Airbus wins order for two ACH160 helicopters in India

Atlanta, 08 March 2023: Airbus Corporate Helicopters has won an order for two ACH160 helicopters in India – the first sale of the type in the region.

The helicopters will be delivered with the ACH160 Exclusive configuration for business use by the customer who is an experienced helicopter operator. Under the terms of the contract, Airbus Corporate Helicopters will provide a turnkey solution to ensure a smooth entry into service of both the helicopters.

Olivier Michalon, EVP – Global Business, Airbus Helicopters, said “We are proud to announce this milestone contract for two ACH160 helicopters for our Indian customer.  We thank them for their pioneering vision and I am confident that the entry into service of this helicopter will set a new benchmark for helicopter operations in India, especially for private aviation and premium charters.”

Airbus Helicopters is proud to be a key contributor to the Indian government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission. “This new order – the first in India for any helicopter in the H160 range – further reinforces our commitment to the Indian market where already more than 120 Airbus helicopters are flying,” added Olivier Michalon.

The ACH160 is the latest member of the ACH family and is the world’s most technologically advanced helicopter, with 68 new Airbus patented technologies.

It provides 20% greater volume per passenger compared to previous generation medium twin helicopters and 35% larger windows than its competitors, resulting in the brightest cabin in its class.

The ACH160’s advanced air conditioning technology allows precise temperature control and optimal cabin air quality with highly efficient air exchange. In the ACH160 Exclusive version, mood lighting contributes to reduced fatigue.

Indian Institute of Management Kashipur successfully conducted workshop at The Gurukul Foundation School Kashipur

Under the program HELP: Himalayan Education Learning Program a one day workshop to Train the Teachers on “Design Thinking Led Innovation at Schools” under the aegis of Ministry of Education was successfully conducted at “The Gurukul Foundation School, Kashipur” Jaitpur Campus through Navaashay- Design Innovation Centre,IIM Kashipur.

Prof. Kumkum Bharti and Prof. Smarak Smarjeet trained the teachers during the workshop. In this program, Teachers were told how they can make teaching work more interesting even by teaching in the traditional way and we must make some changes everyday in the continuous learning process. They said that there must be harmony between the teacher and the student. Students must be taken into the confidence that the Teachers are in the school only for them. Teachers should evaluate their teaching work every day and should be done in such a way that the children learn to apply the knowledge acquired from the teacher in their lives.

The best part of this workshop was that both the professors presented their point very briefly and in simple language. School administration and teachers who participated in this program were honored by giving participation certificates.

DBS Foundation partners with Haqdarshak to enhance financial literacy for marginalised communities

Mumbai, 08 March 2023: DBS Foundation has partnered with Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions (HESPL) to undertake a social protection and financial literacy programme aimed at marginalized citizens across India, including daily wage earners, domestic workers, farm workers, sanitation workers, micro-entrepreneurs. The programme will educate 2,00,000 beneficiaries (70% women) to build their digital and financial capacity to access relevant government entitlements and private financial services.

The programme is being implemented in 10 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, targeting some of the most vulnerable populations in these areas. The initiative’s ultimate aim is to establish a basic social safety net for these citizens and empower them with digital and financial training to take charge of their lives and households.

Under this initiative, a brick-and-mortar centre called a Yojana Kendra will be established in select communities. Women agents will be identified and trained as Haqdarshaks to serve and support the community. This agent cadre will mobilize potential beneficiaries, from low-income families i.e. those with minimal access to social protection and financial services.

The support agents will conduct financial literacy training camps using audio-visual tools and easy-to-understand content in local languages. Beneficiaries will be screened with the Haqdarshak mobile app to determine their eligibility for welfare programs and the agent will provide end-to-end support to fill forms, collect documents, and register beneficiaries under social protection programmes. A helpline will be available for any queries or grievance redressal. The programme will be executed by 400 support agents, and there will be one supervisor for every 40 agents.

