Archives March 2023

Monday, March 8, 2023: To mark the International Women’s Day, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) organised a ‘Women in Leadership Conclave’ at its campus on 6th March 2023. The conclave was inaugurated by Smt Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) as the chief guest in the presence of Guest of Honour Dr. Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, Special Guests, Ms. Mona Khandar, Principal Secretary, Finance Dept ( Economic Affairs) , Govt. of Gujarat, Mr. Romit Sen, Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, HSBC India, & Dr. Rachana Gemawat, Chairperson, FICCI FLO, and Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII.

Addressing women entrepreneurs, students, and academicians as well as experts from different sectors, Smt Rekha Sharma in her inaugural speech said, “There has been a growing awareness about raising the social and economic status of women in society with an increased focus on education, training, and handholding. This is a great development as women continue to remain underrepresented on almost every platform that requires them to wield power and decision-making authority. We want more and more women to come to the fore and break stereotypes and barriers that hinder growth. We all want to witness an inclusive and equitable society. We need to make space for women who have for long been subjugated to stereotypes and highly typical roles and, we can achieve this by encouraging women to take calculated risks, become economically independent, focus on business networking, and avoid crumbling under peer pressure.”

Dr. Shukla in his opening remarks said, “The economy can experience balanced growth only when women are encouraged to nurture their creativity and spirit of innovation. It is great to see how New India is providing winning platforms to women through innovative schemes and networking opportunities. Through its various programmes and projects focused on entrepreneurship & skill development, EDII has sought to enhance the incidence of women-owned enterprises. According to the largest survey on entrepreneurship, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Survey for 2021 -2022, among female adults, Total Early Stage Entrepreneurship Activities have increased significantly as 12.3% of the total female population are engaged in entrepreneurship as compared to 16.3% of the male. The male-female difference still exists and needs to be worked on to improve female representation in the overall of Total Early Stage Entrepreneurship Activities country. I am happy that several efforts are being put in place to encourage women to step to the forefront.”

Guest of Honour, Dr. Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, said, “ Women do step out with big dreams but as they progress towards the top, their participation and representation decreases glaringly. Women should refrain from creating an invisible glass ceiling of contentment and continue to rise. Society also needs to stop stereotyping women and give them a more warm welcome for bigger, unconventional roles. Women need to hold hands of other women and encourage each other on the way.”

In his address, Mr. Romit Sen, Sr. Vice President, of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC India said, “Skill development has really played a big role in bringing women to the forefront. Along with women, society as a whole also needs to be sensitized so that there is an encouraging systemic change. HSBC’s HMI project has focused on skilling women and empowering them by ensuring sustainable livelihood options for them. Today these trained women beneficiaries are financially independent and are in a much better place to think creatively and implement winning business strategies for growth.

Ms. Mona Khandar, Principal Secretary, Finance Dept ( Economic Affairs) , Govt. of Gujarat, “ Gujarat has a significant presence of MSMEs and women play a major role in this. There are some immensely progressive government schemes and subsidies to encourage women to become entrepreneurs. Women-led startups are coming up now in various promising domains, and I see a future where women will establish their strong identities in the sphere of entrepreneurship.”

Dr. Rachana Gemavat, Chairperson, FICCI FLO Ahmedabad said, “We as a society need to support women in breaking barriers and handhold them in donning the role of enablers. This will lead to significant growth for the economy. A conducive support system that instills confidence in women and encourages them to rise above the fear of failure will work wonders on helping women rise and shine.”

The inauguration was followed by a panel discussion with esteemed panelists focused on understanding the gaps in the ecosystem for women empowerment and entrepreneurship, and deliberating on the ways of plugging gaps.

As part of the conclave, an exhibition by EDII-trained women entrepreneurs was also organised. Women entrepreneurs under EDII’s Centre for Empowerment of Differently-Abled (CEDA), Handmade in India (HMI) project, Hastkala Setu Yojana, and Centre for Advancing and Launching Enterprises (CrAdLE) displayed their craft and products at the exhibition.

