Category Archives: News

NLB Services Strengthens Role in Tech Innovation as Exclusive Talent Partner for Mumbai Tech Week 2025

Mumbai, February 28, 2025: The much awaited second edition of Mumbai Tech Week (MTW), the largest AI event in Asia returns to the Jio World Convention Centre, BKC, Mumbai February 28 – March 1, 2025. Presented by the Government of Maharashtra and the Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM), this landmark event is set to amplify Mumbai’s position as the ‘AI Use Case Capital for Asia’ and showcase MumbAI as a city where AI intersects with industry, civil society and the arts & media at unprecedented scale. Building on its successful launch last year, MTW 2025 will facilitate dialogue and future-focused discussions on the development and rapid evolution of core AI foundations and models. The event features founders building global AI companies, leaders scaling solutions, and policymakers shaping the national AI framework.

In addition to in-depth conversations and networking avenues, the event will also include an AI-powered Job Fair powered by NLB Services. A host of India’s leading technology companies will be part of the job fair, promising over 200+ job opportunities for candidates with expertise in niche technology domains like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Blockchain, Data Science, and Full Stack Development. Prominent recruiters include brands such as National Payments Corporation of India, Shaadi.Com, Dream11, Quantiphi and many others.

Commenting on the event, Vivek Khemani, member of Governing Council, Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM), and Co-founder, Quantiphi said, “With the ongoing AI revolution significantly influencing the future of both business and society, the Mumbai Tech Week 2025 is expanding its scope this year to feature more attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. As Mumbai solidifies its unique position as a leading innovation and adoption hub for AI, talent acquisition and upskilling remain at the forefront of key business priorities. The event, besides playing the role of a point of convergence for tech and leadership, will also open new doors for skilled technology professionals.

Speaking on the event and emphasizing the importance of talent accessibility in today’s evolving digital landscape Varun Sachdeva, SVP & APAC Head at NLB Services said “In a tech-driven era defined by innovations in AI and other related fields, Mumbai Tech Week 2025 promises the exchange of ideas, inspiration and impact. To meet future business demands, industries must focus on bridging the skill gaps across digital domains. At NLB Services, we are committed to leveraging AI-driven recruitment solutions that connect the right candidates with the right opportunities. The Job Fair at Mumbai Tech Week 2025 Job Fair 2025 reinforces our vision, and we are excited to curate a platform that benefits job seekers and employers alike.”

M3M Foundation Empowers PTR with Thermal Drone to Monitor from the Skies

Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh: In an event held on 24th Feb at Mustafabad Tourism Centre of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, a thermal drone was provided to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve by the M3M Foundation under the VanJeevan Program.

VanJeevan is a collaborative effort of the M3M Foundation, YFLO Delhi Chapter, with an aim to prevent human-wildlife conflict. Thermal drone will support the collection of data from inaccessible landscape, measure waterbody levels and help in creation of maps that will enhance biodiversity documentation.

The thermal imaging capabilities of the drone will enable the forest field staff to detect signs of ground fires early, enhance rescue and wildlife tracking capability, reduce forest offences, and ensure the safety of forest field staff and the local community.

During the event, Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, Managing Trustee and President, M3M Foundation, not only provided drone but also donated 275 forest-life kits containing bags, t-shirts, lowers, caps, raincoats and water bottles for the Baghmitra and watchtower guards of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.

Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson YFLO Delhi Chapter, while talking about the wildlife program, said, “We stand strongly for biodiversity and protection of wildlife and mitigating human-wildlife conflict. Earlier, we had installed solar lights on watchtowers and posts in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and now going a step further, thermal drone is also being provided. In the future, we will continue to contribute to the conservation of wildlife in collaboration with the department.”

Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, Managing Trustee and President of M3M Foundation, while talking about the importance of thermal drones, said “This thermal drone worth lakhs of rupees is capable of keeping an eye on every nook and corner of the forest. This will definitely help the Tiger Reserve in ensuring the safety of wild animals.”

