All posts by Sujata

Hindustan Zinc shines bright with 7 awards at the 26th Bhamashah Award for contribution to the Education field

Jaipur 14th October 2022: Hindustan Zinc records a clear win at the 26th Bhamashah awards by receiving seven awards for their initiatives and projects in the education sector. Bhamashah Award was presented by Education Minister, Rajasthan-BD Kalla in the presence of Additional Chief Secretary School Education – Pawan Kumar Goel, Minister of State for Education – Dr. Subhash Garg, and other dignitaries to Hindustan Zinc’s Zawar Group of Mines, Chanderiya Lead Zinc Smelter, Zinc Smelter Debari, Rajpura Dariba Complex, Rampura Agucha Mine, Kayak Mine, and Central CSR Team Corporate Office.

Hindustan Zinc has always firmly supported the education of countless young women, facilitating their respective journeys toward success, and fulfilling their careers. These awards reflect Hindustan Zinc’s commitment to the education sector and further strengthen the credibility of its CSR initiatives for literacy by enabling rural communities to access quality education.

Around 52.53 crores were spent by the units of Hindustan Zinc for education-related initiatives. Chandrika Lead Zinc Smelter contributed in large numbers towards the education sector by spending an amount of 13.16 crore, Rajpura Dariba Complex 9.34, Zawar Mines 2.7 crore, Zinc Smelter Debari 3.64 crore, Rampura Agucha 4.72 crore, Central unit, Udaipur 14 crore, and Kayak, 5.13 crore. The development and betterment of the education sector have always been the topmost priority for Hindustan Zinc under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. More than 2 lakh children are being benefitted every year through projects run by Hindustan Zinc for education.

In pursuit of this aim, the Khushi Anganwadi Nand Ghar program focuses on improving health and nutrition and imparting preschool learning. The project, Shiksha Sambal covers the secondary and higher secondary education aspects and works to strengthen vocabulary and language ability amongst rural students. Under the Unchi Udaan Project, young talent from nearby areas is provided with rigorous academic coaching for the preparation of entrance exams like IIT and other reputed academic institutions. Parallelly, through Vedanta Ringus College, girls facing barriers in pursuing higher education are identified and provided a comprehensive scholarship. As part of empowering the specially-abled youth, the Jeevan Tarang project works on mainstreaming and capacity building of people with disabilities.

Singapore Airlines To Launch Airbus A350-900 Services To Hyderabad

14 October 2022, Hyderabad: Singapore Airlines (SIA) is pleased to announce the introduction of its A350-900 medium-haul wide-body aircraft on the Hyderabad to Singapore sector.

Singapore Airlines will operate daily flights between Hyderabad and Singapore, with the A350 services operating every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The inaugural service SQ 523 will depart from Hyderabad International Airport at 2310 hrs on 30 October 2022. The Airline will continue to operate its B737-8 narrow-body services through the remainder of the week.

The complete flight schedule for Hyderabad can be found at the end of this release.

Mr. Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India for Singapore Airlines, said, “We are delighted to enhance our services to Hyderabad with our wide-body A350 aircraft. This is a significant milestone for us as it reinforces our commitment to the market, more so after SilkAir’s integration with Singapore Airlines a year ago.”

“In line with the company’s commitment to product and service excellence, the Airbus A350 medium-haul aircraft, combined with our award-winning inflight service, will provide enhanced comfort to travelers from Hyderabad. Furthermore, the introduction of a wide-body aircraft in this sector also opens up a wider range of opportunities and capabilities for SIA Cargo,” Mr. Chen added.

Speaking about the launch of SIA’s A350-900 operations, Mr. Pradeep Panicker, CEO, of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd said, “Over the past few months, GMR Hyderabad International Airport has witnessed significant growth in international passenger traffic. This is an indicator of a rebound in international travel post-pandemic. Travelers are exploring exotic destinations; there has been an uptick in the student traffic pursuing academics on international shores; business travel has resumed. The festive season has contributed to the footfall in the passenger profile of Visiting Friends and Relatives. Singapore is one of the most sought-after destinations in Hyderabad. With the introduction of the highly advanced A 350 aircraft, passengers are in for a delightful travel experience which will increase further passenger traffic from the southern and central region.”

The Singapore Airlines A350-900 features higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body delivering more space and comfort, as well as lighting designed to reduce jetlag. Fitted with SIA’s regional Business Class and Economy Class cabin products, the A350-900 medium-haul Business Class cabin has 40 lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 arrangement that ensures direct aisle access for every customer, while the Economy Class cabin has 263 seats arranged in a comfortable 3-3-3 configuration.