Hyderabad, March 08, 2023…. Secunderabad Round Table 33 and SLC 17 (Secunderabad Ladies Circle) wings of Round Table India and Ladies Circle India, donated 50 school dual desks worth rupees one lakh eighty five thousand on Monday to MPPS (Mandal Praja Parishad School), Vattinagulapally in Golconda Mandal, in Hyderabad. These dual desks were provided with the financial assistance of NRI Vasavi Association, the USA.

Secunderabad Round Table 33(SRT 33) a part of Round Table India, represented by its Chairman Suman Vemuri; SLC 17 of Ladies Circle India Chairperson Mamta and its Secretary Bhavana and Shisham Sabharwal, National Secretary, Ladies Circle India formally handed over the benches to the school headmistress Ms. Avasti Renuka Devi and to the school.

In a press statement issued in the city today, Round Tabler Suman said dual desks are a basic need and provide comfortable to students. He asked students to study well and come up in life.

Shisham Sabharwal said the time spent in school lays a strong foundation. If the foundation is strong, the future will also be strong.

Ms. Mamta added that they were always ready and willing to develop infrastructure in government schools. Today’s students are tomorrow’s citizens. She asked students to study will, secure good job and reciprocate by way of helping less fortunate.

Bhavana urged students to keep the desk neat and pass on to future students so that they will also make use of them.

Headmistress Renuka Devi thanked of NRI Vasavi Association, Secunderabad Round Table 33 and Secunderabad Ladies Circle-17. for coming forward to help the school. She put forth a request, to construct two classrooms. Because of the lack of them, some classrooms are being from administrative office.

The shcool has 1st to 5th classes and has 130 strength. Children Vanipriya, Nandkishore and Ajay spoke and thanked the three different organisations who made these desks possible.

Three-day program highlights an individualized approach for improving interpersonal skills.

Marianne Whelchel

(St. Louis, Mo., March 8, 2023) Psychological Associates (PA), a consulting company that improves business performance through its leadership and talent development services, will hold its Q4 Leadership: The People Skills Advantage™ program. The three-day intensive workshop will take place Tues., May 2 through Thurs., May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program will be held at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center located at One Brookings Dr. on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

The program’s individualized experience focuses on helping a company’s top talent improve team success through the people skills they need to engage and influence others. Q4 Leadership comprehensively identifies and adapts effective leadership behaviors with more intricate job-related feedback. The program combines the latest in instructional design along with PA’s six decades of pragmatic leadership development.

The workshop – which uses real-world issues and situations – is designed for C-level leaders, vice presidents, and general managers who will improve their interpersonal skills to break down silos and contribute to synergistic teams.

Psychological Associates’ facilitator Marianne Whelchel will lead the sessions. She brings more than 16 years of global leadership development, training, and human resources experience to the workshop. Whelchel has managed the design and delivery of leadership curriculum for over 6,000 leaders globally.

Psychological Associates helps clients select, develop, and retain their best leaders, enabling them to build exceptional organizations. Its exclusive Q4 Dimensional® Model of Behavior™ – an industry-renowned structure that categorizes observable actions into understandable groupings – inspires high performance while attaining comprehensive results. Consulting capabilities include talent assessment, leadership development, succession planning, people analytics, and executive coaching. Founded in 1958, Psychological Associates is headquartered at 8000 Maryland Ave. in Clayton, Mo. Reservations are required since space is limited. For more information, call (314) 725-7771 or visit www.q4solutions.com.

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Mumbai, March 07, 2023: Sterlite Power, a leading power transmission company in India and Brazil, announced the successful commissioning of its green energy corridor project – Lakadia-Vadodara Transmission Project Limited (LVTPL). The project aims to deliver more than 5000 MW of power from renewable rich regions of Bhuj and Kutch to the national grid – a step towards accelerating India’s transition towards a greener economy.

