Archives June 2023

Bangalore, 24th June 2023: World’s favourite jeweller Joyalukkas, is all set to launch their brand-new showroom at Forum Mall, Kanakapura Road. This state-of-the-art showroom designed in the signature Joyalukkas style, features premium facilities and amenities and is all set to be another Joyalukkas showroom that offers jewellery lovers a delightful shopping experience. The grand opening ceremony is scheduled on 22nd June, at 11.30 a.m., and key personnel of Joyalukkas will attend the opening of this milestone.

This new showroom features ultra-modern decor along with ample shopping and parking space, for the convenience of jewellery shoppers. This world-class ambience will be supported by brand Joyalukkas’s innovative & professional service. Shoppers will get to explore all the latest exquisite collections from India and around the world in all types of precious jewellery i.e. Gold, Diamonds, gemstone, Platinum, Pearl & Silver.

Speaking of the upcoming showroom launch, Joy Alukkas, Chairman of Joyalukkas Group, said, “We are committed to providing an unmatched jewellery shopping experience and the residents in and around Kanakapura Road can be assured of this at Joyalukkas. We aim to bring them the finest and widest choice of jewellery to meet their every need. My team is ready & excited to offer jewellery lovers here a premium and seamless experience in our world class ambience”.

I invite all jewellery lovers to join the Joyalukkas Forum Mall, Kanakapura Road showroom opening celebrations on 22nd June and enjoy a delightful jewellery shopping experience.”

Joyalukkas is strategically planning to set-up more showrooms across India to increase its presence and reach among jewellery lovers. The brand is renowned in showcasing over a million jewellery designs and collections to fulfill every need and desire of jewellery shoppers.

Bangalore,24th June 2023: Hydro Active ISO 8 (Whey Isolate) and Lean Muscle Enhancer (Premium Protein), two sports nutrition products from the BUILD. PROWL range has achieved the notable ‘Informed Sport’ certification. This certification further assures the quality of the products for consumption by professional athletes. Hydro Active ISO 8 and Lean Muscle Enhancer are now among the few products in the Indian market to successfully pass the rigorous testing for more than 250 substances that are prohibited in sports. This mark also confirms that the product was made under conditions that meet the strict requirements for producing sports nutrition.

Informed-Sport is a global quality assurance and supplement certification program for sports supplements. It is the only worldwide program for third-party testing and certification that examines each batch of a product before it is put on the market. The tests are conducted by LGC (the internationally known testing laboratory behind Informed Sport) a famous sports doping control and research supplement testing facility with more than 55 years of experience in regulatory analysis. LGC collaborates closely with international sports authorities, national anti-doping organizations, and national governing bodies as a doping control and supplement testing lab.

Commenting on the same, Soumava Sengupta, CEO, BUILD., said “In a short span of time, we have been able to win consumer trust with our unique offerings for the Indian market. The Informed-Sport certification now strengthens our brand portfolio while we embark on our journey to build a fit India. It is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing athletes and fitness enthusiasts with the highest quality and safest sports nutrition products. The BUILD. PROWL range has truly transformed the way fitness is approached in India, and this certification further reinforces our dedication to delivering excellence.”

Informed-Sport analyses sports supplement products for a wide range of compounds on the WADA Prohibited List as well as lists for organizations like the AFL, NRL, NFL, NCAA, UFC, and MLB. The rigorous pre-certification and post-certification process for nutritional supplement products certified by Informed-Sport consists of four steps:

1. Product & Manufacturing Review
2.  Pre-Certification Sample Testing
3.  Product Supplement Certification, Logo Use, and Web Listing
4.  Post-Certification Requirements and Testing

Launched in April 2023, BUILD. PROWL’s Hydro Active ISO 8 and Lean Muscle Enhancer are available for Indian consumers and athletes across 500+ specialty sports nutrition stores, top gyms, and leading e-commerce platforms like Amazon and BUILD.’s website https://www.buildyourgoals.com/.

Slovenia and India,24th June 2023: buildingSMART International (bSI) announced that CDCPIndia has been formally approved as a “Developing Chapter” by the bSI Board at the International Council and Chapter Conference hosted in Slovenia, 19-21 June 2023.

