23, Feb 2023
Workruit aims to partner with over 500+ Colleges to offer resume-building & career growth opportunities through its SaaS platform.
Hyderabad, 23 February 2023: Workruit, an AI-powered career and recruitment platform, has announced plans to collaborate with over 500+ colleges in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities to prepare students for the workforce with their flagship product, Resume Builder empowering job seekers to achieve their career goals. The technology-enabled platform shall also extend employability services to its students. Workruit aims to equip students with digital skills that will make them future-ready and allow them to have a competitive edge in the race for employability.
Workruit ambitions to fill gaps in existing learning by offering various career advancement opportunities, particularly in non-metro areas. With the partnership, students from the colleges shall get access to the platform to build their cover letters and critical first-copy professional resumes. Students can avail of features like Resume Templates, Video resumes, AI-resume analysis, job description to resume compare and analysis, tips and suggestions, grammar checks and many more. Workruit’s Resume Builder will also support college-selected templates (with college branding). The SaaS platform will provide tips, recommendations, and AI review analysis based on its data bank of over 200,000 HR-approved statements, jargon, and other information compiled by 40+ HR experts.
Students will have a real-time unique Resume URL that can be accessed forever and shared with any employers instantly. Furthermore, students can track the progress of placements in one place, saving management, administration, and the placements team much time. The college also gets access to companies which are a part of Workruit (2500+) for internships, placements, guest lectures; mentor connect and many more activities. The platform will automate hiring and selection via its Tinder interface.
“India’s job market is both competitive and diverse. Recruiters face numerous challenges while screening resumes, making it difficult to identify the right talent. Parallel job seekers are also unable to display resumes that distinguish them as standout candidates. Understanding that, Workruit Resume Builder, with our advanced AI & ML technologies, is addressing a critical issue for the industry by creating a level playing field for both applicants and employers. Also, Workruit Resume Builder is a web and mobile tool that will be helpful for users to explore the tool in their preferred medium.” says Mr. Manikanth Challa, CEO of Workruit.
We have been using the Workruit Resume Builder services for our students and have seen a significant improvement in the quality of their resumes. The platform is user-friendly and provides a wide range of templates to choose from. The students have also appreciated the step-by-step guidance provided throughout the process. We are happy to recommend Workruit to other colleges and universities.” says Mr Delhi Babu, VP – Placements, Mohan Babu University
Mr Raghuveer, Principal, Indian Institute of Management & Commerce (IIMC) said, “The Workruit Resume Builder has been a game-changer for our college placement program. Not only has it helped our students create professional and polished resumes, but it has also provided them with valuable guidance and tips for the job application process. We are thrilled with the results and highly recommend Workruit to other colleges and universities.”
Workruit Resume Builder has built over 1.5+ million resumes on the platform and has users from across the globe. The company has collaborated with many educational institutions and colleges, including the Indian Institute of Management Commerce, Vasavi Engineering College, Mohan Babu University, and the BLDE Association.
The company has recently raised over $500,000 in pre-Series A round led by the family office of Kantamaneni from the US.
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- By Rabindra
23, Feb 2023
Bank of Baroda organises Industry-Level Symposium on “Digital Journey in Banking – Legal and Business Challenges”
New Delhi, February 23, 2023: Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s leading public sector banks, conducted an industry-level symposium with the theme “Digital Journey in Banking – Legal and Business Challenges” on 17th February, 2022. Against the backdrop of a rapid increase in digital transactions, the aim of the symposium was to provide a platform for dialogue and discussion amongst banking and legal experts on the spectrum of changing laws and their materiality in the current market framework.
The topics covered during the symposium included Fintech – Legal Aspects & its Impact; Revolution in Digital Lending & its Impact on Banking; Digital Documents, its Execution & e-Bank Guarantees; Automation of the Loan Process including Co-lending Arrangements – Business and Legal Challenges and Cyber Security & Preventive Measures.