The financial literacy rate among Indian adults is the lowest compared to other major emerging economies, with only 24% being financially literate, according to a report by the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. This disparity is attributed to a need for formal training and awareness, as well as inter-state differences. Access to social welfare and financial inclusion services at the last mile is a critical challenge. According to a 2017 World Bank study, only 40 percent of Indians can apply for government services as they cannot afford the time and money to access them. The collaboration comes at a crucial time when marginalized communities continue to grapple with the economic impact in the wake of the pandemic.

Shoma Narayanan, Managing Director, Group Strategic Marketing & Communications, DBS Bank India, said, “As a socially responsible bank, we recognize the need to create impact beyond banking and to encourage solutions for a more inclusive world. Our partnership with Haqdarshak is a concerted effort to empower marginalized communities, particularly women, by providing them access to social welfare and financial tools, which will increase self-sufficiency and give them agency over their lives. We are also proud of Haqdarshak, which has scaled significantly as a Business for Good under the DBS Foundation’s Grant Programme, and shares our purpose to build a better future.”

Aniket Doegar, Founder & CEO, of Haqdarshak, commented on the partnership, saying, “DBS Foundation has been an early partner of ours since 2018. They have always put impact at the forefront and supported us, whether it was when Haqdarshak was a young organization, through the pandemic, or now, as we have achieved scale. For us at Haqdarshak, this is our largest project so far. We are excited about our impact footprint — we will be touching the lives of 2,00,000 citizens, the majority of them women, across disadvantaged sections of the community via digital and financial literacy training and by linking them to relevant welfare entitlements. We are grateful to the DBS Foundation for collaborating with us on this important program. We hope to grow our partnership manifold in the years to come.”

Haqdarshak aims to improve the lives of citizens and MSMEs by leveraging technology solutions to provide access to government welfare and financial services. With an extensive database of 7000+ state and central welfare schemes, available in 11 Indian languages through web and mobile channels, Haqdarshak offers features such as beneficiary onboarding, a customizable eligibility engine, and an end-to-end application workflow.

In 2018, as an early-stage venture, Haqdarshak received DBS Foundation’s Social Enterprise Grant for their digital platform. Again in 2020, in response to the pandemic, DBS Foundation reinforced its commitment to supporting social enterprises by awarding all its past grantees the Business Transformation and Improvement (BTI) Grant, empowering them to continue during an exceptionally difficult year. Haqdarshak utilized this grant to serve its beneficiaries and the wider MSME community through a new platform providing access to government-assisted schemes for registrations, documentation, and financing applications.

Earlier this year, DBS bank committed an additional SGD 100 million to further its efforts to improve lives in Asia. This would allow the bank and DBS Foundation to boost their support for purpose-driven businesses and contribute towards finding solutions to the region’s increasingly pressing societal issues.

Matter names its first geared EV motorbike “AERA,” announces models, and introduces disruptive pricing.

Kolkata, March 08, 2023: Matter, an innovation-led tech start-up, named its much-anticipated motorbike, “AERA,” representing the “winds of change.” Matter aims to disrupt through tech innovations and lead the electric vehicle (EV) transition towards a sustainable future.

Matter AERA variants are called AERA 4000, AERA 5000, AERA 5000+ with pre-register price for AERA 5000 will be ₹ 1,43,999/- and AERA 5000+ will be ₹ 1,53,999/- with one uniform pre-register price across India. Matter AERA comes with 5kWh battery pack, the pre-register prices are considering the central governments support through subsidies and GST slab. The state government benefits can be availed of by the customers during the registration process. Further, AERA 6000+ will soon be launched with a 6-kWh battery pack.

Featured with contemporary sporty looks, cutting-edge technology, powered by a state-of-the-art in-house built liquid-cooled battery pack and powertrain Matter AERA is more than just a motorbike, but it is poised to represent the 22^nd Century motorbike.

