Archives February 2024

Kolkata,12th February 2024: The second edition of the city’s biggest exhibition embarks today. Organized by India’s No.1 News Network, TV9 Network’s Bengali news channel, TV9 Bangla is all set to paint the city of joy with a vibrant festive mood to cheer over the lifestyle exhibition, food festival, and musical extravaganza. Sprawling across 1 lac sq. feet of the area, this remarkable event of epic proportions christened ‘Kolkata’s Biggest Expo’ has unbeatable deals and attractive discounts for a variety of cars, bikes, automobiles, electronics, electric two-wheelers, furniture, home and wall décors, hand-crafted products of homegrown artisans, stylish jewelry, traditional and trendy fashion wear.

TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Exhibition, Music carnival, and Food festival have spread its platter with shopping sprees at unbelievable prizes, lip-smacking and delectable cuisines from across the continent, and outstanding musical gigs.

The city’s musical bands like Dohar and Mir -O- Bandage will be live on February 9 and 10 respectively 7 pm onwards, followed by Chandrabindoo live on February 11 from 7:30 pm onwards from the venue.

TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Expo: TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Exhibition, Music Carnival and Food Festival unveiled today

Amritanshu Bhattacharya, the Managing Editor of TV9 Bangla said, “It is always difficult to plan something which is out of the genre. As a responsible media house, we are trying to do something for the society. We want to spread the word with the help of media platforms like yours that Bengal is a huge market with vibrant and colourful culture and delectable foods.”

“Honestly, we are organising this expo for the second time. No other Bengali News channel has even thought of executing such kind of an extensive lifestyle expo before in this city. Being a news channel, we generally intend to capture the happenings at every end from every corner of society, across city, state, national and global. News channel touches the daily incidents that touch our lives. News channel reaches to identify the touchpoints to understand where a person stands or wherein the demand lies, thereby connecting the audience, such kind of lifestyle is essential and is much needed in the lives of Bengalis. This is the ultimate destination where the product ranges from car automobiles, food, apparel, fashion, and jewellery, all are available under the same roof. Besides, there are other product variations for one and all. There is a special room for handicraft sections to promote the small-scale industry. Here, the live performances of musical bands are there to entertain day long. Since we are a network channel, hence we seek to prevail our presence to reach all sets of audiences and enthral them through this second edition of TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Expo, Music Carnival & Food Festival”, adds Amritanshu Bhattacharya.

Bengaluru 12th Feb 2024: Health care providers in developing countries know that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are a lifesaving and inexpensive treatment for diarrheal disease, a leading cause of death for children worldwide — yet few prescribe it.

A new study published in Science suggests that closing the knowledge gap between what treatments healthcare providers think patients want and what treatments patients really want could help save half a million lives a year and reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

“Even when children seek care from a health care provider for their diarrhea, as most do, they often do not receive ORS, which costs only a few cents and has been recommended by the World Health Organization for decades,” said Neeraj Sood, Senior Author of the Study, Senior Fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and a professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy.

“This issue has puzzled experts for decades, and we wanted to get to the bottom of it,” said Sood, who also holds joint appointments at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Marshall School of Business.

A closer look at childhood illness in India

There are several popular explanations for the underprescription of ORS in India, which accounts for the most cases of child diarrhea of any country in the world:

● Physicians assume their patients do not want oral rehydration salts, which come in a small packet and dissolve in water, because they taste bad or they aren’t “real” medicine like antibiotics.

● The salts are out of stock because they aren’t as profitable as other treatments.

● Physicians make more money prescribing antibiotics, even though they are ineffective against viral diarrhea.

To test these three hypotheses, Sood and his colleagues enrolled over 2,000 health care providers across 253 medium-size towns in the Indian states of Karnataka and Bihar. The researchers selected states with vastly different socioeconomic demographics and varied access to health care to ensure the results were representative of a broad population. Bihar is one of the poorest states in India with below-average ORS use, while Karnataka has above-average per capita income and above-average ORS use.

The researchers then hired staff who were trained to act as patients or caretakers. These “standardized patients” were given scripts to use in unannounced visits to doctors’ offices where they would present a case of viral diarrhea — for which antibiotics are not appropriate — in their 2-year-old child. (For ethical considerations, children did not attend these visits.) The standardized patients made approximately 2,000 visits in total.