Business Class

SIA’s A350 medium-haul Business Class seats have been manufactured by Stelia Aerospace. With each seat able to recline directly into a 76” fully-flat bed, customers can rest in more comfort, even on the shortest flights. Each seat measures up to 26” in width with retractable armrests that can be raised and lowered.

Other features include ample stowage space for personal items, a business panel with an in-seat power supply and USB ports, an integrated reading light unit with adjustable lighting intensity, and a personal 17” full high-definition touchscreen monitor.

Economy Class

SIA’s A350 medium-haul Economy Class seats have been designed and manufactured by RECARO and also offer customers an enhanced in-flight experience. Each seat has an ergonomically-designed contour backrest that provides greater relaxation, and a six-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings to provide more neck support. Economy Class customers can also enjoy an enhanced entertainment experience on their personal 11.6” full high-definition touchscreen monitor.

Other features that have been introduced for Economy Class customers include storage space for small personal items, a coat hook, a USB port, and an in-seat power supply.

In-flight Entertainment

The A350-900 medium-haul aircraft are also fitted with the latest Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system – a first in SIA’s fleet. This has been designed with a new user interface that offers a more intuitive experience and navigation options, leaving customers with the pleasure of enjoying Singapore Airlines’ myKrisWorld and its selection of more than 1,800 movies, TV shows, audio programs, and games with even greater flexibility.

Customers can receive personalized content recommendations based on their preferences and viewing history, while KrisFlyer members can bookmark and resume content, as well as customize and save preferences and playlists for subsequent flights. KrisFlyer members and Business Class customers will also have access to additional in-flight entertainment content choices.

Photos of SIA’s A350-900 medium-haul aircraft and cabin products can be found here: SQ A350 images – Google Drive

In addition, customers will have access to high-speed in-flight WiFi service on the new A350-900s, equipped with Inmarsat GX Aviation’s broadband connectivity system offered through SITAONAIR.

From 30 October 2022, Singapore Airlines will restore 100 percent of its pre-pandemic frequency from India and will operate 96 flights weekly from 8 cities across the country.

SIA has implemented myriad digital solutions for the well-being of our customers, and to support a comfortable and seamless experience.

Commvault to Host Connections 2022, an Industry Experience for Data-minded CIOs, IT, and Security Pros

Bangalore, India – October 14, 2022 – Commvault, a global enterprise leader in data management across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS environments, today announced the dates for Commvault Connections 2022, a best-in-class cloud data management experience that will provide customers and partners with insights and best practices they need to Innovate with Confidence. A global event, Connections will feature multiple regional broadcasts starting on November 2nd in the Americas and November 3rd in EMEA and APJ.

An event for data-minded IT decision-makers, Commvault Connections offers a unique interactive experience, featuring virtual exhibit booths, a live DemoZone, and a customer panel where attendees will gain real-world cloud transformation advice from companies like American Pacific Mortgage. The event’s packed agenda includes solution tracks centered around the key aspects of business transformation – Fending Off Ransomware, Modernizing Data Management, and Investing Wisely. Plus, new for 2022 is Commvault’s inaugural Customer Innovation Awards and sponsored partner solutions sessions with Microsoft, Oracle, and more to be announced:

Microsoft: Protect Your Critical IT Assets with Azure, featuring Saurabh Sensharma, Sr. Product Manager, Azure Storage, Microsoft, and David Ngo, CTO, Metallic, Commvault

Oracle: Protecting Against Ransomware in a Multi-Cloud World, featuring Joe Corvaia, GVP, NACT ISV, MGS and MSP Sales, Oracle, and Alan Atkinson, Chief Partner Officer, Commvault

Bill Mew, Chair of the Cyber Working group for IARCC and CEO of Crisis Team said, “Connections 2022 is not only coming at exactly the right time, but its focus is spot on. An intelligent, integrated approach to data management and security from proactive cyber deception strategies to effective recovery strategies, as Commvault is doing to help clients reduce the impact of ransomware attacks, is now essential.”

Keith Townsend, CTO Advisor said “I enjoyed Virtual Connections 2021, and I can safely say that 2022 is elevating the customer experience with exhibition halls and technical tracks and demos. With sponsors like Microsoft and Oracle, Connections 22 can quite rightly say that it is the cloud data management experience that customers cannot afford to miss.”

Event attendees will walk away with the tools to transform their business amid today’s IT, security, and resource complexities. To attend Connections 2022, register here.

