Category Archives: News

Minister Riyas to Grace Inaugural Ceremony of EMAK Silent Heroes Awards 2025

Kochi, 05-April-2025: The seventh edition of The Silent Heroes Awards, organized by the Event Management Association – Kerala (EMAK), will be held on the 9th and 10th of April at The Leela Raviz Ashtamudi, Kollam. The event will be inaugurated by Minister for Public Works and Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas, with distinguished business and industry leaders. B. Ravi Pillai, Founder and Chairman of RP Group, will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in this edition. This annual event featuring B2B expo, panel discussions and live performances, recognizes, and awards the sustainable efforts of event management agencies and professionals across Kerala.

The Silent Heroes Awards 2025 will feature Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals across 60 categories, categorized into five main award sections: Event Decor and Production, Technical Support & Solutions, Entertainment Design, Venue and Catering Solutions, and Personalized Solutions.

“Through this event we want to celebrate Kerala’s event management industry and bring industry leaders together to share their ideas and insights,” said Raju Kannampuzha, President, Event Management Association Kerala.

EMAK was established with the mission of uniting event management agencies in Kerala under a single platform. It is affiliated with the apex organization, the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA).

Representatives from EMAK such as Raju Kannampuzha- President, Gincy Binny – Secretary, Bahanan K Areeckal – Treasurer, Jubin J John – Vice President and Joel John – Convenor attended the press conference held in Ernakulam press club.

World Security Day 2025: Prioritizing Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI

April 4, 2025 — As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, World Security Day 2025 serves as a timely reminder of the critical importance of robust cybersecurity frameworks across industries. With global systems becoming increasingly interconnected and AI adoption accelerating, the stakes for securing data, infrastructure, and trust have never been higher.

This year’s theme, “Securing the Future: AI, Trust & Resilience,” underscores a growing consensus: security must be proactive, not reactive. It’s no longer enough to bolt on cybersecurity after innovation—security must be deeply embedded into the DNA of digital transformation.

A powerful reflection of this ethos comes from Mr. Anji Maram, Founder & CEO of CriticalRiver, who emphasized the inseparable link between AI and cybersecurity:

“In a world racing toward AI, cybersecurity can’t be an afterthought—it must be foundational. At CriticalRiver, we’re building Fortified AI: air-gapped, policy-driven, and resilient by design. By embedding security at every layer, we empower our customers to harness AI confidently, without compromising trust, compliance, or control.”

From safeguarding critical infrastructure to protecting consumer data, cybersecurity has become a key pillar of national and corporate strategy. Governments, tech leaders, and innovators are aligning on the urgent need to build resilient ecosystems where technology can thrive securely.

World Security Day 2025 is more than a commemoration—it’s a call to action for leaders, organizations, and individuals to treat security not as a constraint but as an enabler of trust and sustainable growth in the digital era.

On the Frontlines of Care: Granules India Brings Breast Cancer Screenings to Women Officers

Mumbai, 4th April 2025: As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Granules India Limited, a leading pharmaceutical company based in Hyderabad in collaboration with AIG Hospitals, successfully conducted a Breast Health Screening and Awareness Camp for women police officials at the Telangana State Police Headquarters. This initiative underscores Granules India’s commitment to addressing gaps in women’s healthcare, with a particular emphasis on early detection for prevention of breast cancer.

 Women police officers dedicate their lives to safeguarding communities, often putting their health on the back burner. With demanding and high stress working hours, they often struggle to prioritize preventive healthcare. Recognizing this, Granules India’s ‘Breast Health Express’ initiative raised awareness about breast health, empowering them with knowledge of regular self-examination and cancer screening services while promoting the importance of early detection. The camp offered breast health screenings and awareness sessions for 100 women police officials.

 Since its launch in September 2024, the mobile screening unit has conducted 18 camps, screening over 1,000 women and reaching more than 2,000 individuals through educational sessions. The initiative brings together the collective efforts of Granules India Ltd, AIG Hospitals, Asian Medical Foundation, and UC Breast Foundation. This multi-organizational approach integrates medical expertise, state-of-the-art mobile unit with mammography and ultrasound capabilities and facilities for essential health checks such as haemoglobin and blood pressure, and community outreach to enhance healthcare accessibility for women in underserved communities.

 Dr Jitendra IPS, Director General of Police, Telangana State, lauded the initiative, stating, “One of the biggest challenges with breast cancer is late detection. However, women in demanding professions like law enforcement often prioritize duty over personal health, leading to delayed screenings. Early detection drastically improves treatment success and recovery. I strongly urge every woman above 40 to undergo a breast cancer screening annually or at least every alternate year. This initiative by Granules India and AIG Hospitals is a commendable step in ensuring our women officers receive the preventive healthcare they deserve. By prioritizing early detection, we can safeguard the health and well-being of women across Telangana.”

