Archives April 2023

Bangalore, April 03, 2023: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), India’s Energy Maharatna contributed Rs 100 crores to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) on 31 March 2023. This contribution will facilitate the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure, specifically with respect to fighting COVID-19 and the H3N2 influenza virus.

Earlier, ONGC contributed Rs 300 crore to the PM CARES Fund in April 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and also contributed another Rs 70 crore to this fund in Financial Year (FY) 2021-22 for maintaining the medic equipment purchased by Oil Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) during the two waves of the pandemic.

As a socially responsible organization, ONGC supports the government’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of all its stakeholders, including communities. This contribution will help provide much-needed resources to amplify the government’s efforts in healthcare.

The contribution to the PM CARES Fund is a part of ONGC’s ongoing efforts to support society and the nation in these difficult times. The company remains committed to its core values of social responsibility, sustainability, and excellence in all its operations.

Bengaluru, April 03, 2023: The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB), organized a 10Km long Marathon which commenced at 6 am in Electronic City this morning, in collaboration with CGI and ELCIA as part of their year-long Silver Jubilee Celebrations.

Hundreds of enthusiastic participants vied with each other to participate in the marathon. Priyanka C bagged the first prize of INR 15000 in the Women’s category with Rashi CM standing second with INR 10000 and Chandra Shekhar Pathak bagged the first prize in the Men’s Category with Nithin Kumar M standing second.

The marathon named ‘Miles for Meals’ was a campaign to collect funds for mid-day meals for needy school students studying in Government Schools in and around Electronic City. Participation in the Marathon supported around 5500 needy school students.

It was a fun-filled day of fitness, community, and fundraising. Speaking for this cause, Prof Debabarata Das, Director, IIITB said “By participating in this marathon, not only we improve our own health, but we are also helping to provide midday meals for students who may otherwise go hungry. With all the support, we can ensure that every child has access to a nutritious meal during the school day, giving them the energy and focus they need to succeed.”

Mr. Shivayogi V. Ballolli, General Manager, ELCIA Trust said, “This was for a noble cause. We got a tremendous response and support. It only shows the united strength of a society which is mirrored through the vulnerable community it feeds. With the support, we can ensure that every child has access to a nutritious meal during the school day, giving them the energy and focus they need to succeed.”

ELCIA Trust, a philanthropic arm of ELCIA is working towards the holistic improvement of the 25 government schools in and around Electronic City.

Registration of properties in the Mumbai municipal region has fallen sharply in March 2023, with a total of 12,574 units registered (till 31st March afternoon), contributing over Rs. 1,160 crores to the State revenues, according to State Government data. Although this represents a significant increase as compared to the previous month’s figure of 9,684.

As per property consultant Knight Frank, who analyzed the data, this was the highest revenue collected since April 2022.

The robust registration figures come at a time when rising home loan interest rates are stretching household budgets, while a rise in property prices is also reducing home affordability.

Here are a few reactions from the realty experts:

Mr. Ram Naik, Director, The Guardians Real Estate Advisory
“Despite the challenging economic environment, it is encouraging to see an increase in property registrations in the Mumbai municipal region this month. This is a significant improvement over the previous month, and its contribution to the state revenues is commendable. The upward trend in property registrations demonstrates the real estate industry’s resilience in the face of adversity. The fact that this is the highest revenue collected since April 2022 demonstrates the region’s pent-up demand for real estate. The rise in property prices and home loan interest rates has not deterred buyers, and the increase in registrations demonstrates their confidence in the real estate market. It’s also a good sign for the region’s overall economic growth. We hope that this trend continues and that more people can find their dream homes in Mumbai.”

Mr. Manoj Patwal, Founder & MD, BetterServ Ventures Pvt. Ltd.
“Although there has been a sharp decline in the property registrations in March as compared to last year, Mumbai is continuously witnessing a robust demand and an impressive ascent in property registrations for the past few months. Given the current scenario of steep rise in property prices owing to several factors such as the increase in interest rates, stamp duty and raw materials prices; we have already started witnessing short-term repercussions on the overall housing demand. Going forward, if the Government takes the appropriate measures, we believe that the sales momentum can continue for the coming quarters, and reputed developers with a good track record will continue to dominate the market.”