Providers were randomly assigned to patient visits where patients expressed a preference for ORS, a preference for antibiotics or no treatment preference. During the visits, patients indicated their preference by showing the health care provider a photo of an ORS packet or antibiotics. The set of patients with no treatment preference simply asked the physician for a recommendation.

To control for profit-motivated prescribing, some of the standardized patients assigned as having no treatment preference informed the provider that they would purchase medicine elsewhere. Additionally, to estimate the effect of stockouts, the researchers randomly assigned all providers in half of the 253 towns to receive a six-week supply of ORS.

Provider misperceptions matter most when it comes to ORS underprescribing

Researchers found that provider perceptions of patient preferences are the biggest barrier to ORS prescribing — not because caretakers do not want ORS, but rather because providers assume most patients do not want the treatment. Health care providers’ perception that patients do not want ORS accounted for roughly 42% of underprescribing, while stockouts and financial incentives explained only 6% and 5%, respectively.

Patients expressing a preference for ORS increased prescribing of the treatment by 27 percentage points — a more effective intervention than eliminating stockouts (which increased ORS prescribing by 7 percentage points) or removing financial incentives (which only increased ORS prescribing at pharmacies).

“Despite decades of widespread knowledge that ORS is a lifesaving intervention that can save lives of children suffering from diarrhea, the rates of ORS use remain stubbornly low in many countries such as India,” said Manoj Mohanan, co-author of the study and professor of public policy, economics, and global health at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. “Changing provider behavior about ORS prescription remains a huge challenge.”

Study authors said these results can be used to design interventions that encourage patients and caretakers to express an ORS preference when seeking care, as well as efforts to raise awareness among providers about patients’ preferences.

“We need to find ways to change providers’ perceptions of patient preferences to increase ORS use and combat antibiotic resistance, which is a huge problem globally,” said Zachary Wagner, the study’s corresponding author, an economist at RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at Pardee RAND Graduate School. “How to reduce overprescribing of antibiotics and address antimicrobial resistance is a major global health question, and our study shows that changing provider perceptions of patient preferences is one way to work toward a solution.”

Hyderabad, 12th February 2023: Airtel Payments Bank, India’s only profitable multi-segment fintech operating at scale with a banking license, today announced its consolidated results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2023.

The Bank continued to witness a strong growth trajectory with revenues at Rs. 469 crore, up by 47% YoY, while net profit stood at Rs. 11 crore, up by 120% YoY. The Bank’s Monthly Transacting Users (MTU) grew to 59 million giving a boost to customer deposits, which grew by 50% YoY to Rs. 2,339 crore during the quarter. The Bank’s annualised Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) stood at over INR 2,628 bn. The Bank also witnessed an increase in uptick in fee income, driven by newly launched products including debit card and savings bank account.

Commenting on the results, Anubrata Biswas, MD and CEO of Airtel Payments Bank said, “We have delivered yet another quarter of consistent and competitive growth backed by a surge in customer demand for our safe digital products including savings bank account, debit card and other offerings including FASTag. Compliance continues to be the bedrock of everything we do as a bank, and we are confident that this will help us stay on course to be India’s only profitable fintech”

With Safety being a prime concern in this digital world, customers have found the Bank’s safest digital account offering beneficial, with a higher number of customers using it as their secondary account for daily and monthly payments. Airtel Payments Bank continues to register healthy demand for its digital offerings and customised account plans.

Airtel Payments Bank has three clear segments in which they serve customers across geographies – the Urban Digital, the Rural Underbanked, and Industries & Businesses. They offer complete end-to-end digital banking solutions along with a bouquet of digital financial services – insurance, lending, and investment solutions. Airtel Payments Bank now processes over 7 billion annualised transactions across its platforms, making it the fastest-growing digital bank. The Bank is solving the problem of access by taking banking to the deep rural pockets of the country with the largest retail-banking network of 500,000 neighbourhood-banking points. Today, Airtel Payments Bank is also the largest micro cash player in the country, with more than 3,000 corporate partners. Here, the Bank is in a rare space of solving for last-mile cash digitization by utilizing its distribution and technology.