Matter AERA disrupts existing paradigms by incorporating manual gear shifting in an electric motorbike and challenges paradoxes by delivering thrilling performance at an economical cost of ownership.

Mohal Lalbhai, Founder and CEO of Matter Group, said: “AERA truly represents our philosophy to be an agent of change, challenging the status quo through the tech innovations. We not only sought to create a mobility solution that defies expectations of what an EV can achieve in India but also create the pathways for a wider transition to sustainable means of mobility. While achieving it, we would not like to accept that consumers need to pay a hefty premium to bring about the change. And hence, over the last four years, Matter has built a product from scratch, adopting vertical integration as its core principle and incorporating the invaluable feedback of its consumers. Today we are extremely delighted to make the most futuristic motorbike, the AERA, available to all fellow countrymen at an interesting price and with options to choose from. We are thankful to the motorbikers out there for their response and appreciation towards AERA’s design and technology, and we see that the AERA will be a pivot for a major shift towards EVs, as motorbikers take that one step along with Matter”

Arun Pratap Singh, Co-founder and COO of Matter Group, said: “We at Matter would like to continually work with technology and innovation to create new mobility forms and experiences, AERA is a true representation of our values, and we are happy to offer range of tech features through AERA to our customers. AERA will help consumers to adopt the new cleaner means of mobility and ensure the wider transition to EVs, we have created the product which suits to Indian geographic and climatic conditions, our teams’ deep thought process is always working towards creating the new products and experiences through tech innovations.

AERA Prebook will soon be announced in the Indian market.

The Model – Feature details are as follows.

Naoki Unveils Luxurious Unisex Salon in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, March 2023: Naoki, the luxurious unisex salon that offers an indulgent experience like no other, has opened its doors in Hyderabad. Bringing the best of international brands to town, Naoki offers unparalleled pampering services in an extravagant interior space. From high-end haircare products to cutting-edge skincare solutions, Naoki has everything you need to look and feel your best.

To mark this launch, Naoki is hosting an exclusive launch preview, a gala evening at the Salon, which was attended by prominent influencers, socialites, and celebrities in the city.

The salon’s interior space is designed to transport you to a world of luxury and sophistication, with plush seating and intricate details that exude elegance. You’ll feel like royalty from the moment you step through their doors.

The unstoppable force behind Naoki is Nikshitha, a former Miss Telangana, influencer, and entrepreneur. Nikshitha’s passion for beauty and fashion has led her to pursue studies in fashion designing in Milan and Business Administration in Hyderabad. Her unique combination of skills and knowledge allows her to bring a fresh perspective to the world of beauty and fashion.

“We are thrilled to introduce Naoki to the world,” says Nikshitha. “Our goal is to offer our customers an indulgent experience that is unparalleled in luxury and sophistication. We have worked hard to curate the best international brands and create an interior space that is as beautiful as it is comfortable. We can’t wait to welcome you to our world of beauty and relaxation.”

Naoki Salon is excited to welcome customers to its world of beauty and relaxation. Visit Naoki at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad to experience the ultimate in luxury beauty services.

Salon Address: B1, Plot.no, 789/TF, 3rd Floor, H. No 8-2-293/82/A, Rd Number 36, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana 500033

PVR Cinemas Unveils Its Biggest 11-screen Multiplex in Chennai; Crosses 100-screen Milestone in the City Post Merger With Inox

India, 8th March 2023: PVR Limited, the largest and the most premium cinema exhibition company in India, post the merger with INOX Leisure Limited has announced the opening of a new 11-screen multiplex in Phoenix Market city, Chennai, Tamil Nadu today. The opening marks the re-launch of the earlier Luxe Cinemas, a popular destination for city residents in a new avatar.

With this launch, PVR crosses the 100-screen milestone in Chennai as part of the joint entity with a presence of 105 screens in 16 cinemas. The merged entity strengthens its foothold in Tamil Nadu with 136 screens in 22 properties and consolidates its presence in South India with 519 screens in 93 properties.

