21, Oct 2026
SPJIMR marks 100 batches of PGEMP; reinforcing its commitment to developing business leaders
The 100th batch of SPJIMR’s AMBA-accredited PGEMP marks a milestone in the institute’s longstanding engagement with working professionals, industry and leadership development
MUMBAI, India, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) marked a significant milestone in its executive education journey on 16 October 2026, as the 100th batch of its Post Graduate Executive Management Programme (PGEMP) graduated at its Mumbai campus.
The cohort comprised 100 leaders from leading organisations across engineering and manufacturing, energy, healthcare, financial services and consulting. With work experience ranging from five to 33 years and an average of nearly 13 years, the participants brought a wealth of industry knowledge and professional experience to the classroom.
Prof. Preeta George, Associate Dean, Executive Education, SPJIMR, said: “SPJIMR’s 100th PGEMP batch is a milestone in our longstanding commitment to executive education. We believe that management learning must remain closely connected to the realities of business, enabling experienced professionals to broaden their perspectives, lead through change and create lasting value for their organisations and society.”
Reaching its 100th batch reflects the enduring relevance of executive education in helping professionals navigate changing business environments, broaden their managerial capabilities and prepare for leadership roles. For organisations, it highlights the importance of developing leaders who can connect functional expertise with a wider understanding of strategy, people, operations and business transformation.
Congratulating the cohort, Prof. ShabbirHusain R.V., Chairperson, PGEMP, SPJIMR, said: “Congratulations to our 100th PGEMP batch on reaching this significant milestone. You represent the spirit of learning, collaboration and leadership that has shaped this programme over the years. We are proud to welcome you to SPJIMR’s alumni community and look forward to the impact you will make in your organisation and beyond.”
PGEMP: Management education for professionals who lead while they learn
SPJIMR’s Post Graduate Executive Management Programme is an AMBA-accredited, 21-month modular programme for working professionals with more than five years of experience. It enables participants to develop general management capabilities while continuing in their careers, without taking a career break.
As one of the early business schools in India to recognise the importance of executive education, SPJIMR Executive Education has sought to connect management learning with the evolving needs of professionals and industry for over 25 years. Its approach reflects the belief that leadership development must go beyond functional expertise to include strategic thinking, responsible decision-making and the ability to work across organisational boundaries and industry silos.
SPJIMR aims to support more resilient organisations and responsible business leadership. As the institute marks the 100th PGEMP batch, it reaffirms its commitment to developing leaders who create value not only for their organisations, but also for the communities and society in which they operate.
About SPJIMR
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) is one of India’s leading postgraduate management institutes. It is recognised in the Financial Times Masters in Management 2026 ranking as the #26 business school globally and #2 in India and in the Financial Times Global MBA 2026 ranking as the #74 business school globally for its PGPM programme. SPJIMR is also consistently ranked among India’s top business schools by leading publications, including Business Today, Fortune India, India Today, and MBAUniverse. It has also been recognised by the Positive Impact Rating as one of the world’s top five business schools for societal impact. Known for its innovative and socially conscious approach to management education, research, and community engagement, SPJIMR seeks to influence managerial practice and enable value-based growth for students, alumni, organisations, and society. The institute holds the international Triple Crown of accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA, placing it among a select group of business schools worldwide to hold all three accreditations.
Visit SPJIMR.org for more information.
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21, Oct 2026
Pigment Raises $250M at $2.3B Valuation
Series E raise is led by Scaleup Europe Fund managed by EQT, with participation from existing investors, WIL (World Innovation Lab), and a planned investment from NVIDIA
New capital accelerates Pigment’s move toward autonomous planning, powered by its proprietary Graphite engine
PARIS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pigment, the AI business planning and performance management platform, today announced a $250 million Series E funding round at a $2.3 billion valuation. The round was led by Scaleup Europe Fund, managed by EQT, with participation from WIL (World Innovation Lab), existing investors including Greenoaks, ICONIQ, IVP, and Meritech, and a planned investment from NVIDIA. This capital will accelerate Pigment’s mission to move fast toward autonomous planning for global enterprises.
