All posts by Sujata

Kart4U raises ₹5 crores from Startup Stairs’ Growth Acceleration Program

 December 2022, New Delhi: Kart4U, a tech-driven startup that aims to empower the street cart vendors of India by phygitising them for their systematic growth, has raised ₹5 crores from Startup Stairs, a seed-stage accelerator dedicated to developing the skills ecosystem in India. Based out of Gurugram, Kart4U is India’s first kart-to-home delivery service that gives a marketplace to the millions of unorganised street vendors to increase their sales and join the Digital India movement.

Startup Stairs announced 15 startups as the winners of their ‘Growth Acceleration Program with 4i’ under the aegis of NSDC supported by Startup India. The winners were chosen by an esteemed Jury and were awarded seed funding starting from INR 25 lakhs to 5 crores at the Startup Investment Facilitation ceremony on 11th December.

“We at Startup Stairs are focussed on the upliftment of the informal sector’s workforce through tech-inclusive platforms. We intend to support them with proper mentoring & networking. We envision creating a startup ecosystem where there will be the scope of Aadhaar-linked digital verifications of beneficiaries to mitigate the risk of duplicate & fraud accounts and to achieve a reliable & fail-safe digital ecosystem. This revolutionised methodology will help startups to create an impact on the masses and build brand integrity globally,” said Preet Sandhu, Director, of Startup Stairs.

The 15 winning startups were chosen out of 150 nominations from across the country. The highest seed funding of ₹5 crores was awarded to Kart4u. Funding of ₹2 crores went to R Sai, a tech-driven aggregator platform that aims to upskill the logistics workforce with the inclusion of certified drivers and support staff. ₹1 crore was awarded to RATH, a dedicated e-platform that acts as an aggregator of skilled and certified auto and taxi drivers via its app. Another ₹1 crore went to Soltech, a dedicated aggregator, E-commerce platform, and app for all power, battery, and solar needs of consumers and corporate houses. Another ₹60 lakhs was bagged by Maa boli, a tech-inclusive transparent, and robust aggregator platform for the skilled workforce of media, entertainment, and allied industry.

“In a digital world dominated by eCommerce giants and large grocery aggregators, India’s street vendors were being left behind. We at Kart4U are on a mission to level the playing field for these unorganised street vendors, aka the rehdi community, by helping them upskill and avail micro-loans to grow their venture as self-reliant entrepreneurs. We are truly ecstatic to receive this funding from Startup Stairs as it will help us accomplish our mission at a faster pace,” said Bharti Sahu, Founder, of Kart4U.

The Jury for the program comprised seven eminent personalities, namely Dr. K K Khandelwal (IAS, Chairman, Haryana Real Estate Regulation Authority, Gurugram), Shri Vijay Dahiya (IAS, Commissioner, Skill, and Industrial Training), Shri Sanjeev Kumar (ITS, Chairman & Managing Director, TCIL), Shri Anant P Pandey (IFS, DG, Foreign Corporation Department, Haryana), Shri Abhishek Singh (IAS, Deputy Commissioner, New Delhi), His Excellency, Mr. Zulfiquar Ghadiyali Zakir Hussain (Executive Director, Business Management of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi-UAE) and Shri Hitesh Mehra.

Several dignitaries graced the event, including Minister of Agriculture and Farm Welfare – Shri Narender Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj – Shri Om Prakash Dhankar, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying – Shri Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State for Education – Shri Subhash Sarkar, MP and National President of BJYM – Shri Tejasvi Surya, Chief Executive Officer of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) – Shri Ved mani Tiwari, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare – Shri Kailash Chaudhary, President, The Indian National Cultural Centre SITA – Sammy Kotwani, and Commissioner & Secretary to Government of Haryana Skill Development & Industrial Training and Employment Department – Sh. Vijay Singh Dahiya, IAS, among others.

“The turnout of startups for the Growth Accelerator Program by Startup Stairs has been heartening. I am glad that we were able to provide these impressive startups working for the upliftment of the informal sector in India with the support they need to make a mark and fuel the economy in the years to come. The zeal to excel and enthusiasm shown by the participants gives me immense confidence in the future of startups in India,” said Deep Sisai, Advisor, Startup Stairs.

