All posts by Sujata

Vinod Cookware’s Festive Celebrations Get Bigger with The Launch of 7 New Products

4th October 2022, Mumbai: October rings in the festive season, and with it comes the joy of preparing and consuming signature festive delicacies. Every region in India celebrates its version of the festival with its own unique preparations. This year’s festive season is enriched further with Vinod Cookware, one of India’s leading cookware brands, launching 7 new products. All these products are an excellent pick for healthy cooking since they are made of premium SAS metal technology with hygienic high-grade stainless steel.

The highlight of the celebration is India’s first nutrition retention pressure cooker: Vinod Nutrimax Pressure Cooker, which comes with Maximum Nutrient Retention Technology (MNRT) enabling oil-free faster cooking. The brand has also rolled out a great introductory discount offer for the new pressure cooker. Constructed with premium SAS metal and single whistle technology, Vinod’s Nutrimax pressure cooker consists of key features such as a smart lock, pressure selector, and three safety features.

Vinod Nutrimax Pressure Cooker:

To continue the month-long festive celebrations, Vinod Cookware brings in 6 more products namely; Durban Stainless Steel Kadai, Durban Stainless Steel Handi, Veneto Stainless Steel 2 pc. & 3pc. Cookware Sets, Flash Water Bottles, Zest Wok, and Hanos New Induction-friendly Wok. With amazing Gas and Induction compatibility along with even heat distribution features, the Kadais, Handi, and Veneto sets are proven to be healthy and hygienic, especially for Indian cooking. All these new products are now available on the brand’s website and on Amazon.

Mr. Sunil Agarwal, Director, Vinod Cookware, said, “Festivals are a glorious heritage of Indian culture and traditions. Most of them rejoiced with special feasts that bring people together. We introduced this new range to add to the festive celebrations by innovating and improving products based on market feedback. All of these products have enhancements in terms of durability and ergonomics, making them a perfect fit for our customer’s adapting needs. With the league of continuous festivals celebrated round the clock, our intent is to elevate happiness by providing a new range of products at affordable prices.”

‘ŠKODA Deccan Beats’ begins Phase 2 – On The Road Series

Mumbai, October 2022: ŠKODA AUTO India, along with Ph.D. Media, Laqshya Event Capital, and BToS’ artist management have launched into Phase 2 of ŠKODA Deccan Beats. This musical extravaganza aims to celebrate indigenous musical talent from the heartlands of South India.

The series is divided into 3 distinct phases: Talent Hunt, On The Road Series, and Garage Show.

Phase 1 was the Talent Hunt where 16 finalists were selected – 4 from each language: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. They were then mentored by illustrious names from the South Indian music industry – Andrea Jeremiah (Tamil), Geetha Madhuri (Telegu), Sithara Krishnakumar (Malayalam), and Raghu Dixit (Kannada).

Phase 2 is On The Road Series, where these 16 finalists get to be part of a journey on the road, powered by ŠKODA. The music videos are a beautiful mix of music and travel, and the contestants will embark on a journey to the depths of the mainland and discover unexplored sounds and tunes.

These 16 unique songs that were inspired by their travels are ready for you to listen to and are being released on ŠKODA Deccan Beats.’

Here are the names of the finalists and their pairings with South Indian music artists:

Malayalam

Ananthu Gopi – Nikhil Mathew

Keethana KS – Santosh Hariharan

Madhavan Nair – Sithara Krishnakumar

Malvika Suresh – Arunima Venugopalan

Tamil

Arun Naik – Priyanka NK

Gayatri Rajeev – Ajay Krishna

Hemanth Kumar – Vrusha Balu

Uthara Pattathil – Andrea Jeremiah

Kannada

Keerthana – Mythri Iyer

Madhura Balaji – Raghu Dixit

Sunil Nakod – Nivas

Vishal Anand – Pooja Vaidyanath

Telugu

Adviteeya Vojjala – Sony Komanduri

Sainath Kakina – Bhavna Balakrishnan

Soujanya Bhagavatula – Geetha Madhuri

Swathi Bekkera – Anu Anand

Tarun Jha, Head of Marketing – ŠKODA AUTO India said, “Travel and music is a beautiful combination and we at ŠKODA are thrilled to be showcasing exceptional talent and indigenous music. It is inspiring to see the contestants learn from their mentors and surroundings and create something truly unique – and we’re honored to be part of their journey as the driving force.”

