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Transfer of Renewable Energy assets from NTPC Limited to NTPC Green Energy Limited

Mumbai,1st march 2023: Under the aegis of the National Monetization Pipeline of Govt. of India, NTPC Limited (“NTPC”) completed the closing of the transactions in relation to consolidating its Renewable Energy (“RE”) portfolio under one umbrella entity i.e., NTPC Green Energy Limited (“NGEL”), on February 28, 2023.

This is a transfer of RE assets/ entities owned by NTPC to NGEL, its wholly-owned subsidiary, incorporated on April 07, 2022.

The transactions comprised of transfer of 15 RE Assets, through a Business Transfer Agreement (BTA), and the transfer of 100% equity shareholding of NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (“NREL”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, through a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA), executed on July 08, 2022.

This scheme has been implemented as a part of the corporate business plan of the group to provide an impetus to its focus on achieving the 60 GW RE capacity target by FY32.

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Tech Mahindra Strengthens Partnership with Microsoft to Deliver Azure Operator Nexus Solutions

New Delhi – 1st march 2023: Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, today announced an expanded partnership with Microsoft as an Azure Operator Nexus Ready Systems Integrator. The partnership will empower telecom operators and enterprises to build, host and operate Long-term Evolution (LTE)s and 5G networks by using virtualized/containerized network functions leveraging Azure Operator Nexus.

As an Azure Operator Nexus Ready Systems Integrator, Tech Mahindra will provide its talent, expertise, comprehensive solutions, and professional managed services offerings. The partnership will leverage a fully cloud-native and blueprinted 5G core running on Azure Operator Nexus that will enable telecom operators to provide enhanced and customized user experiences. It will further provide operators with streamlined business operations through simplified management, policies, and automation delivered through unified cloud management.

Manish Mangal, Global Head, 5G & Network Services Business, Tech Mahindra, said, “The world is embracing telco network transformation becoming more open, edge-centric, hybrid, and data-driven. With Microsoft as a strategic partner, Tech Mahindra is helping operators realize the full potential of their networks and providing innovative and agile services. The partnership focuses on reinventing the customer experience with innovation at its core and transforming telco networks by building innovative cloud-native infrastructure solutions in the 5G Core and RAN domains. It will further strengthen our network service portfolio by combining the Microsoft cloud with our deep expertise and footprint in the telecom industry.”

Utilizing Azure Operator Nexus, Tech Mahindra will enable operators to run all their workloads (such as core, RAN mobile and voice core, operating support system, and business support system) on a single carrier-grade hybrid cloud platform. This will help meet the security, resiliency, observability, manageability, and performance needs required by operators to achieve meaningful results from digital transformation.

Shawn Hakl, Vice President – Azure for Operators, Microsoft, said, “Network operators are looking to adopt cloud technology to modernize and monetize the network – lowering network total cost of ownership; driving operational efficiency and resiliency; and improving security. Through our expanded partnership, Tech Mahindra will deliver innovative Azure Operator Nexus solutions and services, that will help customers drive business transformation and realize new growth.”

The expanded partnership is in line with Tech Mahindra’s DigitALL philosophy for comprehensive Business Transformation. As part of NXT.NOW™ framework, which aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’, Tech Mahindra focuses on investing in emerging technologies and solutions that enable digital transformation and meet the evolving needs of its customers.

Fire-Boltt expands its Outdoor smartwatch series with the launch of ‘Sphere’

New Delhi, March 1st, 2023: Home-grown brand Fire-Boltt announces the launch of its all-new sporty & rugged smartwatch – ‘Sphere’ from its Outdoor series. An ultimate smartwatch for the adventurer in you, Sphere is designed to withstand even the toughest environments, while still keeping you connected and in control. Designed specifically for the outdoors, the smartwatch comes with military standard toughness and is equipped with a 1.6-inch HD display with 400*400 pixels resolution and 600 Nits brightness, providing an outstanding visual experience to the users. It is currently available on Flipkart & Fireboltt.com at an introductory price of INR 2999.

Fire-Boltt Sphere comes with a shockproof metal body and is fuelled by 600 mAh battery which is one of the largest in its segment. On a single charge, the smartwatch can run non-stop for up to 8 days in classic mode and 25 days in standby mode. It is equipped with multiple sports modes and an intelligent sports algorithm feature, the smartwatch helps in tracking down even the minutest of details of one’s workout sessions. The smartwatch also supports Bluetooth calling which comes with HIFI audio quality. With the availability of a quick dial pad on the watch, the users can make, reject or accept calls on the go. Rated IP68 for water resistance, the smartwatch can easily handle accidental water splashes and strenuous workouts in the gym. Additionally, the smartwatch is loaded with exciting features like periodical health reminders, sedentary reminders, remote camera control, weather forecast, alarm clock, timer, and stopwatch that allows user to fully utilize their time outdoors. The smartwatch is available in 2 striking color variants- Black and Green Forest.