Built with an investment of Rs 2,024 crore, this inter-state transmission connects the 765/400 kV substation at Lakadia to Vadodara through a 335 km long 765 kV double-circuit transmission line. With 812 towers spanning seven districts in Gujarat, this power transmission corridor is also one of the largest transmission corridors built in India till date. Additionally, it forms a critical part of the world’s largest 30,000 MW Hybrid renewable energy park coming up in Kutch.

Commenting on the significant milestone, Pratik Agarwal, Managing Director, Sterlite Power said,” It makes us immensely proud to announce the completion of the mega LVTPL project. It has been a challenging journey, but we have been successful in unlocking 5000 MW of green power for the nation that will accelerate India’s RE vision of 500GW by 2030.”

Manish Agarwal, Director & CEO – India Transmission, Sterlite Power, added, “We are sincerely thankful to the Government and the local administration for their constant support in ensuring the successful completion of the critical project. I am extremely proud of our team and grateful for the trust and support of our stakeholders.”

The project was awarded to the company in 2019 and the work started in 2020, during Covid-19. True to its innovative spirit, the company implemented innovative construction techniques like pocket foundation, well point system, and unique tower designs to construct durable power infrastructure that could withstand the complex terrain challenges in the region.

Sterlite Power is known for its sustainable approach to development. During the project execution phase, the company engaged with various communities for an inclusive approach toward development. The company also provided employment to thousands of skilled and unskilled people during the construction phase. It also made concerted efforts to provide essential health items to vulnerable communities around the project sites during the Covid-19 imposed national lockdown.

Kolkata/New Delhi/Pune, March 7, 2023: Moodle, the world’s most customizable and trusted eLearning solution, today launched its Indian subsidiary – Moodle India, that will help it tap into the forecast $30 billion Indian EdTech market and extend its social impact.

The launch of Moodle India follows the acquisition of eAbyas Info Solutions in December 2022, which has now been fully integrated into the global Moodle ecosystem. This will be the first time that Indian customers will be able to directly access a comprehensive range of services from the local subsidiary of Moodle.

“Moodle supports 41 million courses in 42 languages globally and our open source software has helped thousands of educational institutions and organisations around the world deliver more than 1.8 billion course enrollments so far. India, with its great history of education, is key to our mission of empowering educators to make quality online education accessible for all. With the launch of Moodle India, we plan to solidify our lead in online education and also help upskill India by partnering corporates in their Learning and Development objectives for employees,” said Martin Dougiamas, CEO and Founder, Moodle.

The launch of the Indian subsidiary will help Moodle have improved communication and support for its established client base, faster response time to issues and help it develop stronger relationships with clients. “With a physical presence in India, we can offer more personalized services that meet the specific needs of Indian universities and businesses. This is a key customer segment for us as Moodle is already being used by 60% of the higher education institutions here,” added Mr. Dougiamas.

Additionally, being close to its clients can help Moodle better understand the Indian market and tailor its services accordingly, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. “The launch of Moodle India provides us the opportunity to grow a larger domestic business, which supports educational institutions and corporates,” said Sushil Karampuri, CEO, Moodle India. He added that India is undergoing a digital transformation that’s driving increased demand for online learning. “Moodle, the most widely used open source learning system, can now extend the reach of learning and training across India,” said Karampuri.

“Our Indian presence provides the opportunity to tap into the local engineering and developer talent that India can provide as part of the broader Moodle ecosystem,” said Bill Anderson, Global Head of Services, Moodle.

India is now one of the largest global EdTech markets driven by the uptake in digital learning, increasing internet access, mobile penetration and a large and growing number of children and young adults in education. The country has seen rapid adoption of learning management platforms across the corporate, higher education and government sectors. As a leading global learning management solution, India is one of Moodle’s largest growing markets based on the number of Moodle sites registered.