The event was organised by the Corporate Legal Department at Bank of Baroda. Shri B Meher Kumar, Head – Legal & RTI hosted the symposium with Shri Lalit Tyagi, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda delivering the keynote address. The symposium witnessed the participation of Shri Debadatta Chand, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda, Shri Surendra Kumar Dixit, CVO, Bank of Baroda, leading legal and banking professionals including Mr. Subhojit Sadhu & Mr. Gaurav Gupte, Partners at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas; Mr. Rajeev Dewal, Sr. Advisor Legal, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA); Mr. Ameya Khandge, Partner, Trilegal; Mr. Manan Jain, Director – Sales, Leegality; Mr. Nilanjan Sinha, Head – Legal, ICICI Bank; Ms. Anusha Dubey, ICICI Bank; Mr. Satish K Patnaik Chief Law Officer, Union Bank of India; Mr. Soumitra Majumdar, Partner, JSA Legal; Mr. Debajyoti Ray Chaudhuri, MD, National E-Governance Services Ltd. (NeSL); Dr. Balsing Rajput, DCP, Cyber Cell, Maharashtra Police; Advocate (Dr.) Prashant Mali, Cyber Law Consultant as well as Mr. Akhil Handa, Chief Digital Officer and Mr. Dhrubashish Bhattacharya, Head-MSME of Bank of Baroda with delegates from a few public and private sector banks in attendance.
In addition, the proceedings of the symposium were live-streamed for the benefit of all the zones, regions and participants at remote centres.
Key takeaways from the symposium:
- Fintech – Legal Aspects & its impact: The legal framework pertaining to digital lending, the credibility of digital /electronic signatures as well as the need to establish a viable robust regime for E-stamping were key issues discussed. The speakers also discussed the importance of seamless documentation in the banking industry, the role of machine learning in taking instant credit decisions and automated grievance redressal.
- Revolution in Digital Lending and its impact on Banking: The panel explained the E-stamping process and the need for online notarization. Given the centralised nature of digital lending, the place of paying stamp duty can become a contentious issue.
- Cyber Security & Preventive Measures: The speakers highlighted the need for bankers to strictly follow the well-laid out principles for financial transactions. They sensitized the audience with real-life cases where the system was compromised and explained the modus operandi of cyber frauds.
- Automation of the Loan Process including Co-Lending Arrangements: Business and Legal Challenges: The panelists were of the opinion that the genesis of co-lending has to be customer-centric. The several ways of Recourse such as arbitration in case of a default in a co-lending arrangement were also extensively discussed.
- Digital Documents, its Execution & e-Bank Guarantees: NeSL elaborated on the digital document (DD) and the 3-point check on the NeSL platform before the DD goes for execution. One need not take a printout of the DD, which reduces the instances of fraud.
23, Feb 2023
Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds lists on National Stock Exchange
New Delhi, February 23, 2023: Indore Municipal Corporation (“IMC” or “Corporation”), was established in the year 1956 under the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956. Its public issue of rated, listed, taxable, secured, redeemable, and non-convertible green municipal bonds saw itself list on NSE on February 21, 2023.
According to the base issue size, the Institution/QIB category was subscribed the most with 7.52 times, followed by 6.70 times in the corporate category, 5.78 times in the retail category, 3.62 times in the HNI category. The Issue opened on February 10, 2023 and closes Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
The Green Bonds have a tenor of 3 years (STRPP A), 5 years (STRPP B), 7 years (STRPP C) and 9 years (STRPP D). Effective yield (per annum) for NCD holders in Category I (QIB), Category II (Corporate), Category III (HNI) and Category IV (Retail Individual) for tenor 3 years, 5 years and 7 years is 8.41% and for STRPP D with 9 years’ tenor is 8.42%. Interest payments are through various modes, i.e., Direct Credit, NACH, RTGS, NEFT and Registered Post/Speed Post.
The Green Bonds have been assigned a rating of ‘CARE AA: Stable’ by CARE Ratings Limited and ‘IND AA+/Stable’ by India Ratings & Research Private Limited.
