BIMTECH Launches Rural Immersion Programme to Drive Experiential Learning and Community Growth

Greater Noida, 12th March 2025: Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), a leading business school in India, successfully hosted the “Rural Immersion Program 2025 – Reflection Day”, bringing together students, faculty, industry leaders, government officials, and rural women.

 The reflection day was graced by the esteemed presence of Chief Guests Sri Manish Kumar Verma, District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Ms. Sita Srivastava, Income Tax Commissioner, along with industry leaders from HR and CSR domains. The event also witnessed a footfall of 40 rural women from various villages accompanied by the U-Turn4Nature team.

 Under the programme BIMTECH recently organized visits to 16 villages in collaboration with U-Turn4Nature, an NGO dedicated to sustainable rural development, women’s empowerment, and promoting eco-friendly practices. This transformative initiative provided a cohort of 534 students including international students, with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and first-hand exposure to rural life and its multifaceted challenges.

 A key highlight of the event was the recognition of three outstanding teams for their dedicated efforts in overcoming challenges and developing innovative, community-driven solutions for rural development. The first award was presented to Samauddinpur Group 9, followed by the second award to Kalonda Group 1, and the third award to Beel Akbarpur Group 13.

 Expressing her delight at this significant step, Dr. Prabina Rajib, Director, BIMTECH, shared, “Building on the success of previous editions, we’re truly excited to present our current batch with this unique opportunity. Over the years, our programme has successfully facilitated actionable recommendations, strengthened collaborations with rural development organizations, and positive community engagement. The programme aligns with the institute’s commitment to holistic education, blending academics with real-world applications.”

 The immersion program bridged the gap between academia, grassroots realities, and socio-economic conditions, as well as empowered students to become socially responsible leaders.

 During the tour, students focused on various critical aspects of rural lives through themes such as “Health & Nutrition”, “Education”, “Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)”, “Agriculture & Livestock”, and “Livelihood & Entrepreneurship”. Identifying hurdles in these key areas helped to explore potential interventions that could contribute to long-term rural development.

 Post-culmination, the findings and recommendations of each participant will be shared with NGOs and policy experts, as well as presented at academic and industry forums to be considered for implementation. The observations and insights recorded will also be utilised for future research and curriculum development purposes. A reflection session is also scheduled with the village leaders, including the Sarpanch, Self-Help Group (SHG) members, women representatives, and others.

ICAS Global Summit to Be Held in Mumbai, Hosted by ASCI

Mumbai, March 12, 2025: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will host the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) Global Summit—ICAS Global Dialogues 2025, from March 17 to 19, 2025, in Mumbai. This is the first time the summit will be held outside Europe and the US, reinforcing India’s growing role in global advertising conversations.

The by-invite-only event will bring together self-regulatory leaders from 16 countries as well as international advertising associations, regulators, and Indian industry leaders. The summit underscores ASCI’s contributions in shaping global thought on responsible advertising and evolving standards.

Besides sessions on pressing global advertising issues related to self-regulation, the three-day summit will include:

• The ICAS Global Self-Regulation Awards (17th March) celebrate the most creative, impactful, and innovative initiatives by SROs worldwide.
• Convening of the newly formed ICAS Think Tank. This will be followed by a compelling panel discussion, which is part of the inaugural ICAS Think Tank discussion. Besides ASCI, Hindustan Unilever, Marico, Cipla Health, and Kenvue are also founding members of this global think tank.
• An industry session ‘Tomorrow’s Regulation Today’ (18th March) that shines a light on emerging areas of consumer vulnerability and how advertising regulation can address them.
• ASCI Academy’s Global Adda (19th March) will see the release of two key pieces of research: ‘Manifest: Masculinities Beyond the Mask,’ the study of the representations of masculinity across media, and ‘AdNext: The AI Edition.’ exploring the intersection of AI and advertising. These will be followed by various expert conversations on these subjects. This event will bring together over 250 attendees, including global self-regulatory organisation (SRO) leaders, regulators, subject matter experts, industry leaders, marketing and compliance professionals, and academia.

 Some of the confirmed speakers include:

• Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• Devdutt Pattanaik, Mythologist, Author and Speaker
• Michael Todd, Global Director, Industry Relations, Google
• Guy Parker, Chief Executive, UK Advertising Standards Authority & President, ICAS
• Mary K Engle, Executive VP-Policy, BBB National Programs, USA
• Mohan Jayaraman, Partner, Bain & Company
• Dipanjan Chaudhuri, Head of Industry Relations, Asia Pacific at Google
• Paromita Vohra, Filmmaker and Writer
• Kunal Guha, Director, Privacy (Chrome & Android), Google
• Shelly Kohli, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, United Breweries Ltd.
• Ruchira Jaitly, CMO, Diageo India
• Anila Vinayak, CMI Director, Unilever
• Sameer Chugh, Chief Legal Officer, Games24x7
• Arvind Mohan, Founder & Managing Partner, Religious Brands

 The events have been supported by Diageo India, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Google, United Breweries, MakemyTrip, Games 24X7, Khaitan & Co., and Lexplosion.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General, ASCI, said: “Hosting the ICAS Global Summit in India is a proud milestone for ASCI and the Indian advertising industry. We look forward to collaborating with global experts and gaining insights that will help us navigate new complexities while strengthening consumer trust.”