Moodle’s focus in India is on three areas:

o Educational institutions

o Corporates for learning and development programmes for their employees

o Government institutions around certification, deployment of content, and activities that facilitate large-scale availability of digital tools to the largest number of people possible, which also covers Moodle’s social mission.

As a Certified B Corp company, India is key to Moodle’s social objective of empowering educators to make quality online education accessible for all. “Since our foundation in 1999, we have been democratising education the ‘open source’ way. We believe that free and open access to education technology is fundamental to creating a more equitable world where everyone can pursue a quality education,” added Mr. Dougiamas. Having a meaningful presence in the world’s largest democracy helps Moodle better serve a social purpose in terms of broadening access to cutting-edge digital tools and services.

Moodle Learning Management System has constantly evolved while being committed to pedagogy, open source philosophy, and a collaborative global community of like-minded educators and technologists. As a company that exemplifies the principle of using technology as a force for good, Moodle has been honoured as a member of Open Education Global and the UNESCO Global Education Coalition.

Mumbai— March 7, 2023: Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced that the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has selected its 3DEXPERIENCE platform to optimize the performance and efficiency of complex marine and offshore projects. The platform will enable IRS, an international ship classification society that offers certification and technical inspection services to the maritime industry, to implement data-driven decision-making, concept design, engineering, integrated operations, and maintenance processes. This will significantly improve its operations management, resulting in prolonged vessel life, enhanced cost and time efficiency, and heightened safety and security within the shipping industry.

With the aid of Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, IRS can easily monitor and track crucial key performance indicators (KPIs) for the entire lifecycle of its assets, enabling qualitative surveys, inspections, and monitoring, as well as maintain compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations by monitoring emissions. Additionally, the platform will enable IRS to create a virtual twin to enhance vessel lifecycle management, offer digital services on a single, unified platform, and provide end-to-end digital traceability of requirements.

“Complex marine and offshore projects need new ways to leverage the advanced technologies that are defining a new era in shipbuilding and gain an edge in the industry,” said Deepak NG, Managing Director India, Dassault Systèmes. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform and our industry solution experiences like Program Excellence For Sea and Designed for Sea transform shipbuilding practices to support strategic objectives sustainably. The digital management of complex projects, collaboration across multisite ecosystems, efficient production planning, and virtually exploring alternative design scenarios all impact the delivery of high-quality vessels that meet – or better yet – exceed their customers’ expectations.”

“Following a thorough analysis of marketplace solutions, we selected Dassault Systèmes to execute our digital strategy and add value to our business,” said Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman, IRS. “This association will help us achieve our business objectives, improve the quality of services, and drive sustainability initiatives. We are committed to providing the highest quality services to our customers and this collaboration will enable us to achieve that goal.”

Pune, March 07, 2023: Celebrating the spirit of women riders, Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles organized all-women rides for their Kommuniti across various cities in the country, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Guwahati, Pune, and Chennai on March 5th.

The countrywide rides witnessed 150 women riders donning their riding attire on their Jawa & Yezdi motorcycles to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene among women in the less privileged sections of the society. The Delhi edition of the ride was led by popular rally driver Garima Avtar, who was joined by fellow female Jawa Yezdi riders. Across the cities, the rides were flagged off from the Jawa Yezdi dealerships and traversed the main streets and localities of the respective cities. The riders also took stops for sessions on social initiatives and refreshments.

Speaking about the initiative, Ashish Singh Joshi, CEO – Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles, said, “Motorcycling is liberating and we’re pleased to see the growing number of women enjoying the feeling on Jawa & Yezdi motorcycles. We have always encouraged more and more women to start riding and will continue to do so. Through strengthening our Kommuniti with female riders, we aim to generate awareness on various women welfare topics and support them.”

During the ride, the Jawa Yezdi Women Kommuniti conducted a session on menstrual hygiene for women residing in underprivileged areas of their respective cities. Food packets and sanitary napkins were also distributed by the riders for all the women and young girls in the area.

