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Archive: March 31, 2022

Watches 1

Ambrane – Fitshot Flex with SpO2 sensor, 7-day Battery life and multiple health features announced in India

Delhi, 31st March 2022: Strengthening its smartwatches portfolio, Ambrane adds another budgeted smartwatch, ‘FitShot Flex’, to its successful series in India. FitShot Flex comes with a 1.69inch Lucid display screen, spectacular 130+ watch faces, and various health monitoring features designed for the active lifestyle. The product is available on Flipkart starting today and comes with 365 days warranty. It’s time to live the Fitshot life!

Ambrane has launched over 5 smartwatches under its Fitshot series in less than two months, which include – Zest, Sphere, Curl, Edge and Surge. With the newest additions, Ambrane boasts a strong portfolio of smartwatches matching multiple needs and everyday styles.

FitShot Flex has a curved square face, silicone straps, a rust-proof zinc alloy body, and is lightweight. With its 500 Nits vivid 1.69″ full touch large screen and LucidDisplayTM, the screen has a bright and clear view, even under the scorching sun. The smartwatch is made of scratch-resistant 2.5D OGS curved Panda glass. It has a brightly lighted IPS LCD screen with a 240*240 resolution that is ideal for daily use.

The smartwatch has eight exercise modes to support a wide range of activities. Ensuring Health on the go, the smartwatch gives the user the full picture, all within arm’s reach. The health-related features include SpO2, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Breathe Mode, Sleep Mode, Menstrual Tracker, etc. Aside from 24*7 health monitoring, the smartwatch also tracks Daily Activity Tracker, Stress, Record & Sedentary reminders, etc. The all-in-one smartwatch is waterproof to IP68 and can withstand sweat, splashes and more, to keep the user’s health on track.

FitShot Flex comes with over 130+ cloud-based watch faces for a new look every day. It features a 7-day battery life on a single charge. The smartwatch sends alerts to the user’s wrist for incoming phone calls and text messages. The audio and camera may also be controlled by the smartwatch. It also enables you to take charge of the progress and intelligently track it using the alarm, timer, and stopwatch.

FitShot Flex is available in two smart shades – Jade Black and Rose Pink. Choose the one that matches your vibe!

HDFC bank 1

HDFC Bank & Shoppers Stop launch co-branded credit cards

Mumbai, March 31, 2022: HDFC Bank and Shoppers Stop today announced the launch of a new range of co-branded credit cards. The credit cards will be available for over 8 million “First Citizen” customers of Shoppers Stop along with HDFC Bank customers, with an aim to provide an elevated shopping experience in a convenient manner.

HDFC Bank and Shoppers Stop aim to source over 1 million cards in 5 years through this tie-up. The partnership draws on HDFC Bank’s strengths as India’s leading issuer of credit cards and Shoppers Stop position as India’s leading premier retailer of fashion and beauty brands.

The credit cards will be available in two categories, Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card and Shoppers Stop BLACK HDFC Bank Credit Card. The first category is the Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card which offers 6 Shoppers Stop points (SSP) on private-label brands at Shoppers Stop, 2 SSP on spending on other brands of Shoppers Stop and outside (except fuel and wallet) without any cap. Customers can redeem their points at the Shoppers Stop outlets while making purchases. Annual milestone benefits include 2000 SSP on spending Rs 2 Lakh per annum, 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India up to Rs. 250 per month. Cardholders can enjoy accelerated savings and benefits using the HDFC Bank platform and portfolio offers via PayZapp and SmartBuy.

Shoppers Stop BLACK HDFC Bank Credit Card members will get complimentary Shoppers Stop Black Membership that will earn them 20 SSP on Private Brands on Shoppers Stop, capped at 2000 SSP per month and 15 SSP on all other brands of Shoppers Stop, including premium brands, capped at 2000 SSP per month. They would also get 5 SSP on another spending (except fuel and wallet), without any cap. Premium cardholders will get a 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India up to Rs. 500 per month* and enjoy accelerated savings and benefits using the HDFC Bank platform and portfolio offers via PayZapp and SmartBuy.

Premium cardholders will also get access to over 1,000 airport lounges across India, for up to four domestic and two international travel per quarter. The card would also provide accidental air death cover worth Rs 3 Crore, loss card liability of up to Rs 9 Lakh, and emergency overseas hospitalization covers up to Rs. 50 Lakh.