Commenting on the launch, Aayushi Kishore and Arnav Kishore, Co-Founders of Fire-Boltt, said, “We are thrilled to expand our outdoor category and introduce yet another sporty and rugged smartwatch for our consumers. The overall response to our outdoor watches has been phenomenal which gives us a sense of pride as we have been successfully able to create a new category in the budget smartwatch segment. We will be even more aggressive with our portfolio expansion in the coming months and will leave no stone unturned to bring the best quality smartwatches to our customers.”

The Sphere smartwatch combines a sporty and rugged design providing an intuitive experience to the user. One can use this smartwatch for any activity or adventure, be it hiking, trekking, or thrilling environmental conditions like dust, water splashes, pressure, etc. Fire-Boltt Sphere can also track heart rate, sleep cycle, and SPO2 levels with its signature health suite. It comes with a dual chamfered crown and highly durable glass which gives a premium look and feel to the smartwatch. While the solid body of the smartwatch tackles outdoor activities with ease, its skin-friendly silicon strap with a sweat-wicking design ensures it stays dry and sits comfortably on the user’s wrist. Not only this, but one can also get an option of 6 menu interfaces to choose from along with 100+ cloud base watch faces.

Multi: directional, bladeless and new ventilation fans launched by luxury fan brand Fanzart

Bengaluru March 1st, 2023: Fanzart, the pioneers of luxury fans in India, have yet again added another set of luxury fans to their incredible list of designer fans. The new set of fans, one being multi-directional and bladeless and the other being a new age ventilation fan, is an addition to the already existing outstanding range of more than 100 luxury designer fans customised to meet the unique needs of its connoisseur clientele.

Commenting on the latest launches, Tarun Lala, Co-Founder and Director, Fanzart, says, “Our latest launches are set to bring in elegance, finesse along with the benefits of modern technology into the interior spaces. While the twin models of silent exhaust fans will be much sought after in the utility and service areas – the bathrooms, kitchens, utility areas and more, the bladeless pedestal option will serve as a fitting tribute to a sleek contemporary interior.”

Orbit: Multi-directional and bladeless

Orbit fan from Fanzart is a bladeless option, the air circulation being multi-directional, the body totally sleek and contemporary in looks to fit in finely into a high end space. Built with Japanese technology, the black coloured 38.1 inch designer fan, aptly christened as Orbit, comes with an oscillation of 900 and an air velocity of over 7m/s.

The silent performer also comes with power saving, requiring barely 45W for its operations. The luxury fan has a smart touch LED control panel, facilitating operation through infrared remote control that can be easily stored in a remote control nest. A built-in dust filter ensures the circulation of clean and dust free air.

Pro and Max: New age ventilation

Fanzart has yet again come out with a differential approach to addressing ventilation through its twin options of Pro and Max exhaust fans. Packing in an ultra-silent technology, the twin fans come with a noise level of 35db. Working on a low power requirement of 25W, the light weight exhaust fans prove to be high performers, with the airflow amounting to 320 m3/h.

The company is renowned across the country for its exclusive designer fans that include fans with classic looks, customised unique options to cater to children’s room, elegant fandeliers, mini fans, humanoids, fans with blue tooth and customisable blades.

‘The Missing Dulha’ campaign by HDFC Life takes a unique approach to educate viewers on life insurance

New Delhi, February 28, 2023: HDFC Life, one of India’s leading life insurers, endeavours to educate consumers by creating differentiated content about its diverse suite of products in a manner that is both informative as well as entertaining.

With its latest campaign, ‘The Missing Dulha’, HDFC Life aims to create awareness on the importance of life insurance and its various product categories through a set of ten films with the help of a story that revolves around a groom who goes missing on his wedding day.

Aptly titled ‘The Missing Dulha’, these ten byte-sized films humorously capture the nuances behind a classic Indian family wedding, the various characters and their idiosyncrasies. Each film ends with a cliffhanger to keep the audience interested in what’s coming next while communicating a feature of life insurance plans in a unique and humorous manner.

Life insurance is a must-have product for all individuals for their financial security and fulfilment of future financial goals, enabling them to face life’s challenges and live with pride. Through this campaign, HDFC Life aims to deliver the message as to how life insurance and its benefits are important for individuals in a simple yet relatable way.

Speaking on this unique campaign, Vishal Subharwal – Chief Marketing Officer & Group Head – Strategy, HDFC Life, said “One of the barriers to life insurance penetration in India has been the fact that the category benefits are not fully appreciated by potential consumers. Our purpose as an organisation has been to simplify products and come up with features that make a meaningful difference to the lives of our customers. The challenge put forth to the marketing team was to demystify life insurance and do it in a manner that make the category appeal to a wider audience pool.