Harshvendra Soin, Global Chief People Officer & Head – Marketing, Tech Mahindra, “Every year on March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day to honor the numerous sacrifices, struggles, and successes of women throughout history. While women and people of all genders are consciously defying stereotypes and are actively contributing to break barriers, I truly believe that we have a long road ahead in overcoming conscious and unconscious biases. Having said that, we can all come together to bridge the gap by being supportive allies and creating a sense of, not just inclusion, but belonging at work for women.

While our quest of creating a diverse, equal, and inclusive world will take time, what we can collectively do today and each following day is to sow the seeds of change that will bear fruit in the future. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, I urge every woman to stay true to their purpose, stand tall, and march ahead to lead the world and bring about a positive change.”

Sqn Ldr Dimple Rawat (Retd), Director HR at Barco India said, “As more and more women make their mark in technology, we have also seen remarkable growth in the innovation quotient, leading to better and more advanced solutions and output. The Indian IT industry has shown tremendous improvement in bridging the gender gap and empowering women in technology. Gender parity remains essential to a resilient future, and there is a strong need to provide adequate mentorship and equal opportunities to women in the global STEM ecosystem. Moreover, organizations need to implement a consistent strategic approach to strengthen equality and foster an appropriate ecosystem with policies aimed at enhancing women’s career paths and unlocking innovative upskilling possibilities and technology-based education, starting at the grassroots.”

Rituparna Mandal, General Manager, MediaTek Bangalore said, “According to the UN, more women in the technology space results in more advanced solutions and has greater potential for innovations that promote gender equality. It is imperative that the global STEM ecosystem step up and provide women and girls with innovative upskilling opportunities and technology-based education, starting from the grassroots, to unlock a sustainable future for the planet and humankind. Additionally, organizations need to deploy a strategic and continuous approach to strengthen equality and equity by creating appropriate ecosystems and policies to grow their career path and to assist them in building long-term careers in tech.”

Vaishnavi Shukla, HR Head, Comviva said, “With the wave of digital transformation across sectors, it is also crucial to bridge the digital gender divide and create a future that is inclusive and equitable for all. The past few years have magnified the existing gender digital gap, but it has also presented an opportunity to accelerate our efforts towards digital as well as financial inclusion for women, enabling them to achieve their maximum potential. As women leaders, I believe it is our responsibility to advocate for policies and initiatives that will help close this gap and guarantee equal access to education, training, and job opportunities. We need to find more ‘STEM girls next door’ and encourage them to innovate, fail and most importantly, fuel the growth mindset. The government and policymakers can help address this issue by investing in digital infrastructure and skill development and promoting gender equality. Let’s aim to work together to create a world where diversity and innovation are encouraged and where all women have equal access to technology. We at Comviva have a strong culture of encouraging growth mindset and challenge the stereotypes. We believe that inclusiveness is the only path to sustained success.”

Ms. Niroopa Padmanabhan – Vice President Design, Smartworks, “Women are breaking gender stereotypes and stepping into this sector, which was once perceived as male-dominated. But that’s not the case anymore; there is a change in perception, and the unwavering determination, hard work, and honed talent have pushed the influx of women upwards in real estate in the last few years. The hiring conversations have moved from gender to experience and meritocracy. From entry-level or mid-manager roles, women today lead functions such as Sales, all-men-led Operations teams, Projects, and more.”

“Leading a team of 50+ people have its challenges, but when you know you are trusted and supported by the higher-ups, it makes all the difference- showcases that your skills and perspectives are recognized.

What’s worked well for me over the years is my continued investment in reskilling and upskilling, keeping up with the trends and industry updates. The organization has been instrumental in my growth by providing me with the resources and opportunities to grow, such as leadership training, involvement in key projects, mentoring, and networking opportunities.”

Bangalore, March 2023: Loco, the world’s leading independent esports and live-streaming platform, witnessed 2X growth for its female users in 2022 (YoY). During this period, the platform also saw a massive 10X spike in the viewership of female streamers and a 3X increase in female Daily Active Users in 2022 (YoY).

