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Tarana Strengthens Presence in India, Inaugurates New Pune Office and Looks to Double Workforce

Pune, India – February 28, 2023 – Tarana Wireless, Inc., the industry’s performance leader and new category creator in ngFWA, today announced the opening of its new office building in the central business district of Baner in Pune, Maharashtra. Serving as the company’s upgraded hub for R&D, the Tarana team has made a strategic move to establish itself in India for the long-term.

The primary objective of the facility is the development of Tarana’s revolutionary solutions to meet the evolving needs of the wireless broadband industry. With a sharp focus on leveraging India’s top technology talent, the Pune hub will house a team of experienced professionals committed to providing high-quality wireless broadband to bridge the digital divide in India. Tarana intends to have 200 software engineers across multiple experiences and domains, including embedded software, cloud native software, machine learning, product management, and technical support in the next two years.

Speaking of the launch, Sud Verma, Tarana’s VP of Engineering, said, “It is an exciting time for us to be making our presence felt in India. The key components of our platform and innovation are being driven by our team of world class experts in Pune, including our massively scalable cloud-based network management system and key technologies on our current and next generation products.”

Rabin Patra, Co-Founder and Head of Tarana India, added, “We are poised to support the next phase of the internet revolution in India, especially in underserved areas where many still use broadband service that is 5 Mbps or slower. Tarana’s ngFWA technology will significantly reduce the time it takes to deploy high-speed internet to rural and urban communities, and with lower capital and operational costs, as it requires far less infrastructure than fibre solutions. We look forward to seeing internet service providers in India embrace our platform with as much enthusiasm as we have experienced in our current markets.”

Tarana’s employee base currently spans across the United States, India, Mexico, Malaysia, and South Africa with active customer deployments across 10 countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Ghana. More than 200 global internet service providers have embraced Tarana’s G1 platform since its launch in late 2021.

The upgraded Pune office will drive more growth in India for years to come. Visit https://taranawireless.com/careers to view all open positions.

Haryana budget’s focus on infra enhancement and connectivity to benefit Gurugram’s realty market

Gurugram: The Haryana state government recently announced its budget of Rs 5,893 crore to bolster urban infrastructure and development. It is an increase of 11.1 percent over revised estimates for the current year with a strong emphasis on boosting the realty sector in the state.

The announcement of new metro connections, such as RezangLa Chowk to IGI Delhi, Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) to Global City Metro Link, and Manesar to Panchgaon, will not only improve connectivity but will enhance the connectivity in the state and propel commercial activities.

“Gurgaon Metro work will start in 2023 and 2024 which includes three metro links in Budget2023 of Haryana including RezangLa Chowk to IGI Delhi, SPR to Global City Metro Link, and Manesar to Panchgaon. The SPR region is likely to have a positive impact on the real estate sector, driving demand and boosting the overall growth and development of the area and the state. The availability of efficient and convenient transportation options, such as a metro system, is known to be a key factor in driving the growth of the real estate market. We also appreciate the efforts of the Haryana Government as developing infrastructure is essential for the economic growth and development of a country.”- Navdeep Sardana, Chairman & Managing Director, Whiteland Corporation.

Infrastructure developments are expected to have a positive impact on the real estate industry, making it easier for people to access various parts of the state and for businesses to operate which will attract more investment and push business growth in Gurugram and throughout the province.

Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global (India) Ltd. Said, “The infrastructure-related policies outlined in the Haryana Budget 2023 are both encouraging and empowering. The allocation of Rs 5,408 crores for roads, highways, and railways, along with the proposed construction of the Gurugram metro and three other metro links in the region, is a game-changer for Haryana’s real estate sector. These mega infrastructure projects will not only enhance connectivity but also create new opportunities for the state’s economic growth and development. The infrastructural developments will also open up new avenues, making Haryana an even more attractive destination for real estate investments”

The budget is aimed to create a favorable environment for real estate development and attract investment. NCR-based real estate players praised the government’s statement, believing it will be a game changer for Haryana’s realty market.

Mr. Abhishek Trehan, Executive Director, Trehan Iris – “The budget allocation for infrastructure development in Haryana, as reflected in the State Budget 2023, demonstrates the state’s readiness to become a powerhouse of economic growth and development. With a strong emphasis on infrastructure, including the allocation of Rs 5,408 crore for roads, highways, and railways, and the proposed construction of Gurugram Metro and three other metro links in 2023-24, Haryana is poised to experience enhanced connectivity and economic growth. These progressive policies will help the state achieve positive outcomes in the coming years, highlighting its commitment to sustainable socioeconomic development. The enhanced connectivity will also fuel the real estate sector, providing a newfound level of opportunity and prosperity for real estate players.”