On behalf of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Deputy Director Manish Singh thanked M3M Foundation for it’s initiatives and said “These efforts are certainly commendable. The solar lights installed by M3M Foundation have shown a significant reduction in the attacks on the guards of the Watchtower by wildlife. The usefulness of thermal drones in the extreme conditions of the forest is axiomatic.

Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, Mandeep, Ashish Mehra, Ashish from M3M Foundation and Deputy Director Shri Manish Singh, Baghmitra and other members from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve were present at the event.

Myntra Celebrates 18th Year with Myntra Birthday Blast, Offering Shoppers Special ‘Return Gifts’

To commemorate its 18th birthday, Myntra has announced the second edition of the Myntra Birthday Blast (MBB). The shopping event, happening from March 1-10 brings together over 4 million styles from 7000+ international, domestic and Made-in-India brands across fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

The categories that are expected to garner traction from consumers during MBB include Men’s Casual Wear, Men’s and Women’s Ethnic wear, Women’s Western Wear, Beauty and Personal Care, Watches and Wearables, Accessories, Sportswear and Home and Living. Several popular brands that are expected to witness heightened traction include Puma, Lakme, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, CK, BOSS, Estee Lauder, H&M, MANGO, Libas, Skybags, Safari, Adidas, MAC, and Blackberrys among others.

Speaking on the second edition of Myntra Birthday Blast, Bharath Kumar BS, Head of Revenue and Growth, Myntra said, “As Myntra celebrates 18 incredible years, we are grateful for the love and trust of our customers, brand partners, and employees who have shaped this journey. From redefining fashion e-commerce to setting new trends, our commitment to innovation and customer delight remains stronger than ever. To celebrate this milestone, Myntra Birthday Blast brings together some of the most exciting offers for eligible shoppers, while also surprising them with return gifts.”

Exciting new launches for MBB

This edition of Myntra Birthday Blast will showcase an exciting lineup of brand launches and new collections across fashion, beauty, and home categories. YSL, one of the most loved fashion & beauty brands globally has launched its perfume collection on Myntra for the first time. Other new brand launches across categories include Corsica, Under Armour Kids, Duroflex, Sleepy Head, The Sleep Company, Sleepy Cat, and WakeFit. Customers will also be able to explore new collection drops like the Biba X Kriti Sanon collection, The Rare Rabbit Denim collection, and USPA x Vijaya Shree Collection amongst a host of other new line-ups from brands like H&M, Crocs, Enamor, MANGO, Blackberrys and Taneira.

Adding to the excitement, the event will also see Myntra giving back to its shoppers, with customers getting assured return gifts as per the applicable terms, including iPhones, AirPods, and other exciting surprises. This mega event presents a one-of-its-kind opportunity for brands to engage with millions of customers, including first-time shoppers, eager to discover unique and trendy fashion and beauty solutions. The shopping event includes several exciting deals, including B’day Blast deals, Midnight Steals, Brand of the Day and Grab or Gone deals. With over 12k styles, customers in Bengaluru can get their select brands, available on M-Now, delivered to them starting in 30 minutes.

Myntra is further enhancing the shopping experience with AI-led features like MyFashionGPT and My Stylist along with other features like multi-product virtual try-ons, and the Ultimate Glam Clan program, a shopper-led creator program designed to help shoppers make informed decisions with reviews. Top influencers from across the country, will also create exclusive looks to inspire fashion, lifestyle and beauty enthusiasts. Myntra Birthday Blast is set to deliver an immersive, seamless, and rewarding shopping experience for every customer.

New Relic Boosts Intelligent Observability with AI Innovations, Accelerating Enterprise Business Transformation

Bangalore, India—NEW RELIC NOW+—February 28, 2025—New Relic, the Intelligent Observability company, announced 20+ AI platform innovations and new ecosystem partnerships. New Relic gives customers the most comprehensive intelligent recommendations by integrating Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) from its platform with customer-defined data and third-party sources so they can take immediate action. This intelligence makes the New Relic Intelligent Observability Platform accessible and understandable so that any user across the enterprise can optimize business and IT operations and control costs.