 Dr. Pragnya Chigurupati, Consultant Breast Oncologist at AIG Hospitals and Founder of UC Breast Foundation, highlighted the urgency of breast cancer awareness, stating, “India, more so Telangana, continues to witness an alarming rise in the number of breast cancer cases. ‘Breast Health Express’ aims to bring early detection closer to the homes of women via mammogram and ultrasound screening. Through the UC Breast Foundation, we would be able to provide financial assistance to those women who need treatment for breast issues.”

 Mrs. Uma Chigurupati, Executive Director of Granules India Ltd, has been a key driving force behind the company’s CSR efforts, ensuring that initiatives like Breast Health Express focus on making breast cancer prevention accessible to all women. Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping Granules India’s vision for community health and well-being.

Wadhwa Wise City Shines at Real Estate Business Excellence Awards with Top Township Honour

Mumbai, 4th April 2025: The Wadhwa Group’s flagship Township project, Wadhwa Wise City, has been conferred with the prestigious ‘Best Integrated Township’ Award at the 12th Edition of the Real Estate Business Excellence Awards 2025, presented by CNBC-TV18. The event, known for recognizing trailblazers and transformative projects in the Indian real estate landscape, saw an illustrious gathering of industry leaders and dignitaries.

Expressing his gratitude on this occasion, Mr. Navin Makhija, Managing Director, The Wadhwa Group said “Wadhwa Wise City is a vision that encapsulates smart, sustainable, and inclusive urban living within Nature. This recognition reinforces our commitment to crafting future-ready townships that deliver long-term value to our customers. We are thankful to our partners, patrons, and teams who have contributed immensely to this journey.”

Wadhwa Wise City, located in the flourishing region of Panvel, has set a new benchmark in integrated township planning with its sustainable design, superior connectivity, abundant open spaces, Superior Air quality Index and community-centric amenities—making it one of the most aspirational destinations for modern living.

MediBuddy Empowers Individuals with ReclaimYourHealth Initiative for a Fitter Future

National, 04 April 2025: MediBuddy, India’s largest digital healthcare company, today announced the launch of its latest campaign, #ReclaimYourHealth, to mark World Health Day. This innovative initiative uses humour and relatable content to highlight the stark contrast between the healthy habits of the past and today’s sedentary, technology-driven lifestyle.

Modern lifestyles often leave our bodies struggling—sedentary habits, poor diets, and limited fresh air have replaced the active and wholesome ways of the past. Through witty dialogue and visually striking contrasts, the campaign delivers a powerful yet simple message: reclaiming your health doesn’t require drastic measures, just a return to the basics.

#ReclaimYourHealth presents an entertaining yet educational video series featuring personified organs sharing their experiences in contemporary language. With scenarios such as a heart doing a TikTok dance versus slumped in a chair and lungs taking deep breaths in nature versus constricted by phone screen glow, the campaign highlights vital but often overlooked aspects of everyday health.

Health isn’t just a personal issue; it’s a family issue that impacts communities and ultimately affects society at large. While modern conveniences have improved many aspects of life, the campaign encourages viewers to reconsider the health trade-offs we have unconsciously accepted.

Speaking about the campaign, Saibal Biswas, SVP and Head of Marketing, PR and Partnerships, MediBuddy, said, “Reclaiming your health doesn’t require complex interventions—just simple choices like moving more, eating better, and breathing fresh air. Knowledge is power, and every mindful, conscious decision brings us closer to a healthier life. This World Health Day, let’s go beyond awareness. Let’s shift our focus from temporary fixes to lasting, meaningful change. Let’s reclaim our health.”

Giving Silence a Sound: How AI is Helping Nonverbal Children Speak Through ‘My First Voice’

India, 5 April 2025 – Using AI technology, Monks, the global, purely digital, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital plc, and the Centre for Community Initiative (CCI) have given parents the gift of hearing their nonverbal children’s voices for the first time.

The ‘My First Voice’ interface uses AI to give speech-impaired children the ability to communicate in their very own voice by replicating the personalized tone and texture of their sounds.

Ahead of World Autism Day on 5 April, Monks and CCI are announcing an ongoing partnership to scale up the My First Voice solution to reach more parents and children across India.

According to 2023 data from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), 5% of the Indian population is estimated to be on the Autism spectrum, with a significant portion of children starting their lives nonverbal. Autism Spectrum Disorder represents just one reason children can be non-verbal, with My First Voice also seeking to help nonverbal conditions arising out of cerebral palsy, hearing-impaired mutism and other development disorders, representing millions of impacted children throughout India.

