Archives March 2024

Embark on a remarkable culinary journey at the Chettinad Food Festival, slated from March 15th to March 31st, 2024, at Cayenne, Mercure Hyderabad KCP. Immerse yourself in an exclusive tribute to the diverse flavours and cultural richness of Tamil Nadu, meticulously curated by the renowned Chef Anthony Da Salva hailing from Novotel OMR Chennai.

Indulge in a celebration of iconic Chettinad delicacies, including the fragrant Karaikudi Eral Masala, Pazham Srbath, and the comforting Kothu Paratha. Explore an array of regional specialties such as Theeyal, Urulai Roast, Kozhukkatai, Kambu Dosa, and Chettinad Kuzhi Paniyaram, each a testament to the region’s culinary heritage.

Join us amidst the vibrant ambience of Chettinad and seize this exclusive opportunity to savour the essence of its cuisine in the heart of Hyderabad. Gather your loved ones and let your taste buds revel in the diverse flavours of Chettinad at this exceptional festival.

When: 15 th -31 st March 2024
Where: Cayenne, Mercure Hyderabad KCP
Time: 7 PM-11 PM

Bengaluru, India, 13 March 2024: Josh, India’s leading short-video app, in collaboration with DW Hindi, the Hindi-language channel of German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, has announced the successful conclusion of the second season of ‘Vibecheck with DW’. This collaborative series introduced DW’s ‘Sehat Talk’, a women-centric news series, to a wider audience through short videos on Josh and Dailyhunt.

The introduction of ‘Sehat Talk’ programme on Josh and Dailyhunt marked a significant milestone in inclusive and women-centric media content for Bharat audiences. The second season, with a total of 45 videos which ran for 15 weeks on Josh and Dailyhunt, focused on an array of engaging and diverse topics including Seed Cycling, #Women trend awareness, “Whatsappitis,” and the intriguing connection between pain and cravings for sweets, among others.

With over 300 million video views, 10 million hearts and nearly 1 million shares and downloads on Josh, the enthusiastic response indicates the show’s remarkable reach and impact. Presented in Hindi and Indian Sign Language, the informative series is hosted by renowned journalist Isha Bhatia Sanan and an interpreter from the Inclusive Divyangjan Entrepreneur Association (IDEA). RedFM and its RJs also supported the series, emphasizing its importance to their listeners.

Commenting on this campaign, Sunder Venketraman, Head of Creator & Content Ecosystem at Josh, said, “’Vibecheck with DW’ has been an exceptional and impactful initiative since its inception. Our primary objective was to establish a safe and inclusive environment for women to engage in conversations about their health and related topics in the most inclusive manner possible. Through a comprehensive approach rooted in inclusivity, collaboration, and advocacy, we have not only achieved this goal but surpassed our objectives. Season 2’s success has been made possible by the collective efforts of the Vibecheck team, as well as our valued partners such as RedFM and IDEA.”

Daniel Schulz and Jaya Oberoi from Deutsche Welle’s Asia Distribution Team, jointly commented “The success of ‘Vibecheck with DW’ Season 2 reflects our commitment to delivering informative and captivating content to audiences in India. We are thrilled to see the positive reception and intend to continue to empower and educate through our collaboration with Josh and Dailyhunt, whose support has been crucial in amplifying our message and reaching diverse audiences.”

Season 2 of ‘Vibecheck with DW’ answers all the health-related “whys” that audiences may have. From understanding why anger fuels in an empty stomach to the intricacies of cancer development and the rationale between ageing and hair loss, the new season unravels the interconnected aspects of health and much more. The ‘Vibecheck with DW’ series can be viewed on DW Hindi’s channels on Josh and Dailyhunt.

Owner Jared Brawner adds Sales Advisor Jake Bunker to the growing company.

Brawner Insurance owner Jared Brawner and Sales Advisor Jake Bunker

(St. Louis, Mo., March 13, 2024) Brawner Insurance Agency recently acquired Armstrong Insurance, a four-year-old agency serving Northeast Missouri. Brawner Insurance owner Jared Brawner will continue to serve as president and hired Jake Bunker as Sales Advisor to assist with day-to-day operations.