The co-branded cards were launched at an event in Mumbai by Parag Rao, Group Head Payments, Consumer Finance and Digital Banking, HDFC Bank, and Venu Nair, Customer Care Associate, MD & CEO, Shoppers Stop Ltd.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr. Parag Rao, Country Head -Payment Business, Consumer Finance, Technology and Digital Banking, HDFC Bank said, “As part of our broader strategy to comeback with a bang, we are keen to partner with multiple players in our eco-system from travel, healthcare, fintechs and retail to provide best-in-class payment solutions. Shoppers Stop has been a household name in India for decades and we are delighted to partner with such a trusted brand. Our partnership will enable their customers to get a highly rewarding shopping experience catering to distinct needs. As India’s leading credit card issuer, we are committed to accelerate the adoption of cards and digital payments across the country, thereby reinforcing our leadership in the segment.”

“Consumer spending has increased and so have footfalls at our stores,” said Mr. Venu Nair, Customer Care Associate, MD & CEO, Shoppers Stop. “Our co-branded cards with HDFC Bank will bring unmatched benefits to our “Citizen First” members. They will be able to avail of discounts and offers provided by the bank and redeem points at our stores. This is a win-win-win proposition for customers, Shoppers Stop and HDFC Bank.”

L to R - Abhinay Deo, Neeta Shah, Rohit Jain, Mrinalini Khanna

Lionsgate Play announces the first India Gaming show: ‘Gamer Log’ as part of its diverse slate of Originals

New Delhi, 31th March 2022: Lionsgate Play, a premium streaming platform is home to blockbuster content that has provided viewers with a well-rounded slate across genres for its Indian Originals – from quirky comedy with Hiccups & Hookups to college drama with Jugaadistan. Taking this forward, Lionsgate Play is gearing up for yet another exciting show ‘Gamer Log’; an uproarious, coming-of-age sitcom set against the backdrop of competitive E-sports. This will be a first-of-a-kind Indian gaming show that will follow the adventures and misadventures of a team of professional gamers.

Gamer Log is produced by RDP Pulp Fiction Entertainment, which is headed by Abhinay Deo & Neeta Shah, who believe that content is the king. This high-spirited production house has developed “out-of-the-box”, dynamic & versatile content of various genres ranging from romantic, slice-of-life and thriller films to action-packed web series. The company now arms itself for another exhilarating series “Gamer Log”. The show has been created by Karmanya Ahuja.

Speaking on the title announcement, Rohit Jain, Managing Director South Asia and Networks – Emerging Markets Asia at Lionsgate said, “It’s an exciting moment for Lionsgate Play as we add yet another feather in the growing list of impressive originals with Gamer Log. This announcement reiterates our mission to bring compelling stories and new content for viewers across the globe. E-sports is a booming industry in India; 350+ million online gamers were recorded last year, and it’s an upward growth from here. Gamer Log will essentially showcase the lives of these very Gamers. We look forward to working with Abhinay and Neeta on a show that will be funny, youthful and mainstream.”

Mrinalini Khanna, VP, Originals, Lionsgate Play said, “Gamer Log embodies the exact principles of content coming out of Lionsgate stable – innovation blended with entertainment. The series is placed in an enthralling universe but has the classical challenges of a coming of age”

Abhinay Deo, Producer & Showrunner of “Gamer Log” said, “We are thrilled to be working with Lionsgate Play for Gamer Log. E-sports in India is growing in popularity with each passing year, but that’s an untouched subject in terms of Entertainment. With Gamer Log, we plan to tap into an unexplored world, bringing audiences a story about friendship, camaraderie, hopes, dreams and ambition.”

Neeta Shah, Producer of “Gamer Log” said, “Gamer Log is a unique concept with peculiar characters who are quirky yet extremely relatable, managing internal dysfunction and navigating the competitive world of E-sports with comedy, drama, entertainment and a lot of gaming. Abhinay & I believe that Lionsgate Play’s ethos works best for ‘Gamer Log’ – it’s a story for the mass with an innovative thought. I’m glad that Rohit & Mrinalini are in complete sync with our vision of the show.”