This equated to millions of Indian children starting their lives nonverbal, not only trapping them in silence but discovering a world deep-rooted with stigma, excluding them from the emotionally secure well-being that they should have access to.

As partners of UNDP and UN Volunteers, the Centre for Community Initiative is a not-for-profit disability and advocacy organization founded to tackle pressing societal issues primarily around speech-impaired and nonverbal children.

Pauzagin Tonsing, Director and Founder of Centre for Community Initiative, explains, “There are many children with disabilities, even in a remote town like ours, but the biggest challenge is diagnosis and acceptance by parents because of so much stigma around them. Only with acceptance are we able to move on to their education and therapy needs. My own son was born with a disability, and with other parents and community, we dreamed of having a place where we could send our children to learn and grow, just like everyone else’s children — that was the birth of CCI.

Technology can be a force for good, particularly when addressing the challenges that not-for-profit organisations face. Tonsig explains the challenges of CCI: “We struggle with resource mobilisation in terms of special educators, infrastructure, and money, but the community comes together to support the children and their families.”

It is also an isolating journey for parents, who can feel helpless and long for the reassurance that simply having two-way communication with their children can provide. Many parents quietly recede into social seclusion arising out of lack of awareness and sensitivity around the subject matter.

“When people hear Patrick, they stare and point because he sounds different; he cannot speak like them. I feel embarrassed taking him out too much because I don’t want them to stare at us and talk about us. So we leave quickly,” says Patrick’s mother, Christie.

Monks has created an answer to this, using AI to create a real-time interface that not only gives children the ability to communicate but in a voice that replicates their own tones and sound textures. The solution trains AI using recordings of nonverbal children, such as the hums, grunts and fragmented vowels, as well as speech samples of their family members to generate the closest version of the child’s own voice.

In a country with a rich linguistic landscape of many dialects and languages, voice-to-voice training creates a voice that mimics the family’s accent. The child-friendly solution uses real-time text-to-speech input, as well as expandable preset inputs to help children who cannot type due to the impairment of motor skills or limited cognition.

“An app like this, where he can type and hear the words spoken aloud, is incredibly useful for both him and us. The day he got the app, he was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to show us how it worked. Seeing him that happy made me so glad and grateful,” adds Tyson Lungousang’s mother, Nemzaneng.

Monks has spent the past two years developing the technology, shortening the time taken to record, synthesise and create a personalised AI voice from three days to less than five minutes.

John Paite, Chief Creative Officer, India, explained, “Creating truly natural AI-generated voices for non-verbal children required a hyper-personalized approach. Unlike conventional speech models, our dataset consisted of unstructured voice data, often unclear, mumbled, or lacking distinct articulation, making the training process significantly more challenging. Standard AI models couldn’t capture these nuances, so we had to rethink conventional training methods. By fine-tuning multiple parameters and finding workarounds for custom accent training, we develop a solution that mirrors each child’s unique vocal identity.”

Monks collected datasets from parents and siblings and refined the approach through iterative learning to counter AI’s tendency to generalize. After multiple tests, the process was streamlined, reducing voice training time to under five minutes, making it very scalable while preserving natural, hyper-personalized speech traits and ensuring authenticity.

Paite added, “This breakthrough will transform how non-verbal children interact with the world. With a voice that feels truly their own, they can express personal needs more naturally, whether communicating in school, asking for help in an emergency, or even sharing essential information like their name and address if they are lost. Beyond just speech, this technology fosters independence and a deeper sense of belonging, bridging the gap between them and the world around them.”

The pilot of this project was a success, with 10 children’s voices being heard for the first time. A mother heard her son say ‘I love you too’. A father listened to his daughter recite poems she’d been writing for over five years.

“These days, almost every home has a smartphone, which can be the biggest learning opportunity,” adds Pausuanlal Guite, Head of School Administration at CCI.

Empowering ASEAN: India’s BPE Rolls Out Advanced Power Solutions in the Region

New Delhi,04 April 2025: India’s pioneering and leading power solutions provider, Best Power Equipments (BPE), has entered into a strategic partnership with TOTALPower, a key player in the Philippines’ energy sector, to deliver advanced power infrastructure solutions. This collaboration will enhance energy reliability across industries, including data centers, commercial establishments, and industrial facilities in the Philippines and the broader ASEAN region.

In a significant step forward, TOTALPower executives visited India and signed the partnership agreement at the BPE Experience Center in Noida, underscoring their commitment to integrating high-quality power solutions. The signing ceremony allowed the teams to explore BPE’s state-of-the-art UPS, power backup, and energy management technologies that will be deployed in the Philippine market.

