2020, Bangalore based BQP is leading India’s quantum supremacy as it plans to expand its footprint by setting up US and UK offices in the coming year.
Aditya Singh, Founding Member, Head of Growth & Infrastructure, BosonQ Psi, said, “Being one of the industry leaders in quantum computing, we provide significant career opportunities for students pursuing education in STEM fields. In addition, BQP organizes various initiatives around quantum computing for such as classroom workshops for high school students and hackathons with engineering colleges and universities. Through these programs, students get first-hand experience practical knowledge of quantum applications and their potential to provide disruptive solutions for problems ranging from climate change and green environment to helping habitation on other worlds.”
The programs align with the vision outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 108th Indian Science Congress earlier this year, where he pointed out India’s goal to be a tech hub for the world and its focus on emerging areas such as quantum technologies among others.
Charting a growth path to make a difference at an individual and global level
Abhishek Chopra, Founder & CEO of BosonQ Psi (BQP), stated, “India has immense engineering talent to become the global Quantum hub. As providers of the world’s first quantum-powered simulation suite, we at BQP aggressively plan to hire students with quantum computing, engineering design, and software development skills. As we expand geographically, working at BQP provides an incredible opportunity to explore practical applications and find breakthroughs for the most pressing problems using the power of quantum”.
To further enhance the product experience, BQP has been forging early partnerships and collaborations with the Quantum computing ecosystem. For example, BQP is part of the Intel OneAPI start-up program, Amazon Braket, and Microsoft Azure platform. Integrated with the Strangework Quantum Syndicate – one of the leading computing companies, BQP’s simulation suite, BQPhy® enables easy access to quantum and classical hardware providers. Recently, BQP joined the NASSCOM Deep tech club, which aims to solve global challenges using next-in-line technologies like Quantum Computing.
Rut Lineswala, Founder & CTO of BosonQ Psi (BQP), emphasized that Quantum computing has the potential to transform challenges that classical computers may never be able to solve alone. ‘‘We are excited to team up with Universities to harness extraordinary engineering talent. At BQP, we aim to provide a platform for students to work in the deep tech field of quantum and turn their aspirations into reality’’
An ideal place to work
Besides working with cutting-edge tech, BQP provides a fun work culture, a daily 60-minute break time, period leaves and mental health leaves. The collaborative work environment allows employees to hone their skills while working with the best brains in quantum computing, multi-physics simulation, and software development. They also benefit from mentorship and guidance from experienced industry professionals.
3, Mar 2023
New Delhi World Book Fair 2023: Dr. Neena Rao Highlights the need for special education through her book “Mindscapes: Canvas of Emotions in a Special World”
Delhi, 3rd March 2023: Margika Foundation, a Hyderabad and US-based NGO, showcases the coffee table book ‘Mindscapes: A Canvas of Emotions in a Special World!’ that delineates the special talents and honest, straight-from-the-heart stories of kids and young adults with special needs.
With a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, ‘Mindscapes: A Canvas of Emotions in a Special World!’ has been inspired by Meraki, a virtual talent show established during the pandemic by Margika’s founder Neena Rao to help Special Needs children from all over the world.
The book features a treasure of art pieces and other talents by children with special needs and the world will get to hear these stories in their voices. Along with every art piece, there are verses regarding the child’s feelings about the work they have created or how they feel about that particular talent. The majority of these children are from rural government schools and thus, belong to the most socially and economically disadvantaged group of society.
Art and creativity are the best mediums to voice and reach the innermost recesses of one’s mind and heart. They are also the finest means to help reduce anxiety and stress in children as well as adults. The book is a sincere expression of the ideas of these special children and is a treasure house of poems, paintings, essays, sketches, and stories.
The aim of the beautifully-illustrated book is the same as Margika’s — to not only rise and meet the Special kids’ esteem and self-actualization needs and provide them with a sense of love, safety, and belonging, but also to empathize, raise awareness about, and destigmatize the special needs children.
“I didn’t want any other child to suffer like my son. We need an inclusive society. Children with special needs deserve to lead happy and normal lives. I started Margika to make a difference to the children and their families”. Says Dr. Neena Rao.
