WardWizard Innovations and Mobility signs MoU with

WardWizard Innovations and Mobility signs MoU with the Government of Gujarat

 

Announces investment of INR500 crores to facilitate the growth of Electric Vehicle Industry creating Electric Vehicle Ancillary Cluster

 

Targets to create more than 6000 job creation as a part of EV Ancillary Cluster 

 

WardWizard Innovations and Mobility Ltd (BSE Code: 538970) – one of the leading manufacturers of electric two-wheelers brand ‘Joy e-bike’, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Gujarat government to invest Rs. 500 crore. The agreement aims to foster the growth of the electric vehicle industry and meet the government’s vision of strengthening green mobility in the state.

 

The signing ceremony of MoU with the Gujarat Government took place as part of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2022 in Gandhinagar in presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel and Mr. Yatin Gupte, Chairman and Managing Director, Wardwizard Innovations and Mobility Limited. Several senior government dignitaries and officials from the company were also present.

 

As part of the agreement, WardWizard would invest Rs.500 crores on research and development of electric 2 & 3 wheelers, setting up the motor assembly at Vadodara’s facility, and developing EV ancillaries to manufacture raw materials. The company will also generate more than 6000 jobs in the state.

 

Elaborating on the MoU, Mr Yatin Gupte, Chairman & Managing Director, Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility Ltd., said, “The investment would help in strengthening the development and boost the ‘Make-in-India’ vision while promoting local vendors during this electric mobility revolution. The supply chain is under immense pressure with the growing demand for electric vehicles, especially two-wheelers. EV Ancillary will work as a solution and ease the supply chain while decreasing the dependency on imports.  As we are at the cusp launching our new high-speed two-wheelers and electric three-wheelers, the investment will help in reinforcing our R&D and marketing activities.”

 

 

 

 

 

CANARA BANK ENTERED IN AN MoU WITH

 CANARA BANK ENTERED IN AN MoU WITH M/s TOYOTA KIRLOSKAR MOTOR PRIVATE LIMITED TO OFFER ATTRACTIVE FINANCE SCHEMES

 

Canara Bank is the third largest Public Sector Bank in India with its headquarter in Bengaluru. Canara Bank has achieved several milestones in the financial sector in India for its diverse product portfolio, excellent services and facilities.

 

Under Retail Banking, Canara Bank offers wide range of Retail Loan Products for customers i.e. Housing Loan, Vehicle Loan, Personal Loan, Education Loan etc.  Now, Canara Bank has entered in an MoU with M/s Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited to offer attractive finance schemes which is an extension of their efforts to enhance customer experience for hassle free finance to purchase cars at attractive rate of interest, longer repayment with nil processing and documentation charges.

IDFC FIRST Bank signs up with Indian Navy to offer

 IDFC FIRST Bank signs up with Indian Navy 

                                to offer Honour FIRST banking solutions 

 

IDFC FIRST Bank announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Navy to offer Honour FIRST, a premium banking solution, to serving personnel and veterans of the Indian Navy. 

The Honour FIRST Defence Account is specially designed keeping in mind the needs of the Armed Forces and its veterans. Account holders of Honour FIRST are supported by a dedicated team of defence veterans. 

The MoU for Honour FIRST was signed at the Naval Headquarters in New Delhi between Commodore Neeraj Malhotra, Commodore - Pay and Allowances, Indian Navy and senior officials of IDFC FIRST Bank. 

Commodore Neeraj Malhotra, Commodore-Pay and Allowances of Indian Navy, said, “I welcome the initiative of IDFC FIRST Bank to offer customized banking solutions to suit the needs of the Indian Navy and its personnel.”

Speaking on the occasion, Amit Kumar, Head – Retail Liabilities, IDFC FIRST Bank, said, “This is indeed a proud moment for us. The association couldn’t have come at a better time as the Indian Navy commemorates the 50th anniversary of India’s historic victory in the 1971 war. We look forward to serving the banking needs of the prestigious Indian Navy as its safeguards the maritime frontiers of our country. This association is rooted in our nation-first approach to banking and reiterates our longstanding commitment to meeting the needs of our Armed Forces.” 

The Honour FIRST Defence account comes with a range of privileges and features such as a zero balance salary account that earns up to 5 percent interest per annum and a netbanking and mobile App that offers superior user interface and experience. 

Honour FIRST Account holders get a free enhanced Personal Accident Insurance Cover of Rs. 46 lakhs for both on-duty and off-duty incidents. This not only covers accidental death but also total and partial  permanent disability. This Personal Accident Insurance Cover includes a Child Education Grant of Rs.

4 lakhs, and a marriage cover of Rs 2 lakh.  

In addition, other best-in-class features include a top-of-the-line Visa Signature Debit Card with no annual charges, free Air Accidental Insurance cover of Rs. 1 crore and complimentary airport lounge access at domestic airports, twice a quarter. 