The Board’s approval follows a highly successful submission and the new Chapter will be established under the Confederation of Digital Construction Practitioners India (CDCPIndia). CDCPIndia’s board members, Mr. Sunil Joshi and Dr. Venkata Santosh Kumar Delhi presented the bSI India Chapter’s strategic business plan where they emphasized on the ambitious infrastructure development plan of Indian Government and how digitalisation can help in achieving the National Infrastructural Goals. Also, the global participation of the Indian BIM & Digital Engineering community is substantial. India’s participation, awareness, and adoption of the Open BIM Standards will not only benefit India but will also be reciprocated in India’s engagement with the global community. The buildingSMART approval of India chapter serves as an acknowledgment of tremendous potential offered by the country to embark on data democratisation. It marks a momentous occasion in India’s participation in adoption of open BIM specifications in its digitalisation journey in the built environment.

Jugal Makwana, Board member of bSI and Advisory Director of CDCPIndia expressed that “buildingSMART India is a dream come true, empowering India through open standards. By democratising data and fostering collaboration, we unlock tremendous value, enabling sustainable projects that shape a brighter future for all.”

Clive Billiald, CEO of bSI commented that “adding India as a new Developing Chapter for buildingSMART is another milestone in our history. It shows the importance of standards and services in supporting a rapidly growing economy, allowing the digitalisation of the construction sector and ultimately leading to a more productive, sustainable built environment. Clearly there is a great opportunity to support this journey, with programs such as Professional Certification able to provide education and learning opportunities to the AEC community in India.”

Swaraj Datta Gupta, President of CDCPIndia mentioned that “this partnership between bSI and CDCPIndia is a partnership of values, vision and common objectives that resonate in our commitments towards building a global community that will share and collaborate in a democratised data environment. We are very excited about this partnership and look forward to working together.”

The Indian team at the bSI International Council and Chapter Conference Council received a very warm welcome from the leadership of other existing chapters from various regions which include Europe, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia.

Bengaluru, 24th June 2023 – The sixth season of the Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship reached its thrilling finale at Botanix Nature Resort, Gurgaon on June 15th, 2023. The grand finale brought together the 20 finalist bartenders from across the country after a series of city rounds, competing against each other in various challenges to claim the coveted title. With a range of upskilling activities, expert judges, and international entertainment, the event proved to be a resounding success. With over 1100+ registrations, the fierce competition amongst 800+ bartenders from all corners of the country, Dharambir Chhetri from Copitas, Bengaluru emerged as the triumphant winner, claiming the highly sought-after title of the Ultimate Bartender. His exceptional skills, creativity & presence of mind under pressure set him apart from the other finalists. He will now get a chance to attend Camp Monkey, an annual gathering of Monkey Shoulder Brand Ambassadors and fellow Ultimate Bartending Championship winners of other countries in Thailand in November 2023. Additionally, the winner title will give him a platform to get unparalleled exposure and networking opportunities.

The Ultimate Bartender Championship was graced by an esteemed panel of judges. The jury members included industry luminaries such as Joe Petch – Global Brand Ambassador Monkey Shoulder, Brendon Khoo – Brand Ambassador of Monkey Shoulder SEA and Christyne Lee, Head Bartender at Tess Bar & Kitchen in Singapore. Their extensive knowledge and discerning palates ensured that only the most deserving bartender emerged victorious.

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Gaurav Sareen, Brand Ambassador, Monkey Shoulder India said, “I feel honored to have had the privilege of hosting the exciting edition of the Ultimate Bartender Championship (UBC), and I must say, the turnout this time surpassed all expectations. It not only celebrated the talent of these bartenders but also created a collaborative and supportive environment to build skills that pay bills. Witnessing the passion and enthusiasm of these talented bartenders was truly inspiring. All finalists have made me really proud, and while everyone is a champion who made it to the top 20, I would like to congratulate Dharambir Chhetri from Copitas, Bengaluru for bagging the title of Ultimate Bartender 2023″

Speaking on the occasion, Joe Petch, Global Brand Ambassador and Judge said “The Ultimate Bartender Championship continues to impress me year after year. The level of talent and innovation in the Indian bartending community is truly exceptional. It was an honor to be a part of the judging panel and witness the passion and creativity firsthand.”