Good Nutrition launched Relax Shots

In today’s environment stress is affecting not only physical health but mental health too. Stress can be associated with many diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, hormonal imbalances, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, etc.

The pandemic has overburdened our life which leads to mental stress, anxiety, negativity, etc. So to deal with such a situation Good Nutrition has brought something new which is organically prepared of natural herbs like Kaunch Beej, Jatamansi, Jatiphala, Safed Musli, Vacha, and Sarpagandha. This exceptional blend relaxes your mind, calms your nerves, reduces stress, improves your quality and quantity of sleep, and helps in overall rejuvenation while minimizing the feeling of fatigue. It is a conveniently packed anti-stress and anti-anxiety oral liquid shot that is also non-habit-forming and has no side effects. It’s a natural stress relief supplement with a unique combination of herbal extracts.

Pic Credit: wfive.in

Frozen food myths busted during a tasting ceremony for food enthusiasts

Winter has finally arrived, and who wouldn’t enjoy cosy evenings at home or the festive occasions that go along with them? It is impossible to have a holiday celebration without tasty snacks that are easy to prepare, nutritious, and delicious, and you can never do that without tasty delicacies that are simple to prepare, and meet the criteria for the celebration, ready to cook delicacies are surely proving to be the most ideal choice during winters.

Previously, ready-to-cook food contained preservatives, but those days are long gone. In order to dispel certain myths associated with frozen food and highlight how ready-to-cook options have emerged as the healthiest and most convenient options during winter, a tasting ceremony was organized in Delhi and Chandigarh. At a tasting ceremony hosted by Meatington and Grab a Green, some easy-to-cook and delicious winter snacks were presented to food aficionados. Meatington Co-founders Neeta Malik and Ashutosh Malik and Co-Founder Entrepreneur Chef Sachin Sahgal organised this event.

A live demonstration of ready-to-cook delicacies was given by Sachin Sahgal, and the vast variety of food included kebabs, tikkas, Rumalis, tikis, patties, etc. These delicacies were served with a variety of bread and rumalis, making them an ideal choice for winter celebrations.

Neeta Malik elaborated on the reasons why ready-to-cook meals are an ideal choice for winter and busted myths about them. In regards to the same, she stated, “When you have a busy schedule and have lots of commitments, ready-to-cook food and snacks are the preferred option. In addition to being convenient, it also saves you from having to cook time-consuming meals. Added further, she said, “The second benefit of frozen foods is that they can be prepared quickly. They are quick and easy to prepare, making them ideal for everyone. Their accessibility and convenience make them even better!

The event was graced by Ashutosh Malik, who elaborated, ” Winter evenings are the most ideal time for tasty treats and the most suitable option here is a perfectly cooked bowl of soup or brown rice, which pairs beautifully well with frozen food combinations, making your winter evenings wholesome and enjoyable. And to get this experience you only need to open your box of ready-to-cook food and heat it up, saute it or microwave it. Frozen foods have a longer storage life, in addition to being accurately weighed, allowing you to prepare as much as you like and keep the remaining for the next time. This ensures that extra food is not cooked and thrown out. All the wastage that occurs while preparing the meal is also saved here.

According to Sachin Sahgal, there are many brands that are no longer using artificial essences, colors, or preservatives in their frozen food and instead opting for herbal ingredients to keep the food fresh and nutrition rich. Furthermore, freezing food preserves micro and macronutrients, preventing harmful bacteria from growing. Using high-tech packaging innovations and natural herbs, Meatington keeps food intact without the use of preservatives, concluded Sachin Sahgal.

Pic Credit: teammaadhyam

How these EdTech Companies are Altering India’s Educational System

Edtech has grown significantly in recent years, compared to conventional educational practices, which are mostly limited to classrooms, teachers, and libraries. It makes learning more engaging and entertaining for students of all ages, they get access to various advanced learning methods through edtech.