On the listing event held at Kushabhau Thakre convention center at Bhopal, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh said “Indore is the city which thinks outside the box and does outside the box. For e.g the listing of green bond on the exchange .Our Prime Minister has announced a program under the name “Panchamrut”. The intention to increase the non-fossil energy to 500 GW by 2030, but also at the same time to ensure that 50 per cent of the energy requirement comes from renewable energy and India is to achieve the target by 2070. Electric buses have been introducing in the city and have also installed 26 charging stations. The municipal corporation has planted atleast 2 lakh sapplings at Nehru Park, Meghdoot Garden, airport and regional parks to improve the air quality of Indore and as a result we have registered 4 lacs carbon credit and have generated a revenue of Rs 9 crore under a business model. A power plant has been installed at Jalud where they will produce electricity and bring down their electiricity bill for the people of Indore. On the occasion of Solar day which falls on May 3rd, Sanchi will become the country’s first solar city which is world-famous for stupas and Buddhist pilgrimage sites”.
Indore’s Mayor Shri Pushyamitra Bhargava said “It is Shri Shivraj’s vision to make Indore the world’s leading smart city. As a result, Indore was able to list India’s first green bond, which will enable Indore to reduce carbon emissions with the aid of a solar plant. The issue garnered Rs 721 Crore, which is just the beginning and thanks to Shri Shivrajji’s long-term thinking and dedication and Indore will continue to set a great example for India with new initiatives and will strive for prosperity”.
Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD and CEO, of NSE said, “The launch of the Green Bond issue by Indore municipal corporation is a great example of cooperative federalism & depth of local governance model in India.
The rapid growth of urbanization requires urban local bodies to keep up with the huge expansion and upgrades to the existing urban infrastructure. Municipal bonds provide an alternative means of financing to urban local bodies and reduce the dependency on central and state grants. Most of the urban infra bonds may be categorized as green bonds given that proceeds are predominantly targeted towards energy, transport, water management, sewage treatment, energy saving, etc. Green Municipal bonds will also bring in new foreign investors who specialize in sustainable financing and invest in projects with environmental, social and governance considerations.
The public issue of Indore Municipal bonds got an overwhelming response with an overall subscription of 5.91 times the issue size. It reflects that there is good appetite among investors for Green bonds. Municipal bonds provide an opportunity to participate in nation-building in addition to earning returns. The public issue of green bonds by IMC would give impetus to the development of green financing and contribute towards India’s vision for transition towards a clean and green energy future.
The global green bond market is witnessing exponential growth and has crossed the milestone of 2 trillion USD in terms of cumulative green bond issuance. India has also witnessed green bond issuances of about 10.8 billion USD during 2019-2022 by the corporates, PSUs and financial institutions. The public issue of green bonds by IMC would give impetus to the development of green financing and contribute towards India’s vision for the transition towards a clean and green energy future.
NSE is committed to playing an active and participatory role while contributing towards India’s vision of a sustainable future enshrined under the “Panchamrit” vision of our honorable Prime Minister”.
Shri AK Mittal, AK Capital Services Ltd, Lead Manager to the Issue, said “Congratulations to Indore Municipal Corporation for raising India’s first public issue of green municipal bonds of INR 244 crores at highly competitive rates. The issue has been oversubscribed by roughly 6 times, depicting strong investor confidence.
Furthermore, as these bonds are rated as AA+ by India Ratings and AA by CARE ratings, they provide a secured investment with an attractive return for the investors.
After the success of this issue and noticing sustained rapid developments in the Indian municipal bond markets, we expect that more ULBs will explore debt markets to raise funds via green bonds.
We as lead managers feel proud to be associated with the issue.”
Shri Arnab Choudhury, Executive Vice President & Group Head (Debt Capital Markets), SBI Capital Markets, Lead Manager to the Issue, said “Government of India has laid special emphasis on the development of the Municipal Bond market in this budget. We are happy to note that Indore Municipal Corporation has taken the lead and issued its green municipal bond in record time with public participation. We are proud to have partnered with Indore on this momentous achievement and we are sure that this is just the beginning of the journey for Indore”.