The investment comes on the heels of a milestone year for Pigment, which surpassed $100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) earlier this year, once again doubling year-over-year. Adoption of Pigment’s AI is also accelerating: today, 85% of new metrics in Pigment are created by an Agent. The fundraise puts Pigment in a position to build on this momentum and expand its presence and growth in new regions.
Pigment has rapidly cemented itself as the enterprise-ready platform of choice for large enterprises like Danone, DirecTV, Siemens, Snowflake, ServiceNow, and Unilever displacing legacy incumbents. And, instead of building internal solutions, the world’s most AI-savvy and engineering-dense organizations, including Anthropic, ElevenLabs, and Uber, trust Pigment to serve as the reasoning runtime for their enterprise data.
A commitment to technical superiority and continuous innovation is why some of the largest organizations trust Pigment to replace their legacy systems. It also ensures that Pigment has the capacity to seamlessly support massive global deployments, such as its recent selection by L’Oréal, who is replacing its salary planning tool for their 95,000+ employees globally by deploying Pigment.
On the raise, Pigment Co-Founders Eléonore Crespo and Romain Niccoli said, “Enterprise planning will change more in the next few years than it has in the last thirty. Legacy tools are being left behind, and the world’s most advanced AI companies now run their planning on Pigment. With the backing of our investors, we are moving fast to make autonomous planning a reality for every enterprise. With AI agents running planning workflows end to end and turning decisions into action, companies can respond to change as fast as it happens.”
Enterprise-Ready Scale and Engineering
This $250 million injection will significantly accelerate Pigment’s R&D and fuel the expansion of Pigment’s engineering team, focused on its proprietary, patent-pending compute engine, Graphite, and the AI agents that run on it.
AI agents are only as good as the engine underneath them. Graphite already lets thousands of AI agents and people work on the same governed model at once, scaling to hundreds of billions of data points with deterministic, fully traceable results. That is what makes autonomous planning possible: agents can only be trusted to run planning workflows and act on the results when every number they produce is accurate and every action can be traced. With this funding, Pigment will keep advancing Graphite to handle even larger and more complex workloads, while extending its agents from building models and analyzing data to running planning workflows end to end.
“In most companies, the richest picture of how a business actually runs sits in its plans. Pigment has built that foundation with a single platform connecting finance, sales and workforce planning – and put AI agents to work on it, helping teams model, analyse and act in hours rather than months. Eléonore and Romain have built a global category leader from Paris, and that is exactly the kind of company the Scaleup Europe Fund was created to back,” said Shannee Braun, Managing Director, EQT and Scaleup Europe Fund.
Try Pigment for free at pigment.com
About Pigment
Pigment is an AI business planning and performance management platform. Built for the complexity of modern enterprises, Pigment combines dynamic modeling with autonomous AI agents and an intuitive UX, to help teams make intelligent decisions with speed and clarity. Across finance, sales, supply chain, and other business functions, teams at companies like Unilever, Snowflake, and Anthropic use Pigment every day to anticipate change, plan ahead, and act with confidence. Try Pigment for free for 14 days at Pigment.com.
About the Scaleup Europe Fund, managed by EQT
The Scaleup Europe Fund, managed by EQT, is a commercially driven alternative investment fund backing ambitious European technology companies with the potential to become global leaders. Targeting €5 billion, the Fund brings together public and private capital and invests across DeepTech, AI Apps and Life Sciences.
http://scaleupeuropefund.eu/
About EQT
EQT is a global investment organization with a Nordic heritage and more than three decades of experience developing companies. With €341 billion in total assets under management, EQT invests across the full lifecycle of companies, from start-up to maturity.
https://eqtgroup.com/
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21, Oct 2026
Odisha Plans International Research Centre for Olive Ridley Turtles at Berhampur University
Berhampur, Oct 21: Odisha is set to strengthen its marine conservation efforts with plans to establish an international research centre dedicated to Olive Ridley sea turtles at Berhampur University in Ganjam district. The proposed facility aims to deepen scientific understanding of the endangered marine species, with a focus on migration routes, breeding behaviour, mass nesting and habitat protection.
Representational Image
The initiative brings together the Forest Department, Berhampur University’s Department of Environmental Science and the Zoological Survey of India’s Gopalpur centre. Researchers and institutions from Odisha and beyond are expected to contribute to studies aimed at addressing critical questions about the turtles’ life cycle and annual movements.