With an emphasis on infrastructure development, the industry is expected to expand and attract more investments in the future, creating more employment, economic growth, and higher standards of living for the state.

Santosh Agarwal, CFO & Executive Director, Alpha Corp said, “The fourth Haryana budget presented by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a Metro connection from Rejangla Chowk to IGI Airport and the Southern Peripheral Road via Global City and Manesar. The proposed subway connection to Panchgaon is welcome news for Gurugram. The Gurugram city’s transportation system will be reinforced as a result of the government’s plan. The improved connectivity will not only enhance the city’s development but will generate new chances for the state’s economic growth which will further give impetus to the real estate sector of the region.”

Josh and Dabur Red Paste successfully conclude the #SwitchToDaburRedPaste campaign with over 462 million video views

Bengaluru, February 28, 2023: Josh, India’s fastest-growing and most engaged short-video app, has concluded the #SwitchToDaburRedPaste campaign launched in collaboration with Dabur India Limited, the world’s largest Science-based Ayurveda major, on the Josh app. The campaign was launched to enable Dabur to interact with its users in an engaging manner while also creating product awareness amongst the target audience.

Conceptualised as a hashtag challenge to garner maximum user engagement, the campaign was designed in-tune with Dabur’s TVC starring famous Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. The short-video campaign captured the brand’s proposition of combining modern science and traditional Indian Ayurveda to create effective and authentic products for the Indian consumer. This was effectively conveyed by incorporating the avatars portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan in the TVC – Mr. Gyan and Mr. Vigyan – in the official soundtrack of the campaign. Furthermore, a branded filter and customised choreography was also created by Josh to draw attention to the various features of Dabur Red Paste. To enable a wider reach, top creators on Josh such as Shivani Kapila, Vinay Kanth, Dipti Sharma and Kishor Paul kickstarted the campaign on Josh.

“At Josh, we partner with brands on their journey to engage with customers in an authentic and effective manner by leveraging the lucrative format of short-video content. Through our collaboration with Dabur for the #SwitchToDaburRedPaste campaign, we have been able to curate an immersive and engaging brand experience while also creating product awareness. By working together with our vast and diverse community of creators across the country, we have executed this campaign successfully as well as creatively as we furthered Dabur’s reach amongst users across Bharat as shown in the spectacular results garnered in by campaign. This campaign is yet another example on the effectiveness and need for brands to include short-video content in their marketing strategies,” said Sunil Kumar Mohapatra, Chief Revenue Officer, VerSe Innovation

“We gained valuable insight into the effectiveness of short-form video marketing while working with Josh on the #SwitchToDaburRedPaste campaign. The campaign’s results demonstrate the power of emerging short-video format in fostering significant brand interactions especially among the younger audience to establish a more genuine and meaningful connection” said Mr. Harkawal Singh, Marketing Head-Oral Care, Dabur India Ltd.

The campaign was a massive success, recording over 462 million video views, more than 4.4K UGC created, and over 34.8 million hearts, garnering a total reach of more than 37.2 million. Furthermore, brand lift studies conducted showed that there was an increase in brand and ad recall as well as a significant increase in brand preference following the campaign.

BuyHive Partners with 40Seas To Offer Cross-border B2B Financing to SME Buyers

New Delhi/Hong Kong, 28 February 2023: Tech-enabled B2B global sourcing platform BuyHive (https://thebuyhive.com) today announced its partnership with 40Seas (https://40seas.com/), a leading provider of supply chain financing solutions, to offer cross-border B2B financing solutions to small and medium businesses. Through this partnership, BuyHive will enable SME buyers in the United States, Canada and the UK to get up to $1 million dollars’ worth of credit for their sourcing from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and India under ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ (BNPL) terms.

This partnership is expected to be a game-changer for small and midsized B2B buyers looking to purchase a diverse variety of products from overseas factories. BuyHive’s new financing tool, developed in collaboration with 40Seas, will enable buyers to quickly figure out the credit limits they can get, based on their production volumes and other factors. With this tool, buyers can get access to the funding they need to purchase products, without having to worry about cash flow or credit constraints.

BuyHive’s financing tool will be particularly helpful for businesses that have limited capital or credit history and therefore struggle to secure traditional financing. With the new tool, these businesses can finally access the funding they need to grow their businesses and compete in the global marketplace.

Minesh Pore, co-founder and CEO of BuyHive, said, “We are excited to partner with 40Seas and bring this financing tool to our buyers. This partnership will enable us to provide our customers with a more comprehensive set of services, helping them source and finance the products they need to succeed.”