Lionsgate Play will announce a lot more information on Gamer Log soon – watch out the space for the cast, release date in the upcoming months

A variety of effective behavioral and airway-specific therapies available to treat OSS says health experts

New Delhi, 31st March 2022: Under the Illness to Wellness campaign, ASSOCHAM, the apex body, organised a webinar on “Obstructive Sleep Snoring: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment” with the primary goal of raising awareness and disseminating knowledge about comprehensive understanding and managing Obstructive Sleep Snoring (OSS) to lead a healthier, happier, and prosperous life.

Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairperson of the ASSOCHAM CSR Council, while voicing his concern about obstructive sleep snoring said, “This disorder can occur at various levels in the airway, decreasing oxygen supply to the body. Obstructive sleep snoring can affect everyone. However, conditions like as obesity, advanced age, a narrower airway, hypertension, asthma, and diabetes put you at a higher risk.”

Emphasising on the need to step up awareness on this ailment, Mr Rajput said, “more work needs to be done in terms of educating society and making people realize that this is a medical condition and can be managed through treatment which can ultimately help us lead a more happy and healthier life.”

In his special address, PD Dr. Prashant N. Chhajed, Interventional Pulmonologist Director, Lung Care and Sleep Centre Santacruz, Mumbai Pulmonologist, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi Lilavati & Nanavati Hospital’s, Mumbai, said that obstructive sleep apnea is an under-diagnosed condition. This condition is diagnosed using overnight polysomnography. Dr. Chhajed further added obstructive sleep apnea is effectively treated with the use of positive airway pressure devices such as a cpap. Dr. Chhajed also said that there have been remarkable improvements in interfaces (masks) to administer CPAP which has led to significant improvement in cpap adherence. Also, the newer cpap devices can be linked to the mobile phone which provides feedback regarding the use of cpap devices.

Dr. Kalpana Nagpal, Senior Consultant, ENT (Head & Neck Surgery), Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Director, Robotics ENT (Head & Neck) Proctor & Mentor, Robotic Surgery President, Women Association of Otolaryngologists of India, has categorically stated that new technology has revolutionized the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea. In some cases of sleep apnea, robotic surgery has produced great results. People go from all over the world to have the surgery done, and there is still a lot of education needed among physicians and other citizens.

People may feel excessive daytime sleepiness, sleeplessness, nightmares, sleep loss, or snoring, as well as respiratory concerns such as no breathing, breathing through the mouth, or noisy breathing, according to Dr. Aparna Mahajan, Consultant ENT Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad. They may experience depression, dry mouth, irritability, fatigue, or headaches because of their altered physiological functioning. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Rajesh Kesari, Founder and Director of Total Care Control.

Anup Bagchi1

ICICI Bank strengthens retail franchise in Gujarat with a range of digital initiatives

Ahmedabad: ICICI Bank today announced that it continues to strengthen its retail franchise in Gujarat through a host of digital initiatives and a customer-centric approach. These initiatives are likely to help the Bank grow its retail loan disbursement in the state by around 40% to Rs. 32,700 crore at the end of the current financial year (FY 2021-22), compared to last year.

In an interaction with the media, Mr. Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank said, “In Gujarat, we continue to offer improved products and services through a range of digital initiatives. In this state, our endeavour is to create holistic value propositions for our customers. We are focusing on opportunities across customer eco-system and micro-markets within the state. We have created cross-functional teams to bring the benefit of the entire Bank to all customers.”

The Bank is leveraging its technological prowess to expand its retail loan business at a rapid pace in the state this financial year. The mortgage loan disbursement in the state is likely to grow by 35% to Rs. 15,700 crore while the consumer loans, which mainly comprise of personal loans and vehicle loans, are expected to rise by over 30% to Rs. 6,000 crore. The Bank also expects to have nearly doubled the business loans and overdrafts disbursement to Rs. 8,200 crore.