Bunker brings 12 years of experience to his position. He previously worked at State Farm and various regional auto dealerships in sales, finance, and leadership positions.

Founded in 1992, Brawner Insurance specializes in crop, employee benefits, Medicare, personal and commercial insurance needs. The full-service agency is located at 2605 N. Baltimore St. in Kirksville, Mo.

“We aim to continue providing the same level of protection and peace of mind that Jake Armstrong and Denise Armstrong have over the last several years,” said Brawner Insurance owner Jared Brawner. “Our agency has been rooted in the North Missouri region for more than 30 years, and this acquisition allows us to expand our geography in a familiar area.” Brawner added that “new hire Jake Bunker is a Kahoka, Mo. resident who has strong Northeast Missouri ties to help grow the agency.”

Brawner Insurance is a member of Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of more than 160 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. Founded in 2006, Valley Insurance Agency Alliance generates more than $600 million in written premium and is the regional founding member SIAA – The Agent Alliance, a $12.5 billion national insurance network.

13, March, 2024: Amit Jain, CEO and Co-founder of CarDekho Group, is a staunch advocate of women’s empowerment and constantly extends his support to nurture female-led businesses. Over the years, he has extended his guidance and financial backing to numerous women entrepreneurs like Payal Jain of Funngro, Parul Sharma of Gladful, Geetika Anand Gupta of MOPP Foods, Parul Gulati of Nish Hair, Aishwarya and Minakshi Jhawar of Ekatra, Esha Shah of Maisha, Anuva Kakkar of Tiggle, Swathi Sri of A Toddler Thing, Shweta Poddar of CandidMen, Veena Mittal of Creme Castle, Shashi Raturi of Namakwali, and Rimjhim Deka of LittleBox, among others.

Amit’s support and strategic guidance in these female-led businesses have yielded remarkable results, fostering a transformative growth trajectory. Collectively, the women led brands in season 2, mainly Gladful, MOPP Foods, Nish Hair, Ekatra, Maisha, Funngro, amongst others – have experienced a staggering 4X average growth in their monthly revenues.

“Empowering women isn’t just about celebrating them on one day, it’s about uplifting them every day and creating a world where gender equality is the norm. As per the industry reports, nearly 20% of enterprises in India are owned by women. However, despite the progress, there remains a substantial gender employment gap. We are dedicated to bridge this gap by investing in and nurturing businesses led by dynamic women entrepreneurs. We remain committed to foster a New Bharat 2.0 where gender equality is not just an aspiration, but a reality and women are the face of entrepreneurship,” emphasized Amit Jain, Co-founder, and CEO of CarDekho Group.

Going beyond just funding, Amit’s role has been instrumental in helping these businesses to navigate strategically by adapting to the market needs. His regular mentorship, in-person guidance, and support through enabling the ecosystem has proven invaluable in the upskilling of these women entrepreneurs.

NEW YORK, US and NOIDA, India, March 13, 2024—HCLTech, a leading global technology company, announced that it has been recognized for its talent readiness and digital talent capability by Everest Group and Avasant.

Everest Group’s Talent Readiness for Next-Generation IT Services PEAK Matrix Assessment 2023 positioned HCLTech was as a Leader and a Star Performer.

In Avasant’s Digital Talent Capability RadarView, 2023–2024, HCLTech has been positioned as a Leader for the third consecutive year.

“We are honored to be recognized by Everest Group and Avasant RadarViewTM for our talent readiness and digital talent capability. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to providing our clients with the best possible services and our employees with the best possible opportunities to develop their skills and grow,” said Ramachandran Sundararajan, Chief People Officer, HCLTech. He added that talent development initiatives are a strategic priority of the company, evident from its investments in the area, including advanced AI-based learning and development solutions and strategic alliances with technology providers to upskill the workforce.

Everest Group noted that HCLTech offers clients a strong delivery mix of resources skilled on next generation technologies including cloud, cybersecurity and application services. The report also noted HCLTech’s strong focus on early talent development—evident from its TechBee and apprenticeship initiatives—prepares young people for global careers in technology with a chance to pursue higher education while enjoying financial independence.