The new financing tool is a powerful addition to BuyHive’s comprehensive set of sourcing and management solutions. With this tool, BuyHive is positioned to be an even more valuable sourcing partner for businesses looking to succeed in the global marketplace.

Eyal Moldovan, co-founder and CEO of 40Seas, said, “We are delighted to partner with BuyHive and bring our cross-border trade financing solution within easy reach of millions of small and midsized businesses looking to source products overseas. We also believe that this partnership will not only transform the sourcing dynamics for these businesses but also aid business growth for suppliers and in turn, strengthen global trade.”

Since 2019, BuyHive has helped hundreds of brands and sellers worldwide to find, qualify, and work with the best manufacturers to get products made and onto their store shelves on time. From discovery to delivery, BuyHive’s comprehensive sourcing solutions leverage the gig economy and technology to connect eCommerce sellers worldwide with the best manufacturers who can make quality products at the right prices to fuel their sales growth. BuyHive’s network of over 5,000 Sourcing Experts has deep experience sourcing products across the major consumer product categories including Home Decor, Garden & Outdoor, Sports & Fitness, Gifts & Premiums, Fashion Accessories, Apparel, Toys, DIY, and Electronics & Smart Home.

Crazy Owl – Your Skin Co. launches #BeTheCrazyChange campaign for this International Women’s Day

February 2023:To remove gender biases and stereotypes, Crazy Owl launches  #BeTheCrazyChange campaign this International Women’s Day. Crazy Owl would like to recognize the power of women in making a difference on International Women’s Day. The brand believes that equality should be available to all. That is why they have created gender-neutral products for everyone so that everyone can be themselves without being limited by labels and categories. Their mission is to provide equal opportunities to all people, regardless of race, gender, or other labels.

#BeTheCrazyChange is all about being one extraordinary voice to make an extraordinary change. Join Crazy Owl in celebrating Women’s Day by treating yourself to their gender-neutral products. Their products are designed to help you feel confident and empowered in your own skin, no matter your gender. The brand offers everything from Bath & Body to Haircare and Fragrances.

Talking about the brand and the campaign, Damanjit Kohli and Karishma Sahni, Founders of Crazy Owl, shared, “This Women’s Day, we want to celebrate all individuals, regardless of their gender, by encouraging everyone to embrace self-care and take care of their body. We believe that efficacy has no gender. It’s time for all of us to take a step towards a gender-neutral direction and #BeTheCrazyChange by breaking down traditional gender norms and stereotypes that have been perpetuated by the beauty industry for far too long, and we’re here to help them achieve that.”

Crazy Owl also launched a brand reel with a simple, yet powerful message to promote gender equality in everyday life in its new campaign. Gender equality today for a better tomorrow. To combat this bias, the brand raises awareness through a giveaway contest and Influencer content.

India hospital network launched to initiate life-saving colon cancer trial

New Delhi, February 28, 2023: Cancer surgery experts on Friday launched a network of hospitals across India to support a country-wide clinical trial exploring how giving colon cancer patients chemotherapy before surgery cuts their risk of the disease coming back.

The Cancer Research UK-funded FOxTROT trial showed that patients who had chemotherapy before surgery were significantly less likely to see their cancer come back, compared with those who got all their chemotherapy after surgery.

Led by expert cancer specialists in India, supported by Universities of Birmingham and Leeds, FOxTROT-Global is a pilot study, being run from India, in parallel to the on-going FOxTROT2 trial open in the UK and France – allowing experts to look at the feasibility and safety of conducting a subsequent full trial in Indian patients.

Launched at G B Pant Hospital, in Delhi, 12 hospitals across India including Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai, and Tata Medical Centre Kolkata have proposed to be part of the FOXTROT-Global as part of the FOxTROT2 Global trial – an international trial running in parallel in multiple countries across the world.

Dion Morton, Professor of Surgery at the University of Birmingham said: “Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and accounts for 10% of cancer deaths worldwide. Whilst treatment can cure half of affected patients, many older and frailer patients still die from the disease. Chemotherapy before surgery is a safe treatment option that could be life saving for thousands of patients.

“Post-operative chemotherapy is sometimes not considered beneficial for frail patients because of the adverse side effects, but providing a shorter course of chemotherapy before surgery would overcome many obstacles. We believe that frailer or older patients, may benefit from this novel approach.”