During the three-day extravaganza, participants and guests were treated to a plethora of engaging activities. The adrenaline-pumping adventures included paintball, t-shirt painting, spray painting, and skill sessions on ice, coffee, palate tasting & social media. These activities not only entertained the audience but also provided opportunities for bartenders to showcase their creativity and expertise beyond the bar counter. On the final day, all attendees had the chance to explore a local distillery, enriching their knowledge of the craft.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s Ultimate Bartender Championship. It was incredible to witness the talent and passion displayed by the bartenders throughout the competition. Displaying the ethos of the brand, UBC reflects Monkey Shoulder’s commitment to making challenges playful and turning the ordinary into extraordinary. Our mission is to inspire and empower bartenders, as well as cocktail enthusiasts, to push their creative boundaries and reimagine the art of bartending.” said Kapila Sethi Kad as Head of Marketing, William Grant & Sons.

Commenting on the success of the event, Sachin Mehta, Country Director, William Grant & Sons said “By promoting and recognizing exceptional talent, Ultimate Bartender Championship 2023 aimed to inspire the next generation of bartenders, cultivating a culture of excellence, professionalism, and innovation. Bartenders have the potential to advocate for responsible drinking, sustainability, community engagement, while working towards the advancement of their profession. They are integral contributors to the spirits and hospitality industry, and we truly value their prowess, passion and dedication.”

An unforgettable after-party followed the finale round of the Ultimate Bartender Championship. International artist DJ Santero took the stage, providing an electrifying atmosphere for the guests to celebrate the successful conclusion of the event.

DPS Indirapuram, renowned for its commitment to academic excellence, set yet another benchmark with exceptional achievements of its students in the NEET and JEE Advanced Exams 2023. Demonstrating their unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of success, DPS Indirapuram’s students once again showcased their abilities by securing remarkable positions in these highly competitive exams.

The NEET results have been outstanding, with Vaibhav Sinha emerging as one of the top performers. He achieved a remarkable 710 out of 720 scores, securing an impressive All India Rank (AIR) 41. Vaibhav expressed his desire to pursue medicine as a career and aspires to become a cardiologist. In addition, Vaibhav Sinha also cleared the JEE Advanced Exam with an AIR 13623, exemplifying his exceptional academic prowess.

Furthermore, Aayush Prasad bagged the AIl India Rank (AIR) 1447, Kapil Upadhyay secured the All India Rank (AIR) 4901 and Aayush Srivastava bagged the All India Rank (AIR) 9474 in JEE Advanced exams, thus bringing more laurels to the school. These results are a testimony to the institution’s unwavering commitment to providing a nurturing environment, exceptional faculty, and rigorous academic programs that empower students to excel academically and fulfill their aspirations.

Ms. Priya John, Principal, DPS Indirapuram, said, “We are extremely proud of our students outstanding performance in the NEET and JEE Exams 2023. Their dedication, perseverance, and hard work have proven that DPS Indirapuram is a leading institution for shaping young minds and nurturing academic excellence. We congratulate all the students and their families on this exceptional achievement and our faculty for helping the students shape a bright future for themselves.”

SBI Funds Management, the investment manager of SBI Mutual Fund, recently launched its yearbook Periscope for FY23-24 which highlights the outlook for the fixed-income market in FY24. As per the yearbook, fixed income continues to remain an important avenue for wealth creation and asset allocation during this year.

“This is a period of assessing lag effects. Persistently high inflation led to a change in monetary policy stance across key economies. Domestically, our monetary policy is at an inflection point however a path to a turn in the cycle remains bumpy at present even as a potential change in liquidity stance could enable yield to move lower. Peak policy rates favor a higher duration stance as compared to the previous financial year. An outright heavier positioning is currently constrained on account of low visibility on an immediate turn in policy stance. Higher relative supply and normalization of liquidity have led to a widening of spreads. Spreads remain tighter than the long-term average and could reset higher over H1FY24, thereby giving a positive view on AAA spreads”, said Mr. Rajeev Radhakrishnan, CIO – Of fixed Income.

SBI Mutual Fund is the largest domestic mutual fund house managing an AUM of over Rs. 7.76 lakh crore with its fixed income AUM at over Rs. 2.38 lakh crore as on May 31, 2023.

