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BOTIM and Fawry Break Barriers by Enabling First-Ever Digital Bill Payments for Egyptian Expats in UAE

Cairo, Egypt, 27th February 2023: BOTIM, the UAE’s Ultra app that Astra Tech has recently acquired, and Fawry, Egypt’s leading digital payments platform, have signed a groundbreaking agreement to provide residents in the UAE and GCC countries with a seamless and convenient way to pay bills & invoices in Egypt through BOTIM app and enable international money transfer services.

This first-of-its-kind agreement will allow users in the UAE to transfer money and pay bills in a new and convenient way. Astra Tech is introducing a new service to the BOTIM app called Bill Payments, which aims to make everyday payments easier for users. Under this agreement, Fawry will provide all Egyptians residing in the UAE who use the BOTIM application with solutions to pay utility bills and subscriptions and carry out financial transactions in Egypt. Customers can also withdraw financial money from the UAE through the BOTIM, powered by Payby, application through Fawry’s payment and collection channels. This agreement is a game-changer, providing users in the UAE with a new and innovative way to manage their everyday payments.

By utilizing this new service, users in the UAE and GCC can pay a wide range of bills and invoices in Egypt, such as utility bills, school, and university fees, driving and car licenses, club memberships, and medical and social insurance, through the BOTIM app. Adding to sending money services, Fawry will support the local beneficiaries of money remittance in Egypt to disburse the money through Fawry Channels.

Mr. Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Co-Founder and CEO of Astra Tech, BOTIM’s parent company, said: “We are excited to work with Fawry to bring a seamless and hassle-free bill payment experience to our users in Egypt. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in our expansion strategy, particularly in the promising Egyptian market, and our commitment to driving digital transformation and financial inclusion in the region.”

Eng. Atef Magdy, CCO, Financial Services, Digital Solutions & International Business, added: “The partnership between Fawry and Astra Tech is a concrete manifestation of Fawry’s strategy to attract new segments from various sectors and offer them the benefits of its digital services and solutions. It also reflects Fawry’s unwavering commitment to expanding its financial business and services and reaching the broadest possible audience to provide cutting-edge payment technologies that are both easy and secure. This further strengthens Fawry’s position as a leading platform in the digital payment market and solidifies its position as the preferred choice for Egyptian citizens”.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds continues rapid expansion; opens its 300th global showroom in Dallas, USA

27^th Feb 2023: The grand inauguration of the 300^th global showroom of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, the 6^th largest jewellery retailer globally with a strong retail network of 300 showrooms across 10 countries, was held in Dallas, USA. Ms. Susan Fletcher, Collin County Commissioner and Mr. Jeff Cheney, Mayor of Frisco, Texas, jointly inaugurated the showroom in the presence of Mr. Shamlal Ahamed, Managing Director – International Operations. The event was virtually attended by Mr. M P Ahammed, Chairman, Malabar Group; Mr. KP Abdul Salam, Vice-Chairman, Malabar Group; Mr. O Asher, Managing Director – India Operations, other team members, well-wishers and dignitaries.

“It is a moment of great pride for us as we touch the 300^th mark with this new showroom in Dallas, USA. We started off with a small showroom in Calicut, Kerala, India and today, in less than 30 years, we have a strong retail presence of 300 showrooms across 10 countries; all thanks to our customers, shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. We will continue to strengthen our retail presence in the regions where we have established a robust presence, as well as enter new markets with our differentiated products, services and assurances. The acceptance and patronage received by the brand gives us the confidence to further speed up the expansion process in becoming the No: 1 jewellery retailer globally,” said Mr. MP Ahammed, Chairman, Malabar Group.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds currently operates in 10 countries and has immediate expansion plans into the UK, Bangladesh, Australia, Egypt, Canada, Turkey, South Africa. The future expansions are expected to create approximately 6,000 job opportunities in the retail, manufacturing, technical and management areas related to jewellery trade.

“Malabar Gold & Diamonds has played a vital role in making Indian jewellery more acceptable and trustworthy at the global level in recent years. We are now crafting unique experiences targeting the individual and specific preferences of our customers. As the design discovery and initial decision-making of most customers are happening online these days, we are focusing greatly on strengthening our omnichannel retail strategy, for which we are making use of the services of global technology giants like Microsoft, IBM, Accenture, E&Y, Deloitte etc.”, said Mr. Abdul Salam KP, Vice Chairman, Malabar Group.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds is renowned globally for offering an unparalleled jewellery buying experience with convenience, and customer-friendly policies along with the ‘Malabar Promise’ of incomparable quality and service assurance. Malabar Promise includes assured lifetime maintenance from any of the showrooms across 10 countries, guaranteed buyback, IGI and GIA-certified diamonds ensuring 28-point quality check of global standards, zero deduction gold exchange, complete transparency, 916 hallmarked pure gold, responsible sourcing, fair price policy and fair labour practices.