The Lead Managers of the bonds issue were A.K. Capital Services Ltd and SBI Capital Markets Ltd.
23, Feb 2023
AAFT Hits New Milestone with 30,000 Alumni in Media & Entertainment Industry
New Delhi, 23 Feb 2023: AAFT proudly announces the achievement of a new milestone with 30,000 alumni across all its programs. The success of programs is a testament to the benchmark educational standards at AAFT and its commitment to delivering the best education to students from over 120 countries across the globe. The AAFT Education Group was founded three decades ago in Delhi NCR and has since evolved to become one of India’s finest educational institutions.
AAFT has seen significant development in the 30 years since its inception in 1993 and has expanded to include the EdTech platform AAFT Online with a focus on multi-modal courses for skill development through live & pre-recorded sessions, and AAFT University in Central India, the country& first Film, Media & Arts University in 2018 with a gamut of professional courses to cater to the needs of the contemporary and technologically advanced.
AAFT’s alumni list includes big media and arts names, national award winners, directors, writers, photographers, actors, and journalists. Some noticeable names include Pyaar Ka Punchnama director Luv Ranjan; Fukrey Series director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba; Aurangzeb and the Class of 83 directors Atul Sabharwal; Mirzapur director Gurmeet Singh. The list goes on with Femina Miss India Earth 2011 Hasleen Kaur; Indian TV actors Kinshuk Mahajan and Kanika Maheshwari; renowned directors Kaushik Ghatak and Shailender Vyas; Director of Photography Shikhar Bhatnagar, and Miss Asia Pacific 2013 Srishti Rana amongst many. The years of experience of its alumni contribute greatly to keeping AAFT as the benchmark practice and standard in the arts, media, and film studies. AAFT offers 85+ courses across 11 schools inviting students for long-term undergraduate & postgraduate degree courses and short-term certificate & diploma courses.
Mohit Marwah, Co-Founder, AAFT online said, “In today’s volatile environment, students are driven to learn at a fast pace from experts in order to advance their careers. Here, at AAFT, we equip them with instructors who are specialists in their respective fields and will provide them all opportunities to work and learn with top brands.”
Akshay Marwah Co-Founder, AAFT University said, “It is a privilege to watch our 30,000-student family grow every day and we promise to enhance the capabilities of our career services division in order to help them secure their dream jobs and be masters at it.”
All-in-all, the glorious success of the AAFT alumni is a great example for current as well as future students. The university will provide these students with all the tools and guidance to walk in their footsteps for a successful career. Through AAFT’s state-of-the-art facilities, students are promised career growth through practical hands-on experience, expert faculty, a diverse curriculum, career placement assistance, and a wonderful opportunity to form strong connections in the media and entertainment industry.
23, Feb 2023
Paytm deployed Mahashivratri special QR codes at 9 Jyotirlingas, Haridwar enabling devotees to pay digitally via Paytm UPI at holy pilgrimage sites
One97 Communications Limited (OCL) that owns the brand Paytm, celebrated Mahashivratri, one of the most important festivals in India, by deploying special QR codes at 9 Jyotirlingas and nearby temple areas in the country. The pioneer of QR and mobile payments in India had designed the Mahashivratri special QR code with Lord Shiva’s photo.
Mahashivratri was celebrated on Saturday, 18th February 2023 across the country. There are 12 Jyotirlingas in the country of which Paytm had deployed special QR codes at Somnath in Gujarat, Mahakaleshwar & Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, Nageshwar in Gujarat, Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, and Ghrishneshwar in Aurangabad.
The company had also deployed Mahashivratri special QR code in Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, and Isha Foundation in Coimbatore. With this, devotees visiting the holy sites were able to make payments by scanning Paytm QR codes at shops and eateries in and around.