Solution Tracks

Commvault Connections will feature three solution tracks with three sessions each:

Modernizing
Data Management: When your business dreams it, you need to deliver. Take charge by embracing a modern data management strategy that intelligently scales fast, supports new workloads, and enables you to use your data in creative ways.

Fending Off
Ransomware Attacks: While they may be inevitable, breaches, leaks, and losses don’t have to be disasters. Get on the offense with our proactive and responsive data protection capabilities that keep your data safe and your company out of the headlines.

Investing Wisely: Innovation may be priceless, but budgets aren’t endless. We can help you find the right balance between gaining value from your data while managing your costs to protect it on your journey to the cloud.

Paytm partners with Jana Small Finance Bank for deployment of Card Devices, aims to further drive digitisation among merchants

Mumbai: 14th October 2022: One97 Communications Limited (OCL) which owns the brand Paytm, India’s largest digital payments and financial services company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, today announced a partnership with Jana Small Finance Bank to deploy card machines to further drive digitization among merchants across the country. With this partnership, Paytm and Jana Small Finance Bank will further drive the digital payments revolution in India.

The company’s card machines have been an agile solution for seamless payments, providing multilingual support to its merchant’s partners to accept payments through UPI, credit/debit cards, net banking, international cards, Paytm Postpaid, Paytm Wallet, and EMI. The devices also offer instant voice alerts and instant settlement, which drives convenience for merchant partners.

Paytm’s EDC devices and its All-in-One POS devices have revolutionized digital payments in India with their flexibility of accepting multiple payment methods, integrated billing, and instant settlement. This partnership will enable Jana Small Finance Bank bank to extend Paytm’s All-in-one EDC machines to its existing and potential customers, providing a one-stop solution for all their digital payment needs.

Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals Group wins ASSOCHAM Award for “Best Hospital for Patient Safety & Care – Group of Hospitals”

14th October, India: Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals Group, one of the best multi-specialty hospitals groups in India, was recently honored as one of the winners in the category ‘Best Hospital for Patient Safety & Care – Group of Hospitals’ organized by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India’ (ASSOCHAM) at their annual Healthcare Summit and Awards. The prestigious event was held on 12th October 2022 from 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM at Hotel Le- Meridien in New Delhi. The public and private sectors have a role to play in ensuring that people have access to healthcare that is both effective and affordable. Besides the award ceremony, the highlights of this healthcare summit by ASSOCHAM were discussions and panel discussions about the challenges and opportunities of India’s healthcare system, the importance of public-private partnerships in healthcare, a focus on health insurance for health security, and other related topics.

With an objective to improve the health sector in India, ASSOCHAM organized the Healthcare Summit and Awards with a theme of Accessible and Affordable Quality Healthcare, where Shalby was felicitated with this honor. The award for Patient Safety & Care focused on parameters like delivering quality essential health services and health services that are timely, equitable, integrated, and efficient. The eligible hospitals for this award were hospitals that ensure discipline that emphasizes safety in health care through the prevention, reduction, reporting, and analysis of errors and other types of unnecessary harm that often lead to adverse patient events.

Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Nishita Shukla, Group COO, of Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals, said, “Through the years Shalby has reached many milestones and achieved unique recognitions, and this award for our group for Best Hospitals Group for Patient Safety and Care is another crowning accomplishment. We are grateful for the recognition and are humbled by the confidence people have put in us. This award is a testament to our commitment to clinical excellence and the stress we put on the highest level of treatment protocol, patient safety, care, and services at all times at all our eleven hospitals spread across India. We are committed to providing our patients with the finest level of treatment across all major specialties. We have a huge team of skilled doctors and support staff with cutting-edge technology and equipment. At Shalby, we always prioritize patient safety and care above anything else”.

Besides this award, Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals has won more than 50 awards including “Patient Friendly Hospital” by AHPI, FICCI Healthcare Excellence Award, National Quality Award, etc.

Equitas Small Finance Bank customers will now earn higher interests on savings, Fixed Deposit and Recurring Deposit

14 October 2022: Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited, one of the leading SFBs, has announced the revision of interest rates for savings, Fixed Deposits as well as Recurring Deposits in Domestic and NRE/ NRO Interest Rates Accounts. The hike in interest rate will be effective from 15th October 2022.

The hike will allow customers with savings accounts to gain interest ranging from 3.5% up to 7%. Furthermore, senior citizens will receive 0.50% extra. This will also be applicable to domestic FD and RD accounts. The interest payouts will continue to be quarterly across all account types.