Rushikulya Coast to Remain a Key Research Focus
The Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district is one of the world’s important nesting sites for Olive Ridley turtles, attracting large numbers of the species during the breeding season. The turtles travel long distances across the ocean before arriving at Odisha’s sandy shores to lay their eggs.
Following incubation, which generally lasts around 45 to 60 days, hatchlings emerge from the nests and make their way towards the sea. However, several aspects of their migration, breeding cycles and ability to return to specific nesting beaches continue to require further scientific investigation.
The proposed research centre is expected to provide a dedicated platform for examining these patterns and improving understanding of the environmental factors that influence turtle nesting and survival.
Advanced Technology to Support Conservation
Satellite tagging and other scientific techniques have already helped researchers track the movements of Olive Ridley turtles across marine environments. The new facility could expand such investigations by encouraging collaborative studies on migration corridors, nesting frequency, breeding behaviour and the condition of coastal habitats.
The findings could help conservation authorities develop more effective strategies to protect nesting beaches, reduce threats to hatchlings and adult turtles, and safeguard the marine ecosystems on which the species depends.
Research Institutions to Collaborate
Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer Sunny Khokhar said Berhampur University, Khallikote University, the Zoological Survey of India and other research institutions would be involved in the initiative.
He added that researchers interested in studying Olive Ridley turtles would be able to submit research proposals to the centre, opening opportunities for wider academic participation and scientific collaboration.
Professor Anjan Prusty of Berhampur University’s Department of Environmental Science said research conducted over the past three decades would provide an important foundation for future investigations.
According to Prusty, researchers intend to explore several unanswered questions, including whether the turtles follow mass or periodic nesting patterns, how their arrival patterns vary and what role habitat quality plays in their reproductive behaviour.
Strengthening Odisha’s Conservation Efforts
The proposed centre is expected to create opportunities for researchers from India and other countries to exchange scientific knowledge and develop a more comprehensive understanding of Olive Ridley turtles.
For Odisha, where large-scale turtle nesting is an important feature of the coastal ecosystem, the initiative could help bridge gaps between scientific research and practical conservation measures.
The centre’s operational timeline has not yet been announced. However, its proposed focus on long-term research and institutional collaboration signals a push towards strengthening the scientific basis of marine wildlife protection in the state.
As conservationists continue to work to safeguard Olive Ridley turtles and their nesting grounds, the planned facility could emerge as an important hub for research, knowledge-sharing and evidence-based protection of the species.
21, Oct 2026
CM Vijay Pays Homage to Police Martyrs, Praises Force’s Unwavering Commitment to Public Safety
Chennai, Oct 21: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Wednesday paid tribute to police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty, acknowledging their courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to protecting citizens and maintaining law and order.
In a message marking Police Commemoration Day, the Chief Minister described the police force as a vital pillar of public safety and national security. He lauded personnel for their tireless service, often under difficult and unpredictable circumstances, and called for greater recognition of their contributions to society.
Recalling the sacrifice of 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who lost their lives while defending the country along the Ladakh border in 1959, Vijay said their courage remains an enduring symbol of duty and devotion to the nation.
Paying homage to police martyrs across the country, he honoured those who died while performing their responsibilities to preserve peace, protect lives and uphold the rule of law.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the demanding nature of police service, noting that personnel are frequently called upon to respond to emergencies, natural disasters, road accidents, criminal incidents and other threats to public safety. Their responsibilities often extend beyond regular working hours, requiring constant vigilance and an unwavering readiness to act whenever circumstances demand.
Vijay praised the dedication of officers and personnel who continue to discharge their duties despite long hours, limited rest and challenging working conditions. He noted that their commitment plays a crucial role in protecting communities, preventing crime and ensuring public order.
Emphasising the importance of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice, the Chief Minister urged people to honour fallen personnel and acknowledge the efforts of those continuing to serve on the front lines of public safety.
He called for collective appreciation of the police force’s exemplary service, describing its members as a protective shield for society.
The message served as both a solemn remembrance of police personnel who lost their lives in service and a tribute to the thousands who continue to safeguard citizens amid everyday risks and extraordinary emergencies.