Honour FIRST Defence Account also offers free lost card liability and fraud protection of up to Rs. 6 lakhs, purchase protection against burglary, theft and damage up to 90 days from date of purchase up to Rs. 1 lakh. 

Account holders of Honour FIRST are eligible for a ‘Free for Life Credit Card’ with variable APR and 10X Reward Points, 1.5% forex markup, complimentary access to select spas and lounges at domestic and international airports, travel insurance and other benefits round the year.  Privileges also include 10X reward points on spends greater than Rs. 20,000, 6X rewards on all online spends, complimentary for life & interest-free credit for purchases and cash withdrawals.

Other benefits comprise free unlimited ATM transactions across all domestic ATM’s, free online payment transactions, unlimited cheque books and anywhere banking across the Bank’s network of branches and ATMs.

The Bank is constantly investing in state-of-the-art technology to bring digital innovations to its customers, with a view to enhancing customer convenience and experience. 

ESR India inks MoU with Tamil Nadu Government to set up

 ESR India inks MoU with Tamil Nadu Government to set up
two industrial parks in the state

~MoU signed for a potential investment of INR 550 crores ~

ESR India, the largest APAC focused industrial and logistics real estate platform, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu for a potential investment of INR 550 crores.

The MOU is signed for the launch of two industrial parks in Kancheepuram and Krishnagiri districts of the state over the next five years. Once fully operational, the two projects have the potential to create over 4,400 jobs in the facility, that shall boost the overall socio-economic growth in the region.

The MoU was signed at the Investment Conclave 2021 conference held today. It will facilitate ESR India’s proposed investment at Kancheepuram and Krishnagiri industrial parks by helping in streamlining land acquisition, approvals, clearances, and administrative processes as per existing policies, rules, and regulations of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The policy and regulatory reforms unveiled in recent times has accentuated the entry of international institutional players and has set new benchmarks for industrial developments in the country.

Commenting on the development, Abhijit Malkani, CEO and Country Head, ESR India said, “We are delighted to announce our affiliation with the state government. The Government of Tamil Nadu has been very supportive in encouraging industrial developments in the state by creating a favourable business climate for industrial players. The MoU will see ESR invest INR 550 crores to develop industrial parks in Tamil Nadu, offering 1,800 direct & 2,600 indirect job opportunities in the facility.”

“Our goals are aligned with the vision of the Tamil Nadu Government, to create avenues to increase business and trade inclusion opportunities and employment towards garnering better economic growth in the region”, he further stated.

ESR India is currently present across 9 cities and 15 locations with a total GFA of 18 Mn. Sq. ft. These state-of-the-art facilities will be developed upholding the best practices for ESG and sustainability.

Roche Concerned Covid-19 Could Increase

 Roche Concerned Covid-19 Could Increase Diabetes Burden in India

- Signs MoU with Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) to initiate a sustained drive for diabetes screening, awareness and education

Roche Diabetes Care (RDC) India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) to conduct diabetes screening camps for the underprivileged across India, to drive early detection of diabetes and to increase awareness about its management. Recent reports have flagged the potential ‘diabetogenic’ effect of Covid-19 on people who did not have diabetes before their exposure to this virus.

Omar Sherief Mohammad, Managing Director, Roche Diabetes Care India, said, “India already has a huge burden of diabetes and we would like to address the new risk that Covid-19 now poses. At Roche Diabetes Care, our aim is to provide true relief to people with diabetes everywhere so that they can keep their sugar levels under control. This is particularly important once the Covid-19 pandemic waves subsides, and we have to contend with possible long-term health impacts of the disease. We believe that joining hands with like-minded partners such as RILM can help us create a nationwide network to provide early diagnosis of diabetes and create awareness among the underprivileged.”

During the pilot phase of the project, a total of 300 screening camps will be organised in six states- Maharashtra, UP, Sikkim, WB, Telengana, Karnataka - over six months. This will later be scaled-up to include the rest of the country in a phased approach. A soon as the situation permits, RILM will organize diabetes detection screening camps for the underprivileged, with a focus on schoolchildren and their parents at government aided schools. RDC will support RILM by providing glucometer kits, test strips and lancets for early detection and diagnosis of diabetes.

Kamal Sanghvi, Rotary International Director and RILM Chairman, said, "We are proud and privileged to join hands with Roche Diabetes Care to screen for and create awareness about diabetes. Early detection is absolutely critical if we are to reduce the high burden of diabetes in India. Rotary has a legacy of helping to eradicate diseases that become a huge public health challenge, as we did for polio, and now we would like to provide support for diabetes control. We remain committed to ensuring that the underprivileged are not left behind as we move forward into a post-pandemic era."