Mr. Pritam Chivukula, Co-founder & Director, Tridhaatu Realty and Treasurer, CREDAI MCHI
“Mumbai has witnessed moderate growth in property registrations in the month of March despite the hike in interest rates and rise in the property prices. This signifies that the low interest rates have been the biggest factor in the resurgence for real estate demand since the pandemic. Therefore the sharp acceleration of interest rates in a short span of time have resulted in a short-term effect on the sentiment of homebuyers especially in the affordable sector. We request the State Government to step-in and lighten the homebuyer’s load by reducing the stamp duty so that the demand sustains going forward.”

Hyderabad, April 032023: Continuing its march towards producing top-notch sportspersons capable of competing at the highest levels, The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet today inaugurated its world-class Olympic-size swimming pool. The goal of the School is also to provide international training on artistic swimming and aquatic acrobatics to its students along with producing ace swimmers in all disciplines. With this, The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet will become the first and only school in the country to not only join the select set of institutions in the country to have an Olympic-sized swimming pool but also offer artistic and acrobatic swimming training.

To mark the occasion, globally renowned ‘Kazakh Synchro Stars’ an artistic swimming troupe comprising world and Olympic-level champions were invited to the Hyderabad Public School. The pool was inaugurated today by Chief Guest Smt. Vakati Karuna, IAS, Secretary to Government of Telangana, Department of Education, Chairperson, Board of Governors of HPS, Begumpet. Other dignitaries present at the event included Guest of Honour, Mr. Monal Chokshi, Secretary General, Swimming Federation of India.

The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet has earmarked an investment upwards of Rs. 25 Crore towards creating a sporting ecosystem that includes modern infrastructure, the right coaches and trainers, and the knowhow in these areas to mold their students into world-class sportspersons capable of winning at the Olympics. The School will focus on cycling, swimming, badminton, table tennis, hockey, and shooting as part of this objective.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gusti J. Noria – President, of The Hyderabad Public School Society said, “In tune with our objective of creating excellence in academics and extra-curricular activities, HPS has embarked on an ambitious mission to produce world-class sportspersons. The inauguration of the Olympic-size swimming pool and introduction of the artistic and aquatic training programs today is another step towards realizing our vision.”

The Olympic-size pool is housed in the HPS swimming complex and is 50 meters by 21 meters, with a deck area of 16,000 square feet with 8 lanes. The complex has the capacity to seat around 1,000. A significant portion of the investment has been made by the alumni community. HPS has a strong Office of Alumni Relations that has a large network of alumni globally linked to the school. Contributions/Donations made to HPS for infrastructure development or scholarships are eligible for tax exemption under 80G of the Income Tax Act.

Adding further Mr. Noria said “It is a matter of immense pride that our HPS alumni have been actively supporting in the development of the institution. I thank all those who have generously contributed towards the swimming pool.”

Kazakh Synchro Stars enthralled the audience with their artistic and acrobatic moves. The members of the national Kazakh team comprising of Yrenchenko Valentina; Bronze medalists in Team Technical Routine – Aida Meimantay and Yekaterina Simonova; Asian champion in artistic synchronized swimming in free solo (women) Akhbasheva Adelyem. Other notable swimmers such as Aliya Karimova, Alexandra Nemich, Yekaterina Nemich, and Arna Toktagan, who had stellar Olympic duet appearances, also joined in the display of yet another stellar performance for the school.

Youth20, the official engagement group of G20 signed a MoU with the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, DICCI during the National Conference of DICCI held at Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi. Y20 is a group that brings together young leaders from across the globe to discuss and debate global challenges and policies on the five major themes which include the future of work, peacebuilding, climate change, youth in democracy and governance and health, wellbeing, and sports, etc.

The MOU was signed by Mr. Abhishek Malhotra, Secretary of Partnerships and Finance, Y20 India on behalf of Y20 India Secretariat, and Ms. Maitreyee Kamble, National Convenor DICCI NextGen on behalf of DICCI. The MoU was signed to make DICCI an industry partner for the Y20 India Secretariat in the presence of Dr. Milind Kamble, Founder Chairman DICCI and Chairman BoG IIM Jammu (Padma Shri awardee 2013); Mr. Ravi Kumar Narra, National President DICCI (Padma Shri awardee 2014); Mr. Sanjiv Dangi, National, Vice President DICCI; Dr. Raja Nayak, National Vice President, DICCI, along with Regional heads and National Council team of DICCI.

Speaking about the MoU, Mr. Abhishek Malhotra, Secretary of Partnerships and Finance (Y20) stated, “There is no better forum than DICCI to be an industry partner for Y20 India Secretariat as it is a pioneering platform for promoting diversity and inclusion in the business and industry sectors till the grassroots level. It is renowned for conducting economic ideas aimed at encouraging marginalized youth to carve out their own niche and contribute to national development.