“Our objective is to offer help, guidance, and encouragement to individuals with special needs in the long run, adding more meaning to the cause that Margika believes in,” she further adds.
Margika was founded by Dr. Neena Rao, a mother of a boy with Aspergers (a developmental disorder affecting the ability to effectively socialise and communicate). He inspired her to give up her career as an academic and development professional to create Margika – a Network for Training & Capacity Building for Better Care of Children with Special Needs.
3, Mar 2023
Celebrating curiosity and creativity – Welcome to Groww presents the Under 25 Summit 2023
After truly being missed for two years, the World’s Leading Youth Festival is back! Groww presents the Under 25 Summit 2023 will be taking place on the 4th and 5th of March 2023 in Embassy International Riding School, Bangalore.
“The Under 25 Summit 2023 is a collection of experiences that range from intimate 30 people camps to communal 300-people domes to 3000-people stages that enable attendees to have their own unique festival experience. Built in the setting of a parallel universe, with thematic worlds and experiential spaces, we are creating experiences that prioritizes self discovery, engaging with the external and activating all human senses,” says Anto Philip, the Co-
Founder of Under 25. These tap into the interest areas of students – fashion, finance, fitness, content creation, pop culture, language and travel.
With many industry experts, namely Abhinav Bindra, Armaan Malik, Prajakta Koli, MC Stan, Faye D’Souza, Prateek Kuhad, Masoom Minawala and hundreds more, the festival is looking to provide students from more than 2000 campuses across the country with a platform to discover more!
“Over the last decade of building the Under 25 Summit, we’ve constantly heard our Explorers say stuff like “We love the Energy!” and “Such a fantastic vibe!” – everyone seemed to appreciate this intangible and almost unexplainable feeling they had when they were there.” says Shreyans Jain, the cofounder of Under 25.
The Brand Partners who have come on board include Groww as the Title Sponsor, Duolingo, Bumble, Virgio and Budweiser Beats as associate partners and Brands such as Netflix, Coke, Fello, Freakins, Mochi and more coming onboard to empower and enable the youth! Come experience the biggest intersection of community and culture for this generation at the
Under 25 Summit.
3, Mar 2023
Kudumbashree associated sellers join the ONDC network to tap beyond their regional presence to reach customers pan-India
3rd March 2023: Kudumbashree is set to launch its products on the ONDC network at the “Symposium on Digital Marketing and Launch of Kudumbashree Products on ONDC” event, which will be held on March 2, 2023, in Trivandrum, Kerala.
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative aiming at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks. ONDC is to be based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
A government of Kerala programme, Kudumbashree, is a three-tier community of women working towards poverty eradication and women empowerment, and its association with ONDC will strengthen the joint advocacy and support efforts to strengthen the mission.
As part of this event, Kudumbashree and SellerApp (A network participant associated with ONDC) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to bring Kudumbashree’s associated sellers onboard the ONDC network, making their products available for purchase online across India. This collaboration aims to empower women entrepreneurs associated with Kudumbashree by providing them with the latest technology and tools for successful online business, thus contributing to the organization’s goal of eradicating poverty and empowering women in Kerala.
Currently, 138 products from Kudumbashree are available on the open network, including women-made products by SHGs and NHGs in categories such as groceries, fashion, beauty, and personal care. After the MOU is signed, many more products are expected to be available online through the open network at an accelerated pace.
The event will have over 150 women from Kudumbashree attending, including a training workshop on social media marketing and a packaging training workshop organized by Shiprocket. The benefits of joining the ONDC network will be highlighted, including increased discoverability across multiple buyer applications, the power for sellers to set their own terms, and access to customer information.
T Koshy, MD & CEO, ONDC, said, “Our mission at ONDC is to make e-commerce accessible and inclusive for sellers of every size and scale across India. The initiative taken by SellerApp to onboard sellers from Kudumbashree on the open network will showcase the potential of ONDC to bridge the digital divide and empower small businesses across the country.”