“Hosting TOTALPower at our Experience Center and showcasing our cutting-edge solutions underscores BPE’s commitment to global expansion and innovation,” said Amitansu Satpathy, Managing Director, BPE. “This partnership will enable us to bring world-class, reliable power solutions to ASEAN markets while furthering India’s position as a global power technology hub.”

TOTALPower, known for its independent power generation capabilities and integrated energy solutions, will bring its expertise in local energy regulations, market dynamics, and large-scale infrastructure projects. Together, BPE and TOTALPower will develop comprehensive power solutions that address the growing need for uninterrupted, efficient, and sustainable power across the region.

The key focus areas of the partnership include the strengthening of power infrastructure through the delivery of high-efficiency power backup and energy solutions. Besides, it marks the expansion of BPE’s footprint across the ASEAN market – Philippines and beyond. It is further a sustainable Energy Initiatives that backs energy-efficient infrastructure with cutting-edge technology.

As power demands continue to rise, the BPE-TOTALPower partnership aims to set new industry benchmarks in energy resilience, efficiency, and sustainability, reinforcing India’s ‘Make in India’ vision while supporting ASEAN’s growing energy sector.

Pocket FM’s New Tagline and Anthem Inspire a Nation to Listen to the Good

India – 4th April, 2025 – We live in a world of relentless noise – be it digital clutter, endless notifications, or the hum of everyday chaos – on the streets, at work, in metro rides, news debates and everything that happens around us.. Amid this constant clutter, Pocket FM, the audio series platform from Pocket Entertainment, unveils its official India tagline: ‘India, Kuch Acha Suno!’ with a call to escape the chaos around us and embrace immersive, meaningful storytelling that resonates, inspires, and entertains.

With this bold tagline, launched with an evocative anthem, Pocket FM offers a refreshing escape—an invitation to immerse in a new era of audio entertainment, turning passive moments into deeply enriching experiences. The powerful anthem captures a fundamental truth: our world is filled with persistent distractions that disrupt our peace. From endless chatter to background commotion and fleeting content, noise is everywhere.

In a time when content is fleeting and distractions are endless, Pocket FM brings a meaningful pause with stories that touch the soul. With a vast library spanning drama, thrillers, fantasy, romance, and more, Pocket FM isn’t just entertainment; it’s an escape- a sanctuary where stories come alive with depth, emotion, and purpose.

Vineet Singh, Head, Brand Marketing & Communications, shared, “This is more than just a campaign. It’s a movement. There is an overwhelming amount of noise in our lives—both online and offline. With ‘India, Kuch Acha Suno!,’ we are not just introducing a tagline; we are championing a movement to transform how people consume content. What we listen to shapes our emotions, thoughts, and well-being. This anthem, built with the power of AI and our in-house creative team, is a testament to how technology and human creativity come together at the core of Pocket FM – delivering immersive, meaningful stories that inspire, entertain, and enrich every moment.”

Crafted by Pocket Entertainment’s in-house creative team in collaboration with its AI-capabilities, the anthem is a celebration of Pocket FM’s innovation-first storytelling approach — fusing human creativity and AI together to create richer, more resonant content.

Public Issue of UGRO Capital’s Secured NCDs Goes Live Today

Hyderabad, April 4, 2025: UGRO Capital Limited, an NBFC focused on MSME lending, today announced the issue of secured, rated, listed, redeemable, non-convertible debentures of the face value of ₹ 1,000 each. The Issue has a base issue size of ₹ 10,000 lakhs with an option to retain oversubscription up to ₹ 10,000 lakh, aggregating up to ₹ 20,000 lakh. The Issue opens on Thursday, April 3, 2025 and closes on Monday, April 21, 2025 with an option of early closure subject to compliance with Regulation 33A of the SEBI NCS Regulations.

 The NCDs are proposed to be listed on the Stock Exchanges and NSE is the Designated Stock Exchange for the Issue. The NCDs have been rated “IND A+/Stable” by India Ratings and Research Private Limited. Securities with this rating are considered to have adequate degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations.

 Tipsons Consultancy Services Private Limited is the sole lead manager to the issue and MUFG Intime India Private Limited (formerly known as Link Intime India Private Limited) is the Registrar to the Issue and MITCON Credentia Trusteeship Services Limited is the debenture trustee to the Issue.

 This issue has tenor of 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, and 42 months for secured NCDs. Effective yield (% per annum) for NCD holders in all Categories ranges from 10.47% to 11.01%. Redemption Amount (₹ / NCD) on maturity for NCD holders in all Categories range is ₹ 1000.