Paytm QR code enables small and medium shopkeepers to accept digital payments at zero upfront cost, and at zero MDR. The company is leader in offline payments with over 31 million merchant partners accepting payments via Paytm. It also offers consumers the flexibility of payments with Paytm Wallet, Paytm UPI LITE, Paytm UPI, Paytm Postpaid, debit and credit cards and netbanking.
23, Feb 2023
Students of Orchids The International School exhibit creativity at the Children’s Art Fest
Bangalore, 23.02.2023: The Children’s Art Festival, organized by Orchids The International School, was held on the 17th,18th, and 19th of February 2023 at Karnataka Trade Promotion Organization at Whitefield.
The mega event was a culmination of all art forms that the students have learned over the academic year- Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual art. The students got an opportunity to exhibit their talent. Nearly 15000 students and parents gathered during the three-day event.
The objective of the event was to provide students with a bigger platform to showcase their talent, thus boosting their confidence and self-esteem. The students displayed amazing moves in the well-choreographed dance and street play performance, touched on some sensitive social topics, and displayed a clear conceptual understanding of various sub-domains of art forms and applied knowledge of stage and props in the theater.
The musical performances were a blend of both vocal and instrumental melodies. The DIY student-led workstation included woodwork, soap & candle making, and clay modeling, which was well appreciated by the audience. Visual Art workstations, also led by the students, had multiple counters like texture painting, coffee art, Gondh art, and live painting; parents and students enthusiastically tried their hands at these workstations.
Every student performed in two art forms and seamlessly moved from one stage to another, showing the immaculate planning by the organizers. The entire show was put together by the talented team of teachers and leaders of Orchids The International School.”
Speaking about the success of the event, Dr. Madhuri Sagale, VP-Academics at Orchids The International School said, “At Orchids, we firmly believe that art plays an essential role in nurturing and showcasing students’ creativity. We facilitate various art-based programs and curriculum activities throughout the year, encouraging students to explore their artistic inclinations. The art festival provided an open platform to showcase students’ dance performances, street plays, skits, musical routines, visual arts, DIY exhibitions, and live workshops. We wanted our parents to have a memorable experience and to see their child’s creative side. We believe such an experience can be a source of joy for parents and children alike.”
23, Feb 2023
Apollo Hospitals Bannerghatta Road Becomes – The Only Centre To Perform India’s First Robotic Aortic Valve Replacement On A 60-Yr-Old
Bengaluru: Adding another feather to its glorious hat of achievements, Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, one of the premier healthcare providers in the country, became the first hospital to perform India’s first robotic aortic valve replacement, a rare high-end procedure, spearheaded by Dr. Sathyaki Nambala, Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospital, Bannerghatta Road. Less than 200 such procedures have been performed globally until today and India now has one in her bucket, thanks to the expertise of Dr. Nambala and his team at Apollo Hospitals Bannerghatta Road.
This breakthrough procedure conducted by extensively trained doctors gave a new life to a 60-year-old who was diagnosed with a calcific Aortic Valve with severe stenosis. The heart was significantly dysfunctional due to the long-standing issue and required early Aortic Valve Replacement. Additionally, he was suffering from a chest wall deformity – scoliosis with crowding of ribs, making his condition more complex. He was discharged within 3 days of the procedure and is doing perfectly well and healthy.
Speaking about the working of robotic aortic valve replacement, Dr. Sathyaki Nambala, Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, said: “At present, Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road is the only center in India for robotic cardiac surgeries and we focus on complex cardiac surgeries like valve repairs and valve replacements through robotics. In the case of robotic aortic valve replacement, you do not have to do any incisions. You will need to make one to four holes on the chest based on which side of the heart you would want to access and complete the procedure.
While the time taken for the surgery varies depending on the complexity of the procedure, a straightforward surgery takes about one and half to two hours and within just 24 hours, the patient can go home. With robotics, it is like sitting inside the heart and doing the surgery.”