Partha Sinha, Chairman, ASCI, added: “The timing of this summit is crucial as AI and other technologies rapidly reshape advertising. Bringing global perspectives together will help us collectively design forward-looking approaches that balance innovation with responsibility.”

OPPO India Adds Elegant Sky-Blue Variant to Reno13 Series Collection

New Delhi, March 12, 2025: OPPO India introduces the Sky-Blue variant of the OPPO Reno13 5G, a rugged smartphone designed to capture every vibrant moment this Holi. The device will be available for purchase starting 20th March at the OPPO e-store, mainline retail outlets and Flipkart.

The device—a blend of power and durability—packs advanced AI-powered cameras, the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor, 80W SUPERVOOCTM fast charging, along with certifications for IP66, IP68, and IP69 water and dust resistance.

Built to Last

The Sky-Blue Reno13 5G is engineered to handle water, dust, and colour with its aerospace-grade aluminium frame, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i body, and OPPO’s All-Round Armour architecture that offers superior shock resistance and long-lasting durability.

Its 6.59-inch 1.5K OLED Pro XDR display delivers crystal-clear visuals with a 1,200nits peak brightness for absolute legibility under the bright Holi sun and even in dim environments. Its 120Hz refresh rate promises smooth scrolling and gaming, while its 93.4% screen-to-body ratio allows for an almost borderless viewing experience.

Capture the Moment

Capture the festival like never before with the GenAI-powered camera system—a 50MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide lens, and 2MP monochrome camera—offering dual 4K recording and AI-powered tools like AI Livephoto, AI Clarity, and AI Eraser 2.0 to preserve every vibrant Holi moment. Plus, with IP66, IP68, and IP69 certifications, your Reno13 is ready for stunning underwater photography, making it the perfect companion for all your colourful celebrations.

The custom MediaTek Dimensity 8350 on the device ensures up to 60% better peak performance and 55% greater power efficiency than the previous generation, while the 5600mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOCTM Flash Charge delivers 17% charge in 5 minutes and a full charge in 47 minutes. For the first time, the Reno13 comes with a 12GB + 512GB storage.

Chola’s Treasury Transformation Journey Powered by Infosys Finacle Modernization

Bengaluru, India and Chennai, India – March 12, 2025: Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys , today announced the successful migration of operations for Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited (Chola) to the Finacle Treasury solution. This is set to centralize treasury management on a unified web-based platform for Chola, one of India’s leading non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). This cloud-based transformation emphasizes Chola’s commitment to creating future-ready, digital-first treasury offerings that streamlines treasury operations, enhances automation, and effectively manages risks and compliance, while ensuring financial prudence and stability.

With Finacle Treasury, Chola now has end-to-end coverage for operations across the entire treasury lifecycle, managing various liabilities and investment portfolios. This includes a diverse range of borrowing and funding sources. Chola has also streamlined its fund transfer process, allowing for faster and more efficient management of loans, market borrowings, securitization, as well as interest and tax adjustments. Additionally, the company is enhancing operational effectiveness by automating interest processing, accounting for amendments, and payments processes. For instance, this transformation has reduced the processing time for coupon payout significantly.

Ravindra Kumar Kundu, Managing Director, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited, said, “We at Chola are delighted to embrace Finacle’s next-generation Treasury solution. This marks a pivotal step in our treasury transformation journey. Managing the growing and diverse liability book including short- and long-term borrowings and the investment portfolio including government securities Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) has been both a challenge and a priority. The Finacle Treasury platform equips us with the tools to address these challenges, improve operational efficiency, and enhance risk management, all while adhering to stringent regulatory frameworks. This transformation strengthens our ability to optimize funding strategies and scale treasury operations in alignment with our growth ambitions.”

Sajit Vijayakumar, Chief Business Officer and Global Head, Infosys Finacle, said, “We are delighted to partner with Chola in their mission to modernize treasury operations. The NBFC sector in India stands at a critical juncture, facing increasing compliance requirements and elevated funding costs. Our collaboration with Chola highlights our commitment to delivering a cloud-first multi-asset treasury solution that meet the current and future requirements of the industry. This collaboration further reinforces Finacle’s reputation as a trusted partner for NBFCs, empowering them to innovate, streamline, and scale their operations confidently.”