Reducing colon cancer returning

1,053 colon cancer patients from 85 hospitals in the UK, Denmark and Sweden were involved in the initial FOxTROT trial, also led by scientists at Birmingham and Leeds. The researchers discovered that delivering chemotherapy before surgery reduced the chance of colon cancer returning within two years by 28%.

The scientists believe that giving chemotherapy to bowel cancer patients before surgery could be easily adopted in India and other health systems across the world, with over 10,000 patients every year in India alone who could benefit from this treatment.

The study will be co-ordinated by experts at the NIHR Global Surg India Hub – based at Ludhiana – part of a global surgical research network funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and led by the University of Birmingham with Hubs in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa.

Dr Laura Magill, Associate Professor at the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham said: “Up to 1 in 3 colon cancer patients can see their cancer come back after surgery. That figure is far too high and we need new treatment strategies to stop colon cancer coming back.

“The standard approach has been to give chemotherapy after surgery to eradicate any cancer cells that might have spread before surgery, but our research shows that giving some of that chemotherapy before surgery increases the chances that all cancer cells will be killed.

“A growing body of evidence is showing the value of pre-operative chemotherapy in several other cancers, and we believe that our results could transform how we approach colon cancer in the clinic.”

FOxTROT 2 India may provide much needed, high-quality randomised data to evaluate whether a larger trial is needed. A key consideration for FOxTROT-Global is patient selection and deciding which patients are older or frail. The most likely participants will be patients with advanced operable colon cancer likely to require post-surgical chemotherapy, but who not be suitable to receive or unlikely to complete such treatment chemotherapy due to frailty or comorbidities.

University of Birmingham Chancellor Lord Bilimoria commented: “The work of Professor Morton, his team and partners in the UK and India will potentially benefit many thousands of cancer patients across India and beyond. This is truly a shining example of how working in partnership between the UK and India can help us to achieve magnificent outcomes that can improve the lives of people around the globe and save many lives.”

This study is led by CMC Ludhiana, PSG Hospitals Coimbatore, and TMC Kolkata. Dr K S Rajkumar, from PSG Super Specialty Hospital, Coimbatore, commented: “The results from the recently published FOxTROT study show that chemotherapy given before surgery improves success rate in patients with advanced bowel (colon) cancer. This is a significant new advancement in the treatment of bowel cancer patients.

“Colorectal cancers are the sixth most common cancer in India and are increasingly becoming common in India with an estimated 65,000 new cases every year, mostly due to the westernisation of our diet. However, the profile of bowel cancer patients in India is different when compared to Western countries in that they are younger and present in more advanced stages.

“We also do not have a national bowel cancer screening programme India. Therefore, we need to check whether the same approach of giving chemotherapy before surgery will benefit Indian bowel cancer patients. For this, we are planning a pilot study across 10 leading cancer centres across India called FOxTROT-INDIA.“

Matthew Seymour Professor of Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at the University of Leeds said: “Timing is everything when it comes to treating colon cancer. The simple act of bringing forward chemotherapy, giving it before instead of after surgery, delivers some remarkable results. Scaling up this treatment worldwide, including in low and middle income countries, could transform cancer care and save many thousands of lives.”

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches ABSLI Nishchit Aayush Plan

Bangalore, February 28, 2023: Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), announces the launch of an industry first, new-age savings solution ABSLI Nishchit Aayush Plan, a non-linked non-participating individual savings life insurance plan offering guaranteed regular income starting from as early as end of first policy month along with a lump-sum benefit at maturity.

ABSLI Nishchit Aayush Plan integrates financial protection and wealth creation by empowering the policyholders to fulfil their immediate liquidity requirements without any risk. Policyholders will have maximum flexibility to customise their plans with a choice of income benefits, multiple income variants, premium payment terms, policy terms and deferment periods, should they want to customize the plan.

Commenting on the launch of ABSLI Nishchit Aayush Plan, Mr Kamlesh Rao, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, said,

“ABSLI Nishchit Aayush Plan will enable our policyholders to leverage maximum flexibility & upfront liquidity in the form of a regular guaranteed income. Moreover, this plan will instil the idea of disciplined savings as it also provides lump-sum benefits and a regular source of income.

ABSLI Nishchit Aayush plan integrates the benefits of a guaranteed savings plan & desired agility, enabling the policyholders to achieve their goal of creating a secure future and a comfortable lifestyle for themselves and their loved ones. It is our constant endeavour at Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance to help our customers with a life cover while also addressing their savings needs.”

