Archives May 2025

Chandigarh, May 03, 2025: In a breakthrough moment for global workforce development, NSDC International (NSDCI) and Takamol Holding have signed a strategic agreement to collaborate on the Skill Accelerator Program — a flagship initiative of the Government of Saudi Arabia, focused on shaping the future of workforce readiness and human capital excellence in alignment with Vision 2030.

At the heart of Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation lies the urgent need to align workforce capabilities with rapidly evolving industry needs. The Skill Accelerator Program is designed to address this imperative by identifying sector-specific skill gaps, co-creating dynamic skilling strategies, and deploying high-impact delivery models across the Kingdom.

As part of this partnership, NSDC International will provide deep technical expertise in workforce analytics, sectoral skilling strategies, policy advisory, curriculum co-development, and global benchmarking. This collaboration represents a significant leap in NSDC International’s global consulting footprint and underscores India’s growing leadership in enabling future-ready workforce ecosystems worldwide.

Mr. Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of NSDC and Managing Director of NSDC International, stated:
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to shaping the future of skills and work. Through this collaboration with Takamol, we aim to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s human capital ambitions with globally benchmarked, locally relevant skilling solutions aligned to Vision 2030.”

Mr. Alok Kumar, CEO of NSDC International, said, “This engagement is a strategic milestone for NSDC International and demonstrates our commitment to co-building resilient skilling frameworks across the globe. Takamol’s bold vision and institutional depth make it an ideal partner, and we are proud to support the Skill Accelerator Program with our end-to-end advisory and implementation expertise.”

Ms. Hessah Alobaid, Project Director at Takamol Holding, shared, “At Takamol, we are driven by the goal of building a workforce that is not just ready for today, but equipped for tomorrow. Our collaboration with NSDC International brings in global insights and robust technical frameworks that will elevate our ability to deliver on the Kingdom’s transformative workforce vision.”

Expanding the Horizon of Impact

The signing of this agreement sets the stage for a long-term, strategic collaboration between NSDC International and Takamol Holding. Beyond the immediate scope of the Skill Accelerator Program, both organisations have expressed intent to deepen their partnership across areas such as:

1. Sector-specific workforce development strategies in emerging and traditional industries;
2. Digital skilling frameworks and future skills integration;
3. Certification systems and qualification frameworks tailored to local and global employment standards;
4. Upskilling programs for expatriates and Saudi nationals to improve employability and productivity;
5. Designing pathways for international mobility and skill verification aligned with global standards.

This partnership stands as a model for how two forward-thinking institutions from the Global South can come together to architect solutions that are contextual, scalable, and globally competitive. The engagement is expected to generate not just impact on the ground in Saudi Arabia, but also new knowledge, tools, and models that can be replicated across other regions facing similar workforce transformation needs.

Chandigarh, 3 May 2025 – EET Fuels (the trading name of Essar Oil (UK) Ltd), which plans to create the world’s leading low carbon process refinery, has successfully completed the installation and connection of its new hydrogen-ready furnace to the refinery system at its Stanlow site in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Following delivery at the Stanlow site in August 2022, the hydrogen-ready furnace is now fully operational and will be capable of running on 100% refinery off gas (ROG), a blend of ROG and hydrogen fuel, or 100% hydrogen. The furnace will be conventionally fuelled until 2028 when it will transition to using 100% low-carbon hydrogen, produced by EET Hydrogen’s HPP1 plant. HPP1 is the UK’s first large scale low carbon hydrogen production plant, located at the heart of the HyNet decarbonisation cluster and will be connected to the Liverpool Bay CO2 transport and storage system which reached financial close last week.

Installation of the hydrogen-ready furnace significantly progresses EET Fuels’ ambition to eliminate 95% (around 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year) of its carbon emissions by 2030. It will improve the Stanlow site’s air quality, significantly reducing NOX emissions, and its energy efficiency, reducing the refinery’s annual CO2 emissions by c.16,600 tonnes when using conventional ROG fuel, and c.200,000 tons when fuelled by low-carbon hydrogen.

The new furnace consumes around 10% of Stanlow refinery’s total energy usage and will replace three existing furnaces. Refinery furnaces are critical for heating crude oil and other feedstocks to separate and purify the crude to produce different products.