Supreme Industries and Wavin Collaborate to Redefine Water Management Practices Across India

Mumbai, India/ Boston, USA – March 12, 2025

The Supreme Industries Ltd. (“Supreme”), India’s largest plastic pipe manufacturer, and the Building & Infrastructure (Wavin) business of Orbia Advance Corporation S.A.B. de CV (BMV: Orbia), a global leader in pipes and fittings, today announced the intention to enter into a long-term partnership agreement. Under the agreement, Supreme will acquire Orbia Wavin’s pipes and fittings business in India and will have exclusive access to Orbia Wavin’s leading water management technologies in India and SAARC countries. This strategic initiative will expand Supreme’s leadership position, extend Orbia’s customer reach through technology, and accelerate the robust growth of India’s building and infrastructure industry.

The terms of the partnership agreement include the transfer of Orbia Wavin’s manufacturing facilities in India to Supreme as well as offering exclusive licensing access of Orbia Wavin’s broad technology portfolio to Supreme, including leading edge solutions for water supply and sanitation, city scale water management, agriculture, rainwater collection and reuse, and stormwater management. With Supreme’s leading manufacturing footprint across India and extensive market reach through its committed distribution network of dealers and retailers across the country, the agreement provides the large-scale platform to deploy Orbia Wavin’s advanced technologies and strengthens Supreme’s leadership position for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural water infrastructure solutions across the high growth subcontinent.

Mr. M.P. Taparia, Managing Director of Supreme stated, “This partnership accelerates our growth trajectory and enables us to deliver exceptional value to our customers. Combining Orbia Wavin’s technologies for water management and our manufacturing and distribution strengths, we are poised to secure India’s water management needs with advanced solutions as India’s economy is projected to more than double over the next decade.”

“Our partnership with Supreme is a giant leap forward for sustainable water management in India,” added Mr. Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO of Orbia. “Supreme was a Wavin licensee for 25 years until 2017 and we are deeply honored to renew our partnership and massively scale it through innovation to meet India’s future needs. Supreme is fully committed to deploying Orbia Wavin’s advanced technologies for India’s growth through their ‘Make in India’ initiative. We see this agreement as a stepping stone for further collaborations with Orbia in the future.”

Keystone Global Enhances Global Presence with MOUs Signed with Universities in Germany, Singapore, and Canada

12th March 2025, Ahmedabad: Keystone Global Education, a venture of Shanti Educational Initiatives Ltd, offers unique pathway programs in collaboration with international universities, helping students pursue their dreams of studying abroad. The pathway program utilizes a hybrid educational model, providing Indian students with a supportive first year in a familiar environment before they transfer overseas.

Vishal Chiripal, Managing Director of Shanti Educational Initiatives Ltd, elaborated on Keystone Global Education pathway programs; Keystone Global Education signed three different Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with various universities to expand its course offerings. The first MOU is with the ISM University, Germany for exclusive rights in Gujarat for 4 post graduate programs.

Other MOU signed with PSB Academy, Singapore for diploma programs, which creates a Pathway to the Second year of UG or PG Courses of multiple UK, Australia and New Zealand Universities.

The third MOU is for the One Year Design Diploma program of Explorra Design Versity which will create Pathway to B.Des program of top ranked International Design Universities /Colleges like NABA- Italy, CoGC- Scotland, Red River College – Canada.

Carlsberg India Partners with WaterAid India to Improve Water Conservation Across West Bengal, Telangana, and Maharashtra

Delhi, 12 March 2025 – Carlsberg India and WaterAid India have expanded their collaboration to support water conservation projects in communities surrounding Carlsberg breweries in Kolkata, Aurangabad, and Hyderabad. Building on the success of their previous water-replenishment initiative in the water-stressed Nanjangud Block of Mysuru, the partnership now extends to 30 villages, known as Gram Panchayats, across West Bengal, Telangana, and Maharashtra, benefiting 51,000 individuals.

This initiative involves active community participation, focusing on groundwater recharge, improved water-use efficiency, and sustainable water management practices. The program is expected to conserve over 320,000 m3 of water annually. Carlsberg India first partnered with WaterAid India in 2023 to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in Mysuru, Karnataka. The ongoing Mysuru project has already positively impacted over 34,000 individuals and is projected to replenish 85,000 m3 of water annually upon completion.

Recognizing water as a key ingredient in brewing, Carlsberg is committed to replenishing the same amount of water it consumes at its breweries through off-site projects with local communities and ecosystems. The program includes tangible conservation measures, awareness campaigns, training sessions, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Nilesh Patel, Managing Director of Carlsberg India, stated, “Our collaboration with WaterAid fosters a resilient future by promoting community-led water conservation efforts. Staying true to our philosophy of brewing for a better tomorrow, we are dedicated to building a lasting and sustainable future for the communities around our breweries.” The three-year plan addresses critical issues, including excessive groundwater extraction for agriculture and climate change-related disruptions in rainfall patterns, which affect groundwater recharge rates.