“Robotics is a minimally invasive procedure, giving a 3-dimensional, high resolution, magnified view of the inside of the heart, making it easier for the surgeons to fix the valve with utmost precision. It uses a 0.8 mm port and results in no blood loss, no requirement of blood to be given to the patient, no requirement for painkillers as it is almost painless and no risk of infection and post-procedural infections at all. The time of recovery is the least in such cases and the patient can be discharged within a day and can resume to normal activities within 24 hours of the surgery. Right now, robotics is the ultimate advancement in the cardiac surgery segment that medical science can see,” he added.
Robotic aortic valve replacement is an extraordinary technical procedure and is conducted in only a very few centres across the world. Apart from Apollo hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore that has conducted about 250 robotic cardiac procedures since 2019, there are about four to five such centres in North America, one to two centres in Canada and about one centre each in the countries of Western Europe. Also, it requires highly skillful and trained surgeons to conduct such procedures.
Highlighting the training procedure for robotic cardiac surgeries, Dr. Sathyaki said: “The training process is extensive and takes several years. Initially, the training has to be done on simulators and a surgeon has to spend a specific number of hours conducting this procedure on a simulator and attain an eligible score. Following that, a surgeon has to visit various centres that perform such procedures and observe how it is done. Then, he can conduct the same on pigs and move on to try his hands on dead bodies, also known as cadaver practice. The surgeon has to then assist a senior surgeon during surgeries and do such surgeries under the guidance of an expert surgeon before conducting a surgery independently on simpler procedures before taking up complex ones.”
Dr. K. Hari Prasad, President – Hospitals Division said: “Apollo Hospitals has always been committed towards providing top notch health care in the country. It is a moment of honour for Apollo Hospitals Bannerghatta to be able to perform India’s first robotic aortic valve replacement, a breakthrough in complex cardiac surgery space, thanks to our up-to-the-minute infrastructure and extensively skilful doctors. Cardiovascular Disorders happen to be one of the leading causes of fatalities in our country and robotic surgeries to treat a complex cardiac condition almost painlessly, with utmost precision and recovery in no time is a revolutionary step towards cardiac care.”
23, Feb 2023
Fitshot announces its new stunning smartwatch – Fitshot Saturn, available on Flipkart.
Delhi, 23 February 2023: Fitshot, a lifestyle consumer electronics brand, has launched yet another stunner, Fitshot Saturn power-packed with features at the most competitive price point – following the immense popularity of their smartwatches. The stylish yet bold timepiece, designed to push your limits, helps users chase their workout goals through a whopping 100+ sports modes, and comes equipped with the advanced single-chipset Bluetooth calling technology, SoloSync™. The product with 365 days warranty is available on Flipkart and Fitshot website.
The smartwatch has a cutting-edge design for GenZ. This smartwatch is truly made for those who have a penchant for beautiful yet efficient timepieces. Fitshot Saturn has a 1.32″ round CosmicDisplay™. The smartwatch has 360*360 pixel resolution and 500 nits brightness with a 60Hz refresh rate. The smartwatch comes with intriguing 100+ cloud-based watch faces and a very unique AI watch face feature that allows users to click pictures and generate their own watch faces using AI to complement their everyday outfits.
Fitshot includes Advanced Bluetooth calling technology, and SoloSync™ Technology (single chipset). This results in lower battery consumption and simple pairing with a one-click connection. The smartwatch also has a built-in speaker, microphone, and fast dialler for direct phone calls. The Da Fit app can be used to control and pair the watch. Furthermore, it has a built-in Voice assistant that allows users to control their smartwatch with their voice.
Sleek on the outside and powerful on the inside, the smartwatch delivers up to seven days of runtime on a single charge and also has an IP68 rating to protect the watch from dust, sweat and rain. The smartwatch has 100+ sports modes that can track strength and cardiovascular activities and other low and moderate-intensity activities. The built-in 24-Hour Heart Rate Sensor, SpO2 Monitor, Sleep Tracker, and Step-Counter track fitness levels and activities throughout the day. Breathing, guided meditation mode, and sedentary reminders are also available to users.