“HCLTech has implemented robust talent sourcing strategies including train-hire-deploy model for talent acquisition through its strong ecosystem of academia partnerships and upskilling programs for early talent. It has a strong focus on enabling personalized skilling for its workforce and has implemented frameworks to enable non-linear and accelerated career progression, aligned with associate’s aspirations and business requirements. It has effectively incorporated AI and analytics-powered solutions to optimize its workforce development and management strategies. Clients are appreciative of HCLTech’s talent quality in terms of domain and technical expertise during next-generation IT services engagements.” said Arpita Dwivedi, Practice Director at Everest Group.

In Avasant’s RadarviewTM report, HCLTech was one of the two top service providers that scored 15/15 across all three categories: digital strategy and talent capabilities, talent transformation, talent investments and innovation.

Avasant noted HCLTech’s focus on its products and platforms strategy through HCLSoftware, efforts to infuse generative AI capabilities into products leveraging its orchestration and prompt engineering platform and partnerships with Microsoft, Google and other companies to build joint solutions using GenAI. Avasant also noted how HCLTech has skilled over 60% of its workforce on the latest digital technologies with a good mix of proprietary platforms and external platforms. The report lauded HCLTech’s New Vistas initiative for hiring from an alternate talent pool and creating local employment opportunities while expanding its global presence.

Avasant defines digital talent capability as a combination of talent transformation strategies and processes, digital skills, digital roles and technology capabilities that enterprises and IT service providers use to develop digital talent pools and pipelines to deliver efficient and targeted digital services. Avasant’s Radarview TM report on the Digital Talent Capability 2023 identifies key technology and talent-related trends and insights that are expected to have a long-term impact on any digital transformation project.

At HCLTech, we offer employees skill-based learning opportunities in digital, engineering, cloud, AI, and enterprise software with the freedom to experiment and pivot across roles and functions for an enriching career experience.

India – March 13, 2024 – Kärcher India, as a globally recognised leader in German-engineered cleaning solutions leader, participated in the prestigious AAHAR 2024 event held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from March 7-11, 2024. The event, organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), showcased the best in food and hospitality, attracting professionals and vendors from across the globe.

Kärcher India, recognized for its advanced cleaning equipment, showcased innovative products at the exhibition. Highlighted items included the SPRAY-EXTRACTION CLEANER Puzzi 10/1 + Hand, ideal for carpet and upholstery cleaning, and the STEAM CLEANER SG 4/4, offering powerful steam pressure and VapoHydro function for disinfection. The presentation featured a diverse range of cutting-edge solutions like Dry Vacuum Cleaners, Spray-Extraction Cleaner, Steam Cleaner, Leaf Blower, Single-Disc Machine, Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner, Sweeper, Scrubber Drier, High-Pressure Washer, Upright Brush-Type Vacuum Cleaner, drawing attention for their efficiency and effectiveness.

Mr. Jatinder Kaul, Managing Director of Kärcher India, conveyed his satisfaction with the company’s participation at AAHAR 2024, stating, “The event provided us with a remarkable platform to showcase our advanced cleaning solutions to a diverse audience. We are thrilled to have engaged with industry experts and potential customers, emphasizing the relevance and impact of our products in the food and hospitality sector. Sustainable hygiene management is now standard practice in the hotel and restaurant business, promoting guest well-being and reflecting the hotel’s self-image. Additionally, professional maintenance enhances facility longevity. Cost-conscious managers choose Kärcher cleaning systems for their economical use, intuitive operation, and extraordinary durability.”

Visitors, including industry professionals and vendors, were impressed by Kärcher’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. Many praised the company for its dedication to providing eco-friendly cleaning solutions that meet the evolving needs of the industry. The live demonstrations of the showcased products further reinforced Kärcher’s reputation for reliability and performance.

Kärcher India’s participation in AAHAR 2024 underscores its commitment to driving innovation and excellence in the cleaning technology industry. With a focus on sustainability and customer satisfaction, the company continues to set new benchmarks for cleaning solutions worldwide.