Dilip Vamanan, Founder, SellerApp, said, “We are excited to partner with Kudumbashree to bring the benefits of e-commerce enabled by ONDC to the sellers associated with Kudumbashree. Our mission at SellerApp has always been to enable and scale e-commerce businesses with actionable data.”
Mr. Jafar Malik, IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, said, “I am very happy to see that Kudumbashree is launching its products on ONDC in the silver Jubilee year of Kudumbashree. This will be a milestone in Kudumbashree history also to be part of this digital revolution. In coming years we want to see kudumbashree products accessible to everyone from everywhere . We are also happy to work closely with Sellerapp for making this successful in months to come. ”
3, Mar 2023
Tata Hitachi inaugurates a New CED Painting line at the Dharwad Plant and strengthens the Manufacturing Facility in Karnataka
Bangalore, 3rd March 2023:
Tata Hitachi, a leading provider of construction and mining equipment, has installed and commissioned a new, state-of-the-art Cathode Electro Deposition(CED) Paint shop at its Dharwad plant. The new CED paint shop will be beneficial in providing superior paint performance with high colour retention and excellent corrosion and wear resistance properties.
The Paint shop was inaugurated by Shri Pralhad Joshi, Hon’ble Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Government of India. In the presence of Mr. Yusuke Kajita, President-Construction Business Unit, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Japan, and Mr. Sandeep Singh, Managing Director, Tata Hitachi.
CED is environmentally friendly and is the most advanced technology that is being used in the industry. This new CED paint shop is a testament to Tata Hitachi’s commitment to continuous improvement of quality and processes. Also, to the company’s quest in providing best-in-class Construction Equipment to Indian customers as well as cater to global markets.
“We are very pleased to commission and inaugurate the new state-of-the-art CED Paint shop at our Dharwad facility. The CED paint shop promises to provide superior quality and better paint performance while being sustainable. It comes at an investment of Rs. 60 Crores and is a part of our plan to increase our production capacity to meet future demands and reaffirm our commitment to providing high-quality machines to customers. With this we also reinforce our pledge towards ‘atmanirbharta’ and our larger goal of nation-building” said Mr. Sandeep Singh, Managing Director, Tata Hitachi.
3, Mar 2023
Tata AIG’s witty campaign “Fizul Kharche” highlights smart money saving practices, using health insurance to cover medical emergency costs and saving tax on insurance premium
Mumbai, March 03, 2023: Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited, one of the leading general insurance firms, has unveiled its brand campaign ‘Fizul Kharche’ to create awareness of smart money saving practices, using health insurance to cover medical emergency costs and saving tax on insurance premiums. This campaign has three light-hearted, witty short ad films showcasing the magnified spending behaviour of customers when they have excess money. The campaign goes live on 01 March 2023 and will run on all digital platforms of Tata AIG.
The campaign aims to spotlight Tata AIG’s Health Insurance Product and emphasizes the tax savings one can avail of with their health insurance policy premium. The three short films under this campaign titled ‘#FizulKharche’ showcase a few extreme scenarios of customers spending excess money that they have saved by investing in Tata AIG’s health insurance.
Speaking about the campaign, Mr. Riaan Rodrigues – Senior Vice President – Digital Business & Marketing, Tata AIG, said, “Changing lifestyles have led to a rise in disorders and this has increased the burden of hospitalization and healthcare expenses for men and women of all ages. Through our #FizulKharche campaign, we want to make customers financially wiser by making them aware of savings instruments that can help them prepare for the future. The campaign #Fizul Kharche has been designed in a quirky way to simply convey the idea of investing in health insurance as the first step to create emergency funds for healthcare needs and save tax under 80D of the Income Tax Act.”
Saikat Sengupta, Creative Director, Social Panga, said, “The campaign captures the very common customer tendencies of overspending and we thought of highlighting this very nature to create the need to first save with health insurance. The development of the theme has showcased with extravagant spending habits to create a conscious understanding amongst customers around the campaign name Fizul Kharche.”