“Enterprises are in a multi-cloud, multi-platform world where data is exploding and stored in a multitude of places,” said New Relic CEO Ashan Willy. “We stayed steps ahead of this evolution by innovating our platform and expanding our ecosystem to be the first to empower our customers to truly take advantage of AI for observability. We are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible to build a platform that meets not just our customers’ current needs, but also their needs five and even ten years down the road.”

“Now, we’ve opened the door for companies to thrive in this ‘age of intelligence’ where observability extends far beyond what a human alone can accomplish. Real intelligence means applying observability expertise to dynamic environments and surfacing the right insights to the right person at the right time—wherever they work. Our customers now have the knowledge they need to take action and benefit from observability across every single department, from developers, support, security, executives, and finance.”

Delivers 20+ innovations that infuse intelligence across every corner of its platform The New Relic Intelligent Observability Platform is built with data at its core. It collects and monitors all telemetry data and leverages AI that can be used to predict and prevent business-impacting issues by surfacing the right insights. New Relic is delivering 20+ innovations to its 85,000 customers that infuse intelligence across its platform to help enterprises ensure engineering excellence, business uptime, and the best digital experiences for their customers.

Capabilities and partnerships:

● AI capabilities and integrations drive business uptime:

○ Agentic Integrations – Enables AI agent to AI agent integrations to bring New Relic’s critical observability data and intelligent recommendations across the business and tech ecosystem. New agentic AI integrations with ServiceNow and Google Gemini will build upon New Relic’s expanding AI integration ecosystem that includes GitHub Copilot and Amazon Q Business.

○ Response Intelligence – Contextualizes all metrics, changes, and

services—including external sources like ITSMs—to accelerate incident resolution. Unifies all telemetry data and correlates it in a single view, providing

AI-strengthened impact analysis and mitigation recommendations based on past incidents.

○ Predictions – The industry’s most comprehensive Predictions engine leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze historical data, quickly identify patterns, and forecast time-series metrics within a singular interface. Anticipates problems before they occur to drive better system performance, increased uptime, and improved revenue.

● Cost optimization capabilities drives engineering excellence and developer productivity:

○ Cloud Cost Intelligence – Delivers detailed views into multi-cloud cost trends, drivers, and impacts so business teams can be strategic about current and future cloud investment.

○ Pipeline Control – Intelligently maximizes the quality and value of telemetry data to control data, manage costs, ensure security and compliance, and understand ROI. Provides a feature-rich pipeline rules engine to manage data, allowing users to route, filter, enrich, and transform all telemetry data in flight to maximize the value of data ingested.

○ Service Architecture Intelligence – Simplifies service, infrastructure, incident and quality management by consolidating critical knowledge on these aspects into customizable catalogs, scorecards, teams and maps.

● Intelligent APM drives business uptime:

○ Transaction 360 – The industry’s only intelligent observability solution for transactions resolves issues 5x faster by providing a unified view of

business-critical transactions so enterprises can quickly identify and fix the root cause of incidents. By integrating granular service-level details from transaction traces with an end-to-end perspective from distributed tracing, it delivers a complete picture of problematic transactions via a single click.

● DEM capabilities drive excellent digital experiences:

○ Streaming Video and Ads Intelligence – The industry’s first intelligent observability solution for streaming media helps maintain high-quality video and ad experiences across diverse devices and regions. Unifies video Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics, app performance, back-end infrastructure, and ad analytics. Unlike competitors’ siloed solutions, this comprehensive approach provides a holistic view of the entire media distribution pipeline.

○ Engagement Intelligence – Automates data collection and uses intelligent element attribution to capture every interaction, eliminating manual instrumentation and accelerating how organizations analyze and improve digital user interactions. It

correlates user behavior beyond the front-end application to the underlying services and infrastructure, democratizing insights by making them accessible to every engineer supporting digital experiences.

“Enterprises that adopt Intelligence have a competitive edge, as they turn to AI for enhanced business decisions based on insights from large data sets, increased productivity, improved customer experiences, faster innovation, and cost reduction,” said IDC Group Vice President

Stephen Elliot. “Observability provides the lens on digital business, and as such, the ideal place for these intelligent capabilities to live. All businesses will demand observability innovations that make these outcomes achievable.”