Police Commemoration Day is observed annually on October 21 in memory of the 10 CRPF personnel killed in an ambush by Chinese forces at Hot Springs in Ladakh in 1959. The occasion honours police personnel across the country who have died in the line of duty and recognises the sacrifices made in the service of the nation.
21, Oct 2026
fäm Properties connects DXBinteract to ChatGPT and Claude
Brokers and investors who add DXBinteract can ask either assistant what Dubai properties sold for, what they rent for and what hands over next
Dubai, UAE, Oct 21: fäm Properties has connected DXBinteract, the free Dubai property data platform it built, to ChatGPT and Claude.
It means brokers, investors and buyers can add DXBinteract to either assistant as a custom connector, sign in and ask in plain language about prices, rents, yields, future supply and developer delivery records.
The service is available now, and the answers come from DXBinteract’s market data, including analysis based on Dubai Land Department records.
“While listings tell you what sellers want, transaction records tell you what buyers actually paid,” said Firas Al Msaddi, founder and CEO of fäm Properties. “We built DXBinteract for the whole market, not just for fäm. Every broker gets the same data on the same terms as ours.
“Now a broker or an investor can ask ChatGPT or Claude to check a price against real transactions, including the prices we quote.” Questions brokers and investors can ask include:
- Which Dubai communities offer the highest rental yields and strongest price growth?
DXBinteract ranks areas by gross rental yield, year-on-year price growth and transaction volume. It leaves out areas with too few transactions to give a reliable figure.
·Is this apartment overpriced? DXBinteract gives an indicative value and a low-to-high range, based on the area’s median price per square foot and recent sales of similar-sized units. It is a reference point, not a formal valuation.
·Does this developer deliver on time? DXBinteract shows how many of the developer’s projects were handed over on time, how many late and how many are still overdue, with the median delay in days. Every developer is scored the same way, Nordic by fäm included.
“An investor should be able to ask one question and understand not just what a property costs, but how it compares with the market, what returns it could generate and what risks lie ahead,” said Fateh Al Msaddi, founder of DXBinteract and COO of fäm Properties. “We’ve built the intelligence, and now AI makes it easier for everyone to use.”
Users can also compare up to six communities, side by side, and see how much of an off-plan project has sold and how far its construction has progressed.
They can track upcoming handovers and future supply, and work out gross rental yield, payback and mortgage affordability, including the cash needed upfront. Setup steps for both assistants can be found (available) at dxbinteract.com.
21, Oct 2026
GEMS Education announces the launch of GEMS Modern Academy, Coimbatore – a dual-curriculum school campus providing multiple curriculum pathways
COIMBATORE, India, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GEMS Education, one of the world’s largest operators of private schools across 10+ countries providing education to more than 200,000+ students, has announced the launch of GEMS Modern Academy in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The new school will provide multiple curriculum pathways, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula, giving families a choice between a nationally recognised Indian curriculum and a globally benchmarked international programme on a single campus. Located at Vellakinar – Coimbatore, the school will welcome its first cohort of students in the academic year 2027–28, with admissions opening from 20th October 2026. The parent school brand – GEMS Modern Academy Dubai is recognised as one of the most outstanding schools in Dubai, with an additional campus in Kochi (Keralam) and now in Coimbatore. The other GEMS brands such as GEMS Millennium Schools and GEMS School of Excellence have more than 15+ schools in different parts of India.
Coimbatore has grown into one of South India’s most dynamic cities – a centre of manufacturing, engineering, textiles, healthcare and a fast-expanding technology sector – and home to families with strong aspirations for their children’s education. GEMS Modern Academy has been shaped with the future of these learners in mind. GEMS Education believes Coimbatore holds immense potential for world-class school education that remains deeply connected to its community.
With this launch, GEMS Education will bring its global GEMS brand, academic leadership and international operational expertise to Coimbatore, delivering teaching and learning in line with its global standards while aligning educational opportunities with the aspirations of parents and students. The dual-curriculum model allows students to pursue the rigour and familiarity of CBSE, or the inquiry-led, globally oriented pathway of the IB programmes (subject to authorisation by the International Baccalaureate Organization), supported by a common culture of high expectations, care and character. Education is no longer only national; it is international. A school that is rooted in Coimbatore and connected to the world will set a new benchmark, and in time it will be seen as a milestone for education in Tamil Nadu.