Mumbai, 12th February 2024: Global Vikas Trust (GVT), under the visionary leadership of Mr. Mayank Gandhi, has spearheaded a transformative movement in the lives of farmers across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, particularly in suicide and drought-affected regions like Beed and Parli. The remarkable impact of GVT’s initiatives has been unveiled in an Assessment Impact Study conducted by the prestigious Tata Institute of Sciences (TISS), highlighting astounding progress in agricultural development and farmer welfare.

The unveiling ceremony of the Assessment Impact Study took place today in Mumbai, attended by key dignitaries including Mr. Mayank Gandhi, Managing Trustee at Global Vikas Trust, Prof. S. Siva Raju, Professor & Deputy Director at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad Campus; Sandra Shroff, Vice Chairman – UPL; Raamdeo Agarwal, Chairman – Motilal Oswal financial Services; Sushil Kumar Jiwarajka, Hon. Consul General of Greece in Mumbai and Chairman of GVT advisory board and Ashwini Saxena, CEO – JSW Foundation. This event highlighted the pivotal role of GVT in revolutionizing agriculture practices and elevating the socio-economic status of farmers.

The comprehensive report, prepared by the Centre of Excellence in CSR at TISS, analysed the impact of GVT’s agriculture development initiatives across various districts including Palghar, Nanded, Beed, Solapur, Osmanabad (Dharashiv), Jalgaon in Maharashtra, and Burhanpur and Dhar/Barwani in Madhya Pradesh. Based on meticulous surveys encompassing 1248 farmers and stakeholders, the study provides compelling evidence of GVT’s transformative impact.

Mr. Mayank Gandhi, Managing Trustee of Global Vikas Trust said, “While education and healthcare support etc is good for maintaining the status quo of the nation, the only way for transforming India is sustainable agriculture at scale. Therefore, multiplying incomes of small and marginal farmers can make India a “sone ki chidiya” again. Thus, a tenfold increase in tens of thousands of farmer’s incomes in some of the worst area validates our path of transforming India.” TISS is the gold-standard in ethical and virtuous impact assessment. Established in 1936, it has worked on its own and helped other organizations in promotion of sustainable, equitable and participatory development.

Prof. S. Siva Raju, Professor & Deputy Director at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad Campus, “The Centre for Excellence in CSR at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has conducted a study to assess the impact of the agriculture development initiatives of Global Vikas Trust (GVT). It is observed that the availability and utilization of high-quality saplings hold the key to ensuring increased agricultural production and resilience against the challenges posed by pests and climate change. The adoption of the quality saplings not only contributed to greater agricultural productivity but also played a crucial role in ensuring crop diversity and economic prosperity in the Western region. GVT’s promotion of horticulture also contributed to environmental conservation, as the organisation employs sustainable farming practices, such as organic farming and permaculture.”

“From planting hope to reaping prosperity – that is the magic of Global Vikas Trust under Mayank Gandhi’s leadership. Their ten times income growth for farmers is remarkable! MOFSL & I are honoured to be part of this journey, of building a sustainable and thriving rural India.” Mr Raamdeo Agarwal, Chairman, Motilal Oswal Group.

“For the past five years, Global Vikas Trust, under Mayank Gandhi’s leadership, has been making a real difference in rural communities. Their work has empowered countless farmers and led to a remarkable ten times increase in income within a year, as confirmed by TISS. As a chairperson of the advisory board for GVT, I am hugely impressed by their impactful work. I am also very thrilled about Krishikul, and it has the potential to significantly enhance farmers skills and knowledge. I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with GVT, eagerly awaiting Krishikul’s launch.” said Mr. Sushil Jiwarajka, Hon. Consul General of Greece in Mumbai and Chairman of GVT advisory board.

“Global Vikas Trust, under Mayank Gandhi’s leadership, is not just planting trees, they are building hope! Witnessing a ten times income increase for farmers in 4,000 villages through their work, as shown by the TISS study, is truly inspiring. UPL and I are honoured to be part of this movement, empowering rural communities and fostering a brighter future for generations to come.” mentioned Ms. Sandra Shroff, Vice Chairman, UPL.