Expands open ecosystem to empower businesses with Intelligent Observability Platform and advanced AI integrations

New Relic is expanding its open ecosystem to empower businesses across the enterprise with its Intelligent Observability Platform and advanced AI integrations. By connecting its platform with best-of-breed solutions, New Relic delivers mission-critical insights and intelligent recommendations to the tools and platforms where customers already work. The New Relic Intelligent Observability Platform drives business growth and developer velocity by integrating across workflows and enabling insights wherever customers operate. New Relic is positioned to power the ecosystem because its platform is extensible and strengthened by a sophisticated AI engine, paired with its platform approach to packaging and pricing.

“At Cimpress Technology, we operate in a complex and diverse environment that demands a robust observability strategy. We regularly review our tools to ensure we’re using the best solutions for our needs, and New Relic remains our tool of choice. What truly sets New Relic apart is not just its powerful platform, but also their exceptional proactive support. Their commitment to our success and their hands-on approach has been invaluable in helping us navigate our observability challenges and align with our strategic goals,” said the Cimpress Technology Engineering Experience Team. “New Relic provides clear and total visibility into issues across multiple services, allowing us to trace them to their root cause from a single view. Their expansive and growing feature set constantly introduces new ways to ensure system reliability. Additionally, their query system is a game changer for extracting and analyzing data, enabling us to unify insights from different New Relic products in one place. We look forward to continuing to innovate together as we scale and evolve.”

PDS Triumphs with Two Prestigious Honors: Great Place to Work Certification and WOW Workplace Award

Mumbai, 28 February 2025: PDS is a global fashion solutions and infrastructure company offering customized solutions to global brands and retailers across services like product development, sourcing, manufacturing, and brand management. The company is pleased to announce the certification of Great Place to Work® by GPTW and the receipt of the WOW Workplace Award by Jombay, a recognition for being a workplace of winners.

This recognition reaffirms PDS’ dedication to ‘People-first’ approach by cultivating an inclusive and supportive workplace culture, where all team member’s contributions are valued and celebrated. With a diverse team, the company continues to prioritize a workplace culture that encourages growth, collaboration, and equality.

Congratulating on the recognitions Pallak Seth, Executive Vice Chairman, PDS said, “We believe that creating a great workplace starts with building a culture that values, empowers, and motivates our people. Our people are at the core of our success, and we extend our sincere appreciation to every team member for contributing in making PDS an exceptional place to work. We feel proud of the culture we’ve built and are excited to keep pushing the boundaries of what a truly inclusive, forward-thinking workplace can be.”

Sanjay Jain, Group CEO, PDS, expressed his thoughts, “Being recognized as one of India’s Best Places to Work by GPTW and receiving WOW award is a testament to our commitment to fostering a workplace where employees feel valued, inspired, and empowered. They affirm the work we’ve done so far to ensure that PDS is not just a place to work, but a place to thrive. We are excited to build on these principles and create even more opportunities for success and collaboration in the future.”

How PDS Creates an Exceptional Workplace:

• Listening to Employee Needs: PDS prioritizes open communication through town halls and regular gatherings, ensuring that employee feedback drives meaningful improvements.
• Culture of Transparency: Leadership fosters a culture of trust, where dialogue and feedback are encouraged to continuously evolve and enhance the work environment.
• Empowering Employees with Resources: Employees have access to cutting-edge tools, learning opportunities, and structured career paths to help them succeed.
• Investment in Technology: PDS focuses on advanced systems and automation to enhance productivity, efficiency, and innovation across the organization.
• Professional Development: Employees benefit from mentorship programs, leadership training, and upskilling initiatives to support career growth.

Ceebros Hotels Celebrates LEED Gold Certification for Pullman, Anna Salai’s Green Building Excellence

The Ceebros Hotels have always been committed to world-class hospitality while ensuring environmentally responsible operations. As part of this vision, we undertook the refurbishment of Pullman, Anna Salai with a strong focus on sustainability, integrating both active and passive energy-efficient measures. Our approach included smart Air Handling Units, water-cooled chillers, an IoT-based indoor air quality monitoring system integrated with IBMS, optimal window glazing, DGU systems, and the use of sustainable interior materials. This major renovation, with a capital expenditure of approximately ₹100 crore, retained nearly 100% of the existing structure, aligning with our commitment to responsible redevelopment.