Murali Vaidyanathan, Senior President, and Country Head, of Equitas Small Finance Bank, said, “Today we are announcing that we have increased not just the FD rates, but also the interest rates on RD and savings account. During these volatile times, we wish to encourage saving and maximize customer needs. We made the decision to safeguard the interests of our depositors since, to us, they are just as important as borrowers are. Together, they advocate for the reality of beyond banking. Please come and join this transformative journey with Equitas and together we will grow our society.”

Furthermore, the customer can procure higher interest rates on their FDs for tenure greater than 1 year and to 3 years. This is applicable in both domestic and NRE/ NRO accounts. This is to ensure that inclusive investment opportunities are being offered, especially to customers in the hinterlands of India.

Star Squared PR Secures PR Mandate for Creative Synergies Group

Bengaluru, October 14, 2022: Creative Synergies Group — a leading global digital innovation solution provider for NextGen technologies to deliver the convergence of digital engineering, embedded systems, and software technologies, today announced its partnership with Star Squared PR as its Agency of Record. The partnership will aim to build Creative Synergies Group’s brand targeting increased visibility among the media community in India.

Creative Synergies Group onboarded Star Squared PR in September this year. The agency will service the brand from its Bengaluru office. With plans to grow in the Indian markets and across the world, Creative Synergies Group was on the lookout for an agency with experience in handling global companies and maturity to assist them with the brand building while also increasing visibility among the influential media community.

“Star Squared PR is experienced with brand building for global technology companies. Their research-oriented approach and acumen of the target media make them the right fit for us. We are confident in the agency’s ability to support our PR activities, and communication initiatives and help elevate Creative Synergies Group’s brand presence in the market in India,” said Dr. Mukesh Gandhi, CEO, of Creative Synergies Group.

Commenting on the partnership, Priyan DC, CEO, of Star Squared PR said, “We are excited to have partnered with Creative Synergies Group. The digital innovation market in India is growing rapidly and Creative Synergies Group’s intent to expand its reach in the country comes at the right time. We hope to enhance Creative Synergies Group’s share of voice in the industry and are looking forward to delivering holistic strategies and campaigns to build the company’s brand.”

Creative Synergies Group is headquartered in Michigan, United States with teams in Pune, Bengaluru, Germany, The Netherlands, the UK, and Japan. Creative Synergies Group has partnered with over 40 Fortune 500 companies as a domain-focused vendor to deliver high-quality digital innovation in a cost-effective manner.

Founded in 2011, Creative Synergies Group is a leader in the digital innovation industry. With a growth rate of 40%, Creative Synergies Group plans to expand its existing base of 850 employees in India with more talent from the region. The company provides domain expertise in product and process engineering for the transportation, aerospace, infrastructure, industrial systems, hi-tech, and consumer technology sectors. It offers solutions for autonomous mobility, smart digital products like consumer wearables, and smart manufacturing and processing (Industry 4.0) with dexterity in green technologies, cloud engineering, AI/ML, IoT, AR/VR, 5G, SaaS, PaaS, and TaaS.

‘The Blue Mic’ turns one! Hungama Artist Aloud, BIG FM celebrate first anniversary of the show

National, 14 October 2022: Hungama Artist Aloud, a one-stop destination for commercial Independent Entertainment, in association with leading radio network BIG FM, one of the leading radio networks in India, celebrate the one-year anniversary of their IP #TheBlueMic on 13th October. After a glorious year of uniting music lovers with some of the most happening indie acts across genres and languages, the partnership raises a toast to the journey accompanied by star performers Nikhita Gandhi and Shalmali Kholgade.

Curated as an end-to-end platform to promote independent talents and their music, The Blue Mic was launched in October last year as a partnership between BIG FM and HAA. Its first edition thrilled the audience with an ever-evolving slate of content line-ups that opened doors for independent artists. The show kick-started with the sensational band Euphoria and saw several artists flaunt their trademark musical styles. Post the success of the first edition, the two powerhouses upped the ante with The Blue Mic – English Edition in June 2022, demonstrating a new wave of talents such as Easy Wanderings, Aditi Ramesh, Druv Kent, and many more.

Soumini Sridhara Paul, Senior Vice President, of Hungama Artist Aloud, said, “The genesis of Hungama Artist Aloud has always been to be the one-stop destination for independent music and content. The Blue Mic, in association with BIG FM, originated with the purpose to bring deserving independent talent to the forefront. We are delighted that the property has reached its one-year mark and hope for The Blue Mic to progress limitlessly hereon.”