Deepak Maheshwari, Chief Executive Officer at EET Fuels, said:

“Decommissioning three old furnaces and connecting this new highly efficient hydrogen-ready furnace to our refinery is a significant milestone for EET Fuels. Not only will the new furnace deliver an immediate reduction in CO2 emissions, it will deliver an even bigger reduction once fully powered with low carbon hydrogen. It’s a major milestone in the delivery on our decarbonisation strategy.”

Chandigarh, May 03, 2025: Vedanta Limited (BSE: 500295, NSE: VEDL) today announced its Consolidated Results for the fourth quarter and the full year ended 31^st Mar 2025. Vedanta delivered robust financials with FY25 revenue soaring 10% YoY to ₹ 1,50,725 crores¹, its highest ever. The company’s EBITDA for FY25 stood at ₹ 43,541 crores¹, up 37% YoY, second highest for the company. Vedanta’s profit after tax for FY25 jumped 172% YoY to ₹ 20,535 crores.

The company’s Q4 revenue reached an all-time high at ₹ 39,789 crores, up 14% YoY. In Q4, the company’s EBITDA surged 30% YoY to ₹ 11,618 crores with an EBITDA margin of 35%², up 465 bp YoY, highest in the last 12 quarters. The company’s profit for the quarter was up 118% YoY at ₹ 4,961 crore. Vedanta’s cash and cash equivalent for the quarter improved by 34% YoY on the back of Free cash flow (pre-capex) of ₹ 7,814 crore.

The company’s total capital expenditure in the year stood at ₹ 12,626 crores, focused on volume expansion and supply chain integration. During the quarter, Vedanta’s Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) improved by 371 bps YoY to 27%.  The company’s net debt for the quarter reduced to ₹53,251 crores with Net debt/ EBITDA at 1.2x (vs1.4x in Dec’24). Vedanta has received credit rating upgrades from both CRISIL and ICRA to AA.

The company recorded its ever-highest production of aluminium at 2,422 KT. While the company’s zinc operations in India achieved highest ever mined and refined metal production at 1,095 KT and 1,052 KT respectively. Vedanta’s iron ore business posted a growth of 12% with 6.2 Mt of iron ore production and the copper business posted annual copper cathode production at 149 KT.

Commenting on Q4FY25 results, Mr Arun Misra, Executive Director Vedanta Limited said. “I’m pleased to report strong Q4 FY25 results, reflecting our consistent focus on operational discipline. This quarter concludes a year of exceptional achievement in FY25, where we not only delivered the highest-ever annual volumes for Aluminium and Zinc but also drove costs of production down significantly, reaching four-year lows for Zinc India CoP and ex-Alumina CoP at Aluminium. Our outlook for FY26 is firmly focused on growth and efficiency. We are accelerating our transformation, driven by strategic projects like the Lanjigarh Alumina Refinery Expansion and Sijimali Bauxite Mine in Odisha, which are on track to significantly improve our cost position next fiscal. With multiple volume expansions projects set for completion in FY26, we remain confident in our ability to deliver another strong year. We remain vigilant, responsive to market dynamics, and fully committed to seizing opportunities for long-term value creation.”

Mr Ajay Goel, CFO, Vedanta, said “This quarter, Vedanta has delivered an unprecedented financial performance, achieving the highest- ever quarterly revenue of ₹ 39,789 crore, reflecting robust 14% YoY growth. Our EBITDA surged to ₹ 11,618 crore, marking a 30% growth year-on-year, accompanied by an EBITDA margin of 35%, which is highest in last 12 quarters. Our PAT soared to ₹4,961 crore, reflecting an exceptional 118% YoY growth, underscoring the unparalleled resilience and strength of our business. This outstanding performance has been driven by our continuous focus on operational excellence, disciplined cost optimization, and the advantage of buoyant market dynamics. Furthermore, Vedanta Limited balance sheet deleveraged by ~$500 mn in Q4 with a closing Net Debt of $ 6.2 bn, enabling substantial improvement in leverage to 1.2x, reinforces our robust financial foundation.”