Our dedication to sustainability has been further reinforced through three key initiatives that contributed to earning the prestigious LEED GOLD Certification. We have achieved approximately 20% energy savings, with the remaining power requirements met entirely through our renewable wind power plant and on-site solar system, ensuring that 100% of the energy used at Pullman Anna Salai is from renewable sources.

Water conservation has been another critical focus area for us, with the hotel achieving 55% water savings through a combination of innovative indoor and outdoor strategies. Our membrane bio-reactive sewage treatment plant enables wastewater recycling for cooling towers, flushing, and landscaping. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures and rainwater harvesting systems further optimize water usage, minimizing waste and promoting long-term sustainability.

Enhancing the health and well-being of our guests has always been a priority. We have implemented advanced air purification technologies for fresh air intake and indoor air filtration, complemented by a MerV 4 filtration system for superior air quality. Additionally, our IoT-based air quality monitoring system ensures continuous assessment, maintaining a healthier and more comfortable indoor environment.

C Subba Reddy, Managing Director, Ceebros, said, “Sustainability has always been an integral part of our vision at Ceebros Hotels. Achieving the LEED GOLD Certification for Pullman Anna Salai reflects our commitment to creating an environmentally responsible hospitality experience without compromising on guest comfort. This milestone reinforces our efforts to incorporate cutting-edge energy efficiency, water conservation, and air quality solutions into our operations, setting a standard for future developments.”

PMI Pearl City Chapter at Mahindra University: A New Era of Project Management Opportunities for Students

Hyderabad/New Delhi, 28th February 2025: Mahindra University hosted the International Student Leadership Day (ISLD) Conference 2025 in association with the PMI Pearl City Chapter (PMIPCC), Hyderabad, on their campus. The event brought together over 134 students, faculty, and industry professionals to explore the intersection of leadership, project management, and innovation. The conference featured keynotes and presentations from distinguished speakers, including Dr. Bishnu Pal, Dean Academics, School of Engineering, Mahindra University; Dr. Pradeep Racherla, Assistant Dean, Professor of Marketing, School of Management, Mahindra University; Dr. Pendyala Kiranmai Dutt, Board member, United Way, Hyderabad; and Mr. Manohar Yerraguntla, President, PMIPCC & PMO at Amara Raja Group, as well as engaging interactive sessions on important topics such as leadership traits, human-AI collaboration, and sustainability challenges.

Mr. Yerraguntla introduced the SPARK framework—self or leadership—and emphasised that “leadership is about impact, not titles.” In a compelling panel discussion, experts highlighted the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in leadership. Ms. Shazia, a psychology student, urged caution in adopting AI technologies. At the same time, other panellists, including Mr. Varunteja, a student at JNTU in mechanical engineering, emphasised the potential for AI to play leadership roles, though human collaboration remains key. The event also featured a ‘Pitch for the Planet’ session where students presented innovative solutions to global challenges. Akshara Hiranmai, a B. Tech student from BVRIT for women, showcased an eco-friendly water-saving device, while Boppana Sri Neha, a B. Tech student from BVRIT for women, proposed an AI-powered sensor to prevent scooter accidents. Finally, Vinay Jain, a BBA student at Mahindra University, advocated for responsible plastic use & recycling to reduce waste.

Dr. Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor, Mahindra University, stated, “The launch of the student-led APEX PMIPCC MU reaffirms Mahindra University’s constant commitment to experiential learning and marks a step forward in emphasizing the criticality of integrating project management into academic learning. This initiative equips students with skills to engage with industry best practices and develop leadership capabilities.”