Talking about mortgage loans, Mr. Bagchi said, “The drivers of our mortgage loans in Gujarat are digital and instant sanctions of loans, expansion in the affordable housing segment as well as micro-markets, and strengthening distribution network with developers for direct loan sanctioning. Our instant home loan facility—the countries first—helps lakhs of our pre-approved customers to get the sanction letter immediately. This digital process helped our customers, especially in the past two years, as they could avail of the facility without visiting any branch. Additionally, we are offering mortgage loans to new segments such as industrial projects, building nursing homes and medical clinics as well as senior secondary schools. Further, we have expanded our geographical reach by making most of our branches, including those in rural areas, equipped with home loans. In addition to Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, we are focusing on the salaried segment in cities like Anand, Nadiad, Ankleshwar and Bharuch. Further, we are focusing on key upcoming tier-three locations such as Patan, Deesa, Mehsana, Palanpur, Jamnagar and Gandhidham among others.”

The Bank has set up five credit processing centres in Vadodara, Surat, Ankleshwar, Mehsana and Palanpur to enable customers of these areas with easy access to mortgage loans.

Talking about business loans and overdrafts, Mr. Bagchi said, “We believe, businesses and self-employed individuals are the backbone of our society. We have digitised an array of services for businesses at every stage of their lives. The list includes industry-first digital services like instant current accounts, instant overdraft facility in three clicks, online title search for property collaterals and e-signature on documents. All these services bring in immense convenience to customers as they significantly bring down time taken to sanction loans. We also offer innovative and first-in-industry products like credit based on property assessment and balance transfer programmes for credit limits, online overdraft on fixed deposits, business loans based on GST returns, digital platforms like ‘InstaBIZ’ app for businesses, internet banking for businesses and corporates, and Trade Online, a platform to carry out export-import transactions, among others. We believe all our digital facilities enable businesses to transact seamlessly and help them grow to their maximum potential.”

The Bank’s expansion focus is on micro-markets like a textile hub and diamond market in Surat, the ceramic market in Morbi, steel, metal and pharmaceuticals industries in Ahmedabad and paper industries in Vapi. To drive this growth, the Bank has equipped the majority of its branches with business loans, opened new processing centres in key industrial locations like Bhavnagar, Morbi, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Ankleshwar and Bharuch, and doubled its team strength in the last two years.

On consumer loans, Mr. Bagchi said, “We offer customers digital and instant consumer loans. Our instant personal loan solution enables lakhs of pre-approved customers to get money in their account instantaneously after applying through the internet / mobile banking platform. Currently, 100% of our personal loan disbursement in the state takes place through digital channels. Our key focus markets for personal loans are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Surat, Rajkot, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Gandhidham, Morbi, Valsad and Anand. We have also introduced instant car loan disbursement to empower lakhs of our pre-approved customers with final sanction and disbursement of car loans instantly, in a digital manner. For auto loans, we have strengthened our team and increased our distribution infrastructure in tier one and tier two locations with a focus on cities like Surendranagar, Dwarka, Porbandar, Palanpur and Deesa. Further, we have expanded to a new segment of providing commercial equipment loans to doctors and hospitals for funding of medical equipment like sonography machines, gamma cameras, CT scan and MRI machines and orthopaedic robots among others, in order to support the growth of the medical infrastructure in the state.”

ICICI Bank also collaborates with various government departments to facilitate digital services for the citizens of the state. These include digital solutions for the collection of trade licenses, property tax, tender fees, property allotment fees, utility (like electricity, water) bills, online booking of tickets and passes for transit services.

The Bank runs a retail network of over 1,250 touchpoints—comprising of 390 branches and over 860 ATMs—in the state. Of the 390 branches, over 50% are located in semi-urban and rural areas. The Bank has a network of 12,700 Business Correspondents (BCs) in the state. We provide banking services in nearly 130 villages, which were hitherto unbanked.

Empowering rural areas in Gujarat

ICICI Bank has undertaken several initiatives to empower the rural population of the state. Through its Self Help Group (SHG) programme, a major initiative among private-sector lenders in the state, the Bank is supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of rural women. The Bank has cumulatively disbursed loans to over 4,600 SHGs comprising about 46,000 women across the state. The SHGs are engaged in an array of activities such as weaving, milk pouring business, selling vegetables, running kirana shops and selling garments. ICICI Bank has appointed some SHG members as Business Correspondents (BCs) to provide banking services in gram panchayats. The Bank has also opened over two lakh PMJDY zero balance accounts for the underprivileged in the state.