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) about 463 million people are affected with diabetes mellitus worldwide, and this number is estimated to reach 700 million by 2045. India ranks second in the world, as almost 77 million Indians have diabetes

Dr. Bal Inamdar, Chair, Curative Health, Rotary India said “Rotary is known around the world for its larger-than-life vision and action. Now, we are pleased to partner with one of the world’s most respected pharmaceutical companies, Roche Diabetes Care, to tackle one of the world’s biggest healthcare challenges: diabetes, in India. This can only lead to great action and great results! I wish this collaboration all the success that it so richly deserves!”

Creating a collaborative mechanism is crucial to drive awareness and early detection, which can ultimately lead to better diabetes management. RDC India strives to pioneer this drive of empowering patients in managing their diabetes better while enabling access to uninterrupted care. This program with Rotary is part of RDC’s aim to create an eco-system of like-minded partners to address this growing burden of diabetes in the country and make India the ‘diabetes care capital of the world’.

EESL signs MoU with Lemon Tree Hotels to

 EESL signs MoU with Lemon Tree Hotels to implement
energy efficiency and energy conservation measures

 As a part of its ongoing efforts to create an energy-efficient economy, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture under the administration of the Ministry of Power, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lemon Tree Hotels Limited for implementing energy efficiency and energy conservation measures at a selected number of the latter’s properties in India.

During the three-year engagement, both companies will work together to identify areas to improve energy efficiency and leverage the expertise of EESL and its subsidiary companies Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) and EPSL Trigeneration Private Limited, as the need may be, in the areas of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging; air conditioning; solar rooftop installations; energy-efficient pumps and motors; indoor and outdoor lighting; and energy and water audits.

Sharing views on this engagement, Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Executive Vice Chairperson (EVC), EESL, said, “Energy efficiency is a vital, indispensable part of our vision for a sustainable future. We have a roadmap for getting there, and we need more and more willing partners from across industries to keep moving the needle on progress. Lemon Tree Hotels is one of the largest hotel chains in India, and we hope that the success we will achieve through our projects will encourage many more players to explore avenues for strengthening their energy efficiency and conservation initiatives.”

Mr. Patu Keswani, Chairman & Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels, said, “We are committed to our ESG focus at Lemon Tree. Over the years, we have undertaken several initiatives to reduce energy consumption, and we have implemented a number of environmentally friendly practices. For example, increasing the contribution of RE to our total energy consumption. Our partnership with EESL will enable us to enhance the impact of these measures and find ways to further reduce our carbon footprint, in order to move closer to our goal of being carbon neutral.”

EESL’s expertise will help Lemon Tree Hotels realize its stated intention of delivering a healthy triple bottom line – planet, people, and profit – through its sustainability initiatives. The projects implemented through this partnership will contribute to improving the overall energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of the hotel company.

IDFC FIRST Bank signs up with Assam Rifles to offer

IDFC FIRST Bank signs up with Assam Rifles to offer Honour FIRST banking solution to defence personnel 

   

IDFC FIRST Bank announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assam Rifles to offer Honour FIRST, a premium banking solution, to serving personnel and veterans of Assam Rifles.  

 

The MoU for Honour FIRST was signed at the Assam Rifles headquarters in Shillong between Col P S Singh, Colonel Administration on behalf of Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan, AVSM, SM** Director General Assam Rifles and senior officials of IDFC FIRST Bank. Welcoming the delegation from IDFC FIRST Bank, Brig Vikrant Kulkarni, Brigadier Personnel of Assam Rifles, gave a short introduction of Assam Rifles.  

Assam Rifles is the oldest paramilitary force of India, instituted in 1835. It comprises 60,000 personnel spread across North Eastern States with 46 battalions. Entrusted with internal security and border management roles, Assam Rifles is referred to as the Sentinels of the North East. 

Speaking on the occasion, Amit Kumar, Head – Retail Liabilities, IDFC FIRST Bank, said, “It’s a proud moment for us. The association couldn’t have come at a better time as Assam Rifles celebrates its 186th Raising. Honour FIRST is an outcome of our passion to serve the Armed Forces in a very special way by customising banking solutions to the needs of its personnel. Honour FIRST stands rooted in our nation-first approach. We are constantly improving our offerings using state-of-the-art technology for superior customer experience. It is now a privilege for us to serve Assam Rifles with an array of our convenience banking services, digitised financial solutions and enhanced access.”  

Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan, AVSM, SM** Director General of Assam Rifles, said, “I welcome the initiative of IDFC FIRST Bank to customise its banking operations to suit the needs of Assam Rifles.” The DG encouraged bank officials to cater to the banking requirements of troops posted in remote locations of North East. 

Honour FIRST is specially designed keeping in mind the needs of the Armed Forces community. It includes a zero balance Honour FIRST salary account with 6% interest, unlimited free ATM transactions from any location, free fund transfers through IMPS, RTGS and NEFT, free lost card liability protection and purchase protection up to Rs 4 lakhs. The debit card is also customised to the needs of Armed Forces personnel. A free air accident insurance cover of Rs 1 crore is available with air tickets purchased using the Bank’s debit card.   