Bangalore,24th June 2023Continuing the efforts towards the commitment to environmental sustainability and its philosophy of ‘Go Green,’ Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) is proud to announce an upcoming plantation drive near Madapura gate (closer to Ramdevara Betta) on June 25th, 2023, marking the 26th iCARE environmental activity. In line with Toyota’s Environment Month, this initiative reflects the company’s dedication to making a positive impact on the society and nurturing a sense of responsibility among its employees. By actively involving passionate employees, TKM aims to foster a sense of giving back to the community and strengthen the care for environment, among its Toyota family members.

Ramdevara Betta, located in Ramanagara district (Karnataka State), is renowned for being the only Vulture Sanctuary in India. TKM, in collaboration with the Forest Department of Ramanagaram will engage in tree plantation to support the department to enhance the green cover in this region. Through this eco initiative, TKM joins hands in the conservation of the forest.

Reiterating, TKM remains commitment to its six aspirational Global Environmental Challenge 2050, and this plantation drive represents its sixth challenge namely, ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’, focusing on enhancing the biodiversity. TKM has also undertaken ‘Green Wave Project’ promoting mass plantation activities inside and outside the company by consistently expanding the afforestation efforts by adopting ‘Miyawaki concept’, involving all its stakeholders. To elaborate, the Miyawaki method of plantation is to establish the potential natural vegetation utilizing native species and in India, TKM was the first corporate to adopt this Miyawaki Concept way back in 2009. Over the years, TKM has planted more than 3,28,000 saplings across 112 acres of land inside the premises with 700 different floral diversity, contributing to a cumulative reduction of 4,700 tons of carbon and attracting the faunal diversity of more than 264 species.

Since its establishment in 2017, iCARE (I, Community Acton to Reach Everyone) has been instrumental in creating a significant impact on society, positively impacting the lives of 63,150 individuals. Through iCARE, TKM has been actively engaging its employees who continue to voluntarily invest their efforts in various eco activities such as Dibbling for plant seeding (so far 3000 dibbles), land clean-up covering more than 0.5 acres of area in Bannerghatta National Park, making bird nests from plastic bottles were recycled into planters & imbibing the sense of biodiversity conservation amongst youths from 100 shelter homes and so forth. TKM came together to conduct a green home audit initiative to raise awareness about the carbon footprint of sustainable living.

So far, over 1,758 employees have voluntarily participated in iCARE, covering various initiatives in domains such as education, environment, health and hygiene, road safety, skill development, and disaster management in line with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Sharing his thoughts about the upcoming plantation drive, under the company’s iCARE initiative, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President of Toyota Kirloskar Motor said “While the employee participation registration is in progress for the plantation drive, we are delighted to see the enthusiasm of our employees towards this eco initiative. This platform allows us to come together as a Toyota family and show wholehearted support to our company’s dedication to improve the community lives. Through the collective efforts of our passionate employees, we are confident that this initiative will further support and contribute towards building a greener and more harmonious future. We will continue to focus our efforts on areas that require our intervention and work tirelessly towards building a better society.”

With collaboration between TKM and the Forest Department, the plantation drive in Ramanagara district will have a lasting positive impact on the environment and contribute to the restoration of its natural beauty. TKM remains dedicated to its mission of environmental conservation, community welfare, and sustainable practices.

Overview of TKM

Overview of TKM 1st Plant:

Overview of TKM 2nd Plant:

Bengaluru –23rd June 2023 – GE (NYSE: GE) – GE Aerospace announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force, a major milestone amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the United States and a key element in strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the U.S. government to receive the necessary export authorization for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program.

“This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL,” said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. “We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet.”

GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India, a number of U.S. facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of today’s announcement.

In 1986, GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Subsequently GE Aerospace’s F404 and F414 have been part of development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2.

Today’s agreement will advance GE Aerospace’s earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace’s selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program.

With more than five million flight hours and eight nations with F414-powered aircraft in operation or on order, the F414 continues to exceed goals for reliability and time on wing. To date, more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally.

GE’s presence in India includes its research and technology centre, the John F Welch Technology Centre at Bengaluru, which opened in 2000 and its Multi-modal Factory at Pune, which opened in 2015.