“Global Vikas Trust, led by Mayank Gandhi, is transforming rural landscapes and lives. With initiatives like planting 4.5 crore fruit trees, their impact is undeniable. The recent TISS survey showing a tenfold increase in farmer income in just one year speaks volumes. We are proud to support GVT’s mission, united in our commitment to sustainable rural development.” said Pradeep Kumar Kheruka Chairman, Borosil Renewables Ltd.

Guwahati, Assam: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Guwahati-led Centre of Entrepreneurship (CoE), OctaNE launches its flagship AgTech Program called Assam AgTech OCP (Open Challenge Program) in collaboration with ARIAS Society, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Assam on 9th February 2024 at STPI, Near LGBI Airport, Borjhar, Guwahati. Top Officials from the Central as well as State Governments along with representation from industry leaders, Academia, investors, startups, and students participated in the event. Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, MeitY, Govt. of India Inaugurated the Incubation facility & Lab of IoT in Agriculture-CoE at STPI Guwahati under OctaNE and also interacted with STPICoE incubatee Startups and also visited exhibition stalls of startups showcasing their products & innovation in the field of AgriTech.

The AgTech summit was inaugurated by the lighting of the lamp by dignitaries followed by the welcome address given by Smt. Vandana Srivastava, Jurisdictional Director, STPI Guwahati. In her welcome address, she explained the initiatives taken by STPI in the development of a start-up eco-system. To date 23 CoEs domain-specific CoEs are being operational in different cities, of which 8 CoEs are operational in the NE Region.

Shri Kumaran Venkatesh, President, Astrome Technologies Private Limited, Chief Mentor – IoT in Agriculture – Guwahati addressed the audience about the importance of identifying problems which means half the job is done. He further added that the support and ecosystem created by various govt. initiatives such as state-of-the-art Labs created by STPI. He quoted” Great beginning bound to grow”.

S.K. Baruah, ED NEDFI during his address spoke about NEDFI schemes for startups and technological use in agriculture.

Address by Guest of Honour Shri Virendra Mittal, IAS, State Project Director, ARIAS Society, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Assam has detailed the Open challenge program by ARIAS in collaboration with STPI to nurture promising startups in the agriculture domain it will engage farmers/ producers and facilitate to deployment of agritech solutions.

Guest of Honour Shri K.S.P.V. Pavan Kumar, IFS, Special Secretary, Department of IT, Govt. of Assam elaborated on the various initiatives taken by govt. of Assam to nurture startups and detailed about State Data Centre to host application and data exchange platform where all kind of data can be shared on a real-time basis.

While addressing at the summit, Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI elaborated “As India is a primarily agri nation, STPI is capitalizing on the emergence of technology in the agriculture sector. He also stated that for a startup, the most difficult task is to identify the problem statement. Technology such as AI can only solve the problem, but it can’t identify the problem. This has to be done by a human mind.

Guest of Honour Shri Kuntal Sensarma, Economic Adviser & Group Coordinator, MeitY, Govt. of India elaborated on the various issues in the Agriculture sector such as post-harvest supply chain issues, traceability, and productivity.

“The launch of OCP in IoT in AgriTech is a relevant, timely & important initiative. The opportunity for agriculture is huge in the Eastern part of India as it is abundantly endowed with water, land and greenery” Shri S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, Govt. of India at Assam Agtech OCP launch. Address by Chief Guest Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, MeitY, Govt. of India.

During the summit MoU was signed & exchanged between STPI and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) and a Video on STPI Startup Initiatives in the North East was shown along with Launch of the Assam AgTech Open Challenge Program (OCP).

The day-long AgTech Summit included a panel discussion, a session on Success stories of Agritech-focused startups and also pitching of startups to investors. Assam AgTech OCP aims to bridge the gap between the agriculture and technology sectors and would support innovators and existing start-ups to develop solutions that address challenges for smallholder farmers and the Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) serving them in the State of Assam.

The intent of conducting Assam AgTech OCP is to identify, select, and support Tech Startups under STPI OctaNE CoE for providing technological solutions to cater to the needs and challenges faced by the agricultural industry sector of the region. The outcome of the program is to Enhance the efficiency and profitability of associated FPCs through the adoption of technology solutions, generate employment for local youths through the selected technology Startups/Solution providers and FPCs, improve agricultural productivity, and Develop widely acceptable Agritech solutions with potential for IT exports from the country.