The multiplex is located in Velachery, one of the commercial and residential hubs in South Chennai and has a geographical advantage in terms of the connectivity to other parts of the city. The property has a seating capacity of 2688 and is also home to IMAX, PVR’s second in Chennai and its 17th IMAX Screen in the country making it the largest IMAX Partner in the Country.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR Limited, said, “The Southern region is a critical market for us with a steady supply of regional content and passionate consumer demand. We are extremely grateful to audiences in South who came out to watch movies in large numbers in theatres post the pandemic signaling the revival of the film exhibition industry. Non- Hindi Indian movies have broken the thresholds of geographical and language barriers expanding the movie viewing market with subtitles/dubbing in multiple languages aided by their larger-than-life appeal in formats such as IMAX and 3D and have also provided us global recognition.”

The cinema is equipped with the best-in-class theatrical solutions including laser projection system, Dolby Atmos sound and 3D powered by Volfoni Smart Crystal Diamond solution. The expressive and opulent design of the cinema greets the guests with a grand atrium and a cozy and warm lounge creates an elegant and sophisticated experience. The stunning interiors with ample open spaces will offer a delightful experience to the movie buffs as they enjoy the thoughtfully curated ambience. Luxe will also be a go-to destination for innovative F&B concepts and elaborate gourmet choices. Patrons will also be able to enjoy these gourmet food options within the comfort of their homes by ordering them through food ordering platforms like Swiggy and Zomato.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR Limited, said, “We have always believed in setting new benchmarks as we aim to offer an unparalleled movie-watching experience to the movie-lovers in the city of Chennai. Luxe is also home to IMAX, which is the most immersive movie experience in the world, with heart pounding audio, 40% larger image, a dual projection system, highest quality 3D and remarkably striking interiors. The new cinema will also be destination of choice for food connoisseurs, thanks to a vast menu, serving gourmet delicacies.”

Chennai serves as the gateway of the culture of South India and is a major film production center, home to the Tamil film industry. The magic of southern cinema is spreading across India, bringing in a larger share to the overall revenue of the entertainment space than ever before.

Psychological Associates to Host Leadership Development Workshop

Three-day program highlights an individualized approach for improving interpersonal skills.

(St. Louis, Mo., March 8, 2023) Psychological Associates (PA), a consulting company that improves business performance through its leadership and talent development services, will hold its Q4 Leadership: The People Skills Advantage™ program. The three-day intensive workshop will take place Tues., May 2 through Thurs., May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program will be held at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center located at One Brookings Dr. on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

The program’s individualized experience focuses on helping a company’s top talent improve team success through the people skills they need to engage and influence others. Q4 Leadership comprehensively identifies and adapts effective leadership behaviors with more intricate job-related feedback. The program combines the latest in instructional design along with PA’s six decades of pragmatic leadership development.

The workshop – which uses real-world issues and situations – is designed for C-level leaders, vice presidents, and general managers who will improve their interpersonal skills to break down silos and contribute to synergistic teams.

Psychological Associates’ facilitator Marianne Whelchel will lead the sessions. She brings more than 16 years of global leadership development, training, and human resources experience to the workshop. Whelchel has managed the design and delivery of leadership curriculum for over 6,000 leaders globally.

Psychological Associates helps clients select, develop, and retain their best leaders, enabling them to build exceptional organizations. Its exclusive Q4 Dimensional® Model of Behavior™ – an industry-renowned structure that categorizes observable actions into understandable groupings – inspires high performance while attaining comprehensive results. Consulting capabilities include talent assessment, leadership development, succession planning, people analytics, and executive coaching. Founded in 1958, Psychological Associates is headquartered at 8000 Maryland Ave. in Clayton, Mo. Reservations are required since space is limited. For more information, call (314) 725-7771 or visit www.q4solutions.com.

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