“We are very excited about our future growth plan and will immediately be expanding into new markets, including the UK, Bangladesh, Australia and Canada, followed by Egypt, Turkey & South Africa. Apart from this, we will further strengthen our retail footprint within the existing markets as well. We constantly make efforts to evolve in line with the diverse preferences of our multicultural and multinational customers, as part of which we will focus further on product variety and a superior shopping experience, in addition to opening more stand-alone stores for local customers of the respective regions”, said Mr. Shamlal Ahamed, Managing Director – International Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds.

The new showroom in Dallas has a stunning display of more than 30,000 jewellery designs from 20 countries across gold, diamonds, precious gems and platinum, catering to the design preferences of those residing in and around Dallas.

“We have an ambitious retail expansion plan in India as well, especially in the North and Central Indian states and are gearing up in a big way to enter new territories as well by setting higher standards in the jewellery trade. We understand the sensitivity of the industry and ensure compliance through responsible sourcing, ethical business practices, and transparent and professional fund management. Our association with trade bodies, financial houses, and government regulators help to ensure that our operations are infallible globally”, said Mr. O Asher, Managing Director – India Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds.

“We will further strengthen our manufacturing capabilities to support our retail expansion drive globally. We will also be hiring skilled artisans and related staff as part of this process. This will also further bolster our mission, “Make in India, Market to the World.” Keeping in line with the brand’s outlook as a responsible jeweller, all our ongoing and upcoming facilities have and will be designed to provide safe and pleasant working conditions to the employees”, said Mr. Nishad AK, Group Executive Director, Manufacturing & B2B, Malabar Group.

Malabar Group believes that the most successful companies are those which integrate responsibility and sustainability into their core business and commit 5% of their profit to support socially responsible purposes both in India and abroad, since its inception in 1993. Hunger, Health, Education, Women Empowerment, Housing and Environment are the key focus areas for the Group.

To promote international exchange and skill based learning; Manipal Institute of Technology signs MoUs with International Universities; Technical Institutes and Corporates

India, 27th February 2023: One of India’s leading academic institution of eminence, Manipal Institute of Technology, has today announced their partnerships with Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) in Malaysia, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) in Japan, and Institute of Defence Scientists and Technologists (IDST) and Elcom Innovation. The MoUs are aimed to encourage skilled based learning as well as create a robust platform for international knowledge exchange.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universiti Malaysia Pahang and National Agriculture and Food Research Organization – Japan, will enable students and faculty at MIT to collaborate on research projects, redefine pedagogies and enhance knowledge exchange. On the other hand, the partnership with Institute of Defence Scientists and Technologists and Elcom Innovation will integrate work-based learning into the curriculum.

Sharing his view on the recent collaborations, Dr. (Cdr). Anil Rana, Director MIT, said, “At MAHE/MIT, our undivided focus has been to create an enriched learning experience for both our students and faculty. Internationalization of education, especially post the COVID-19 pandemic, is a crucial element globally. In fact, it is one of the key themes for MAHE this academic year. Over the last 10 years, we have partnered with 80+ international institutions across practices. This association with NARO and UMP is an extension of our efforts to build strong research capabilities and to develop joint learning programs.”

“Strengthening India’s defence technology is a key instrument in our Make in India vision. Over the last few years, the demand for engineers in this domain has significantly increased. At MIT, we place a strong emphasis on understanding the market dynamics and curating relevant courses for our students. The alliance with IDST and Elcom is an extension of this commitment and we are optimistic that it will create avenues for skill-based learning for our students”, added Dr. Rana, Director MIT.

With NARO, a primary institute in Japan focused on R&D in agriculture and food, students of MIT Manipal will be get enhanced opportunities for agricultural research and exchange of bio specimens. This collaboration with NARO would also pave the way for a closer relationship with Japan, a country known for its agricultural, farming, and fishing expertise.

On the other hand, the MoUs with academic institutes such as Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) and Institute of Defence Scientists and Technologists (IDST), and with industry player like Elcom Innovation (which specializes in the fields of technology), will not only foster technical knowledge among faculty and students but will also lead to innovative M Tech courses focused on electronics, communications and defence technology.

These partnership marks MIT’s 05th MoU in FY 22-23. Over the course of the last year, the university has made many strategic partnerships with domestic and international universities, industry bodies, international research organizations and many more to accelerate skill based and research oriented enhanced learning for the students.