With this objective we have launched ‘The Missing Dulha’ a first-of-its kind, 10-part ad-series which brings to the forefront the nuances of various life insurance product categories in a manner that is interesting and easy-to-understand. We believe this unique approach coupled with the right dose of humour set in a typical Indian wedding scenario, makes the film relatable to a large section of Indian consumers. We hope this campaign will go a long way in educating consumers about the importance of life insurance products and their features.”

US-based Sage publishing picks up office space at Avanta’s centre in Nehru Place

New Delhi: US-based Sage Groups, a global publisher of books & academic journals has also joined the bandwagon to occupy flexible office spaces. Sage has inked a 9-year direct deal with Avanta India, a leading co-working operator in the National Capital Region. Sage will lease a 100-workstation space at Avanta’s co-working centre at Nehru Place.

For the uninitiated, Avanta India holds 5 premium business centers in Delhi-NCR. One in the landmark Statesman Building, and another one at the Ambadeep Tower in Connaught Place. The other premises include Park Centra Gurgaon, ITT in Nehru Place alongside one at Saket Business District.

Brands like Sage opting for flexible spaces highlights the growing prominence of the segment in India. Co-working and flexible office spaces are aggressively expanding their foothold in the overall commercial leasing landscape in India. Going forward close to 20% of the leasing will comprise co-working spaces in the country.

Not just start-ups and SMBs, but larger corporates and MNCs are also getting lured towards the segment. Recently IIFL & Kotak Group also finalized coworking spaces with Avanta India at Connaught Place centre, in the heart of New Delhi.

“In the past 2 years, we have seen many multinational companies preferring flexible office spaces for their operations in India. This trend of MNCs and financial institutions pivoting to flexible office spaces will further gain momentum in 2023.” Quoted Mr. Ankit Gupta, Regional Director, Realistic Realtors.

There are numerous inherent benefits of co-working spaces, which are driving demand. One can pay per use, giving the occupier a heightened degree of flexibility. There is no overhead in managing the space and the occupier can focus entirely on the core business alongside optimizing cost. Co-working also promotes better networking and employee engagement.

SAGE Publishing, is an American independent publishing company founded in 1965 in New York and now based in Newbury Park, California. The company publishes more than 1,000 journals, more than 800 books a year, reference works and electronic products covering business, humanities, social sciences to name a few.

Vi Forays into Esports; offers a platform for Vi users to play Esports tournaments, to democratise eSports

After the successful launch of Vi Games offering more than 1200 mobile games, multiplayer and competitive gaming on the Vi App, leading Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) today announced the expansion of its mobile gaming catalogue with Esports. Partnering with leading esports start-up Gamerji, Vi under the umbrella of Vi Games, has launched an Esports platform on the Vi App.

Vi Games along with Gamerji will host popular Esports games across various genres such as Battle Royale, Racing, Cricket, Action Role Playing, etc. With an aim to make Vi App the preferred destination for gaming enthusiasts, the platform will have popular esports titles like New State, Free Fire Call of Duty Mobile, World Cricket Championship 3, Asphalt 9, Clash Royale during launch and will add more popular titles in due course.

Over the last few years, India has become the hub for esports. As per FICCI-EY Media and Entertainment Report 2022, the esports players in India doubled from three lakh in 2020 to six lakh in 2021. The country’s esports industry is growing at a CAGR of 46% and is expected to reach INR 11 billion by 2025. The gaming segment is also expected to generate an economic value of around INR100 billion between now and FY2025.

Commenting on the launch, Avneesh Khosla, CMO, Vi said “Growing affordability of smartphones and faster data speeds have contributed to the immense popularity of mobile gaming in India. With 5G in India, the gaming industry is likely to grow manifold. Mobile gaming has been a major focus area of growth for Vi’s content strategy in the digital era. Adding esports to our gaming catalogue was a natural progression towards making Vi App as the preferred destination for all gaming enthusiasts. We are confident that our offering will strike the right chord with the gaming lovers, and particularly the youth.”

Making the service easy accessible for the gamers, Vi’s Esports offering will be available for Vi Users at no extra cost and the users can enjoy exciting prizes with their virtual coins.

Commenting on the association, Soham Thacker, Founder & CEO Gamerji said, “Gamerji has always strived to give the best online tournament experience to aspiring gamers in India and help them showcase their skills. Our association with Vi will enable us to provide the experience to the larger gaming community via the Vi App and help establish esports as one of the primary competitive sports in the country.”

Gaming buffs can access the Esports in 5 easy steps:

The users can access Vi Games on the Vi App. Users can download the Vi App from Google Play store or iOS store.

Bank of Maharashtra joins hands with Experian India for credit portfolio management

Mumbai, 28 February 2023: Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) announces a strategic partnership with Experian India to provide a comprehensive suite of services such as credit risk, advanced analytics, and fraud prevention.