Bengaluru, 13 March 2024 – Rapture Innovation Labs Pvt Ltd, a trailblazing audio technology start-up, proudly announces the release of two new captivating colours for its acclaimed Sonic Lamb Headphones: Ember Grey and Moonstone White.

These latest additions to the Sonic Lamb lineup epitomize sophistication and elegance, seamlessly upholding the exceptional audio quality and innovative technology for which Sonic Lamb Headphones are renowned. The Ember Grey and Moonstone White variants, crafted with meticulous attention to detail, transcend being mere fashion accessories; they stand as statements of refinement and individuality. Each colour is carefully curated to complement diverse tastes and lifestyles.

Sonic Lamb headphones transcend traditional audio, offering an experience where you don’t just hear the music – you feel its every beat. Sonic Lamb utilizes the world’s first patented Hybrid Driver Technology to envelop the listener in a symphony of sound. This groundbreaking innovation ensures the delivery of high fidelity and fully immersive audio, reminiscent of live music performance or a premium hi-fi system.

Sonic Lamb redefines the auditory experience, combining crystal-clear mid and high frequencies with sub-woofer emulation for powerful bass.

Unlike conventional headphones, Sonic Lamb headphones promise an ‘Eargasmic Experience’ – a commitment to providing users with euphoric and superlative sound encounters. The comfortable, cushy earcups, aka woofer pads, offer effective noise isolation, allowing users to immerse themselves fully in their music, movies, or gaming without distractions.

Bengaluru 13 March 2024: Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) organized a Road Safety – Awareness Campaign with a special address themed ‘Road Safety – Managing Bengaluru’s Traffic Challenges Tech-Driven & Collaborative Approach’ by Mr. M N Anucheth, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police (TRAFFIC), Bengaluru City. The event organized during National Safety Month 2024, highlighted the various measures taken by the Bengaluru traffic police to enhance traffic management, curb accidents, and bolster road safety across the city. Mr. M N Anucheth, in his address, urged BCIC to utilize its good offices to influence Bengaluru’s industrial sectors towards fostering a culture of road safety and incentivizing adherence to safety protocols while highlighting the pressing challenges faced by the city’s traffic infrastructure and the various solutions that the department is working on.

In his special address, Mr. M N Anucheth, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police (TRAFFIC), Bengaluru City said “We are currently working on implementing advanced technologies such as AI, Big Data and IOT based solutions to optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion and enhance safety. Some of the major tech enhancements and initiatives that will be implemented or are under implementation are AI based adaptive signals to reduce delays at junctions to improve safety, AI enforcement, user friendly digital platforms to report violations and check traffic updates and collaboration with research and educational institutions for innovative solutions.”

“Our primary goal is to understand the dynamics of congestion – its causes, locations, and mitigation strategies. To achieve this, we’ve developed ASTraM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management), a system that harnesses data from diverse sources to monitor congestion patterns. By categorizing traffic flow into moderate, high, and severe, we can promptly respond to the situation. Certain junctions like Hebbal, witness severe congestion consistently; for instance, Hebbal witnesses a staggering 90,000 vehicles passing through in a three-hour window from 9:00 am to 12 noon, likely one of the highest globally. Leveraging our advancements, we can now disseminate real-time road conditions via map-based services, FM radio, and social media platforms to mitigate traffic congestion,” Mr. M N Anucheth added.

Dr. S Devarajan, President-BCIC said “The significant improvement in the city’s traffic as a result of several initiatives undertaken by the Bengaluru Police is commendable, and BCIC is fully supportive of the traffic police across all fronts. BCIC is committed to partnering with all our members to enhance last-mile connectivity, thereby promoting the usage of metro services among employees, an effort that could result in reduced vehicular presence on the roads.”