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Explorex Partners With Mswipe to Streamline Payment Solutions to Its Partner Restaurants

Bengaluru, February 27, 2023: Explorex, a restaurant focused full-stack SAAS fintech start-up, has partnered with MSwipe, to facilitate streamlined payment solutions to their partner restaurants. This partnership will help the company in delivering one of its key USPs, which is auto settlement of tables and elimination of night audits. This helps in bringing a huge amount of relief to the restaurant staff because manual audits consume 2-3 hours of the staff’s time everyday post the restaurant closing operations for that day.

Explorex looks at disrupting the restaurant industry with its full-stack solution while also aiming at empowering business owners to nurture their dreams with care. Explorex does not only build software tools but also dedicates itself to creating an ecosystem for the restaurant industry that has never existed before. The company wants to empower restaurants to drive operational, financial and customer excellence to redefine the restaurant experience. The company has assisted more than 300 restaurants across India.

Sharing thoughts on the partnership with MSwipe, Mr. Mainak Sarkar, Co-Founder & CEO, Explorex, said, “At Explorex, our vision is to provide a holistic range of services to our clients, which will act as a one-stop solution to all their requirements. We understand the gap that is present in the larger hospitality industry and we try to integrate our software in a way that would help our clients streamline operations, making them hassle-free. In the two years of service, we have partnered with several restaurants across India. Our partnership with MSwipe is another step towards our goal, where we aim to make payment processes more swift and easy.”

Speaking about the partnership with Explorex, Mr. Ketan Patel, CEO, MSwipe, said, “Explorex is not just a software company, it believes in building products with empathy, just like us. Hence, the vision alignment process between both companies was super smooth. Streamlining an industry that has been operating with age-old methods is a huge task and the innovations that they have done for the restaurant industry are nothing short of spectacular. Building tools to eliminate night audits & auto settlement of tables is something no one in the industry is currently doing & we are happy to play a part in it. We believe in their vision and product as they are very unique, different from the market and new.”

Venus Remedies awarded Saudi GMP approval for all its production facilities in Baddi

Bangalore, February 27, 2023: In an important endorsement of its world-class manufacturing standards, Venus Remedies Ltd, one of India’s leading research-based pharmaceutical companies, has received good manufacturing practices (GMP) certification from Saudi Arabia for all its production facilities at its unit in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. With this, the number of international GMP certifications for Venus Remedies has gone up to 20.

While the Saudi Arabian market happens to be the largest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, this GMP approval is also expected to soon pave the way for marketing authorisations from other countries in GCC and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions which consider the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as reference authority. Saudi Arabia also happens to be the leading country in the entire Gulf region in terms of quality benchmarks.

The SFDA granted the certification, which included first-time approval for pre-filled Enoxaparin syringes and general injection facilities, and renewed approval for Cephalosporin and Carbapenem antibiotics and liquid and lyophilised oncology drugs, after an extensive review and audit of the company’s facilities. Among the world’s top 10 fixed-dosage injectable manufacturers, Venus Remedies has a fully automated robotic PFS (Prefilled Syringe) machine that ensures optimum quality.

In terms of products, this GMP certification for three more facilities applies to small-volume injectables, dry-powder vials, liquid vials and ampoules, and lyophilised vials.

Hailing the company’s achievement as an opportunity to penetrate faster in the entire Gulf region, Akshansh Chaudhary, Executive Director, Venus Remedies, said, “This accreditation is a major milestone for us and will help us further expand our operations, reach new markets and strengthen our reputation as a trusted provider of high-quality pharmaceutical products. We remain committed to making a positive impact on global health and will continue to invest in our facilities and processes to ensure that we can provide the best possible care to patients worldwide.”

Venus Remedies is well-positioned to build a high-value portfolio of soon-to-be off-patent products in the GCC region as a result of these additional approvals.

Speaking on the development, Saransh Chaudhary, President, Global Critical Care, Venus Remedies Ltd, and CEO, Venus Medicine Research Centre, said, “We are already market leaders for our key antibiotic products in Saudi Arabia, where we have nine marketing authorisations. With the additional renewals, we are looking to expand massively in the GCC and MENA regions.”

Planning to consolidate its position in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries through product registrations and common technical dossiers (CTDs), Venus Remedies has already filed a CTD in Saudi Arabia for Enoxaparin, for which marketing approval is expected shortly. The company is also awaiting marketing authorisation from Saudi Arabia for another six-seven oncology products anytime soon.

Since 2014, Venus Remedies has sold more than 12 million units of drugs in the $7.8-billion Saudi Arabian pharmaceutical market (as of 2021), which is expected to grow to $13.1 billion by 2031 at a 10-year CAGR of 5.4 per cent. The company’s registered products in Saudi Arabia include six antibiotics meant for intensive care units (ICUs) and three oncology products.