At the heart of GEMS Education’s philosophy is a teacher-first, child-first approach. The organisation believes that the true strength of a school lies in the quality of its teaching and learning, rather than in its infrastructure alone. At GEMS Modern Academy, Coimbatore, teachers will be empowered as leaders, and every decision will prioritise meaningful learning experiences and the holistic development of every child – academically, socially and emotionally.
“Coimbatore is a city of enterprise, innovation and strong family values, and we are delighted to bring GEMS Modern Academy here. By offering both CBSE and IB under one roof, we give parents genuine choice, with education that is rooted locally and connected globally. Our aim is to create a future-focused learning environment where every child is known, challenged and inspired to reach their full potential.” – Francis Joseph, India CEO, GEMS Education
“We are proud to open the doors of GEMS Modern Academy to the families of Coimbatore. Backed by GEMS Education’s legacy of more than 65 years in delivering high-quality education, our school will combine academic excellence with creativity, wellbeing and a strong sense of values. Whether students choose the CBSE or IB pathway, they will be prepared for success in an increasingly interconnected world.” – Mrs. Molly Cyril, Member, School Governing Board
About GEMS Education
GEMS Education is one of the world’s leading, oldest and largest private K-12 education providers, with a legacy spanning more than 65 years. GEMS was founded in 1959 in Dubai by two passionate Indian teachers.
Today, GEMS educates more than 200,000 students from over 176 nationalities through its global network of owned and managed schools, supported by more than 20,000 employees, including over 10,000 educators and school leaders representing 112 nationalities. Having educated more than 500,000 students over the decades, GEMS offers a wide range of curricula – including IB, British, Indian (CBSE/ICSE/State), Cambridge and American programmes – preparing young people with the knowledge, character and confidence to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Guided by its enduring mission to put a quality education within the reach of every learner, everywhere, GEMS combines academic rigour with character development, wellbeing, innovation and strong partnerships with families and communities. Over the past five years, GEMS students have been accepted into more than 2,000 universities across 71 countries, including all eight Ivy League universities in the US and all 24 Russell Group universities in the UK. In the last four years alone, more than 3,500 GEMS graduates have attended the world’s top 100 universities, over 2,200 have progressed to Russell Group universities, almost 2,000 have enrolled at the world’s top 50 universities, and more than 60 have gone on to Ivy League institutions.
Through its expanding network and philanthropic initiatives, GEMS continues to create opportunities for young people to become leaders, innovators and positive changemakers in their communities and beyond.
For more details, please visit www.gemseducation.com and www.gemseducationindia.com.
Email: francis.joseph@gemsedu.in
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21, Oct 2026
Daffodil Software Brings Multilingual Conversational AI to Aadhaar’s Udai Mascot
GURUGRAM, India, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Daffodil Software showcased an AI-powered conversational experience featuring UIDAI’s Udai mascot at Aadhaar Samvaad 2026. Developed by Daffodil Software, the assistant is designed to help users access Aadhaar-related information through natural conversation, using official UIDAI as its reference knowledge base.
Daffodil Software has developed Udai, an AI-powered virtual mascot that helps users get clear, reliable answers about Aadhaar simply by talking to it. The assistant was showcased at Aadhaar Samvaad 2026, held in Kolkata on 29 September, coinciding with the 17th Aadhaar Day, where visitors watched it listen, respond, and gesture in real time in their own language.
For most people, questions about Aadhaar come up in daily life, and they usually need answers fast. Which documents do I need for an address change? How much does an update cost? How do I link Aadhaar to my bank account or mobile number? The answers exist, but finding them usually means working through long help pages and documents.
Udai is designed to answer exactly these questions in a natural conversation, without anyone having to search through long help pages.
A conversation in the user’s own language
Udai speaks and understands 11 languages: Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Odia, and English. A user simply asks a question. Udai listens, works out the answer, and replies in the same language, with natural speech, matching lip movements and expressive hand gestures.
What sets Udai apart is how it is built. AI avatars rely on expensive, specialised graphics hardware to bring a face to life. Udai takes a simpler route. The character is created from pre-filmed footage, and its lip movements are matched to its speech in real time using lightweight processing that runs in a web browser.