Female gamers have been finding their groove in online gaming, consistently ranking amongst the most popular streamers and building their own audience. This has attracted more female viewership to the platform, which will encourage more female creators and lead to more inclusivity in the online gaming ecosystem. In the first quarter of 2022, the number of female streamers on Loco increased by 10X, and the same period also saw a 7X increase in the number of female viewers on the platform. Some of the most popular games viewed by female users included Valorant, Free Fire Max, and GTA 5.

Female streamers on Loco are present from various geographies and regions across various tiers. In 2022, the female Monthly Active Users (MAU) saw a steady 3X growth on the platform, with strong growth from tier 2 & 3 markets in viewership, and content creation. This is led by the rising affordability of smartphones and high-speed internet paired with the rise of new role models on platforms like Loco has led to many women, in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, to start playing video games.

Driven by its mission to “democratize gaming”, Loco continues to prioritize inclusivity for its gaming community. This International Women’s Day, Loco launched its new”#shegotgame” campaign. Under this new initiative, in addition to its existing discovery tab, Loco will provide a high visibility spot in its trending feed to budding female streamers, encouraging them to showcase their content and find new viewership. On one Wednesday of each month starting March 2023, Loco will be dedicating a space on the platform just for up-and-coming female streamers.

Commenting on the occasion, Loco streamer, Kanika Bisht A.K.A Kani Gaming, said, “As a female gamer, I am proud to see the progress the esports sector has made toward inclusivity. Women today are breaking gender stereotypes and setting themselves up for success fuelled by their passion. As a female gamer, it is encouraging to see platforms like Loco provide women gamers with the right tools and resources to launch and grow their career to help shape this ecosystem admiringly.”

Loco streamer, The Bella a.k.a Anjali Atheya, added, “It is delightful to witness the Indian esports industry progressing toward embracing inclusivity. Women are no longer shackled by gender bias and are able to follow their passion with enthusiasm. To see platforms such as Loco, support female gamers jumpstart their career and help them establish themselves in the gaming scene is inspiring.”

In its user research, Loco found that one of the most critical items for retaining female viewership and streamers was quality of comments and safety on the platform. With this key consumer insight in mind, Loco rolled out its ML-driven moderation suite and also provided a layer of manual moderation tools to streamers, which enable female creators to maintain a safe stream environment and build a clean community around their content.

Loco recently raised $42 million, which was the largest Series A round in Indian and South East Asian gaming history. The platform has also partnered with other gaming publishers like Krafton, Activision Blizzard and Riot Games.

By Mr. Praveen Arora, Vice President-IoT, Tata Communications–

“As we continue to embrace digital transformation, National Safety Week acts as a reminder for us to ensure a safe working environment for employees across industries. In the last five years, at least 6,500 lives have been lost in factories, ports, mines, and construction sites, according to the Union Labour Ministry.

Working in an industrial setting is often dangerous due to the nature of work, working conditions etc. It’s vital, for such a workforce to be equipped with technologies that enable their safety at all times. As such, the Internet of Things (IoT) has shown great promise in improving worker safety, increasing productivity, reducing costs and also bringing in better efficiencies. We are also seeing an increasing demand for IoT enabled connected worker solutions by manufacturing set ups.

At Tata Communications, we combine wearables with the Internet of Things (IoT), analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create technology solutions that saves lives, managed on a single window for safety and productivity requirements of an enterprise. Our Safety watch monitors a worker’s body vital stats and work environment and is capable of sharing two way alerts between the employees and supervisors in the event of fall detection, immobility detection, anomalous heart rate etc. The solution has been instrumental in preventing over 40+ critical incidents so far, by providing intelligent insights and enhanced decision support using intelligent sensors. Our enterprise SAFEPASS® solution has also resulted in 100% accuracy in locating workforce during emergencies and a 20% reduction in unauthorised entry at the workplace, making the organisation worker friendly.”