The account comes with a Lifetime free credit card, a free Personal Accident Death and Permanent Disability Cover of Rs.46 lakhs, including an education grant of Rs. 4 lakh for wards up to 23 years of age and an additional Rs 2 lakh as marriage cover for daughters in the age group of 18-25 years.  

 

In addition, the Honour FIRST banking solution comes with a host of attractive offers, rewards and discounts such as cash back, Book my Show vouchers, airport lounge access and fuel surcharge waivers to name a few.  

 

The Bank’s My FIRST Salary app enables personnel to instantly open their accounts with video KYC facility and also refer colleagues.  

The Bank is deploying advanced technology targeted at better customer engagement and building customer delight. Several of its digital offerings launched for retail customers in 2020 such as SafePay and Video KYC have enabled customers to experience a next level of cashless and secure banking. IDFC FIRST Bank serves customers digitally through its new-age Netbanking portal, an intuitive and user friendly Mobile App, 576 branches and over a 134 loan centres across the country, and it's welltrained in-house customer service teams.   

MoU Signing for the Integrated Steel Complex by

MoU Signing for the Integrated Steel Complex by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India at Kendrapara held

 

In a historic development, Government of Odisha and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Limited signed a MoU for setting up an Integrated Steel Complex in Kendrapara District. This project will entail in investment of more than Rs. 50,000 crore.

 

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel is one of the largest steel makers of the world and combines the financial might of the LN Mittal Group including their international presence in the sector and the technological prowess and management strength of Nippon Steel, which is a Japanese company renowned in the world for its high-technology steel products.

 

The MoU was signed in the august presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik and Shri L N Mittal, Chairman of the Mittal Group. Shri Prafulla Mallik, Hon’ble Minister Steel & Mines and Works and Shri Atanu Sabyasachi Naik, MLA, Mahakalpara were also present.

 

Hon’ble Chief Minister stated that, Kendrapara was the Karmabhumi of Biju Babu and he loved the place and its people from the core of his heart. He also stated that Kendrapara provides ideal prospects for an Integrated Steel Complex and the state Government will provide all the required support and facilitation for the setting up of this mega project. He also state that Odisha has successfully emerged and the most attractive investment destination in the country today because of its forward looking industrial policy, facilitation mechanism and robust infrastructure growth.

 

Mr. Mittal mentioned that he is very happy to partner with Government of Odisha in setting up this integrated steel complex at Kendrapara, which is in addition to the other investments of AM/NS in Odisha including the 6MTPA pelletization plant in Paradeep which will be expanded to 12 MTPA and the beneficiation complex in Keonjhar and slurry pipeline which are already operational.

 

He further mentioned that he is amazed as the speed of work by the Government of Odisha, which in his opinion is the best he has experienced in his world-wide business experience. He reiterated that AM/NS is committed to partner with Government of Odisha in the industrial growth journey of the state.

 

The MoU was signed by the Shri Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary Industries and Shri Dilip Oommen, Chief Executive Officer, AM/NS India. Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner, Principal Advisor to Hon’ble Chief Minister, Secretary to Hon’ble Chief Minister Transformation and Initiatives (5T) and other senior officials of the state Government were also present.

Flipkart And Govt. Of Maharashtra Come Together To

 Flipkart And Govt. Of Maharashtra Come Together To Boost The Growth Of Small Scale Businesses And Local Artisans In The State

• MoU signed under the Flipkart Samarth initiative
• Partnership with MSSIDC and MSKVIB in Maharashtra will enable the State’s local artisans, weavers and small scale businesses to showcase their hallmark products to millions of customers across the country

Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (MSSIDC) and Maharashtra State Khadi & Village Industries Board (MSKVIB), to bring local artisans, weavers, craftsmen and SMBs of the state into the e-commerce fold. The MoU to onboard local artisans and entities on the company’s flagship initiative Flipkart Samarth was signed in the presence of Honorable Industries Minister Shri Subhash Desai and Minister of State, Industries, Smt. Aditi Tatkare. 

The partnership under the Flipkart Samarth program will enable Maharashtra’s local artisans, weavers, craftsmen and smaller industries to showcase their hallmark products like Khadi, Paithani sarees, wooden toys, handmade artifacts, jewelry and paper products, purses and other key handicraft products to millions of customers across the country, further adding impetus to the government's ‘#Vocal for Local’ efforts. Flipkart Samarth is a nationwide initiative, which aims to help skilled local artisan communities set up their business on the Flipkart Marketplace in an efficient, transparent and cost-effective manner.

The program seeks to break entry barriers for local artisans by extending time-bound incubation support, which includes benefits in the form of seamless onboarding, free cataloging, marketing, account management, business insights and warehousing support. This will create avenues to increase business and trade inclusion opportunities for these very important segments of society.