 At least 75% of the Net proceeds of the Issue shall be utilized for the purpose of onward lending and financing business of the company in ordinary course of business (including for repayment / refinance of existing debts of the Company) and Not exceeding 25% shall be used for general corporate purposes.

 As on December 31, 2024 UGRO Capital’s CRAR, in accordance with the Limited Reviewed Financial Results was at 21.52%. Its AUM has grown from ₹2,96,890.60 lakh as of March 31, 2022, to ₹9,04,705.74 lakh as of March 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the Company was operating from 23 prime branches and 201 Emerging Market branches with an AUM of ₹ 11,06,656.73 lakh and catering more than 1,35,000 lakh customers. Across the offered products, as on December 31, 2024, the average ticket size stood at ₹ 11.37 lakh and the portfolio yield stood at 16.65%.

Agritech Pavilion Steals the Show on Day One of Startup MahaKumbh, Showcasing India’s Innovation Edge

Delhi, April 4, 2025: Startup MahaKumbh commenced today, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to propel India’s startup ecosystem forward. The opening day featured thought-provoking discussions, insightful masterclasses, and key initiative launches aimed at revolutionizing India’s agritech sector.

A major highlight was the Inaugural Plenary Session: The Future of Agritech & Rural Commerce: Solving Bharat’s $1 Trillion Opportunity, featuring a keynote address by Shaji KV, Chairman, NABARD, and insights from Vikas Bali, CEO, Intellecap. The session set the stage for exploring transformative trends shaping India’s agritech landscape.

During the session, Shaji KV shared, “Overall, if you look at India’s growth story – India’s growing at around 7%. But if you look at the agriculture sector in recent times, you will see the production is higher in both the levy and tariff, and the rural sector growth is catching up with the urban sector growth. That means the fruits of growth also will percolate to the rural sector, so that almost 50% of the population which is dependent on agriculture will be paid. That is what our larger role is, improving the per capita income in a unified manner. We’re taking the farmers also along in India’s growth story.”

The Impromptu Pitch Competition, a key attraction, invited agritech entrepreneurs to present their groundbreaking solutions, offering them a platform to gain investor attention and industry validation. The winners of the Impromptu Pitch Competition were Everge Agroscience Pvt Ltd, which secured the top spot in the Aavishkaar Ultimate Agritech Pitch, winning a cash prize of 3 lakh rupees, while Agrolt Solutions Pvt Ltd emerged as the runner-up, receiving 2 lakh rupees.

Investment trends in agritech were explored in the Investor Pitch sessions – Business Models Investors Are Betting On – featuring leading voices Rema Subramanian (Co-founder & Managing Partner, Ankur Capital) and Arpit Agarwal (Investment Partner, Blume Ventures). The session provided valuable insights into the investment strategies shaping agritech innovation in India.

The Trailblazing Tales – Agri-Innovations from Sector Disruptors sessions featured pioneering entrepreneurs, including Anil Passary, Managing Director, Urvarak Industries Pvt. Ltd., Nidhi Pant (Co-founder, S4S Technologies), Srinivas Karavadi (President, Absolute AG), and Lt Cdr Naveen Nehra (Retd.), Founder, zestleyorganics, who shared their journeys in reshaping Indian agriculture through technology and innovation.

A critical discussion on Tapping the Carbon Markets for Smallholder Farmers was led by Sanchayan Chakraborty (Partner & CEO, Aavishkaar Carbon Platform) and Santosh Kumar Singh (Partner & Managing Director, Intellecap). The session explored the role of carbon markets in creating new revenue opportunities for farmers while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Additionally, the strategic vision of SBI Foundation on supporting startups was outlined in a session titled SBI Foundation’s Strategic Vision on Startups through Innovators for Bharat, featuring Aman Bhaiya (VP & Head of Strategy, SBI Foundation).

Beyond discussions, the Agritech Pavilion showcased a lineup of innovative startups, presenting their cutting-edge solutions to investors, industry experts, and attendees. These startups are driving transformation in areas such as precision agriculture, supply chain optimization, farm mechanization, and climate-smart agriculture. Some of the leading agritech enterprises featured at the Agritech Pavilion included AgroStar, Agrozone Services Pvt. Ltd., AquaExchange Agritech Pvt. Ltd., Compositech Greensol Pvt. Ltd., Dehaat, Edge marketing Pvt Ltd, Heart in Hills Pvt Ltd. (Foreka), Marut Dronetech Pvt. Ltd., Maxgreen Tractors and Agro Equipments Pvt Ltd, and Vattam Health Foods Private Limited.