VK Madhavan, Chief Executive of WaterAid India, added, “Our partnership with Carlsberg India strengthens our shared commitment to ensuring a reliable supply of drinking water, particularly in water-stressed regions. WaterAid India’s holistic and participatory approach—centered on community-driven conservation, groundwater recharge, greywater management, and efficient water use—will contribute to a more resilient and water-secure future.”

Hindustan Zinc and Serentica Renewables Augment Renewable Power to 530 MW with Expanded Partnership

Udaipur 12th March 2025: Hindustan Zinc Limited, India’s largest and the world’s second largest integrated zinc producer, announced the signing of a power delivery agreement (PDA) with Serentica Renewables, a leading renewable energy company in India. The latest power delivery agreement augments Hindustan Zinc’s round-the-clock renewable energy up to 530 MW from previously signed PDA of 450 MW, increasing the overall renewable energy contribution to over 70% of its total power requirement. This is a first-of-its-kind round-the-clock renewables PDA that guarantees a minimum of 315 MW uninterrupted power supply through every 15-minute time block. The resulting project will build new solar, wind and energy storage on multiple sites across the country and integrate several existing renewables projects.

Developed under a captive structure, the project will be strategically spread across high-resource locations in India and is set to be fully operational by 2027. This innovative hybrid solution eliminates Hindustan Zinc’s reliance on other conventional power sources by delivering seamless, reliable energy through advanced storage systems and market mechanisms.

This landmark agreement marks a fundamental shift in industrial power procurement, moving beyond traditional round-the-clock (RTC) models to an advanced, Time Block-Based firm Renewable Energy solution. Unlike conventional renewable energy agreements, this PDA ensures a precisely scheduled and dispatchable power supply using a combination of solar, wind, and cutting-edge energy storage technologies. Through advanced forecasting, grid management, and energy storage innovations, Serentica is enabling industries to transition towards clean energy without compromising on stability or operational efficiency. Serentica is playing a critical role in advancing India’s net-zero ambitions, leveraging technology-driven solutions to provide firm, reliable, and cost-effective renewable power to energy-intensive industries.

Recognized as the world’s most sustainable metals & mining company for the second consecutive year by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024, Hindustan Zinc continues its journey towards achieving Net Zero by 2050 or sooner. The company is focusing on decarbonizing its operations by increasing the quantum of renewable energy in its energy mix, enhancing operational efficiencies to reduce energy consumption and transitioning to cleaner fuels & electric vehicles. Through these strategic initiatives, the company has achieved a 14% decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity compared to the base year 2020. Notably, Hindustan Zinc started receiving the first flow of renewable power from Serentica’s 180 MW solar park that was utilized in the production of Asia’s first low carbon ‘green’ zinc – EcoZen.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arun Misra, CEO – Hindustan Zinc Limited, said, “Sustainability at Hindustan Zinc is about future-proofing our business and driving long-term value through innovation. As the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, we embrace our dual role as a leader in this transformation and as an active participant with our critical metals like zinc & silver. This agreement marks a significant step in our climate action strategy. By securing 70% of our power from renewables we are targeting nearly 70% reduction in carbon emissions setting sights on our goal of achieving net zero by 2050 or sooner.”

Mr. Akshay Hiranandani, CEO of Serentica Renewables, added, “This agreement is a breakthrough in providing uninterrupted, firm renewable energy to one of India’s largest industrial players. By guaranteeing 315 MW in every 15-minute time block, we’re solving the intermittency challenge and ensuring that Hindustan Zinc has a stable, reliable power supply for its operations.”

In recognition of its leadership, Serentica was recently honored at the 26th S&P Global Energy Awards, winning the prestigious ‘Deal of the Year – Financial’ award, further cementing its position in the global energy transition.

Hindustan Zinc is the first Indian company in the metals & mining sector to secure validated Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) targets, aligning with the ambitious 1.5°C global warming threshold. Further establishing its strong commitment to sustainability, the company’s extensive product portfolio is the first in the country to hold Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) verification thus providing comparable data on the product’s environmental footprint. The company is also recognized among Top 1% in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook for the second consecutive year and among the top 66 companies across 62 industry sectors globally.

Hindustan Zinc Limited, a Vedanta Group company, is the world’s second-largest integrated zinc producer and the third-largest silver producer. The company supplies to more than 40 countries and holds a market share of about 75% of the primary zinc market in India. Hindustan Zinc has been recognized as the world’s most sustainable company in the metals and mining category for the second consecutive year by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024. Hindustan Zinc is also a certified 2.41 times Water-Positive company. As a world leader in the metals and mining industry, Hindustan Zinc is pivotal in providing critical metals essential for the global energy transition for a sustainable future.