Shyam Chhabria, CEO – of Laqshya Event Capital says, “The concept is phenomenal and we at Laqshya Event Capital are thrilled to be a part of a refreshing initiative that amplifies the beauty of Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu music. The music the contestants have created is absolutely incredible. Music has no boundaries, and we’re thrilled to be bringing this musical voyage to life, and to be bringing indigenous music into a more mainstream format.”

Moniz Toddywala, CEO, Ph.D. India said, “South India is one of the key markets for ŠKODA-so it was logical and strategic to nurture the southern connect that drives the brand. As music is synonymous with road travel, we drove this unique concept that celebrates the beauty of South India and its diverse music for the ŠKODA loyalists and the larger consumer base to enjoy. We are elated with the results and are honored to have worked so closely with the inspirational talent of the South.”

Shailja Saraswati, CCO, OMG India said, “Music is a defining content pillar for ŠKODA and over the years we have invested in various music IPs which connect consumer, brand, and cultural truth through building the apt tension. So we embarked on another journey with phase 2 of ŠKODA Deccan Beats to drive the musical repertoire with talented contestants and eminent mentors and leveraged the ŠKODA Deccan Beats’ platform to make unique indigenous sounds and tunes, inspired by the beauty of traveling through the southern Indian landscapes. Such content is great to connect with audiences and has great potential for organic growth also over a period of time”

Witness this musical extravaganza through the lens of their journey like never before.

The next and final round “The Garage Show” will see all these 16 contestants perform with some of the best musicians from the South music industry and get an opportunity to perform their original compositions.

Jimmy’s® collaborates with Sleepy Owl Coffee to launch an Espresso Martini Cocktail mixer

India, October 4th, 2022: Radiohead Brands, makers of Jimmy’s®, a leading non-alcoholic mixers company introduced Espresso Martini, a finely crafted cocktail mixer for the coffee enthusiasts in collaboration with homegrown coffee brand Sleepy Owl.

Crafted at Jimmy’s Cocktail Labs, the Espresso Martini mixer is an exquisite mélange of two of India’s finest homegrown brands in their respective categories- India’s leading homegrown coffee brand (Sleepy Owl) and India’s fastest-growing Cocktail mixer brand (Jimmy’s®). This combination delivers a great new product that brings in all the complexities and richness of an Espresso Martini and will be available soon exclusively on drinkjimmys.com.

Commenting on the launch, Ankur Bhatia, Founder & CEO of Radiohead Brands, said, “At Jimmy’s Cocktail Labs, we are always looking to bring new and exciting ways for consumers to enjoy their spirits. For Jimmy’s, Sleepy Owl was a natural fit to collaborate with given the way both brands have transformed their respective categories. Both our teams have been jointly working on this product for some time and we are excited to finally launch an Espresso Martini mixer, crafted with the punch of espresso coffee infused with a balanced complexity of flavors that Jimmy’s is now known for.”

Jimmy’s Espresso Martini, while best enjoyed on ice mixed with Vodka or Gin is also an exceptional companion to a variety of spirits and can even catch a punch as a refreshing chilled beverage. The craftsmanship behind the curation of Espresso Martini is a testament to India’s fast-growing love for both coffee and cocktails, and a new homegrown ability to create high-quality craft beverages in India, taking flavor innovation to the next level.

Commenting on the partnership, Arman Sood, Co-Founder of Sleepy Owl, said, “The sweet irony is that the idea for this collaboration was churned over a couple of Martinis. With the resurgence of this cult classic, we thought it was the best time for the two brands to come together and co-create a product that will get the ‘Caffeinated Cocktail Enthusiasts’ bouncing off the walls.”

The Espresso Martini is the ninth cocktail mixer from Jimmy’s®, which had recently launched The New Old Fashioned in the month of August. The limited release variant will be launched for Coffee Lovers in specially designed Cocktail Packs, which will include 2 bottles of Espresso Martini and a coupe glass at INR 799, available exclusively on drinkjimmys.com.

Sleepy Owl is a homegrown Indian coffee brand, founded by three friends- Ajai Thandi, Ashwajeet Singh, and Arman Sood. With a vast product portfolio, the brand aims to disrupt the at-home coffee industry in India and give its patrons the best quality coffee in the most convenient format.

Jimmy’s® founded by Ankur Bhatia and Nitin Bhardwaj, was conceived to bring a world-class craft cocktail experience to consumers’ homes at a convenient and affordable price point. In a short span, Jimmy’s® has become the fastest-growing brand in the new and upcoming spirits mixers category.