Godawari Electric Motors opens a brand new showroom in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, 27 February 2023: Godawari Electric Motors, manufacturers of the Eblu range of products, inaugurated its showroom – Balaji Automobiles in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Promoting the adoption of EVs in the region, Godawari Electric Motors offers world-class products with the most advanced technology, and the showroom facilitates a differentiating experience for customers.

The showroom, located near Mansa Devi Temple (Tapovan), Jhansi Road, Gwalior (474002), encompasses an expansive 900sq. ft. area, along with a service centre facility to deliver proficiency and superior after-sales service for customers. The inauguration of the showroom will be attended by chief guests Shri Shri 1008 Maharaja Ramdas Ji and Vijaynendra Singh Thakur. Gwalior is a prominent tourism spot in India, attracting millions of people from around the world annually. The transition to e-mobility, which will be crucial in maintaining a sustainable path towards a greener future, will be facilitated with Godawari Electric Motors’ best-in-class electric vehicles at their new showroom in Gwalior.

Mr. Hyder Khan, CEO, of Godawari Electric Motors, said, “The city of Gwalior is famous for its culture, being an important site of spiritual, historical, and archeological heritage. Tourism brings millions of people to discover various parts of Gwalior every year, and hence, it becomes important to support the city to ensure a comfortable transition to electric mobility. Mr. Rajesh Gaur and his team at Balaji Automobiles will be our partners to help India become a sustainable, green economy.” 

Mr. Rajesh Gaur, Owner of Balaji Automobiles, said, “We are enthralled to partner with Godawari Electric Motors in providing top-quality electric vehicles. India is on its journey to become fully electric, and we welcome our customers from around Madhya Pradesh to join us in this journey. The Eblu range provides convenience, quality, and performance for customers, and we look forward to providing them the best sales and after-sales service.” 

The showroom will showcase the recently launched e-auto (L5M) Eblu Rozee and e-bicycle range Eblu Spin which is available in three variants. Customers can walk in, experience the products and complete their bookings at the showroom. Godawari also has tied up with leading banks and NBFCs to provide loan facilities to customers. The deliveries for both the products will commence from the end of this month.

Enhance your home with Murano Glass from The Great Eastern Home

Murano Glass is a very special luxury glassware that can be both sculptural art and also made for functional use. Famed the world over since the 15th century, these glassmaking workshops were concentrated in Murano Island in Venice, Italy. The glass objects are all handmade and produced by very highly skilled master artisans. Each product they create is a work of art. The Great Eastern Home has a wide selection of exquisite Murano Glass that will brighten up not only your home or office but your lifestyle as well.

The Great Eastern Home Murano Glass vases are stunning Venetian works of art. They are all individually hand-blown, which explains why they are unique. The majority of these Murano glass items are multicoloured. However, there are a few single-coloured vases as well. Murano glass vases come in a variety of appealing shapes. They also vary greatly in size, making it simple for you to choose them based on your needs. The magnificent shapes and colours of these Venetian glass objects have made them the world’s favourite. Vases, bowls, and figurines all feature gorgeous patterns that will easily complement the interiors of your home, and they are available at none other than The Great Eastern Home.

The Great Eastern Home is sure to make your Murano Glass Collection shopping experience delightful and memorable.

Godawari Electric Motors enters Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, February 2023: Godawari Electric Motors, maker of Eblu range of products inaugurated its first showroom in Madhya Pradesh. Jaya Automobile has come up in the capital city of Bhopal. Backed by world-class technology, the showroom offers customers a differentiating EV buying experience and enhances awareness about EV adoption in the region.

The showroom is spread across 1400 sq. ft., equipped with a service center facility, and is located at Plot No.13, Near Indian Oil Depo, Vidisha Road, Bhanpur, Bhopal-462001.

The showroom offers enhanced customer experience, along with experienced staff members with good EV knowledge. The showroom will also showcase the journey of the brand and become a single touch point for the end-to-end EV needs of the customers.

Mr. Hyder Khan, CEO, Godawari Electric Motors, said, “We have come a long way since the inauguration of the first showroom. Madhya Pradesh is the key part of our retail network expansion strategy and with our presence in Bhopal, the showroom will play a vital part in tapping the EV potential and meeting the customer demands in the state.”

Mr. Chandra Shekhar Yadav, Owner of Jaya Automobile, said, “We are happy to partner with Godawari Electric Motors and Bhopal being an important hub for the state, it is important to have presence and understand the EV demands. We are ready to lead the customers into the future of sustainable mobility with a wide-range of products.”

The showroom will showcase the recently launched e-auto (L5M) Eblu Rozee and e-bicycle range Eblu Spin which is available in three variants. Customers can walk in, experience the products and complete their bookings at the showroom. Godawari also has tied up with leading banks and NBFCs to provide loan facilities to customers. The deliveries for both the products will commence from the end of this month.