Mumbai, 23rd June 2023: Graphytoday announced the acquisition of the community platform, Scenes. This strategic move marks Graphy’s commitment to enhancing its offerings and expanding its reach in the creator ecosystem.

Graphy is a SaaS platform that empowers creators and educators to scale their online brands and business by launching their online courses and selling them via white-labeled websites and mobile apps.

“The acquisition of Scenes is a strategic move aimed at strengthening our leadership position in the creator economy,” said Sumit Jain, Co-founder & CEO Graphy. “We believe in the power of communities and the impact it can have on learner experience. Scenes has built a robust community platform for creators and this acquisition aligns with our vision of helping creators and educators build and scale their online knowledge business,” he added.

“Scenes has been an exciting journey. We’ve partnered with a lot of large creators and businesses over the years. The Scenes product and customers could not have found a better home than Graphy,” said Varun Mayya, Co-founder & CEO Scenes while commenting on the acquisition.

Scenes is an all-in-one community management platform that enables creators to manage, moderate, and monetize their community by selling their digital products, hosting events, processing payments, and more. Scenes is used by top creators such as SharanHegde (1% Club), Sourav Jain (Digital Scholar), and more.

DREST, the mobile gaming company that opens up the often exclusive worlds of luxury fashion, beauty, and lifestyle to everyone, everywhere, announces that it raised £15M of funding to continue the genre-defining development of its new product proposition, DREST Game 2.0.

The funding reinforces DREST’s status as a premium fashion gaming experience, allowing the company to build on its strong momentum. Since its launch in 2019, DREST has recorded 250% year-on-year user growth, raised £30 million, and works directly with over 260 brands including Breitling, Cartier, Christian Louboutin, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, and Valentino.

The investment comes at a time when mobile gaming revenues reached $ 92.2 billion in 2022, accounting for 50% of the $ 184.4 billion global gaming market revenues. It is estimated that the global gaming market will be worth $ 221 billion by 2025 (source: NewZoo).

DREST merges the creative worlds of luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle with the endless possibilities of the metaverse, offering players the chance to exhibit and improve their styling talent using the latest luxury fashion and beauty collections to style hyper-realistic avatars. Through its in-game challenges, DREST is a platform for user-generated content, with the digital fashion assortment provided by FARFETCH as well as brands directly, allowing players to easily discover, style and shop the latest collections. DREST combines gamification with brand marketing and partnership opportunities, enabling its stakeholders to access and interact with new and highly-engaged audiences.

The investment round was agreed with the family office of DREST Co-Founder and Co-Chair Graham Edwards. Mr. Edwards understood the potential of DREST from its early ideation with fellow Founder and Co-Chair Lucy Yeomans, previously Global Content Director for NET-A-PORTER and Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK for 12 years. As Co-Chair of DREST, Mr. Edwards brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from the investment and technology sectors, as well as strategic commercial acumen to support the growth and international expansion of DREST.

Graham Edwards said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Lucy in her quest to bring the merged worlds of gaming and fashion to an excitingly large global audience.”

Lisa Bridgett, CEO DREST says: “We are thrilled to have secured investment to help us scale DREST, especially in such a tough market. This is testament to the strength of our product delivery and pipeline of ideas. We are now ready to take the business to the next level, and offer a new one-of-a-kind experience to our users while maintaining the core elements of the game. There is an undeniable interest in gaming from the luxury fashion and lifestyle industries and we are very well positioned to cater to this increasing demand. We very much look forward to the next chapter.”

This capital will enable DREST’s evolution across gaming, media, data and ecommerce, as the company prepares to roll-out globally a highly improved, metaverse-enabled version of its current product, which will include a series of new features, with the aim to become the leading creative platform for fashion, entertainment and lifestyle gamification. Further plans include scaling DREST through the developer ecosystem, marketing channels and strategic revenue streams as well as building on the user base growth experienced by the platform. Additional games within the web3 and lifestyle space are being explored and will enter into a Research & Development phase over the next 18 months.

The news follows the recent appointment of gaming and web3 expert Henri Holm as Chief Financial Officer who has previously worked with privately funded, venture capital-funded, and publicly listed companies, driving finance, business development and digital strategy creation.