Granules India Limited Inaugurated a Overhead Water Tanks at Bonthapally!

Hyderabad, 4th October 2022: Granules India Limited (GIL), a vertically integrated fast growing Indian pharmaceutical company headquartered in Hyderabad, inaugurated overhead tanks to facilitate a dedicated supply of potable water for residents of Bonthapally villages, located in Telangana, as part of its CSR initiative. The project was inaugurated by Dr. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, Chairman & Managing Director – GIL along with Shri. Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Patancheru constituency. Mrs. Uma Devi Chigurupati, Executive Director, GIL, graced the occasion.

GIL will be inaugurating another overhead tank at Veeranagudam in the coming week. The two overhead tanks have a capacity of 150 KL at Bonthapally and 100 KL at Veeranagudam; are connected through pump assembly and piping to supply accessible drinking water to residents of both villages. Currently, the villagers are deprived of continuous drinking water supply to the households, through this initiative of Granules India Limited, over 2,000 residents from both villages will benefit. The two overhead tanks commissioned at a cost of ₹ 57 lakh will be maintained by the village panchayats.

Shri. Gudem Mahipal Reddy said, Granules India Limited, spent Rs 42 lakhs to construct this overhead tank to supply water to the people of the gram panchayat. In our constituency, most companies are not spending their CSR funds, but some prominent companies like Granules India Limited. We had requested the others in the past, we will again have a meeting to list out the issues faced by the villages and Mandal here and seek the support of the companies located in this area. Dr. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati has contributed enormously to this village besides this tank, he had sanctioned several other requirements in the past. Our children will get employment and our area will develop if we extend support to the companies and get more companies to establish factories here.

Speaking after the commissioning of the water tank Dr. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, Chairman & Managing Director – GIL said, “Potable water is a basic necessity for leading a healthy life and it’s heartening that Granules India Limited could fulfill this need of the residents of Veerannaguda and Bonthapally villages. Granules will remain committed to the betterment of the communities who live and work around our global manufacturing units here in Bonthapally. I would like to thank Mr. Gudem Mahipal Reddy, MLA of Patancheru; Mr. K Prabhakar, Vice Chairman, ZPTC; Mrs. Saddi Praveena Vijayabhaskar Reddy, President, Mandal Praja Parishad; Mrs. Naveena Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy and Mrs. Pennaboina Mamatha, Sarpanches of Bonthapally and Veerannaguda villages respectively, for their active participation and continuous support throughout this project.”

GIL operates two Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient manufacturing units at Bonthapally in the Sangareddy district of Telangana. The facilities offer direct and indirect employment to around 1,000 people. GIL is currently involved in a community outreach project with the surrounding villages of Bonthapally, focusing on skill development, health, water, and sanitation. In the past, GIL has set up a Public Health Clinic, Donated to the construction of roads and stadiums in and around the Patancheru constituency.

IDFC Mutual Fund Gears Up to launch IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund

Indore, October 04, 2022: IDFC Mutual Fund announced the launch of the IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund, an open-ended equity scheme investing in the transportation and logistics sector, intending to benefit from the multi-year growth opportunity in the mobility services sector. The New Fund Offer opens on Tuesday, October 04, 2022, and closes on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. Investment can be made through licensed mutual fund distributors and online platforms as well as directly on the IDFC MF website https://idfcmf.com/.

Highlighting the rationale behind launching the IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund, Mr. Vishal Kapoor, CEO, of IDFC AMC said, “Rapid urbanization is accelerating growth in personal mobility requirements. Additionally, powerful enablers like a strong demand-led recovery cycle and margin improvement provide visibility for strong earnings growth for the transportation and logistics sector. Growth in this sector is expected to be driven by rising aspirations, enhanced infrastructure, a surge in volumes, and export-driven opportunities. The IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund will be actively managed by a team which has a strong pedigree and expertise in leveraging the vast opportunities across this attractive value chain.”

Mr. Daylynn Pinto, Fund Manager for IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund added, “The Transportation and Logistics sector consists of 16 sub-sectors, providing a wide spectrum of investment opportunities and facilitating effective diversification of the portfolio. NSE data as of August 2022 indicates that the Nifty Transportation and Logistics Index has outperformed the Nifty 500 Index in 8 out of 11 calendar years from 2012 to 2022 (YTD Aug’22), demonstrating the potential of this sector to provide relatively higher returns over the long term. The IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund has a bottom-up stock selection approach with investment across market cap segments, facilitating focus on the business-specific aspects and aligning the execution with a medium to long-term view. The fund invests predominantly in companies that are part of the Transportation and Logistics sector with the flexibility to allocate up to 20% of its net assets to international businesses and companies of other sectors that have a compelling risk-reward opportunity.”