The result is a smooth experience at 24 frames per second on ordinary servers, at a fraction of the usual cost per user. For a programme that serves hundreds of millions of people, that efficiency is what turns a nationwide rollout from an ambition into a practical plan.
“Our focus with Udai was to make Aadhaar-related information easier to access through natural conversation. Combining multilingual voice interaction with official reference content allowed our team to build an experience that is practical, approachable, and useful to users,” said Yogesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Daffodil Software.
Answers drawn only from official sources
The assistant uses official UIDAI material as its reference knowledge base: frequently asked questions, provisions of the Aadhaar Act, and government policy documents on Aadhaar services. It covers the topics users ask about most:
- Enrolment and registration
- Address and demographic updates
- Fees, required documents and eligibility
- eKYC and Virtual ID
- Linking Aadhaar with bank accounts, PAN and mobile numbers
- mAadhaar services
- Grievance redressal
Users don’t need to phrase their questions in any particular way. Udai understands everyday language, whether a question is spoken in English, Hindi, or asked in a mix of both, and finds the most relevant official information to answer it.
Built to be accurate, respectful, and secure
When a public service speaks directly to users, trust matters as much as convenience. Udai is protected by three layers of safeguards.
Accuracy first. Udai answers only from its verified knowledge base. Responses are grounded in a curated knowledge base of official UIDAI material. If a question falls outside Aadhaar, it guides the user back rather than offering an answer it cannot stand behind.
Respectful conversations. A screening layer catches abusive or offensive language in English, Hindi, and Hinglish before it reaches the assistant. Screening is designed to identify abusive language while supporting legitimate queries
Protection against misuse. Udai cannot be talked into abandoning its role, pretending to be someone else, revealing its internal setup, or answering beyond its approved scope. These checks work almost instantly, so users experience no delay.
What comes next?
Udai is planned to roll out in two phases.
In the first phase, the mascot will be placed in Aadhaar Centres. Visitors will be able to check information and understand processes on their own, such as which documents they need for an address change. This frees centre staff to focus on their core work instead of answering the same questions again and again.
In the second phase, Udai will come to the Aadhaar website and mobile app, taking the place of the current text-based chatbot, which was also built by Daffodil.
About Daffodil Software
Daffodil Software is a software engineering and AI solutions company serving businesses across industries. Its services span software consulting, product engineering, UI/UX design, AI/ML development, quality assurance, cloud and DevOps, and maintenance. The company serves sectors including healthcare, fintech, banking, technology, and digital commerce. Its client portfolio includes organizations such as the Reserve Bank of India, Mount Sinai Hospital, Maruti, Samsung, Pramerica Insurance, and Dangote Group. Daffodil Software has also been featured in industry research and recognition by Gartner, Everest Group, Zinnov, and Frost & Sullivan. For more information, visit https://www.daffodilsw.com
Media contact
Kunwar Pal Singh
media-relations@daffodilsw.com
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21, Oct 2026
Woxsen University Signs Memorandum of Understanding with XPO to Strengthen Industry Engagement and Experiential Learning
HYDERABAD, India, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Woxsen University, Hyderabad, and XPO, a global leader in asset-based less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation in North America, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academia collaboration and create greater opportunities for students to gain practical industry exposure. The partnership will bring together XPO’s industry expertise and Woxsen’s academic capabilities through trainee programs, live projects, internships, industry visits, expert interactions and other initiatives focused on preparing students for the workplace.
As a part of the three-year partnership, students of Woxsen will have opportunities to work on merit-based trainee-programs, live industry projects, access relevant internship opportunities and participate in industry visits and interactions with XPO professionals in India. XPO will also engage with students through pre-placement talks and employer interactions, along with a preferred recruitment slot during the placement season. The company will further have the opportunity to provide inputs on curriculum relevance and emerging industry requirements, as well as design and deliver industry-led modules through Woxsen’s 12 Value-Added Credits under the Applied Learning & Industry Interface pathway.