Birla Brainiacs

There has been a huge increase in homeschooling in India recently. It enables children who are unable to attend school to learn and educate themselves with the use of technology. Birla Brainiacs wants to establish a setting where students learn and experiment with advanced technology. We aim to help our students for the future by providing them with advanced modules and fun ways to explain and fulfill their individual needs.

Globus Infocom

The edtech industry has been essential in bridging the technology and education divide. Globus Infocom offers cutting-edge equipment and resources to its students, enabling them to learn and explore the latest technology. They also provide modules and courses in different languages which help students to grasp the information in their language.

MyPeegu

India has seen evolutionary growth in the education sector, and recent developments in the sector identify the importance of social-emotional learning as an emerging need in the framework. MyPeegu has been serving in this arena for 9+ years by identifying and dealing with difficulties in children in a classroom setting. They help guide teachers and parents to monitor their child’s behavior at school.

It’s Christmas for all with Vh1 Winter Wonderland. Ringing in the musical spirit of the season

Are you looking for some music to add to this year’s Christmas and holiday playlist? The combination of festivities and winters, coupled with some good music brings in that end-of-year vibe. In the same vein, Vh1 – India’s promising stop for pop & energetic music – is bringing Winter Wonderland, featuring an exclusively curated playlist of the greatest and the biggest Christmas hits of all time. You can enjoy this specially chosen bundle of songs from 23rd December to 25th December 2022.

Starting with a couple of songs as filler throughout the month, it serves as the perfect build-up to the special shows that will air from 23 to 25 December, carefully curated for the fans of Vh1. In this year-end countdown, Vh1 takes viewers through some of the biggest music video releases from this year. The songs that the audience can expect out of Winter Wonderland – Christmas Special with Vh1 are some major Christmas Hits by Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Justin Bieber, Arianna Grande, and many more.

Do note the timings for this exceptional Christmas playlist – 23rd & 24th of December at 1 pm & 5 pm and on the 25th of December at 8 am, 12 pm & 6 pm

Pic Credit: moes-art.com

Enphase Energy in partnership with Ornate Solar commissions a 745-kw solar project for B.L. Agro

Bengaluru, December 2022 – Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, today announced the commissioning of a 745 kW InRoof solar installation for B.L. Agro Industries Limited. The Ornate Solar manufactured InRoof solar system spreads over an area of 45000 square feet at the B.L. Agro facility in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

Each of the 1,638 solar panels in the In Roof system is equipped with the latest generation of IQ7TM Microinverters from Enphase Energy. Powered by advanced technology, the microinverters provide high production, enhanced reliability, and leading intelligence. With burst mode technology, the IQ7 Microinverters can produce more electricity at dawn and dusk, and in low-light conditions for a longer solar day. Enphase also offers complete panel-level monitoring of the In Roof system. With the Enphase AppTM, B.L. Agro can real-time monitor electricity production anytime, anywhere.

“With Ornate, we are building a safe and aesthetically unique solar installation for B.L. Agro. B.L. Agro is a brand that understands the benefits of solar and acknowledges the significance of safety and quality for truly building sustainability in the long run. This Enphase-Ornate-B.L. Agro partnership is a distinguished example of technology paving the way for a green future.” said Sunil Thamaran, VP, HR, and MD at Enphase Energy India.

The In Roof system is a unique structural solution that can integrate panels of any shape and size to replace conventional metal roofs. The solar roof systems are designed with exclusive architecture and can accommodate up to an additional 26% more solar panels than conventional roof-mounted solar systems. They also generate over 4-8% more energy because of free air circulation which lowers module back sheet temperatures by up to 15 degrees Celsius.

Commenting on the solar installation, Ornate Solar, Director, Aditya Goel, said, “Ornate InRoof is a first-of-its-kind PV integrated system that serves as a primary roof and eliminates the need for traditionally used sheet roofing. The InRoof is fully customizable and compatible with all types of solar modules. Also, we are excited to partner with Enphase to power a reputed brand like B.L. Agro.”