A key differentiator for the IDFC Transportation and Logistics Fund is its approach to stock selection and portfolio construction. In building the portfolio, the fund manager will prioritize the stock’s Competitive Positioning, Management Quality, and Earnings Trajectory (CME Approach), thereby focusing on both the quality and growth of the portfolio. Competitive Positioning involves selecting companies based on fundamental factors such as higher capital efficiency, greater pricing power compared to peers, a robust business model, and relatively higher operating margins, which could create value for shareholders. Management Quality is an important parameter that enables the fund manager to assess the ability of the management to strategize and execute the business plans while ensuring that their interest is aligned to that of the shareholders. Screening companies that are on an improving Earnings Trajectory supported by several factors such as macroeconomic developments, expansion of distribution channels, and new product launches could boost the growth potential of the portfolio in the long term.

Streax Professional launches its latest collection ‘Mercurial’, a confluence of old-world charm and modern-day influences

Mumbai, 4th October 2022: Streax Professional, the professional product range for hair care, color, and style, specially crafted for salon professionals and hairdressers, launched its latest collection, Mercurial, at a fashion event in Mumbai yesterday. Actress Mouni Roy showcased supremacy as the showstopper for the collection and added pizzazz to the runway in her Mercurial style.

Mercurial is about moving from a very colorful vivid, intense hair color with overdramatized flair full clothing fashion with very modern influences of today, into a very subtle monochromatic classy natural hair with layer upon layer of organic material, here we see a stronger influence of softer, cleaner organic shapes with a lesser texture more based on cuts and graphic lines and blocked colors.

The influences of folklore/ethnicity and culture from the regions stir up a much more textured softer pastel tones of color and curly feeling of hair as well as a more carefree atmosphere of the hair including ribbons in the updos and stylings.

The collection comprises three components:

· SUPERCHARGED, a departure into the contrasts of impulsiveness, harmony, boldness, and austerity. It gives rise to a feeling of bold escapism into the extremes.

· NATURAL ME, ‘Softness meets rawness’ is the principle that lies behind the theme. Tonal-layered looks are given depth through chunky knits while conventional brightness and lightness meet monochromatic color, defining its classy, contemporary style.

· OTHERWHERE, takes you to a place of longing, the otherworld. It is about folklore, coupled with characteristics of freedom and self-determination.

Mrs. Rochelle Chhabra, Head – Professional Division (Streax Professional), Hygienic Research Institute, said, “Classic can never go out of vogue, and in a modern world of trends, we as a brand enjoy customizing different styles and looks for our contemporary customers. With the Mercurial collection, we have tried to showcase 3 distinct head-turning styles and looks, representing the transformation from vivid, overdramatized to monochrome to folklore hairdos and prints. We are happy to present our newest collection, which promises to blend old-world charm with modern-day style for fashion enthusiasts.”

The collection was inspired and curated by a customized fashion designer, the acclaimed Abhishek Sharma, who is popular for his ability to complement the contemporary with the classic. As the showstopper, Mouni Roy exhibited a stylish elegant look from the Natural Me zone, flaunting a hairstyle with Caramel brown hair color and honey brown highlights; wearing a bespoke Ivory gown designed by Abhishek Sharma. The event also showcased a stellar line-up of the fashion-forward collection, with models flaunting the color, designs, and textures to their stylish best.

Streax Professional also announces the winners of Streax Professional Times India Hairstyle icon 2022, a competition designed for professionals to be recognized in the field of cut, color, and style; crowning Amit Tonk from the North-East zone as India’s first Hair Style Icon 2022. He was loved for the look he created which was a blend of both creative and commercial, with funky colors of groovy pink and crazy violet. Amit won INR five lakhs and a trip to attend Paris Fashion Week 2023. Also, he bagged an annual contract with Streax Professional and portfolio coverage at The Times of India, Femina, and Grazia.