In the rural segment, the Bank offers loans to farmers for their crops, procuring tractors and other farm equipment to facilitate farming and allied activities. Additionally, the Bank has expanded its ambit of lending solutions to farmers engaged in agriculture, horticulture, post-harvest processing, storing facility and transportation. The Bank has a special focus in locations like Saurashtra, Palanpur, Patan, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar and Botad. The Bank is also focusing on farm equipment loans by expanding its tie-ups with tractor dealers. The lending in rural areas is done 100% digitally with the TAB based ‘Express Agri’ application. It ensures faster turnaround time as it reduces re-work and movement of physical documents. Additionally, the Bank conducts financial literacy programmes for rural customers in the state for enhancing financial inclusion.

Dr Ranjit Jagtap, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Ram Mangal Heart Foundation - 1

Why do we feel shortness of breath and when to take it seriously?

By Dr Ranjit Jagtap, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Ram Mangal Heart Foundation

Isn’t it frightening to experience breathlessness regularly when you lie down, walk, or speak? It’s natural to gasp for breath when you’re walking up the stairs, exercising hard, sick, or anxious. Whatever may be the reason for shortness of breath, having a tight feeling in your chest or not breathing well can be pretty distressing.

If you face breathing issues that aren’t too severe, they aren’t necessarily a cause for concern. However, if your breathing has abruptly changed for no apparent reason or is gradually getting worse over time, especially if you didn’t experience this previously, it could be an indication of an underlying disease.

The possible causes for having shortness of breath

Shortness of breath usually occurs when you don’t get enough oxygen, making you feel like you have to work harder to breathe. And, if it persists for a long time, it can cut the supply of oxygen to your organs, which can have significant health repercussions. So, the foremost cause of difficulty in breathing could be pulmonary illnesses such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which affect the air passages.

Another cause of breathlessness is allergy. And there could be multiple reasons for it, such as being exposed to high pollution levels, dust, and pollens, because of which you may experience feeling out of breath and coughing. These allergens clog the airways in your lungs, causing breathing difficulties. It is common to see the problem of shortness of breath in people suffering from cardiovascular disease or if a person is experiencing heart failure. It is more likely to be found in people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, or atrial fibrillation.

Sometimes you can also feel breathlessness due to anxiety. It causes you to breathe too quickly. When you breathe too quickly, you take in too much oxygen and exhale too much carbon dioxide. As a result, your body feels like it isn’t getting enough oxygen.

Take this problem seriously

You are the better assessor of your body. If you suffer shortness of breath suddenly and have never encountered anything like this before, or if the symptoms you are experiencing start interfering with your everyday life, it is a matter of concern. Furthermore, if you experience chest pain or discomfort, feel dizziness when exercising, or remain awakened at night due to breathing problems, these are all symptoms that something is not correct. You should seek medical attention. It is preferable to handle controllable issues, so the sooner you discover something, the more likely you will intervene before severe or chronic damage happens.

Conclusion

Breathing is an essential act of survival, and COVID-19 proved it to us. Everyone struggles to breathe at some point in their lives, but don’t take it for granted. So, whatever the cause of your ailment, remember that meeting with a doctor is the first step toward receiving an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

Kavitha Subramanian, Co-founder, Upstox

Upstox launches ‘Own Your Future’ campaign to drive equity participation in India

Mumbai | March 31, 2022: Upstox (also known as RKSV Securities India Pvt. Ltd.), one of India’s largest investment platforms, today launched its Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign, ‘Own Your Future. The goal of the campaign is to promote financial inclusion in the country by encouraging young Indians to participate in the equity market, invest wisely, own assets that will grow over time and help them take control of their future.

The goal of any company and its management is to increase shareholder value. The campaign includes a series of lighthearted videos elaborating how one can “Make your favourite companies work for you” by buying their stocks, becoming a shareholder in them, and thus having the company and its management work to improve your returns!

The first two videos of the series were released along with the launch of Tata IPL 2022. One of the videos shows a reunion of three friends where they discuss their career developments. Another video in the series captures a meetup between two friends at a cafe to discuss a friend’s promotion.

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Kavitha Subramanian, Co-Founder, Upstox said, “The campaign ‘Own Your Future’ intends to encourage more Indians to participate in the equity market and make the right investment choices through Upstox. Young Indians today understand the value of owning assets and building a portfolio, via owning shares in companies. There’s a huge rise in startup culture and they understand that even if everyone cannot be an entrepreneur, you can still own a share of a company, and participate in its long term upside.