“Fitshot Saturn is one of Fitshot’s most awaited products. This smartwatch is an ideal match for Generation Z, who want everything at their fingertips and are always on the go. It has
unrivaled features packed in an extremely stunning body. It is designed to be a smart style statement.” says Sachin Railhan, CEO & Founder, of Fitshot.
Fitshot Saturn includes a Remote Camera Shutter, Stopwatch, Alarm Clock, Remote Music Player Control, Timer, Weather Forecast, Drink Water Reminder, Do Not Disturb Mode, and many other features.
Fitshot Saturn is one of the best-looking round dial smartwatches ever launched! It has unique straps in many not-so-ordinary colors which make this smartwatch extremely beautiful. With the availability of multiple useful features, Fitshot Saturn is a combination of style and function.
23, Feb 2023
FIIB’s 12th Responsibility Summit dives deep into sustainable future; unveils Responsibility Report 2022-2023 emphasising action with responsibility
New Delhi, February 23, 2023: Reinforcing its commitment toward a sustainable future, the 12th Responsibility Summit of the Fortune Institute of International Business(FIIB) served as a benchmark in scale, participation, and knowledge-sharing.
The historic summit touched upon the theme, “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion- Redesigning for a Resilient Planet.” and witnessed the participation of a distinguished and seasoned group of professional experts to exchange effective sustainability practices.
The inaugural speech for the event was delivered by Dr. Kokil Jain, Professor (Marketing), FIIB which highlighted the institute’s history of sustainable development that aligns with the philosophy of Mr. R.K.Shrivastava, the founder of FIIB.
Dr. Kokil discussed three key areas of responsible work at FIIB: teaching, operating activities, and community engagement.
Technological advancements and globalization have created unprecedented social, economic, and environmental challenges, and integrating and coordinating global, national, regional, and local sustainability efforts are key to meeting these challenges.
Following the inaugural speech, Dr. Anil Sinha, Director at FIIB in his keynote address discussed novel ideas to drive global sustainability transformation. He also emphasized the initiatives like the FIIB Responsibility Summit play in disseminating and recognizing CSR work that makes our planet and country better places to live.
”Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) convey a fundamental shift in the way we operate businesses and its impact on the environment and society. Today we have an obligation to think beyond our immediate requirements and consider the long-term outcomes of our actions. We have a distinctive opportunity to utilize our resources, expertise, and influence to make a positive change in the world,” said Dr. Anil Sinha.
Echoing his views, Radhika Shrivastava, Executive Director, FIIB stated,” Responsible management starts with delivering equal opportunities for every member of the workplace to contribute and influence decisions, irrespective of their role. As we move towards sustainability and CSR, it is critical to remember that ESG is an outcome of DEI, and both are critical in defining a business’s true worth and societal impact.”
Some of the eminent guest speakers who graced the event with their presence included Ms. Sangeeta Robinson, Chief Sustainability Officer, PVR Limited; Ms. Dolly Mittal, Head, Affirmative Hiring, TCS; Ms. Shailza Taneja, Senior Consultant, UN SDG; Ms. Shivani Madan Bose, DEI Consultant, Proud HR Services and Mr. Mallikarjuna Iytha Founder, Inclusive Divyangjan Entrepreneurship Association (IDEA).
In sharing their accomplishments and struggles in implementing sustainability-related initiatives for better impact, the speakers discussed the necessity of a strategy reinvention that would address both business challenges and sustainability concerns.
The summit concluded with the launch of FIIB’s responsibility report, detailing how it engages internal and external stakeholders to achieve the desired societal impact outlined in its mission and relevant strategic goals. As an organization, FIIB has adopted the Sustainable Development Goals to align with the UN’s motto of “Transforming our world with SDGs: the 2030 Agenda for a sustainable future”.
Some of the key sustainability initiatives carried by the FIIB to date include-:
- In collaboration with the Haub School of Business, FIIB developed a sustainability dashboard to help universities share best practices on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With its SDG Dashboard, FIIB is the fourth Indian business school to have one.
- As a core course of FIIB, SIP (Social Internship Program) provides students with fieldwork experience in the social sector. Collaboration with Social Sector Organizations (SSOs) aligns students’ project needs with those of the organizations.