Mr. Manohar Yerraguntla, President, PMIPCC, said, “ISLD is a platform designed to empower the youth, helping them in developing critical leadership and project management skills. At PMI Pearl City Chapter, we are committed to preparing students for the future by helping them with the right knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead with confidence and drive meaningful changes. It was truly inspiring to witness the curiosity and passion of the students. A big thank you to Mahindra University faculty, management, volunteers, and all the participants for making this event a grand success.”

The event also marked the official launch of APEX PMIPCC MU, a student-led club dedicated to project management education. Under the guidance of Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti, Professor, School of Management, Mahindra University, and Dr. Mukesh Narmetta, Assistant Professor, School of Management, Mahindra University, the club aims to provide students with exposure to global project management standards, tools, and methodologies. Through workshops, mentorship, and networking opportunities, APEX PMIPCC MU will bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations and help young professionals build practical skills, learn through collaboration, and explore innovative ideas.

Honoring a Legacy: CM Devendra Fadnavis Celebrates Shri Hashu Ji Advani’s Centenary at Vivekanand Education Society

February 28, 2025; Mumbai, India: Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis joined Vivekanand Education Society (VES), Chembur in Mumbai to commemorate the centenary of its visionary founder, Shri Hashu Ji Advani on 26th February 2025. Joining the celebrations as the Honorable Chief Guest Shri Devendra Fadnavis launched the VES Legacy Coffee Table Book on the life of Shri Hashu Ji Advani, his vision, and transformative contributions to education. The event was also graced by Mr. Kumar Taurani, Producer, Director, and Owner of Tips Industries Limited; Mr. Vivek Chandrakant Rao, Pintail Worldwide Pvt. Ltd; Mr. Sandeep Mishra, Chief Distribution Officer, Aditya Birla Sun Life and Mr. Vishal Ratanghayra – Director, Platinum Corp. Additionally, Shri Rajesh Gehani – Secretary, VES, Shri Prakash Lulla – Treasurer, VES and Shri Suresh Malkani, President, VES were also present.

The Chief Minister remembered Shri Hashu Ji Advani and praised VES for its unwavering dedication to fostering learning and academic excellence. “Today, as we gather at Vivekanand Education Society, we see Hashu Ji Advani’s vision reflected in every corner of this institution. We must not only remember his contributions but also work towards instilling his values in our society. My heartfelt congratulations to the institution, its leaders, faculty, and students for carrying forward his legacy with such dedication.” Shri Devendra Fadnavis said.

“Swami Vivekananda once said that while the 20th century may have belonged to England and America, the 21st century will belong to India. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is progressing rapidly—we have become the world’s fifth-largest economy and will soon be the third-largest. By 2047, we are on course to becoming a fully developed nation, the world’s leading economy, realizing Swami Vivekananda’s dream. Hashu Ji’s dream of empowering future generations is being realized through this institution.” he concluded.

Shri Suresh Malkani, President, VES, said, “We are honored to have with us the Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis Ji, a leader committed to good governance and progress. We launch the VES Legacy Coffee Table Book celebrating Shri Hashu Ji Advani’s inspiring journey and the transformative impact of the Vivekananda Education Society. More than a book, it is a tribute to a visionary dedicated to public service, education, and nation-building. As we unveil it, let us draw inspiration from his legacy and express our gratitude to Shri Devendra Fadnavis Ji for his unwavering support of educational initiatives like VES.”

The centenary celebrations featured a variety of events, including ‘Sindhis Got Talent,’ a cultural showcase celebrating the Sindhi community heritage through music and dance. The Marathon – The Hashu Advani Legacy Run, marked the beginning of the festivities, bringing together students, alumni, and fitness enthusiasts to honor Shri Hashu Ji Advani’s vision of holistic development. A medical camp provided essential health services such as eye check-ups, a blood donation drive, a cancer awareness seminar, and a wellness session. The initiative resulted in the collection of 400 units of blood and saw participation from professors, senior students, and dignitaries, including Deputy Police Commissioner Shri Suhas Warke, IPS.