Just like IPL has redefined cricket, Upstox aims to redefine investments for its customers. We have grown 3X year-on-year and expect a similar growth trajectory this year as well. We are positive that this campaign will help drive a culture of equity investment in India, as well as encourage more Indians to take charge of their financial future.”

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The multimedia marketing campaign includes commercials on television, digital, and social media platforms. While digital has been employed to reach out to the target segments in metros and big cities, television will be dominating the media mix for Tier-2 and Tier 3 cities.

Upstox is the first broking firm that has partnered with IPL ever since the cricket league was launched in 2008. The company currently has over 9 million customers and aims to reach users living in remote corners of the country. The Upstox platform’s user-friendly interface makes investing simple and its educational content further empowers users to make informed investment decisions. Powered by advanced technology, Upstox enables customers to gather an astute understanding of the financial market and assists them in taking control of their investments.

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Precious Shipping taps into Eka’s cloud platform to digitalize sustainability reporting

Press Release: Bangalore, March 31, 2022: Eka Software Solutions, a global leader in providing enterprise cloud solutions for the CFO’s office, announced the successful digitalization of Sustainability and ESG reporting for Precious Shipping Public Company Limited (PSL). The project’s implementation was accomplished through Eka’s award-winning remote implementation methodology, enabling PSL to achieve faster ROI by going live within ten weeks and reducing overall reporting time by 50%.

PSL has for long placed the highest priority on delivering long-term value and sustainable returns to its shareholders. In its latest sustainability report, the shipping company reported a huge reduction in its carbon footprint, lowering its average carbon intensity per transport by 42.4% over the entire fleet, compared to 2014 as the baseline year. As a member of the ‘Getting to Zero’ coalition, the company carefully monitors developments in technology in the marine field and offers vessels with zero emissions.

Speaking about the implementation, Gautam Khurana, Director (Finance), Precious Shipping Public Company Limited said, “For over a decade, Precious Shipping has followed sustainable practices to ensure our investments are in sync with creating a more sustainable future. With Eka’s platform-driven Sustainability and ESG reporting solution, we were able to successfully automate the management of our sustainability reporting, including carbon accounting and reduction. Their wide selection of reporting standards and frameworks allows us to report accurate data across multiple global standards and address the diverse interests of our many stakeholders. Overall, our reporting time reduced by 50%, giving our teams crucial time back to focus on more strategic work.”

Vyapar Jagat award

“Precious Shipping has committed itself to create value for all its stakeholders in global trade by embedding sustainable practices at the core of its business,” says Shuchi Nijhawan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eka Software Solutions. “We are honoured to be a part of PSL’s mission to transform their sustainability reporting with solutions to help the company continue driving real change with conscious decisions that are environmentally responsible,” she further adds.

Eka recently announced a collaboration with Microsoft to offer enterprises a robust suite of solutions to reduce their impact on climate change and help them spark a positive change through their sustainability initiatives. To date, the Eka cloud platform has been leveraged by the world’s largest enterprise firms, supporting over 100 customers globally, enabling them to achieve digital transformation in an environment of continuous change.

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New recognition for Schneider Electric from World Economic Forum

Mumbai, March 31st 2022– Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced that the company’s Smart Factory in Hyderabad, India has been recognized as an Advanced Lighthouse — the fifth Schneider Electric factory to receive this distinction to date, joining Le Vaudreuil, France, Wuxi, China, Lexington, Kentucky, and Batam, Indonesia factories.

The company also added that its Le Vaudreuil factory in France which was earlier recognized as Advanced Lighthouse in 2018 has now been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Sustainability Lighthouse. This is one of only six worldwide and the second for Schneider Electric, with the Lexington, Kentucky plant receiving the same status in September last year.