- FIIB Jaagriti Club aims to contribute to society by teaching service orientation to students. Jaagriti Club held Nukkad Natak, Skill Development for Primary School Children, Education Awareness Activities, and Clothes Donation Drives this year.
- FIIB has also partnered with Betterlyf to foster a sense of well-being and mental health among students, faculty, and staff.
- FIIB has adopted a cluster of five villages under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan of the GOI. The bank will work with residents in this cluster to pinpoint challenges and design solutions to accelerate sustainable growth.
- “Digital Economy: A leveler or a source of economic inequality?” was the theme of Manthan this year. The concept of ‘Manthan’ relates to UN SDG Goal 8, which states that “Sustained and inclusive economic growth can drive progress, create decent jobs for all and improve living standards”.
23, Feb 2023
EDII organises 15th Biennial Conference on Entrepreneurship
Mumbai, February 23, 2023: The fifteenth Biennial Conference of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) began on Wednesday at the institute’s campus. The three-day conference on ‘Entrepreneurship’ that will conclude on February 24 provided a platform for researchers, educationists, and practitioners to share their research studies and findings in different areas of entrepreneurship development.
During the conference, over 125 papers and studies by scholars from more than 10 countries on the themes of social, green, women, agricultural, digital, MSME, and inclusive entrepreneurship, were presented.
The conference was inaugurated by Dr Kavil Ramachandran, Professor of Entrepreneurship (Practice), Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, in the presence of Dr Gabriel Dwomoh, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Kumasi Technical University; Dr Ajit K Mohanty, Emeritus Fellow, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar; Dr Ramakrishna Velamuri, Dean & Professor of Entrepreneurship, School of Management, Mahindra University, Hyderabad; and Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII.
Dr Kavil Ramachandran said, “Entrepreneurship today is at the core of research and policy-making. It has become a global phenomenon. The environment, today, across the nation, is conducive to entrepreneurship. The success of a business depends on the resources available, which also includes the competence and merit of the owners and others involved in the business. Family Business is an area, where I believe the dynamics need to be researched more to ensure smooth sail across generations.”
Addressing the gathering, Dr Sunil Shukla said, “The Biennial Conference continues to be a forum for researchers and educators across the globe to exchange ideas and valuable feedback in various fields of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship research is key to identifying solutions and pursuing newer opportunities, and innovations. The research findings and papers presented in the conference bring forth fresh perspectives and emerging trends in entrepreneurship.”
Prof. (Dr.) Gabriel Dwomoh, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana opined, “Entrepreneurship and enterprise development are viewed with great significance in Ghana. Amidst a time when finding jobs in formal and informal sectors is difficult in Ghana, we are focussing on developing job creators. “
(Dr.) Ajit K. Mohanty, Emeritus Fellow, Utkal University & Former Professor, ICSSR National Fellow Chief Adviser, NMRC, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi expressed, “The process of social development and entrepreneurship is bound to transform the inclination of society towards knowledge and wisdom. In such a society, the process of development will be more inclined towards a collaborative and cooperative process, with focus on including wellbeing of the lesser developed nations as well.”
Prof. (Dr.) Ramakrishna Velamuri, Dean & Professor of Entrepreneurship, School of Management, Mahindra University, Hyderabad said, “Entrepreneurs emerge and blossom in a social context, so when we want entrepreneurship to blossom in India, it is important to focus on educating the parents, teachers, bankers, policymakers, and other similar stakeholders at a decision-making level so that the different beneficiaries could be encouraged to be creative and take the plunge as entrepreneurs.”
As part of the conference, a vice chancellors’/directors’ conclave was also held to discuss the importance of entrepreneurship education in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Universities from across the country were represented.
Another important event of the Conference was the Doctoral Colloquium where the Ph.D. scholars and FPM students from across the country were mentored and guided on their research work.
EDII has been organizing the Biennial Conference on Entrepreneurship since 1994.