The selected Startups of Assam AgTech OCP will receive benefits under the STPI OctaNE CoE program like Seed Funding up to INR 25 Lakhs, state-of-the-art P-n-P incubation and Lab facility, Mentoring and Technical support, Marketing, Networking and Outreach, etc. AgTech Summit 2024 is a catalyst for change, a platform where collaboration and innovation shape the future of Assam’s agriculture sector.

Bharat Nirmaan Awardee Meghna Pant and celebrated Climate-Fiction Writer Rajat Chaudhuri were in conversation with Niladri Chatterjee for the session ‘Today’s Dystopias.’ The session began with the official book launch of Meghna Pant’s ‘Man Who Lost India’ by Indian actress Swastika Mukherjee. Following the launch, the actress read excerpts from the book to the audience. The conversation started with moderator Niladri Chatterjee asking both authors about their inspirations behind writing their respective novels.

While Meghna Pant pointed out “masochism, curiosity and patriarchy” as the key forces driving her, Rajat Chaudhuri alluded to his climate activism as the ultimate source of his creative vision. The ‘Man Who Lost India’ author was quoted as saying, “No female author in India has attempted a war novel before’” She pointed out how her attempt at writing a war novel was a heretic response to men who argue that women can’t write serious, let alone, war novels.

Rajat Chaudhuri also highlighted how the central character of his book loses his grip on his mental faculties in tandem with our planet, which is replenishing and breaking apart day by day. Speaking on violence in dystopian novels, he pointed out, “At the bottom of dystopian fiction is always happiness vs. freedom, and there is no freedom in dystopia”.

Their conversation with the panel discussing the recent glorification of war and violence in modern times. Rajat Chaudhuri said that social media is responsible for the desensitization towards violence. At the same time, Meghna Pant believed that “society changes from a molecular level, starting from individuals, families and then society.” Thus, we should start with ourselves. The session ended with both authors reading out parts from their book.

————————————————————————————————————————————-

AKLF Day 1’s concluding session, ‘Tablawallah Unplugged,’ had legendary table players Pandit Kumar Bose and Bickram Ghose in conversation with Rohen Bose. This session was a combined discussion on music, literature, and a walk down memory lane. The first question that started the discussion was whether the Tabla is the most evolved form of a drum. In response to which Pandit Kumar Bose said “Tabla is the finest instrument I have ever found; I have found advantages in Tabla that I have found nowhere in the world”.

Following this, Bickram Ghose responded, “I, too, regard the table as the greatest drum in the world.” He pointed out how the table can be tuned to any tonic, which not many instruments can do. He also added that the Tabla is not a secondary instrument; it is a unique instrument that has a life of its own. It responds to the player. Regarding Tablawallah, Pandit Kumar Bose said he wanted to put out his stories to tell upcoming Tabla players that behind all the glamour lay “years of riyaaz, sacrifice, and pain to come to this point. The road to success is one.” The session ended with a question-and-answer session where the legendary percussionists fielded questions from the enthusiastic crowd.

Hyderabad, 12th February 2024: Pennar Industries Limited (PIL), a leading value-added engineering products and solutions company, today announced its financial results for the Quarter and Nine months ended on December 31st, 2023.

Consolidated Financial Highlights – Q3 FY24

· Net revenue at INR 744.75 crore compared to INR 692.22 crore in Q3 FY23, up by 7.59%.

· EBITDA at INR 82.09 crore compared to INR 66.00 crore in Q3 FY23, up by 24.38%.

· PBT at INR 33.07 crore compared to INR 27.54 crore in Q3 FY23, up by 20.08%.

· PAT at INR 25.37 crore compared to INR 21.12 crore in Q3 FY23, up by 20.12%.

Consolidated Financial Highlights – NME FY24

· Net revenue at INR 2,307.77 crore compared to INR 2,226.19 crore in NME FY23, up by 3.66%.

· EBITDA at INR 231.97 crore compared to INR 183.86 crore in NME FY23, up by 26.17%.

· PBT at INR 92.25 crore compared to INR 67.81 crore in NME FY23, up by 36.04%.

· PAT at INR 69.54 crore compared to INR 51.58 crore in NME FY23, up by 34.82%.