B.L. Agro’s InRoof system has an indigenously developed structure that comprises special-purpose roll-formed continuous (SRFC) sections made from a high-strength steel alloy, resistant to corrosion and oxidation. The structure provides a 100% guarantee against water leakage.

Pic Credit: verblyinc.com

Mphasis and Be Informed partner to transform the way organizations navigate a complex regulatory landscape

Mumbai, December 2022 Mphasis, (BSE: 526299; NSE: MPHASIS), an Information Technology (IT) solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, announces that it has signed a partnership with Be Informed, a digital transformation platform for the intelligent automation of knowledge work and complex decision making.

Mphasis and Be Informed will combine their capabilities to deliver high-end decision-support solutions in regulatory and policy encoding to public and private sector organizations in highly regulated industries, focusing on banking, insurance, travel, logistics, and healthcare. Under the terms of the agreement, Mphasis will provide domain-specific knowledge to enhance the partnership’s software, adding machine-learning capabilities to the combined offerings and helping with the effective implementation of solutions for clients.

With vast amounts of frequently evolving laws and regulations, it is challenging for organizations to keep track of all changes and ensure compliance. In 2020, companies across 190 countries had an average of 257 regulatory alerts per day, and this number is multiplying, given the large pipeline of further regulatory changes for industries to navigate. For instance, following the UK’s exit from the EU, the UK Government has suggested a gradual transition from retained EU law in financial services to requirements more tailored to the UK market. Today’s ecosystem depends on lawyers to interpret regulations, but with many hundreds of interconnected documents required to deliver a complete picture, there was a gap in the market for a solution to streamline and optimize the process.

The partnership will introduce new standards for legal knowledge representation and develop tools, methodologies, and automation capabilities to support the analysis and interpretation of regulations, policies, and contracts. Designed to work together, the tools will include a library comprising legal documents, regulations, and policies pulled from numerous sources and standardized; a workbench platform to automate the process of interpreting and validating them and help identify any policy gaps; and a compliance engine for implementing these explicit interpretations of contracts, regulations, and policies as rules. The cost and efficiency of compliance will improve dramatically as the policy workbench gains acceptance.

The partnership will initially focus on:

· Contracts as data: encoding contracts into explicit interpretations to help organizations radically reduce the cost of managing and servicing their portfolio of contracts

· Regulations and policies as data: encoding regulations and policies into explicit interpretations that can be implemented in business processes and applications to increase efficiency, agility, and transparency of business processes and reduce life-cycle costs for applications

Based in the Netherlands, the UK, and the US, Be Informed chose to work with Mphasis due to its deep domain expertise across financial services, logistics, and other highly regulated industries across the UK, Europe, and globally. Mphasis specializes in delivering tailored next-generation solutions to organizations looking to automate knowledge-intensive regulatory and policy encoding work and comply with complex regulations. The Mphasis NextAngles platform, which will be implemented as part of the partnership, is built on the same semantics-based technology as Be Informed and can deliver massively scalable compliance solutions.

“The relationship between a government and its regulated entities has increasingly become entangled in a maze of rules that no one understands anymore. Understanding this challenge and with the vision to support the knowledge workers, we have been working with our partners and leading researchers to solve this problem since the early days of Be Informed. That we can continue this journey together with Mphasis makes us very excited and proud. Together we will work on a solution that improves regulations, reduces administrative burden, increases citizen participation, and lowers the cost of compliance.” said René Louter, Chief Executive Officer, of Be Informed.

“We are pleased to partner with Be Informed to create a new type of policy ‘metaverse’ intended to add significant value to the capabilities of highly regulated public and private sector clients in how they monitor – and adhere to – policy changes,” said Srikumar Ramanathan, Chief Solutions Officer, Mphasis. “Mphasis has a strong track record of working with many financial institutions to implement new regulations and addressing consent orders by applying cutting-edge digital technologies, which gives us an edge in understanding exactly what it takes to encode regulations and policies. Our vision is aligned with Be Informed, and together we are bringing our complementary strengths to develop innovative solutions to help organizations in highly regulated domains reduce costs and increase efficiency while delivering superior customer service and ensuring compliance.”