“The ever-increasing traffic congestion in Bengaluru is posing a great challenge to the traffic management system in the city. Bengaluru currently has the largest number of privately owned vehicles for any city in India. Today, Bengaluru has a population of 14 million people, with a traffic density of 827 vehicles per 1000, which is the highest for any Indian city. The vehicle to population ratio is 1:1 and it is growing exponentially. This year Bengaluru witnessed 429 fatal accidents out of which 10% of the total fatalities were at Devanahalli due to the high speeds on the elevated corridor, this is followed by Kengeri due to the NICE road. Last year, among the 914 fatalities, 74% were riders of two-wheelers, while 21% were pedestrians. Alarmingly, 60% of those affected were aged 60 or above” Mr. M N Anucheth explained.

During the interactive session, BCIC members shared their thoughts and concerns about traffic in the city. They gave suggestions and talked about problems and offered viable solutions.

New Delhi, March 13th, 2024: DreamFolks, a tech enabled global travel and lifestyle services platform, announces its latest venture in enhancing customer well-being through a strategic partnership with Healthians, India’s leading health test at home service. The partnership between DreamFolks and Healthians aims to enhance access to premium healthcare services for customers across India.

With this strategic collaboration, DreamFolks aims to transcend traditional boundaries by offering customers access to comprehensive annual health check-ups seamlessly integrated into the value proposition of client cards / DreamFolks membership cards. The annual health check-up package includes 64 parameters such as HbA1C, thyroid profile, vitamin/protein profile, iron studies, and more, facilitated through Healthians’ network of diagnostic lab partners.

Enterprises today recognize the significance of individual well-being, whether for their employees, channel partners, or end-customers. With this in mind, DreamFolks aims to extend this service to corporate clients, enabling them to prioritize the health and wellness of their stakeholders. Customers can benefit from the convenience of free sample pickups directly from their doorstep, by raising a request through DreamFolks’ provided channels, eliminating any unnecessary inconvenience.

On this collaboration, Liberatha Kallat, Chairperson and Managing Director, DreamFolks expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “This partnership signifies DreamFolks’ strategic expansion beyond conventional travel and lifestyle services. We recognize that holistic well-being encompasses not only leisure and travel but also health and wellness. By partnering with Healthians, we are not just broadening our array of lifestyle offerings but also venturing into healthcare, aligning perfectly with our commitment to provide comprehensive solutions for our clients’ customers.”

Commenting on this alliance, Deepak Sahni, Founder of Healthians, expressed, “Our collaboration with a forward-thinking brand like DreamFolks perfectly mirrors our mission to redefine healthcare with innovation and accessibility. As we share a similar target audience who are conscientious about their health, this partnership will enable customers with easy access to comprehensive health check-up services, thereby enhancing their proactive approach to wellness. This synergy not only fortifies our commitment towards customer-centric innovation but also reinforces our objective to deliver meaningful and effective health solutions to an engaged and health-conscious audience.”

National, March 2024 – TCL Electronics, a leading consumer electronics brand, has again been recognized as the Global Top 2 TV Brand and the No. 1 TV Brand in the 98’’ category by the market research company OMDIA.

According to OMDIA’s Global TV Sets Report 2023, TCL has maintained its second position in the global TV market for the second year in a row, with a total of 25.26 million units in TV shipment which represents a 12.9% market share. Likewise, TCL has retained the first spot in the 98’’ TV category as well; straight for the second year in a row with 97.2 thousand units, representing 32.4% market share.

This achievement was driven in part by the company’s successful premium TV offerings, which include a series of Mini LED TVs that were introduced in 2023. This product segment has experienced rapid growth in recent years and continues to enjoy remarkable market demands.

With the goal of expanding and enhancing its premium TV product portfolio, TCL launched the world’s first Mini LED TV back in 2019, also making it the first company to mass-produce Mini LED TVs. With its multiple proprietary Mini LED technologies and strong algorithm capabilities, TCL is delivering unparalleled display quality and a premium viewing experience with its TVs.

TCL has also released a series of Mini LED TVs measuring 98 inches and above in the past year. Notably, the world’s largest 115-inch QD-Mini LED TV made its debut in North America during CES 2024, boasting over 20,000 local dimming zones and a peak brightness of 5,000 nits.

In 2024, TCL remains dedicated to raising the bar for Mini LED TV technologies and inspiring greatness among users worldwide through its innovations.