3, Mar 2023
Toyota Kirloskar Motor hands over the State-of-the-art Community Health Centre (Bidadi) to Ramanagara District Health Department to support affordable healthcare in the region
Bangalore, March 3rd 2023: In line with its commitment to support the growing healthcare needs of the local communities, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today handed over the state-of-the-art Community Health Centre (CHC), to Ramanagara district health department – Government of Karnataka, located at Bidadi (near Bangalore, Karnataka). This newly constructed CHC was inaugurated by Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon’ble Minister of Higher Education & IT/BT and Ramanagara district in-charge – Government of Karnataka, Dr. K Sudhakar, Hon’ble Minister of Medical Education & Health – Government of Karnataka, and Mr. A. Manjunath, Hon’ble MLA of Magadi constituency – Government of Karnataka. The event also witnessed the presence of senior executives from TKM, Mr. Raju B. Ketkale, Executive Vice President and Mr. Sudeep. S. Dalvi, Senior Vice President & Chief Communication Officer.
The CHCs plays an integral role in the overall healthcare infrastructure of a nation. Needless to mention, it is essential to provide quality healthcare facilities which are not only affordable but are also accessible to citizens across geographies.
The Community Health Centre, built by TKM, is spread across 15,000 square feet with one building block including ground and first floor facilities that shall cater to more than 120,000 patients. With a cumulative investment of INR 13.3 crores, this facility also includes an exclusive oxygen plant set-up for the benefit of the patients, thereby enhancing the modern facilities needed for emergency medical treatments. The CHC unit also has an Outpatient Department (OPD)s for Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Dental, Anaesthetist, Emergency Ward (male and female wards), amongst other facilities.
TKM places sustainability at the forefront of all its initiatives and the newly built CHC has been designed and developed keeping in mind energy efficiency, water conservation and longevity. The building is in the process of getting a Green Building certification and is also the first CHC project that TKM has invested in, with a vision to provide modern health facilities, to combat any health emergencies.
Commenting on this development in the region, Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon’ble Minister for Higher Education & IT/BT and Ramanagara district in-charge, Government of Karnataka, said, “Access to healthcare facility is the basic right of every citizen and Community Health Centres are of extreme importance when we want to reach out to every citizen in the state. The Government of Karnataka has always given Healthcare and necessary infrastructure paramount importance and it gives me immense pleasure today to be here at the inauguration of the Community Health Centre in Bidadi, through which we can support 120,000 citizens access quality healthcare facilities. Toyota’s support in developing this Centre is commendable and we are confident this will go a long way in serving the community, at the grassroot level.”
Marking the inauguration of CHC, Dr. K. Sudhakar, Hon’ble Minister of Medical Education and Health, Government of Karnataka, commented “Providing access to affordable and quality healthcare facilities has been a constant endeavour by the Government of Karnataka. We believe everyone is entitled to a healthy lifestyle, detection and prevention of diseases and illness. All of this leads to a healthy community, ecosystem and environment, which we strive to maintain at all times. We are happy to collaborate with Toyota Kirloskar Motor for developing this Community Health Centre and hope to have more such collaborations.”
Commenting on this occasion, Mr. A Manjunath, Hon’ble MLA – Magadi Constituency, Government of Karnataka, stated “This new facility is a testament to our shared commitment with Toyota Kirloskar Motor in providing quality healthcare services to all. We are happy that the people of Bidadi and nearby areas will be able to access the brand-new Community Health Centre which will provide a variety of medical facilities and help in addressing the needs of people across age groups in the community. “
Speaking during the handover of CHC, Mr. Raju B Ketkale, Executive Vice President of Toyota Kirloskar Motors said, “We are proud to be part of this initiative, which aims to provide quality healthcare services to the local community. The new CHC in Bidadi is an important addition to the local healthcare infrastructure and is expected to benefit over 1.2 lakh people. We believe that healthcare is a basic human right and are committed to supporting initiatives that promote better health outcomes.”
TKM continues to contribute positively to the local communities where it operates in. The company has undertaken several community development projects aimed at improving the lives of people. The handing over of the new CHC is a significant milestone in the company’s journey towards creating a healthy community and for the betterment of the larger society. With sustained contributions to the society, so far TKM has touched 2 million community lives. In this direction, TKM remains committed to enhance its social reach to make meaningful differences towards creating an ever better & happier society through various significant interventions.