DICCI and Youth 20 together will work on the inclusivity and Diversity thread added Ms. Maitrayee Kamble, National Convenor of DICCI NextGen.

The first event under this partnership is going to be organized on the occasion of Baba Saheb BR Ambedkar Jayanti which is on 14th April 2023.

New Delhi, April 03 20223 Options Design, a marketing solutions company with a creative bent, has been recognized as Agency of the Year at the MMIFF (Mentor and Mascot Indian Film Federation) Awards. This prestigious award is a testament to the dedication, perseverance, and creativity of the whole team at Options Designs in offering their clients great marketing solutions.

Option Designs is a creative company that produces relevant and client-focused brand concepts and strategies. The diversified team at Option Designs constantly investigates the most recent market studies and makes use of the findings to have a greater impact. Option Designs promotes collaboration between in-house creatives and corporate goals through an open strategy and creative approach. The entire team at Options Design recognizes the concerns of its clients while acknowledging the fact that each of them is unique. They offer a variety of services, such as brand creation and digital marketing, to make their clients stand out in their respective industries. They are skilled at coming up with innovative and compelling concepts and methods regardless of the brand or assignment because of their specialized teams for each customer and project.

MMIFF (Mentor and Mascot Indian Film Federation) is an organization that thrives to advance, safeguard, and watch over the national and international interests of the Indian film industry. MMIFF aims to give a dynamic presentation of the cinema world through culture. The goal of MMIFF is to showcase a lively and culturally relevant view of the world of cinema. With the interests of actors, actresses, artists, producers, distributors, and movie theatres, as well as everyone else involved in the film business, it has allied industries and trades. Option Designs takes pride in its ability to work with customers to create specialized solutions that really provide profitable outcomes.

“It’s vital to celebrate and appreciate triumphs as a team, as it develops a feeling of togetherness and pride in collective accomplishments”, according to Rahul Gandhi, co-founder of Option Designs.

Gandhi further said, “We are grateful for the award from MMIFF, and our team has been very diligent. Congratulations on the win and thank you to the team for your hard work!”

Addressing the achievement, Anurag Mehta, co-founder of Option Designs, says “We have always strived to provide our customers with the highest quality services, and this award is a validation of our efforts”. Apart from that, the entire team at Option Design has collaborated well, utilizing their unique talents and abilities to accomplish the overall agency’s objectives. He extended his heartfelt gratitude to each and every member of the team for their unshakable devotion and enthusiasm towards their work, while acknowledging the work and efforts of his whole team. Using this accomplishment as a source of motivation, they’ll keep expanding their boundaries and scaling new heights in the future.

Kolkata April 03, 2023: The Eastern India Regional Council (EIRC) of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) recently hosted a one-day training program for peer reviewers at the ICAI premises in Kolkata. The event was organized by the Peer Review Board, ICAI, which was established in 2002 to oversee the peer review process for Chartered Accountancy firms.

During the inaugural session, CA. (Dr.) Anuj Goyal, Chairman of the Peer Review Board, highlighted the importance of being a peer reviewer and the need for Chartered Accountancy firms to undergo peer review. He also stressed the importance of periodic training for peer reviewers and explained how peer review has gained relevance since 2010, when SEBI made it mandatory for CA firms to conduct assurance functions for Listed Companies.

CA. (Dr.) Debashis Mitra, the Immediate Past President of ICAI, spoke about ICAI’s efforts to ensure the quality of audits. He emphasized the importance of studying ICAI publications, such as Auditing Standards and Accounting Standards, to become a good peer reviewer. He also discussed the preconditions for auditors, such as understanding Audit Trail, and announced that firms with five or more partners would be required to undergo peer review.

CA. Sushil Kr. Goyal, Central Council Member, ICAI, in his speech, while briefing about the initiatives of ICAI in popularising Peer Review, also informed that in order to ensure unstinted services to the members and students, ICAI Call Sahayata at +919997599975 has been initiated by ICAI while E-Sahayata can also be used by members and students to raise their queries.

CA. Debayan Patra, Chairman of EIRC of ICAI, in his own characteristic way explained the purpose and significance of the training program and its benefits.