12th February 2024, New Delhi, India: The most awaited event of the year, The Times Group presents ET Now Global Business Summit 2024 got off to a phenomenal start today. Visionaries and business stalwarts joined in the conversations that revolved around India’s progressive journey and the glorious future that awaits the country. Vineet Jain, Managing Director, The Times Group welcomed the dignitaries and global leaders whose contributions have helped India script a brighter tomorrow.

Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi graced the summit with his presence. In his inspiring speech addressing the elite gathering at ET Now Global Business Summit 2024, he said “The theme of this year’sET NOW GBS 2024 – Disruption, Development, Diversification is a relevant and much-discussed topic of today’s time. This is India’s time. The global trust in India is steadily increasing, as evidenced by the remarkable enthusiasm witnessed for India at Davos recently. Experts around the world are recognizing India’s significant role in the evolving global order, acknowledging its remarkable journey and burgeoning influence. I envision an era of immense promise for India, where it continues to fortify its position on the world stage. The interim budget has garnered positive feedback from analysts and experts, further bolstering India’s economic outlook.” He further added, “In our third term, India will be the 3rd largest economy globally. Our government is going to take many decisions and the roadmap for the next 30 years is underway. New India will be working with super-skills, and this is Modi’s guarantee. I hope the summit results in positive discussions and helps us in taking the country ahead into the next era of progress.”

Vinit Jain, Managing Director, The Times Group in his welcome address said, “Today, the world is gazing at India -a nation that has not only weathered difficult storms but is well on the way to emerging as the world’s third largest economy in the next few years. Today, we see the country as a source and a guiding light in the complex narrative of global growth and development.The dawn of 2024 marks not just the beginning of a new year but the onset of a breakthrough era for India. India in 2024 is a narrative of triumph. It fills me with pride as I’ve been witness to India’s growth story, and now its march towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, and a beacon of hope.”

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce &Industry, Consumer Affairs, Foods and Public Distribution, Government of India, during his special address at the event, said, “The government has embarked on a commendable journey to fulfill the dreams of India’s vast population of 1.4 billion. Through a multitude of initiatives aimed at transforming the nation into an inclusive and developed entity, benefits have been reaped across various sectors. It is now imperative that we acknowledge the talents of our youth, empowering them to become exemplary citizens and providing them with the tools to contribute to the vision of a New India.”

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, shared his perspectives on infrastructure development. Contributing to the discussions he said, “Since taking office in 2014, Prime Minister Modi has prioritized the development of top-notch infrastructure, recognizing its crucial role in attracting capital investment. By the conclusion of 2024, our national highway system is poised to rival that of the United States, a testament to the government’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure.”

Manoharlal, Chief Minister, Haryana while speaking to the audience about his vision for the digital infrastructure for the state said, “Transparency forms the cornerstone of governance in Haryana. We are actively pursuing digitization as a key agenda for development in our state. Our goal extends beyond just advancing agriculture; it’s about empowering farmers in our state to achieve self-reliance. The Parivar Pehchan Patra scheme serves as our pathway to connect with every citizen across the state and communicate development initiatives inclusively. Our objective is to foster self-reliance within our state and serve as a model forothers nationwide. Despite comprising just 2 percent of the total population, we aspire to double our contribution to the country’s GDP, reaching 4 percent by 2027.”

One of the keynote sessions, “Banking Beyond Borders: Risk, Resilience, and Recovery,” featured Bill Winters, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, engaging in a thought-provoking discussion with Ajaya Sharma, Senior Editor at ET Now. Winters delved into the intricacies of navigating risks, building resilience, and fostering recovery in the global banking sector. He said, “The most exciting thing in India: the large flow of businesses. They are focused on investing out and investing in. Be it power, or petrochemicals, opportunities are immense.”

Ravi Kumar S, Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant, took the stage to explore the transformative potential of Generative AI in his session titled “Generative AI: Steering the Future of Work.” Kumar emphasized the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping the landscape of employment and industry, shedding light on its implications for the future workforce. While talking about that he said “India stands out as a data-driven economy, with vast amounts of information in the hands of its users. Leveraging this data, India is poised to lead the charge towards becoming a creator economy. The country is already facilitating this transition by empowering users with tools and opportunities to create and contribute.”