The Government of Maharashtra has been leading various state-level initiatives to boost trade inclusion opportunities and provide encouragement to local artisans and handicraft makers. The State government established MSSIDC & MSKVIB to give a new orientation and strength to the development of Small Scale Industries in the State of Maharashtra. They play a vital role in the revival, development and growth of traditional village industries, products and handicrafts of Maharashtra by responding to the diversified needs of rural artisans and marketing their products in India and abroad.

Shri Subhash Desai, Minister for Industries & Mining, Government of Maharashtra, said, “MSMEs play a huge role in boosting the economy of the state and are vital to the state’s socio-economic development. In the post-COVID-19 era, we explored revolutionary measures to get better market opportunities and empowering the handicrafts and handlooms industry.”

Smt. Aditi Tatkare, Minister of State - Industries, Government of Maharashtra, said, “Partnerships like these will give more impetus to Khadi & Village Industries to scale up and generate livelihood opportunities.”

Shri Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with MSSIDC and MSKVIB to enhance social and commercial development of local artisans, weavers and smaller industries while bringing the heritage of the State on the platform. E-commerce can play an integral role in the growth of MSMEs across the country by giving them national market access to 300 million customers that shop on our platform. Flipkart Samarth is a cherished initiative that provides these businesses with the necessary support, and we hope to continue reaching more such local businesses to help them reap the benefits of e-commerce.”

Shri Baldev Singh, Principal Secretary – Industries, Energy and Labour, Govt. of Maharashtra, said, “We are looking forward to this collaboration to bring valuable business knowledge to our handicraft makers and artisans and promote their hallmark products across India.”

Dr. M. Neelima Kerketta, CEO, Maharashtra State Khadi & Village Industries Board (MSKVIB), said, “It will be a good platform for providing an efficient solution for marketing village industries products. This will act as a driving force for encouraging rural micro artisans to earn their livelihood in a smart and modern manner.”

Shri Pravin Darade, Managing Director, Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (MSSIDC), said, “This initiative seeks to break entry barriers for the local artisans and will offer not only long term sustainable livelihood support but would also encourage artisans to conserve & pass on the local arts & crafts skills from generation to generations.”

Flipkart Samarth program was launched in 2019 to build a sustainable and inclusive platform for under-served, domestic communities and businesses to empower them with greater opportunities and better livelihood. Flipkart Samarth is now able to support the livelihood of over 7,50,000 artisans, weavers and craftsmen across India and is working towards bringing more such sellers to the platform. Recently, Flipkart also announced the availability of the Marathi interface for shoppers on the platform, bringing it closer to consumers in the state.

 

Flipkart & MSME Department partner to enable growth for

 Flipkart And MSME Department, Govt. Of Tamil Nadu Partner To Enable Growth For Small Scale Businesses And Local Artisans In The State

• MoU signed under the Flipkart Samarth initiative

 Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TN MSME Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau (MTIPB), Government of Tamil Nadu, to bring local artisans, weavers, craftsmen and SMBs of the state into the e-commerce fold. The MoU to onboard local artisans and entities on the company’s flagship initiative Flipkart Samarth was signed in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of Rural Industries, Thiru P. Benjamin and was attended by key dignitaries from the MSME department including Mr. Mangat Ram Sharma, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government, MSME Department; Ms. Anu George, IAS, Industries Commissioner and Director of Industries & Commerce; Ms. Gajalakshmi, IAS, Managing Director, SIDCO and Mr. Vishu Mahajan, IAS, Managing Director, M-TIPB.

The partnership under the Flipkart Samarth program will enable Tamil Nadu’s local artisans, weavers, craftsmen and smaller industries to showcase their hallmark products. As part of this initiative, MTIPB will support Flipkart Group’s engagement with state-owned/affiliated enterprises and undertakings, such as TANCOFED, INDCOSERVE, SAGOSERVE, Industrial Co-operative Societies etc. that work with local artisans, weavers, crafts producers and farmers in the state to provide market access training and support. Tamil Nadu today is a world-known destination for consumers who are in search of some of the finest handicrafts in India, such as Celestial figures in Bronze, Brass lamps, Rosewood Carvings, Sandalwood Carvings and more.

Anu George, IAS, Industries Commissioner and Director of Industries & Commerce, Govt. of Tamil Nadu said, “There are 294 Industrial Cooperative Societies functioning under the department. Many of them are involved in production of handicraft items including GI registered products. This MoU will provide these societies with a new vigour and link them to a national market for their products.”

The Government of Tamil Nadu recently announced MSME Policy 2021, which has set a target to attract new investments worth INR 2 trillion in the sector by 2025 and create additional employment opportunities for two million people.

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group said: “Flipkart Samarth is a nationwide initiative, which aims to help skilled local artisan communities set up their business on the Flipkart Marketplace in an efficient, transparent and cost-effective manner. The program seeks to break entry barriers for local artisans & weavers by extending incubation support, which includes benefits in the form of seamless onboarding, cataloging, marketing, account management, business insights and warehousing support. This will create avenues to increase business and trade inclusion opportunities for these very important segments of society. Collaboration with the MTIPB, Government of Tamil Nadu is yet another step towards this effort.”