Build India Infra Awards 2025: A Grand Celebration of India’s Best in Infrastructure and Development

New Delhi, February 28, 2025: The Second Edition of the Build India Infra Awards 2025 honored India’s most outstanding infrastructure projects, recognizing impact, innovation, and sustainability across key sectors. With significant participation, the awards highlighted engineering marvels that are shaping India’s journey toward world-class infrastructure. Primus Partners, India’s largest home-grown consulting services firm, served as the Knowledge Partner, ensuring a rigorous selection process. The nominees presented their projects and this was followed by two rounds of deliberation among a distinguished jury comprising of IAS officers, MDs, and CEOs of leading companies to evaluate them. The awards were founded by Shri Vaibhav Dange (Public Policy Expert on Infrastructure, Green Fuels & Sustainable Mobility), who welcomed the guests and celebrated the achievers.

Emphasizing India’s rapid growth, Shri Vaibhav Dange highlighted that the country now has the third-largest road network in the world, while its aviation sector is set to become the third-largest globally. The Build India Infra Awards 2025 recognize and celebrate excellence in infrastructure development, spotlighting 4 key sectors from Edition 1 2024 viz. roads and highways, railways, ports, airports and 3 new sectors introduced in this Edition 2 namely urban transport, water infrastructure, power transmission that have made significant contributions to India’s growth story. In addition to these 7 sectors, Edition 2 of Build India Infra Awards has instituted a special category – “Trailblazing infrastructure” which aims to provide a platform to showcase projects which are the ”Pride of India”.

He noted that no one was better suited to present the aviation category awards than Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu – Minister of Civil Aviation, who is leading India’s aviation transformation.

Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of Civil Aviation, who attended the event highlighted India’s rapid aviation growth, stating: “Over the past five years, ₹91,000 crore has been invested in aviation, expanding connectivity across India. The UDAAN scheme has added 88 new airports, enabling 4 crore more passengers to travel. By 2047, India will be the world’s No.1 aviation market. With 26 projects worth ₹8,000 crore underway, we are transforming the sector, expanding into Tier-3 cities, and ensuring inclusive growth. The NDA government is not just the National Democratic Alliance, it is the National Development Alliance, committed to building a stronger, more connected India.”

The event witnessed experts from diverse sectors of Indian infrastructure coming together to celebrate excellence and innovation. It brought together distinguished leaders, policymakers, and industry stalwarts who have played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s infrastructure landscape.

The award ceremony was also graced by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, who virtually addressed the audience, stating: “These awards celebrate excellence in infrastructure, recognizing not just projects but also the businesses driving India’s growth. Every milestone we achieve reflects our nation’s bold aspirations. Through initiatives like ‘Gati Shakti’, we are making transportation seamless and cost-effective. With ₹11.21 lakh crore allocated for capital expenditure (capex), in Union Budget 2025, India is laying the foundation for a stronger, more connected future. Let’s work together to create a better India for tomorrow. As we march towards Viksit Bharat 2047, our collective efforts will shape a nation that stands tall on the global stage.”

In another virtual address, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal Khattar emphasized the impact of the PM Gati Shakti initiative, stating that it is driving the nation’s progress. He lauded the awards as a great initiative that promotes innovation and sustainability while congratulating all nominees for their contributions. Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari echoed similar sentiments, expressing his pleasure at being part of the event and highlighting India’s position as the world’s third-largest economy, urging continued efforts toward growth. Quoting John F. Kennedy, he reiterated that “America’s roads are not good because it is rich; America is rich because its roads are good.” He emphasized the government’s strong commitment to infrastructure development, with increased budget allocations to generate jobs and boost economic progress. He also stressed the importance of aligning knowledge with international standards, reaffirming his dedication to advancing the sector.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in his virtual address, stated:“The Build India Infra Awards 2025 celebrates the leaders and innovators shaping India’s infrastructure. Under Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s leadership, India is modernizing ports, inland waterways, and shipping through initiatives like Sagarmala, PM Gati Shakti, and Maritime Vision 2047.”

Davinder Sandhu, Co-Founder & Chairperson of Primus Partners, delivered the vote of thanks to Shri Naidu and commended the awards for evolving with India’s infrastructure landscape. He stated, “This year, I have seen some remarkable new elements in these awards, reflecting the sector’s transformation. With the government’s capital expenditure (capex) allocation taking shape, we are witnessing a shift in how projects are being executed. I congratulate all the captains of industry for their contributions to nation-building.”