The collaboration will extend to faculty and executive learning as well. Woxsen faculty will have opportunities to undertake 4–6-week industry engagements or projects at XPO in India, gaining first-hand exposure to emerging technologies and business practices that can enrich classroom learning. Woxsen will also work with XPO on management development programmes, customised executive education and certification programmes aligned with its learning and development requirements. XPO subject matter experts will participate in guest lectures and knowledge-sharing sessions, while dedicated representatives from both organisations will coordinate the partnership and identify further areas of collaboration.
Speaking about the MoU, Dr V. J. Byra Reddy, Vice Chancellor, Woxsen University, said, “This strategic partnership with Fortune 500 giant, XPO, exemplifies Woxsen’s commitment to disruptive, industry-integrated education. By uniting our academic rigour with XPO’s global operational expertise, we ensure our students acquire practical skills that allow them to hit the ground running, adapt instantly to fast-evolving industry requirements, and deliver immediate value in high-demand roles.”
Sameer Shaikh, Head of XPO India and Senior Director, Financial Shared Services & Technology, said, “At XPO, we believe strong industry-academia partnerships are essential to building the workforce of the future. Our collaboration with Woxsen University reflects our commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences that bridge classroom knowledge with real-world business challenges. Through trainee programs, live projects, industry engagement and mentorship opportunities, we look forward to helping students develop the skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving global industry.”
The partnership reinforces Woxsen University’s focus on connecting academic learning with industry experience and creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage with real-world business challenges. For XPO India, the collaboration offers an opportunity to engage with emerging talent, share industry expertise and contribute to the development of industry-ready professionals. The MoU is valid for an initial period of three years, with scope for extension by mutual consent.
About Woxsen University:
Woxsen University, Hyderabad, is one of the first private universities in the state of Telangana, India. Renowned for its 200-acre state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, Woxsen University offers new-age, disruptive programs in the fields of Business, Technology, Arts & Design, Architecture, Law, and Liberal Arts & Humanities. Woxsen also houses Asia’s largest Sports Infrastructure, spread over 60 acres. With 175+ Global Partner Universities and a strong industry connect, Woxsen is recognized as one of the top universities for Academic Excellence and Global Edge. Woxsen has also secured the QS Business Masters World Ranking 2025, Rank #8 All India, Top 100 B-Schools by Times B-School Ranking 2026, Rank #5, Asia Pacific, Bloomberg Best B-School, and features in India’s Best B-Schools beyond IIMs by Dalal Street Investment Journal 2025, in 4th consecutive year. Woxsen is ranked as one of the Top Professional Colleges in India by Outlook I-CARE for its undergraduate programs, securing All India Rank 12 among the Top 130 BBA Private Institutes, All India Rank 20 among the Top 160 B. Tech Private Institutes, All India Rank 3 among the Top 25 Design Private Institutes, and All India Rank 3 among the Top 30 B. Arch Private Institutes.
About XPO:
XPO, Inc. is a leader in asset-based less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation in North America. The company’s customer-focused organization efficiently moves 16 billion pounds of freight per year, enabled by its proprietary technology. XPO serves 55,000 customers with 586 locations and 38,000 employees in North America and Europe, and is headquartered in Greenwich, Conn., USA. Visit xpo.com for more information, and connect with XPO on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
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21, Oct 2026
Dussehra 2026: Vehicle Puja Draws Devotees To Durga Puja Pandals Across Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar, Oct 21: Vehicle puja emerged as a major attraction across Bhubaneswar on Wednesday as devotees marked Dussehra with special prayers and traditional rituals at Durga Puja pandals across the city.
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From two-wheelers and private cars to auto-rickshaws and buses, vehicles of different types lined up outside temples and puja pandals from the early morning hours. Owners performed special pujas, seeking the blessings of Maa Durga for safety, prosperity and success in their daily lives.
The ritual saw devotees washing their vehicles, decorating them with flowers and garlands, and offering prayers before the Goddess. Many also applied vermilion and other auspicious materials as part of the traditional observances.
Vehicle Puja Marks An Auspicious Dussehra Tradition
Vehicle puja is an important tradition associated with Dussehra in several parts of India. Devotees believe that worshipping their vehicles on this auspicious day brings good fortune and protects them from accidents and other mishaps.
For many, vehicles are essential to their livelihoods and everyday activities. Commercial drivers, transport operators and private vehicle owners participate in the ritual to express gratitude and seek divine blessings for safe journeys throughout the year.