Flipkart Samarth program was launched in 2019 to build a sustainable and inclusive platform for under-served, domestic communities and businesses to empower them with greater opportunities and better livelihood. Flipkart Samarth is now able to support the livelihood of over 7,50,000 artisans, weavers and craftsmen across India and is working towards bringing more such sellers to the platform. Recently, Flipkart also announced the availability of the Tamil interface for shoppers on the platform, bringing it closer to consumers in the state.

 

SpiceJet ties-up with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo for

 SpiceJet ties-up with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo for storage & seamless delivery of Covid-19 vaccine

·         The strategic partnership is envisioned to not only provide a speedy and reliable solution for vaccine delivery, but to also create a sustainable cold chain network

·         SpiceXpress to provide first mile pick up and last mile delivery pan India and internationally

·         SpiceXpress has the capability of transporting extremely sensitive drugs, vaccines and blood samples in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite airline, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC), the cargo division of GMR Air Cargo & Aerospace Engineering Ltd. (GACAEL), for providing a seamless service to all vaccine manufacturers in the region.

As part of this association, SpiceXpress – the cargo arm of SpiceJet – envisions to provide efficient, speedy and reliable solution for vaccine delivery, while also creating a sustainable cold chain network. SpiceXpress aims to provide the first mile pick up and last mile delivery to carry COVID–19 vaccines across the domestic and international markets in a temperature controlled environment.

Under the MoU, GHAC shall provide available required space on priority for SpiceJet’s vaccine shipments besides training its personnel along with the airline for specific customer requirement. SpiceJet on its part will keep a dedicated fleet of freighters including wide-body aircraft at Hyderabad airport to handle all domestic and international consignments.

Hyderabad, which is already at the centre stage of India’s Covid-19 vaccine development programme, is expected to be a key hub in the manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine both domestically as well as globally. The association between SpiceJet and GHAC will aid the manufacturers in the region by ensuring seamless delivery of the vaccine.

Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “We are delighted to have GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo as a partner in our fight against the pandemic. Delivering Covid-19 vaccines safely not just within India but across the globe is a task we are fully committed to. With strong partners and our capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs and vaccines in controlled temperatures of up to -40°c, we feel that we are fully prepared to assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind.”

As part of its continued efforts to take up the responsibility of transporting Covid-19 vaccine to every part of the country as well as outside India, SpiceJet has recently partnered with Om Logistics Ltd. and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Snowman Logistics.

With a network spanning 54 domestic and 45 international destinations and a fleet of 17 cargo planes, SpiceXpress is capable of flying over 500 tonnes of cargo per day to both domestic and a wide list of international destinations. The airline has also tied up with global leaders in cold chain solutions offering active and passive packaging with dedicated equipment to perform seamless cold chain operations.

SpiceXpress recently introduced a new specialized service called Spice Pharma Pro, which has the capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs, vaccines blood samples and medicines in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c. Besides, the airline also offers a plethora of other benefits such as a network of warehouses equipped with deep freezers to enable change of cool packs and ground vehicles and containers to help transport sensitive cargo.

Ever since the lockdown began, SpiceJet and its cargo arm, SpiceXpress, has played a critical role and worked relentlessly to ensure that the country’s supply chain remained intact. The airline has helped in the transportation of vital goods and medical supplies to all corners of India and the world. SpiceJet has operated 11800 cargo flights since the lockdown began and carried around 93500 tons of cargo. Since 2018, SpiceJet has developed the capability of providing door-to-door deliveries to over 12,600 pin codes across India.

Auckland University of Technology strengthens bilateral ties

 Auckland University of Technology strengthens bilateral ties with India

AUT continues to strengthen bilateral ties with India through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with India’s top ranked technical university and a visit from the Indian High Commissioner.

 AUT has signed an MOU with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, the first agreement between IIT Madras and any university in New Zealand.  The MOU formalised the well-established history between the two universities which has included joint research activities, funding applications and collaborative post-graduate programmes.

 Professor Guy Littlefair, Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Dean of Design and Creative Technologies at AUT said the two institutions are both very much at the fore of innovation and applied research. “The opportunities presented in this partnership will allow both students and staff tremendous prospects to enhance bi-national relations for the benefit of both countries and universities,” said Professor Littlefair. 

This was endorsed by Professor Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean Global Engagement at IIT Madras who said the agreement will allow “mobility of students, joint research and joint supervision of students and collaborative masters and doctoral programmes.” The MOU means AUT students will get the opportunity to complete their final year project or internship at the prestigious IIT Madras which is an exciting prospect for all students and especially for those of Indian origin.