The event was attended by a large number of Chartered Accountants. CA. Vivek Agarwal, CA. Himanshu Agarwal, CA. Ankit Maheshwari and CA. Sonu Jain, Past Chairperson, EIRC of ICAI deliberated on diverse nuances and intricacies of Peer Review. Also present during the event was CA. Sanjib Sanghi, Vice Chairman, CA. Vishnu K Tulsyan, Secretary and CA Mayur Agrawal, Treasurer of the EIRC of ICAI.

The training program aimed to equip Chartered Accountants with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective peer reviewers and to ensure the quality of audits. It is part of ICAI’s ongoing efforts to promote trust and respect for the profession.

Bengaluru, April 03, 2023: Providing a differentiated immersive experience to premium motorcycle customers across the country, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) today inaugurated an all-new premium big bike sales & service outlet – Honda BigWing at Bengaluru (Karnataka).

Located at 298/B, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Ward No 160, Bengaluru 560098, the facility aims to elevate the #GoRidin spirit amongst new as well as prospective customers.

Speaking on the inauguration of BigWing in Bengaluru, Mr. Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said “Our focus is on the expansion of Honda BigWing (Honda’s exclusive premium motorcycle network) to deliver a truly differentiated immersive experience closer to customer. Today, we are delighted to inaugurate BigWing in Bengaluru. Through this new premium outlet, we aim to take Honda’s fun motorcycles closer to customers in Bengaluru and bring to experience our mid-size range of premium motorcycles.”

Expanding its last-mile presence to cater to aspirational customers, the differentiated Silver Wing can be experienced at more than 100 operational touchpoints. In the state of Karnataka, the company currently operates over 8 outlets with exciting premium offerings from HMSI.

Diverse Product Portfolio

Honda’s premium motorcycle retail format is led by the BigWing Topline in top metros and BigWing in other demand centers. While the marquee Honda BigWing Topline houses Honda’s complete premium motorcycle range starting from the newly launched CB300F, CB300R, H’ness-CB350 and its Anniversary Edition, CB350RS, CB500X, CBR650R, CB650R, CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, adventure tourer Africa Twin Adventure Sports, and flagship model Gold Wing Tour, the BigWing delights mid-size motorcycle fans of Honda.

Premium Experience

Adorned with the black & white monochromatic theme, BigWing showcases the displayed vehicles in their full glory. Resolving customers’ product-related queries or accessories are the well-trained knowledgeable professionals at BigWing. Easing the journey from search to purchase, the dedicated website (www.HondaBigWing.in) is available for all detailed information. The online booking option on the website ensures a quick, seamless, and transparent booking experience for customers at their fingertips. Capturing real-time customer feedback, Honda BigWing is also actively available across all social media platforms.

Ensuring the safety and convenience of customers, Honda BigWing brings Immersive Digital Experience. The virtual platform allows customers to experience the complete fun motorcycle line-up, riding gear, and accessories in granular detail while sitting in the comforts of their homes.

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Hyderabad, April 01 2023: The holy month of Ramadan is here. Food is an important aspect of celebrating Ramadan where families, friends everyone come together to rejoice in the spirit of this holy festival. While it is the time for prayers and devotion, you can also look forward to easily plan the menu for your Iftar and Suhoor to make it delicious and nutritious. Want to enjoy a homemade Iftar this Ramadan, but don’t have the energy to cook? You needn’t toil through the entire day to make the lip-smacking delicacies but prepare them easily in the comfort of your home with as much love. In the spirit of making home cooking more convenient, Mother’s Recipe has put together an assortment of dishes that are popular during Ramadan.

Mother’s Recipe as a brand always strives to bring in the traditional taste of age-old recipes in the most convenient form through its range of products, especially crafted keeping in mind the food preference of different regions and making cooking a less cumbersome process. Ginger garlic paste is one of the most loved and famous ingredients for any Indian cuisine. To save on your cooking time Mother’s Recipe has Ginger Garlic paste a crucial ingredient for Biryani and an essential part of the marinade, with no added preservatives and thick consistency. For the perfect mixture of all things flaky and crispy, sweet, tangy, and spicy for the Iftar, Mother’s Recipe offers an array of chutneys ranging from Tamarind Date Chutney, Bhelpuri Chutney, and Dhaniya Pudina Chutney to concoct a mouth-watering snack.