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, expressed his views on the Future of the workforce underscored the importance of skill development and entrepreneurship in preparing India for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. He highlighted, “Technology, in its general trajectory, is inherently disruptive, with its evolution being remarkable. AI is poised to generate numerous opportunities in the future, simultaneously replacing and transforming existing jobs while also ushering in a new spectrum of employment opportunities.”

VitrA, a leading bathroom solution brand of Eczacıbaşı Building Products Division in Turkey, introduces V-Care Prime, the latest addition to its range of shower toilets. Designed by Arik Levy in collaboration with VitrA’s Design Studio and the Innovation team, this new shower toilet WC combines the functionality of a standard WC with the personal cleaning properties of a bidet and integrates the latest bathroom technology. The elegant new shower toilet provides a modern, refreshing, and hygienic washroom experience.

V-Care Prime is sleek and compact and enhances your toilet experience with technology, including a remote control and a mobile app. The design is almost identical to a standard VitrA WC, but the intelligent features, such as the night light will elevate the design to a more sophisticated level. The LED night light is automatically activated when ambient light drops below a certain level. The V-Care app enables the user to adjust this feature as well.

What sets the V-Care Prime apart from other shower WCs is the option for a hands-free control through the remote control and the app. This innovative feature allows users to customize their bathroom experience according to their individual preferences, and the app stores personalized settings for V-Care, ensuring a tailored and convenient experience every time. This option is an excellent feature to help minimize the risk of cross-contamination, either within the home or in public restrooms.

VitrA V-Care Prime goes beyond the standard features with its adjustable settings, allowing users to customize the temperature, pressure, and direction of the water flow. The shower WC also offers multiple personal drying modes for added convenience. The heated seat is thoughtfully designed for maximum comfort and includes temperature control, as well as an automatic open and close function to minimize contact and enhance hygiene.

VitrA V-Care products are equipped with a Rim-ex bowl, a superior hygienic solution 95% more effective than standard options. This feature eliminates the inner ducts of the bowl, making cleaning effortless and ensuring optimal hygiene. The stainless-steel nozzle is also designed with cleanliness in mind, automatically cleaning itself before and after each use. It also includes a feature to help prevent and remove limescale build-up, enhancing its hygienic properties.

Taking care of every family member, V-Care Prime introduces a child mode activated through the V-Care app, allowing parents to customize water flow and pressure for a child-friendly experience. The integrated bidet nozzle is thoughtfully designed to cater to female hygiene needs, enhancing comfort and convenience.

An essential element in the VitrA bathroom appliances ecosystem is the V-Care Smart Panel is an easy-to-clean and durable glass panel in glossy black. Equipped with smart sensors, functions, and specialized algorithms, it is designed to prioritize your comfort and the environment. With touch-free control options, the integrated sensors allow for convenient use of the Auto Flush feature, ensuring the optimum volume of water is supplied with each flush, promoting water efficiency.

With the latest addition of V-Care Prime, you not only experience enhanced hygiene, but also enjoy increased comfort, innovative design, and lasting durability that add an aesthetic charm to your bathroom.

Bangalore12th February 2024: EZEE CYCLES, electric cycles are crafted with precision and attention to detail. Whether you seek power, style, or performance in your ride, our electric cycles deliver on all fronts. Featuring robust frames, advanced battery technology, and powerful motors, our electric cycles offer an unmatched riding experience. From conquering challenging terrains to navigating city streets effortlessly, our electric cycles empower you to travel beyond.

Addressing the media Mr. Purushottam Naik, Ezee cycles founder, after the inauguration of the cycles in Bengaluru he said “Here at Ezee Cycles, we are passionate about bringing green technologies to life. Launching the Gaur E1, E coon s1 to create a cleaner, greener and more connected urban environment. Our electric cycles produce zero emissions, contributing to leaner air and a healthier planet. Our electric cycles are not just eco friendly, they are also designed to turn heads, explore our range of electric cycles designed to cater to diverse preferences and lifestyles.

The key feature of this cycle is using a Li-Ion rechargeable battery, detachable for charging.. They produce 30-40nm Torque with a range of 50km with full charge and up to 70km with pedal assist feature. The RALSON Balloon tyres give extra support to the suspension to make your ride easy. It also has 7 gears for better ride conditions with economical, standard and power mode.