The first runner-up Bhaskar Jyoti Saikia from the North-East zone created an irregular cut showcasing the positives and negatives in life, using shades of the funky green color. He took home a cash prize of INR 2.5 lakhs while the second runner-up Karan Shetty from the North zone won INR 1.5 lakhs. His look was a commercial style with hints of crazy violet at the tips. The remaining 8 finalists also received a cash prize of INR 50,000 each.

The competition was designed to scout the best talent in hairdressing, based on various tasks framed by industry experts and international celebrity stylists like Savio John Pereira, Joakim Roos, and Yolly Ten Koppel, along with technical experts from Streax Professional.

World Quality Report 2022-23: 85% of organizations are looking at Quality Assurance to support the deployment and success of technologies such as blockchain and Web 3.0

New Delhi, October 3, 2022 – There is significant optimism around the future impact of emerging technology such as blockchain, the metaverse, and other Web 3.0 applications, according to the 14th edition of the World Quality Report, published today by Capgemini, its brand Sogeti, and Micro Focus. The report examines the key trends and developments in Quality Engineering and Testing (QE&T) and highlights sustainable IT and Value Stream Management[1] as new interest areas for quality teams. The importance of cybersecurity strategies to counter the risk of cyber-attacks also emerged in the research: 96% of respondents believe they would face medium or high risks of cyber-attacks without a quality strategy in place for emerging technologies.

The report finds that organizations are increasingly looking at Quality Engineering and Testing (QE&T) to support the deployment and success of new technologies such as blockchain and Web 3.0 and to address associated business challenges in the fields of customer experience, time to market, security, and cost. While awareness is growing on how quality strategy can offset various risks associated with deploying new technology, the quality assurance function is transforming at speed from pure testing to actual quality engineering practices. For example, 88% of respondents agreed they were at medium to high risk of losing market share to a competitor and 90% agreed that they face the risk of increased costs for the deployment of new technology solutions without a QE&T strategy.

Emerging areas for Quality Engineering and Testing and sustainability

Sustainability was one of the new areas explored by this year’s edition of the report. Research revealed that while the role of quality within sustainable IT is still evolving, 72% of organizations think that QE&T could contribute to the environmental aspect of sustainable IT. Respondents are also optimistic about the benefits of green engineering as part of their sustainable IT strategies, with 47% of respondents citing improved brand value ranking as the most important benefit, followed closely by improved customer loyalty (46%).

Focus on data continues to grow

There is unanimous agreement (89%) that robust data validation capabilities can improve decision making, efficiency, and improve bottom line profits. Test Data Management (TDM) is an integral part of the software testing lifecycle, however, only 20% of respondents have a fully implemented enterprise-wide test data provisioning strategy. Many organizations have serious challenges with the implementation of an effective data validation strategy; 42% see implementing data validation as a time-consuming exercise, while 47% of respondents said that having multiple complex databases itself acts as a challenge.

More integration across business teams is needed to realize the potential of Agile

There is a growing recognition of Agile development and digital transformation as key enablers of further IT investment: To accompany the fast DevOps transformation, there is a recognition that integrating QE&T at every stage of product development is critical to leveraging the full potential of this function.

The research found that organizations are reporting significant improvements by adopting Agile development: 64% of respondents cited on-time delivery as the biggest improvement. Reduced cost of quality was another key improvement (62%), followed closely by improved customer experience (61%).

However, organizations continue to struggle to implement Agile development across packaged applications and enterprise systems due to the complex practicalities involved in breaking down Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) workflows and end-to-end business practices into a single backlog.

Mark Buenen, Global Leader, Quality Engineering and Testing at Capgemini Group, commented, “Recent years have seen unprecedented acceleration for digital platforms and an overall modernization of applications. At the same time, supply chain challenges, cyber security threats, and the ongoing skills shortage mean the landscape for enterprises has never been more complex. In turn, investment in robust quality assurance and engineering is the foundation of an organization’s ability to remain flexible, responsive, and adaptable. By looking deeper, we can see that this vital function can have a tangible impact on broader business performance, including profitability and even sustainability”.

“The World Quality Report provides great insight into the current state and the future of IT, with an in-depth look at how emerging technologies are changing the quality needs and practices of organizations,” said Rohit de Souza, Senior Vice President, General Manager – ITOM Product Group & ADM Product Group, Leader of the CTO office and Product Security, Micro Focus. “This year’s findings detail the fact that Quality Engineering and Testing is taking into account that change is continuous, and organizations must be flexible, adaptable, and responsive to meet this challenge while reaching optimal business performance. At the same time, organizations are also focusing on generating value for customers and end users.”