Adding to the event’s prestige was an esteemed jury panel, led by Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, who stated, “For India to grow from a $4 trillion to a $30 trillion economy, we need world-class expressways, highways, and metros. With solar capacity scaled 31 times and 40 million houses built, India is executing projects at an unprecedented scale. Platforms like the Build India Infra Awards are key to driving this excellence.”

The jury comprised top bureaucrats, industry leaders, and infrastructure experts. Their extensive expertise ensured a rigorous and transparent selection process, reinforcing the credibility of the awards. Davinder Sandhu, Co-Founder & Chairperson, Primus Partners and Vaibhav Dange, a Public Policy Expert on Infrastructure, Green Fuels & Sustainable Mobility, further strengthened the discourse on sustainable and futuristic infrastructure development.

The event was a landmark occasion that recognized and honored the efforts of individuals and organizations that have contributed to nation-building through pioneering infrastructure projects. With thought-provoking discussions, networking opportunities, and a shared vision for India’s growth, the evening reinforced the importance of collaboration between government, industry, and thought leaders to drive the country’s infrastructure forward.

As Knowledge Partners, Primus Partners spearheaded the conceptualization and execution of the nomination and jury process for the Build India Infra Awards 2025, ensuring a rigorous and transparent selection. Designed around the three core principles—People, Process, and Product—the jury was presented with a robust framework for holistic assessment, a crucial step in identifying India’s most iconic infrastructure projects.

Nasscom and Karnataka Innovation Society Forge Alliance to Strengthen IP Ecosystem in Karnataka

Bengaluru, February 28, 2025: In a strategic partnership aimed at fostering innovation and intellectual property (IP) growth within Karnataka’s burgeoning tech sector, Nasscom and the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), Department of Electronics, IT, BT, and S&T, Government of Karnataka, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The MoU is signed between Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), Department of Electronics, IT, BT, Government of Karnataka and National Association of Software & Services Companies (nasscom). The MOU outlines a joint commitment to enhance IP awareness, protection, and commercialization within Karnataka’s IT and ITeS industry. This strategic collaboration aims to strengthen the state’s position as a leading innovation hub, boost IP creation, and drive economic growth through enhanced technology development and commercialization.

As part of the MoU with KITS, the collaboration will focus on:

• Establishing and managing an IP Enablement Program to boost innovation and patent filings in Karnataka through structured mentorship and support mechanisms
• Delivering comprehensive technical support through IP mentorship, awareness workshops and capacity building initiatives across educational institutions
• Creating supportive ecosystem for IP growth through strategic industry partnerships, policy frameworks and subsidized legal consultation
• Providing necessary infrastructure and administrative support while monitoring program success through patent metrics and inter-departmental coordination

 The Nasscom IP Enablement Program, a key component of this MoU, will provide structured mentorship and resources to Karnataka’s IT industry, with a special focus on startups and SMEs, to strengthen their IP management and innovation capabilities. This initiative aims to accelerate patent filings and drive technological advancement across the state.

The Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Information Technology & Biotechnology, Sri. Priyank M Kharge highlighted Government of Karnataka’s focus & commitment on developing a conducive ecosystem for the technology sector which would nurture innovation. Karnataka has continued to remain the leader in innovation for the technology sector and necessary steps are being undertaken to ensure that the state retains this position, the Minister remarked. He said “ This collaboration with Nasscom marks a step in this direction, aimed at strengthening the tech industry in Karnataka by offering structured support & mentorship on intellectual property by the seamless collaboration between industry, academia, and the Government to drive innovation across the state.”

Speaking on the collaboration, Rajesh Nambiar, President, Nasscom, said, “The partnership with KITS underscores the industry’s commitment to nurturing innovation and strengthening the IP landscape in India. By working closely with the Karnataka government, we aim to empower businesses of all sizes to protect and leverage their intellectual property, driving economic growth and establishing India as a global leader in innovation.”