For some of the offerings being brought forward by the partnership, Mphasis and Be Informed will work with the Leibniz Center for Law, a collaboration between the independent research organization TNO (Organization for Applied Scientific Research) and the University of Amsterdam, which applies computer science and artificial intelligence to the field of law.

Huawei and Partners Propose a Five-point ICT Talent Framework for Thailand

[Bangkok, Thailand, December 2022] – Today, Huawei held the ‘Thailand Talent Transformation Symposium’ in Bangkok. At the symposium, Huawei announced a partnership with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), higher education institutions, and industry partners to exchange opinions and jointly formulate an ICT personnel development policy that will be developed into a national master plan. At the Symposium, Huawei, MDES, and MHESI also kicked off the ‘Huawei ICT Competition 2022-2023’ to develop ICT talent from Thai high schools and universities.

In October, at the Mobile BroadBand Forum 2022 in Bangkok, MDES, MHESI, and Huawei co-launched a white paper about Thailand’s Digital Talent Development. The document focuses on the digital divide in Thailand, caused by the rapid growth of the digital economy. According to the white paper, the digital economy will increase its contribution to 30% of Thailand’s GDP by 2027. The white paper is the basis of the renewed collaboration that will lead to the development of the national master plan for ICT skills development, in alignment with the 5th Digital Technology Development Master Plan (2022-2027).

Acting Capt. Montree Munkong, Advisor to Minister, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society said: “Today, Thailand continues to face digital inequality between urban and rural communities. Therefore, MDES thanks Huawei for arranging the ICT Competition 2022-2023 which is another step to cultivate a generation of skilled digital talent that are important for developing an inclusive, high quality, and sustainable digital ecosystem in Thailand.”

Prof. Dr. Supachai Pathumnakul, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation said: “Rapid digital transformation has resulted in a digitally skilled worker shortage. We must urgently develop ICT skills and equip younger generations with advanced ICT knowledge. Huawei will be the key partner from the private sector supporting the creation of a skilled ICT workforce as well as elevating ICT talent development policy towards the national master plan, including hosting the ICT Competition 2022-2023 to build our digital talent pool.”

Abel Deng, President of Huawei Asia-Pacific Carrier Business Department, said, “Talent cultivation is no longer the responsibility of government or academia only. Instead, it needs long-term and collaborative efforts between the government, industry, academia, and society. Therefore, for Huawei, as a digital transformation enabler and social value contributor, we are committed to do our part. By investing in digital talent development, we hope to foster a win-win and positive business ecosystem.”

The Thailand National Digital Talent Development White Paper, in collaboration with global consultancy Roland Berger, recommends a holistic five-point framework to bridge Thailand’s digital talent gap, with collaborative efforts by the Government, the private sector, and academia. It includes 1) policymaking, standardization, and monitoring; 2) skill development; 3) career and job matching; 4) infrastructure development, and 5) funding and sponsorship.

Huawei launched the ICT Competition in 2015 which has benefited over 1,000 leading Thai university students. This year, through the digital talent development program ‘Huawei ICT Competition 2022-2023 Thailand’, Huawei plans to sharpen the ICT knowledge of around 200 talented youths. This program will run from December 9, 2022, to March 2023, consisting of ICT competition training and exam certification until the reward announcement and Job fair.

Over the past few years, Huawei ASEAN Academy (Thailand) has helped develop more than 26,000 ICT personnel and partnered with 37 leading higher education institutions. Going forward, Huawei aims to train over 10,000 digital youths in 2023 alone and keep implementing the key suggestions brought by the white paper in future years.

“Huawei hopes that this forum will promote ICT workforce development policy formulation towards the country’s master plan and the launch of the ICT Competition 2022-2023 will help bridge the digital divide, connect Thailand with other countries, and enhance ICT competency for Thai talent to meet global standards. This will create a sustainable future for the digital ecosystem to flourish, reinforcing Huawei’s mission ‘Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand’,” concluded Deng.

Pic Credit: genesis-bcw.com