Adding on, Mr. Sunil Kumaran, COO, of BIG FM said, “The Blue Mic IP was curated with the purpose of building a platform that would act as a trailblazer for independent artists to showcase their musical talent and individuality on a bigger platform. At BIG FM, the endeavor has always been to be pioneers and industry firsts in purpose-driven campaigns. We are ecstatic to achieve this milestone in association with Hungama Artist Aloud and to be able to touch countless hearts through this IP. Striving to build an ecosystem for independent talent to thrive, we at BIG FM congratulate The Blue Mic for turning a year old with many more to come!”

Raising the bar, the IP will be back with an action-packed season 2 on 31st October. Kicking off the season will be Amit Trivedi, followed by performances from The Yellow Diaries, Indian Ocean, and much more.

DEassy – A donation platform by 17 year-old Student enables mass Donors for donating food and essentials to underprivileged people

New Delhi/Gurugram, 14th October 2022: With the world advancing in terms of technology, a 17-year-old resident of Gurugram and a student of DPS RK Puram, Manan Khanna has ideated and implemented an artificial intelligence and video-based mobile application “DEassy Donation Platform”.

Deasy platform enables mass Donors to seamlessly connect to recipients or Point-of-Contacts (PoCs) for easily donating food and essentials to underprivileged people while sitting at their homes. The donations can be scheduled under multiple categories including Food/Ration, Clothes, Footwear, Books/Stationery, Sports, Toys, Furniture, Phones/Computer, Birthday celebrations, etc. One of the other key features is SOS (emergency alert). If any poor person or family needs urgent help in terms of expensive medicines, blood, etc., this platform can be used by recipient PoCs to trigger SOS which will be received by all the people registered to this platform and hence can offer help immediately. DEasyy App is now available on Playstore and Appstore.

The solution introduces a Video-based Mobile App Platform that can be used by Donors anytime from anywhere to post and schedule their donations. Recipients directly or through agencies/organizations’ PoCs are notified of the scheduled donations and pick-up/drop can be arranged internally or through 3rd party pick-up agencies.

Manan Khanna, a student of DPS RK Puram, New Delhi, is working on this startup venture with his team for the last 1 and a half years and at present few pilot deployments are being done in some Gurgaon locations with reference to NGOs. Manan is deeply passionate right from his childhood days to helping underprivileged people. Strong willingness to fill the gaps in the existing donation ecosystem that Manan identified during the groundwork while he was a member of a couple of NGOs.

Also, the lack of trust in the existing system and the missing flexible global connectivity platform are the critical gaps identified. His keen interest in Computer science from class IXth and his social service exposure led to the idea of developing an automated, trustworthy and transparent techno-social platform that provides seamless connectivity between mass donors and end beneficiaries through existing NGOs.

Talking about his inspiration to develop this app, Manan said, “The main inspiration is the feeling of gratification that I receive once I’m able to find the look of happiness in the eyes of the underprivileged. Another thing that drives Manan to create and maintain a platform like DEasyy is inequality. The unfair distribution of resources motivates me to fulfill an undeclared duty to help those with fewer assets.”

Computer science and coding as a whole have inspired him to practically apply the knowledge that he has to deal with the problems in his immediate surroundings. Manan further said that “Being the first bystander to see the wastage of easily reusable stuff due to lack of convenience also inspired me. Waste for one is gold for another. I wanted to make the gold available to those who needed it.”

A team full of technical experts has pushed Manan forward to look towards the final goal in mind irrespective of the hurdles needed to be overcome. The whole process from the ideation to the deployment took a great deal of investment in terms of effort, time, and capital. The time and effort needed for proper analysis of the problem at hand through groundwork as a part of NGOs were followed by proper ideation and team formation.

Choosing a well-balanced team with a variety of skill sets was a necessity. Soon after, reaching out for mentorship from top industry and social experts was achieved. A technical team with proper mentorship worked their heart out to provide a fully functioning app that is published in both the Play and App Store. Funding and investment in terms of capital by an MNC were the essential components that allowed the project to reach the level it is at today.

Manan worked on conceptualization and brainstormed end-to-end idea feasibility with mentors (from Industry, school, and social service organizations). He did research/PoC on this and his research paper got selected and published in IEEEXplore at the 2022 6th International Conference on Computing Methodologies and Communication (ICCMC). Manan presented this at the same conference as well.

“Few pilot developments are already done using DEasyy through drives (in association with some NGOs) in reference to Slum clusters of Gurgaon to help underprivileged people. This initiative is now being launched at the society and school levels. Few drives are planned, and advertising through social media is also planned to increase the coverage of this initiative so we can help more & more underprivileged people,” Manan said.