With the rise of digital sourcing, lending and servicing, BoM, a premiere public sector bank is adopting nextgen systems and processes to create a secure banking ecosystem. With this partnership, Experian is collaborating with BoM to provide innovative solutions throughout the customer lifecycle, enabling BoM to on-board New to Credit (NTC) and New to Bank customers (NTB) and service existing customers efficiently.

Through these innovative solutions driven on back of technology, Bank of Maharashtra will gain a better understanding of customers’ needs, analyse their risk behaviour, and efficiently manage the credit portfolio. BoM will avail the services for retail and non-retail clients, including SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises), and corporates. These solutions will also enable the bank’s front-line staff to provide best-in class services to their customers.

Shri A S Rajeev, MD & CEO, Bank of Maharashtra commented on the partnership: “This will foster a credit ecosystem which shall help the Bank in establishing a more healthy loan book. This will also help our field functionaries in quality business acquisition with more prudence.”

Shri Asheesh Pandey, Executive Director, Bank of Maharashtra opined: “Business acquisition through Technology driven analytics will facilitate better understanding of customer needs and improve the business viability of the Bank. This collaboration shall help us boost our loan book with quality assets and become more vigilant about the evolving scenario. This will support our motto of ‘Ease of doing business’.”

Saikrishnan Srinivasan, Managing Director, Experian Credit Information Company of India, said: “The evolution of digital lending has created a dynamic and customer-centric environment. Bank of Maharashtra is investing in cutting-edge technology to strengthen their customer base and improve the efficiency of their operations. We are confident that Experian’s innovative solutions coupled with analytics support will assist the Bank in building and enhancing their competitive edge in the industry.”

The mission of both the organisations is to unleash the power of data and become a one-stop solution for the entire customer lifecycle. Credit and Risk Management solutions have aided banks in understanding and assessing the creditworthiness of their customers, resulting in lower default risk, increased profitability, and improved credit access.

Not just Galaxy S23, Samsung working to offer a range of devices in India

Not just the Galaxy S23 series, engineers and researchers at Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B) are working on creating multi-device experiences between personal home and open ecosystem devices for Indian consumers, its top executive has said.

Dipesh Shah, Managing Director, SRI-Bangalore, told IANS that at Samsung, they call it Calm Technology, where devices connect seamlessly for a more intelligent consumer experience that takes place instantly.

“What we are trying to tell the consumer is when more devices come into your life, you should not be adapting to how the devices want you to use them. Devices need to adapt to your needs and do automatic inter-device experiences,” Shah said.

“I think there is a lot of focus at SRI-Bangalore and there is a big team working on creating multi device experiences between personal home and open ecosystem devices,” he emphasized.

Samsung has created multiple devices that are in people’s homes and in personal lives.

“In your personal life, there is your smartphone, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Tablet and now Galaxy Book3 that we recently launched. Then there are smart home devices like washing machines, refrigerators, family hubs, robot vacuum cleaners and smart televisions,” he said.

Eventually, “we are an open ecosystem company for many third-party devices like your door sensor, a smart plug, LED light bulb, etc. So all of these devices, when they are working independently, give you a certain amount of experience but when they work connectedly, they just take your experience to another level,” Shah told IANS.

This is what Samsung R&D Centre in Bengaluru, the company’s largest software R&D centre outside South Korea, is busy achieving at the moment.

In India, when we look at the young consumers’ lifestyles, the first thing they want is personal space.

So, you just put your Galaxy Buds in and then only you are enjoying the content on your TV.

“But also, when a call comes on your mobile, it automatically switches and it automatically brings you back into your TV programme or your gaming experience without getting disturbed. So, we have these kinds of multi-device connected experiences without the user having to do anything,” said Shah.

The SRI-Bangalore has about 250 startups that it is connected with on how they can modify their products, their services, their experiences based on Samsung’s consumer understanding and to match with its consumer needs.

SRI-B contributed towards the development of breakthrough innovations in the new Galaxy S23 series by closely collaborating with Korean teams and other overseas R&D centres like Samsung Research America (SRA).

The SRI-B engineers made significant contributions to the development of key features in the Galaxy S23 camera, multi-device experience (SmartThings), on-device AI, 5G and services.

In camera, the SRI-B engineers focused on continuous R&D efforts to enhance the smartphone photography experience in every flagship device.

To provide the best capture, edit and share experience, the engineers have contributed to the development of Photo Remaster and Object Eraser features.

Moreover, the engineers also contributed to the development of seamless IoT (Internet of Things) device registration services known as “Calm Technology” and have been part of the team to achieve the world’s first matter-certified IoT ecosystem device.

To enhance the Galaxy’s One UI experience, the SRI-B engineers contributed to On Device Intelligence Powered Personalisation, Productivity & Automation features which provide convenience in consumers’ daily lives.