 Rated 5-stars for Internationalization, research, teaching, graduate employability, innovation, inclusiveness and facilities in the QS World University Rankings, Auckland University of Technology (AUT) is a future-focused university that provides exceptional learning experiences for our students. Many of our subjects are world-ranked such as New Zealand’s top-ranked health programmes and the country’s premier sport science school. AUT is consistently ranked first in New Zealand for international outlook. We have over 100,000 alumni around the world and we work with 5,000 global industry partners and collaborate on research with 140 different countries. The result is a truly international student experience. AUT nurtures and creates graduates who are world ready; not just career ready. Curiosity, creativity, connection and collaboration are the new global currency, and are characteristics that are central to our teaching philosophy to ensure our students thrive in this world of rapid technological change.

 The MOU was signed virtually and will take effect in 2021.

COVID-19 has meant some planned student exchange initiatives will be delayed; but work is already underway with academics and potential online student internships. Recently, AUT supported IIT Madras as foreign collaborator for joint research funding application with their Department of Science and Technology and the Government of India. New Zealand students will get a chance to do their internships/final year project at IIT madras considering the feel and excitement associated with studying at IIT especially for Indian origin students”.

 High Commissioner of India His Excellency Mr. Muktesh Pardeshi and Second Secretary Mr. Paramjeet Singh recently met with AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack, Professor Guy Littlefair, Indian-origin academics, and international students. Following the formal meeting, the official party also enjoyed a tour of AUT City Campus.

Super Computer at NIT

Super Computer at NIT   Trichy-MoU signing between NIT 
Trichy and C-DAC Pune- as part of  (NSM)

National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli has become part of  the National Super Computing Mission (NSM), of the Government of  India. The MoU was signed on 12th October 2020 between NIT Trichy and  C-DAC Pune, in the presence of Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Honourable Minister 
of State for Education, Communication, Electronics and Information  Technology, Government of India, Dr Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary,  Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Shri. Ajay Prakash  Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 
(MeITY).  On behalf of NIT, Trichy,  Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas, Director,  signed the MOU and  from CDAC, Dr. Hemant Darbari, Director General.    A total of 10 Centrally Funded Institutions have been inducted into  NSM, IISc Bangalore, Seven IITs and NABI, in addition to NIT Trichy. C-DAC Pune will be installing the supercomputer at NIT Trichy and  all other Institutions.

The objective of the NSM is to empower technology institutions with  high-performance computing capabilities that can be used for solving  computationally intensive problems. Based on the proposal submitted by  the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli to the NSM – 
Infrastructure team, the institution has been sanctioned a Super  Computer worth Rs.17.11 crores by the Department of Science and  Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and Information 
Technology (MeITY).

The 650 TF supercomputer involving CPU and GPU at a ratio of 70:30  will be installed at the Institute by CDAC, Pune, soon, with an  additional installation cost of about 2 crores. With the development 
of societal projects involving Artificial Intelligence, Machine  learning, Deep learning on the rise, the National Institute of  Technology, Tiruchirappalli is happy to announce the sanction of the 
Super Computer at the appropriate time. The facility will be helpful  to the research scholars and faculty who are working on projects  involving high-end computing for carrying out various research and 
sponsored projects.

Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) was inaugurated by

Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) was inaugurated by Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT-Tiruchirappalli in the presence of Deans and Faculty members of the Institute. This AI has been established with 1.18 Crores sanctioned from Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA). The CoE has been setup with a focus on interdisciplinary research in AI which is one of the thrust areas of research in recent times.

In line with this, NIT Tiruchirappalli has recently signed a MoU with NVIDIA Corporation in June 2020. The centre has already been sanctioned sponsored projects from DRDO, ISRO and Naval Research Board amounting to a total of 1.5 Crores. The Institute has also taken initiatives to extend the facilities available at the CoE to other organizations through Consultancy mode. In addition to these, the CoE-AI is plan to submit proposals to different Government and Private organizations to expand the R&D activities.On this occasion, the Director of NIT Tiruchirappalli said that, “This initiative will result in generation of highly skilled manpower in terms of Internships, Project Staffs in due course of time with expertise in AI. In addition, there will also be focus in attempting to solve the Societally relevant problems such as Crisis Management, Healthcare and Decision support System in light of the ongoing Pandemic”.

The core team of CoE-AI added that, in long term, this centre can establish itself as an Independent Centre for Research in Artificial Intelligence attracting and creating lot of potential opportunities with its available expert facility and expertise manpower.

Flipkart forges academic collaboration with

Flipkart forges academic collaboration with IIT Patna

● Signs MoU for Joint Research in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

Flipkart, India’s homegrown ecommerce marketplace has announced an MoU with IIT Patna, India’s leading science, engineering and technology institute. The MoU is a step to strengthen Flipkart’s academic collaboration which it has been inculcating for past 5 years now. The MoU with IIT Patna will help create industry focused applied research in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML).