Overview of TKM
| Equity participation | Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) : 89%, Kirloskar Systems Limited (India) : 11% |
| Number of employees | Approx. 6,000 |
| Land area | Approx. 432 acres (approx.1,700,000 m2) |
| Building area | 74,000 m2 |
| Total Installed Production capacity | Up to 3,10,000 units |
Overview of TKM 1st Plant:
| Established | October 1997 (start of production: December 1999) |
| Location | Bidadi |
| Products | Innova HyCross , Innova Crysta , Fortuner manufactured in India. |
| Installed Production capacity | Up to 1,00,000 units |
Overview of TKM 2nd Plant:
| Start of Production | December 2010 |
| Location | On the site of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited, Bidadi |
| Products | Toyota Camry Hybrid, Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Hilux |
| Installed Production capacity | Up to 2,10,000 units |
3, Mar 2023
MDRF and Deakin University Celebrate Ten Successful Years of Partnership in Diabetes Research
Bengaluru, 3rd March 2023: Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), the R&D wing of the leading Diabetes Specialities Hospital Chain – Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre today celebrated the tenth anniversary of its landmark partnership with Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Joining hands in the year 2013, the collaboration was announced with an objective to further strengthen research led treatment for Diabetes Management and Care. In its ten years journey, Deakin University and MDRF have jointly launched several path-breaking initiatives like PhD programs in various aspects of diabetes and the country’s first Diabetes Nurse Educators Certificate course to enhance the knowledge of nurses on the basic sciences pertaining to diabetes and understanding the underpinning principles in evidence-based management of diabetes. Through this course, 75 students have been successfully trained.
In an effort to further nurture the research ecosystem in Diabetes care, Deakin University has also launched a 100% scholarship for PhD students through its In-Country PhD Program (ICPP). 7 PhD students had benefited from this PhD program till date and 15 research papers have been published so far, with several others in the pipeline.
Commenting on the occasion, Chairman and Chief Diabetologist, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre and MDRF, Dr. V. Mohan said “It has been a great pleasure and privilege to commemorate the decade long collaboration between Deakin University, Australia and MDRF. This has led to not only several research projects having been taken up but also has provided a platform for students in India to pursue and obtain their PhD from the prestigious International University by doing the research and skill development courses in India itself.”
Dr Anjana, President, MDRF said “Another offshoot of the collaboration is the Diabetes Nurse Educators Course which was started for the first time in India. As we celebrate the decade of milestones between MDRF and Deakin University, we look forward to more path-breaking research in the coming years.”
Prof. David Austin, Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Health, Deakin University added “We at Deakin are delighted to celebrate this great milestone with MDRF and look forward to increasing our research and academic collaborations in the coming years”.
3, Mar 2023
Delhi to host Worlds largest stock market education conclave on 12th March
Delhi: Mark your calendars for March 12th, as the largest stock market educational event in the history of India, the Stock Market Education Conclave, is set to take place at the esteemed Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi.
This event is geared towards providing financial education and promoting stock market awareness to a mass audience and is a collaboration between influencers and leading educators.
The Stock Market Education Conclave boasts over 6000 live participants and 40+ influencers and educators, making it a must-attend event for anyone seeking to financial growth and prosperity.
The event promises to provide a proactive, radical, and breakthrough perspective that, if applied, will take your profitability to the next level, whether you’re a fresher in the stock market or an investor seeking growth and distribution.
Leading the charge is Pushkar Raj Thakur, India’s Leading Finance Educator, Motivational Speaker, Business Coach, and Entrepreneur, who holds an esteemed mention in the Guinness Book of World Records 2022 for hosting the largest social media event of the year, the Social Media Growth Conclave 2022. Thakur’s mission is to help individuals understand stock market jargon and gain financial independence while contributing to the country’s
development.
Pushkar Raj Thakur and other top influencers and educators will be present to offer a day of learning, networking, and enhancing financial prowess at the Stock Market Education Conclave. Thakur is renowned for his training in Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Online Business Development, and other core disciplines, as evidenced by his features in top publications such as the Times of India and Hindustan Times. This is an opportunity that should not be missed!