In Bhubaneswar, the practice brought together people from different walks of life, with many choosing to visit nearby puja pandals and temples with their vehicles before beginning their day’s work.
Festive Spirit Grips The Capital
The vehicle puja rituals added another dimension to the Vijayadashami celebrations in the Odisha capital, where devotees have been gathering at decorated pandals to offer prayers to Maa Durga.
The occasion marks the victory of good over evil and the culmination of Durga Puja festivities. Alongside traditional worship, the day is observed through a range of customs that reflect faith, gratitude and hopes for a prosperous future.
With devotees turning up in large numbers for the morning rituals, vehicle puja remained a prominent feature of this year’s Dussehra celebrations across Bhubaneswar, highlighting the enduring connection between religious traditions and everyday life.
21, Oct 2026
BJP Yuva Morcha Announces Major National Reshuffle; Leaders From 20 States Get Key Posts
New Delhi, Oct 21: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has carried out a major organisational reshuffle in its youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), appointing new national office-bearers across key organisational, administrative, research and media positions.
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The appointments, made under the direction of BJP National President Nitin Nabin, include seven national vice-presidents, three national general secretaries and seven national secretaries, along with office-bearers for several other departments. The new appointments will take effect immediately.
The reshuffle brings together leaders from different states, reflecting the party’s efforts to strengthen its youth organisation and expand its organisational presence across the country.
Seven National Vice-Presidents Appointed
According to the list released by the party, seven leaders have been appointed national vice-presidents of the Yuva Morcha. They are Shagun Parihar, MLA, from Jammu and Kashmir; Nikhil Mani Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh; Arvind Damani from Nagaland; Maloth Komali Naik from Telangana; Raj Rajendra Singh from Bihar; Soumen Karfa, MLA, from West Bengal; and Bhupendra Nag from Chhattisgarh.
For the post of national general secretary, the party has appointed Arpita Aparajita Badjena from Odisha, Harsh Vardhan Singh from Uttar Pradesh and Mitta Vamshi Krishna from Andhra Pradesh.
The appointment of Arpita Aparajita Badjena from Odisha is among the key developments in the organisational changes, giving the state representation in the Yuva Morcha’s national leadership.
Seven Leaders Named National Secretaries
The party has also appointed seven national secretaries to strengthen its organisational framework. The newly appointed secretaries are Biswajit Khound from Assam, Ashish Jhala from Madhya Pradesh, Sayali Raghunath Kulkarni from Maharashtra, Himanshu Sharma from Rajasthan, Sardar Armaanjot Brar from Punjab, Aman Yadav from Jharkhand and Rahul Jha from Bihar.
In the finance-related appointments, Vineet Vats Tyagi from Uttar Pradesh has been named national treasurer, while Devvrat Singh Rajawat from Rajasthan will serve as national joint treasurer.
For administrative coordination, Dhruv Pandit from Gujarat has been appointed central office in-charge, with Mohit Soni from Delhi named central office co-in-charge.
Policy, Research And Media Teams Get New Leadership
The organisational overhaul also covers the Yuva Morcha’s policy and research wing. Akhila Bandam from Telangana has been appointed in-charge of the Policy and Research Department. Rangam Trivedi from Gujarat, Kamal Madishetty from Telangana and Dr Rama Balhara from Haryana have been named co-in-charges.
In the media department, Himanshu Yadav from Bihar has been appointed media in-charge. Shivani Singh from Delhi, Atul Thakur from Himachal Pradesh and Vishu Basoya from Delhi will serve as media co-in-charges.
The party has also announced appointments to its social media team, naming Apurva Singh from Delhi as social media in-charge and Manvendra Chauhan from Bihar as social media co-in-charge.
Focus On Strengthening Youth Organisation
The latest appointments mark a significant restructuring of the BJP’s youth wing, with leadership positions distributed among representatives from multiple states and responsibilities spread across organisational, policy, financial and communications departments.
The new team is expected to take charge of its respective responsibilities immediately, as the party continues to focus on strengthening its youth leadership and organisational network at the national level.
With appointments spanning a wide range of functions, the reshuffle establishes a new leadership structure for the BJYM, placing emphasis on organisational coordination, policy engagement and communication.