ABSLI Nishchit Aayush plan provides competitive returns with high flexibility. The plan comes with flexible premium payment terms and allows the policyholders to choose from a wide range of policy terms to fit individual needs. They can avail the benefits of this plan on a long-term basis (25, 30, 35, 40 years) or whole life basis (100 – Age at entry). Furthermore, policyholders will have the flexibility to choose income variant i.e. Level Income with Lump-sum Benefit or Level Income with Enhanced Lump-sum Benefit or Increasing Income (@5% simple interest rate every 5 years) with Lump-sum Benefit. Policyholders can choose to receive income immediately or after a deferment period of 1 year as per their chosen income pay-out frequency.

The maximum entry age to avail ABSLI Nishchit Aayush Plan is 55 years, while the minimum age is 30 days (Long term income option) & 30 years (Whole life income). The minimum annualized premium is Rs. 30,000 Policyholders can choose from multiple premium payment term options ranging from 6, 8, 10, 12 years.

FinEdge’s DiA platform is creating a generation of better investors

New Delhi, 28th February 2023: Acting as a lighthouse for investors to tread in troubled waters, one of India’s leading digital wealth management and goal-based investment companies, FinEdge, has been filling the ‘investment gap’ presented in the financial market through its unique proprietary platform, DiA (Dreams into Action). With DiA, the company is disrupting the investment management landscape of India by solving the five-pronged, complex problem that ails the industry today, i.e., Relationships, Profitability, Scalability, Retention & Behavioral Investing.

Today, many young adults are experiencing stress when it comes to taking responsibility for their finances and planning for the future. This is because most people lack the skills, knowledge, and confidence to do so. Despite this, the post-pandemic period has witnessed an unprecedented surge in unadvised investing in speculative assets like futures and options, crypto and speculative share trading, and even direct plans of mutual funds, which eventually leads to the erosion of their hard-earned capital. Investors are now waking up to the importance of the management of investment behaviour to create wealth. Considering this, FinEdge built DiA.

DiA is a one-of-a-kind investing platform that is disrupting the way people approach their financial goals. This investing platform is based on the innovative concept of “co-browsing” for goal planning and ongoing investment management. It keeps the investment manager at the heart of the proposition, and instead of handing the steering wheel over to the client – it enables investment managers to deliver live, collaborative, and customized experiences for every client at every step of their investing journey. This approach addresses a range of problems faced by the industry, including how to keep clients aligned with their financial goals over the long term, through life events and market cycles. Unlike most wealth management alternatives, which are often simply goal-setting exercises designed to sell products, DiA brings clients and investment managers together for conversations whenever transactions or life events occur, ensuring that goals are kept top-of-mind and that investment decisions are aligned with those goals.

Speaking about the benefits of DiA, Harsh Gahlaut, CEO of FinEdge, said, “While building this platform, we understood that investing cannot be learned in theory, and investors typically do not do very well over the long run when they are unassisted. Joint & informed decision making is critical along with process, discipline, convenience, and the management of investing behavior. FinEdge & its DiA platform are unique in providing all of this – wrapped together in a single platform. FinEdge, through its unique business model and ability to scale, is now on the path to creating a generation of better investors who have a much higher chance of creating long-term wealth. We aim to become the largest digital wealth management company in India in the years to come”.

FinEdge’s DiA business model works on four major parameters:

• Relationships: DiA helps in building exceptionally strong relationships with clients through hyper customization, inbuilt algo’s track client engagement, client relationship scores and multiple parameters to strengthen relationships and is a guide for advisors to manage relationships better
• Scalability: This platform ensures uniformity in the quality of advice, provides quick learning for new investment managers, and being a virtual collaborative platform replaces physical meetings and allows infinite geographical reach leading to the ability to scale up quickly and infinitely
• Retention: DiA as a platform ensures that clients become “goal focused” rather than “returns focused” by working as a catalyst for building trust by increasing perceived value addition to clients and provides tools for audits and check to ensure quality and process sanctity. One of the major reasons for client attrition is the break in their investment journeys due to market cycles. This is where FinEdge’s ability to manage behavior plays a pivotal role.
• Profitability: DiA allows seamless digital transactions, reporting, and investment management and ensures complete wallet share of the client, and drastically reduces attrition. DIA is 100% digital with zero paperwork from the onboarding stage till throughout the client journey and allows investment managers to leverage relationships to generate referrals and drastically reduce the cost of acquisition. While the business model is retail-focused, profitability comes from scalability and infinite geographical reach.

FinEdge came into existence to solve the core problem of the “investment gap” in India. FinEdge was among the first in the country to deploy digital financial planning as a business model. The company has remained steadfast in their core belief that technology alone (without human expertise) cannot solve the behavioral problems related to investing – and therefore cannot lead to long-term wealth creation.