The Forum’s Sustainability Lighthouses showcase and recognize global best practices of 4IR technologies in manufacturing to demonstrate how companies can unlock new levels of sustainability in their operations and win-win solutions: greater operational competitiveness while simultaneously delivering greater environmental stewardship, for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

The Le Vaudreuil factory is a compelling case in the power of data to drive greater sustainability outcomes. The plant implemented IIoT sensors connected to digital platforms, and the visibility of this new data enabled optimized energy management to reduce power use by 25%, cut material waste by 17%, and lowered CO2 emissions by 25%. The smart factory is equipped with a zero-reject water recycling station connected to cloud analytics monitored by AI that predicts and processes flows, leading to a 64% reduction in water use.

Manufacturing mission-critical products, the Hyderabad smart factory has leveraged Schneider Electric’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) based EcoStruxure Solutions to meet the company’s ever-changing customer needs, supporting the business growth of 54%. Enabled by AI deep learning, IIOT infrastructure, and both predictive and prescriptive analytics have improved manufacturing defects rates, non-quality cost and customer lead times, improvements in efficiency and free-up of energy for people.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here,” said Mourad Tamoud, Schneider Electric’s executive vice president of the global supply chain. “This latest recognition from the World Economic Forum for Le Vaudreuil and Hyderabad plants provides compelling cases for the rapid and extensive deployment of 4IR technologies — there are significant benefits for manufacturers including sustainability, agility, and resilience.”

The Hyderabad plant leverages IIOT Infrastructure, predictive and prescriptive analytics, AI deep learning, and 4IR integrated technologies to meet changing customer demands and a 54% increase in business growth. Manufacturing efficiency has been improved by 9%, while field failure reduced by 48% and lead time by 67%.

These latest examples demonstrate Schneider’s commitment to its purpose: “We are always looking to improve and enhance our supply chain for our customers and society as a trusted partner for digitalization and sustainability,” Tamoud said. “And we never forget that it’s our people who are making it happen, which is why we invest in developing their digital skills and expertise as part of our people vision and investment in our workforce.”

“We are elated that our Hyderabad Smart Factory has been recognised as an Advanced Lighthouse by the World Economic Forum,” said Javed Ahmad, SVP – Global Supply Chain – India, Middle East, Africa, East Asia, Japan, Pacific & South America, Schneider Electric. “This is a first for us in India and among the only three organizations in the country to have received this recognition. We intend to continue integrating our technologically-enabled solutions in transforming our smart factories across the rest of our locations.  By investing in the latest technology, we strive to leverage innovation for better customer outcomes and forge a sustainable future. Our consistent efforts have been instrumental in revolutionizing and bolstering our supply chain for businesses and our customers, and we are proud to be a trusted partner in empowering them to harness greater digitalization and sustainability.”

In collaboration with McKinsey & Company, the World Economic Forum began the Global Lighthouse Network initiative in 2018 to recognize manufacturers leading the growth of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Hyderabad plant joins a list of more than 100 sites in the Global Lighthouse Network that create innovation in business models and increased customer value through 4IR technologies. These companies demonstrate how digital operations create productivity and efficiency gains to enable sustainable growth in the face of pervasive disruptions and challenges.

STRIVE Program

The Hyderabad and Le Vaudreuil factories are part of Schneider Electric’s global smart factory and distribution center initiative encompassing nearly 300 factories and logistics centres in more than 40 countries. This initiative – part of the company’s STRIVE program – aims to address the fundamental challenge of sustainability while increasing profitability and efficiency.

STRIVE (Sustainable, Trusted, Resilient, Intelligent, Velocity and Efficiency) is the next evolution of Schneider Electric’s supply chain transformation to be the most agile, innovative, planet and customer-centric supply chain.

  • Sustainable – Schneider Electric is implementing projects to build carbon-neutral and circular supply chains whilst preserving local biodiversity.
  • Trusted & Resilient – Schneider Electric strengthens its resilience through multi-sourcing and ensures there is no single point of failure in its production lines. Leveraging technology, we can create a highly personalized experience for our customers and ensure superior quality using an end-to-end view of its operations.
  • Intelligent – Leveraging digital, Schneider Electric predicts, prevents, and automates for a highly flexible remotely orchestrated supply chain
  • Velocity & Efficiency – Schneider Electric leverages its strong regional presence, agile mindset, and supply partners

STRIVE is part of Schneider Electric’s vision that electrification and digitization are inextricable tools in the fight against climate change. This vision has led to the company’s recent ranking as #4 in the 2021 Gartner Supply Chain Top 25.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centres, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.