  

As a part of this MoU, IIT Patna will undertake a number of programs such as joint research activities, writing research papers, organizing seminars, internship / mentorship opportunities to name a few. The academic collaboration is expected to bring real world industry exposure to students and scholars of IIT Patna, and to provide an opportunity to the faculty member(s) to work closely with Flipkart on research projects. Flipkart expects to foster an environment of collaboration in the areas of automation, AI, NLP and ML and help build critical national capabilities. 

Said Mayur Datar, Chief Data Scientist Flipkart, “Academic collaborations are a great way to forge long term relationships between industry and academia, to help accelerate the translation of research into new projects and help drive ecosystem benefits which could lead to economic growth. The aim behind this collaboration is to create industry-focused applied research which could help reach ecommerce to more consumers and sellers alike. With this MoU, we aim to establish deeper academia collaborations which could help students and the academia to leverage our data and platform knowledge to work on India specific e-commerce challenges, in addition to publishing research papers.”   

Asif Ekbal, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, said, “We are very pleased to have this MoU with Flipkart, which has churned out many India specific and India first innovations to solve for adoption of ecommerce in India. The​ research is particularly aimed at developing robust machine translation techniques for translating the large amount of user reviews written in English to the Indian vernacular languages, and at the same time will ensure that the translation process should preserve the domain knowledge (e.g. sentiment, emotion, gender traits etc), which is extremely crucial for the translation service providers (TSPs) that make use of machine translation (MT) in production. Through this initial collaboration, we expect to come up with at least two high-quality publications in the relevant foras, and create a baseline translation workflow in the product review domains. This academic collaboration is expected to bring real world industry exposure to the students and scholars of IIT Patna, and at the same time will provide an opportunity to the faculty member(s) to work closely with Flipkart on research projects.”  

Flipkart is vested in long-term advancement of universities in India through impactful academic research aligned to industry needs. Flipkart works closely with academia through some of the leading institutes including Indian Institute of Science (IISC), IIT (Kharagpur, Bombay and Kanpur), IIM (Ahmedabad and Kolkata)  and a few foreign universities like Carnegie Mellon University and University of California, San Diego to develop technologies such as fashion recommendation, query understanding, attribute extraction, demand planning, product categorization, review helpfulness, supply chain management (e.g., warehouse storage allocation), fraud detection and next basket prediction. It has resulted in several research papers in world-class conferences in areas like information retrieval and knowledge discovery.  

Cholamandalam MS Risk Services signs MoU

Cholamandalam MS Risk Services signs MoU with Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology to offer Certification programs in

Health, Safety, Sustainability and Risk

-          Offers certification programs on Health, Safety, Sustainability and Risk -   Course duration: 40 hours to 6 months -   Learning pattern includes classroom, online and blended

Cholamandalam MS Risk Services Limited, a part of INR 381 Billion Murugappa Group, offering comprehensive risk management and engineering solutions, and the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide industry relevant certification programs on Health, Safety, Sustainability and Risk (HSSR) to Engineers and HSE professionals in India. This program is expected to reach around 1000 professionals from across companies in India over the next eighteen months.

RGIPT, set up by The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Government of India, is an energy domain specific Institute offering a wide range of degrees in different streams relevant to Petroleum Science and Technology including Management. The signing of the MoU will serve to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge, where Cholamandalam MS Risk Services will provide the industrial exposure to the participants on new technologies and safety engineering solutions.

Engineering graduates with a minimum of two years of experience can enroll for this program, which will include classroom, fully online and blended learning patterns. The durations of these programs will range from 40 hours to six months. Originally planned to be conducted as on-campus, residential programs, the initiative will be rolled out early September as a virtual program considering the present scenario.

Backed by the rich experience and credentials of both the organisations in the industry, the program will feature well-researched curriculum designed to benefit professionals and budding engineers alike, with specific emphasis on the Petroleum & Energy sector. In the initial phase, programs on process safety, functional safety, integrated water management and integrated environment & sustainability management (ESM) in oil and gas sector will be introduced.

           

Speaking about the MoU, Mr V Suryanarayanan, Director - Chola MS Risk Services, said, “We are happy to associate with RGIPT in this education & research initiative. In most industrial accidents, the major factor that could have averted it is preparedness. Through this certification programme, we hope to educate participants based on our 25 years of consulting experience across industrial sectors both in India and abroad.  We are confident we will be able to add value to participants of these programs. Our vast experience in this field and alliance with RGIPT, will lead to the right mix of Academic Excellence and Practical Skill leading to industry relevant courses in Safety Engineering.”

Prof. A.S. K. Sinha, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, said, “The prime objective of the Institute is to provide world-class education, training, and research to meet the growing requirements of the Petroleum & Energy sector. The aspiration is to develop India as a global manpower hub for the entire Petroleum and Energy Sector. This alliance with Chola MS Risk Services is a key step in that direction.”