The brand has an exquisite range of authentic and traditional Ready-To-Cook Spice Mixes & Instant Mixes with no added preservatives, no artificial colors, no added MSG. The exhaustive range includes snacks/ starters, main courses, and sweets ranging from products such as Butter Chicken to Chicken Moghalai, Chicken Chettinad, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Nawabi, Mutton Curry, Malabar Fish, and Chicken curry Instant Seviya Kheer that takes you on a unique culinary voyage and ensuring the perfect consistent taste.

A quintessential part of the festival Seviyan Kheer is the perfect sweet dish. Mother’s Recipe Seviyan Kheer is very easy to prepare need to boil 1 litre of milk and add the entire contents of the pack. Mix and cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes and it is ready. Mother’s Recipe also offers Rose Sharbat which is made with rose syrup and water. Rose Sharbat has a special place in Iftar meals. After a whole day without food and water, the sharbat serves as a perfect drink to quench one’s thirst, giving an instant hydration boost and cooling effect.

Mumbai, April 012023: JARVIS Invest, India’s first AI-based Investment advisory platform, is further expanding to Australia and has chosen Melbourne as its Oceania headquarters. After the recent expansion in the Middle East for its B2B Enterprise product, the company has chosen to expand to Australia and tap into the country’s robust tech and investment ecosystem.

The company’s expansion into Australia is a key milestone in its global expansion plans. With the support of Australian investors, JARVIS Invest will be able to deploy its AI technology to invest in India and Australia equity markets, capitalizing on market opportunities and delivering superior returns for its clients.

Founded, by Sumit Chanda in December 2016, JARVIS Invest was born out of a need to democratize portfolio management and address limitations in the equity investment model. The firm offers bespoke equity portfolio management solutions to both institutions and retail investors.

The Mumbai-based firm, JARVIS Invest, will be supported by the Government of Victoria and is poised to generate tech/AI jobs in Melbourne. Over the next three years, JARVIS Invest plans to create a total of 30 jobs in the state of Victoria. Melbourne will be the hub for Australia’s AI-based fund management platform. JARVIS Invest has launched ‘JARVIS AI Analytics’ a tech company in Melbourne, which will primarily identify potential institutions, fund houses, banks, and brokers with whom the technology will be shared.

To begin with, ‘JARVIS AI Analytics’ has partnered with a Sydney-based financial institution to manage its first fund for Australian investors. This fund will be completely AI-managed, with zero human intervention, and supported by the JARVIS AI Analytics Melbourne HQ. Targeted to institutions and family offices in Australia, the fund will be investing in diversified sectors in India – the fastest-growing economy in the world. JARVIS AI Analytics will also tie up with an independent Australian company, ‘AI Era’ to build a distribution base in Australia. This move will enable JARVIS Invest to sell its tech expertise to financial planners and self-managed super funds.

Mr. Sumit Chanda, Founder and CEO, JARVIS Invest said, “We are excited to expand in Australia and we thank State Government of Victoria for its support to launch AI-based fund management platform in Melbourne. AI is already disrupting how businesses are done, and we believe there will be several economic opportunities that will flow from AI in the years to come. As we expand our B2B offerings globally, JARVIS AI Analytics will help institutions, banks, family offices in Australia to invest across key markets like India, Australia and US. JARVIS AI Analytics has identified its first fund based out of Syndey, which will be investing in India. This fund will be exclusively managed by AI-driven ‘JARVIS’, an exceptionally intelligent portfolio management tool, which has the capability of predicting the stocks, ETFs, & index prices in the Indian stock market and across 3 major global markets. In the current volatile global markets, the fund will offer unique solutions, in a dynamic macro environment, and devoid of human biases. We will continue to focus on India, UAE and Australia markets to launch more innovative solutions for the investment industry.”

Welcoming the opening of JARVIS Invest HQ in Melbourne, Ms. Michelle Wade – Commissioner, Victorian Government Trade & Investment for South Asia said, “Melbourne is the tech capital of Australia and the establishment of JARVIS Invest shows strong confidence in our industry, workforce, and culture of innovation. Melbourne’s tech ecosystem continues to create favorable conditions that allow international businesses to thrive and grow, especially for companies like JARVIS Invest, and we are here to help grow their APAC business via the new Victorian operations.”

JARVIS has been performing consistently and has delivered superlative returns, across market conditions, and offers bespoke solutions to the entire gamut of retail and institutional equity investors. In November 2021, JARVIS Invest raised a seed round of USD 600k from a family office in UAE via the FDI route and raised another USD 1mn in November 2022. On average, the JARVIS portfolio has outperformed Nifty and has protected users from steeper crashes during the market downfall.