FY25 ESG Highlights

• ESG Leadership: Vedanta Limited’s subsidiary Hindustan Zinc secured the top position, while Vedanta Aluminium ranked 2nd among its global peers in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) 2024.
• Renewable Energy (RE): RE Power Delivery agreements (PDAs) of 1906 MW are in place. Overall, FY25 RE utilization at 2.61 bn units.
• Gender Diversity: Achieved our workplace gender diversity target for full-time employees 7 years in advance. Gender diversity for full-time employees stands at 22% (FY24: 20%)
• Waste Utilization: FY25 HVLT waste usage at 95%
• Water recycling: 29% in FY25
• Tree Plantation: 3+ million trees planted as part of commitment to plant 7 million trees by 2030
• Women & Child Welfare: 8,045 Nand Ghars created for women and child welfare
• CSR contribution: Spent ₹ 584 crore in FY’25 on CSR initiatives for communities, positively touching ~6.8 million lives

Consolidated Financial Performance –                                               

(In ₹ crore, except as stated)

  *Comparatives exclude impact of one-time cairn arbitration gain in FY 24

**Excludes custom smelting at copper business.

Revenue:

o   4QFY25 consolidated revenue at ₹39,789 crore, up 3% QoQ and 14% YoY driven by favorable market prices and higher premiums

• EBITDA and EBITDA Margin:

o   4QFY25 EBITDA increased by 3% QoQ to ₹11,618 crore mainly driven by higher volumes, higher premiums partially offset by input commodity inflation

o   4QFY25 EBITDA higher by 30% YoY on account of structural cost saving initiatives across businesses, favorable output commodity prices, partially offset by input -commodity inflation

o   EBITDA margin¹ at 35% in 4QFY25, improved ~465 bps YoY highest in 12 quarters

• Depreciation & Amortization:

o   4QFY25 Depreciation & Amortization ₹2,988 crore increased QoQ 11% and 9% YoY mainly at Oil & Gas and Zinc India

• Finance Cost:

o   4QFY25 increased to 6% QoQ due to a change in the borrowing mix and one offs partially offset by lower interest rates and 7% YOY in line with average borrowing

• Investment Income:

4QFY25 lower 7% QoQ and 35% YoY due to change in investment mix

• Taxes:

Normalized ETR for 4QFY25 is 28% as compared to 46% in 4QFY24, mainly due to changes in profit mix and reduction in tax rate of a foreign subsidiary

• Profit After Tax:

            4QFY25 Profit after tax at ₹ 4,961 crore, higher 2% QoQ and 118% YoY.

• Leverage, liquidity, and credit rating:

o   Gross debt at ₹ 73,853 crore as on 31^st Mar 2025

o   Net debt at ₹ 53,251 crore as on 31^st Mar 2025. Net debt to EBITDA ratio improved to ~ 1.2x vs ~ 1.4x in Dec 2024 and ~ 1.5x in Mar 2024

o   Cash and cash equivalents position remains strong at ₹20,602 crore. The Company follows a Board-approved investment policy and invests in high quality debt instruments with mutual funds, bonds, and fixed deposits with banks

o   Both ICRA and CRISIL have provided AA rating while continuing on Watch with developing implications

4QFY25 Awards and Recognitions:

• Safety:

o  HZL and BALCO received multiple accolades for safety excellence at 2025 British Safety Council International Safety Awards

o  VGCB won Silver at CII Andhra Pradesh Safety Excellence Awards

• CSR:

o  BALCO Honoured at the BCC&I Social Leadership Conclave and Awards

o  Vedanta Jharsuguda honored with Two Prestigious Awards at the World CSR Congress 2025

• Business Excellence:

o  Vedanta Jharsuguda won three Gold Awards at the 3rd TQM-India Summit 2025 by Quality Circle Forum of India.

o  Hindmetal Exploration Services secured Category-A exploration agency accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET)

• Sustainability:

o  HZL received the Water Stewardship award (2nd Position) and Sustainability Performance award (2nd Position) at the 15th India Corporate Governance & Sustainability Vision Summit & Awards organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

Mumbai, May 5, 2025: Bollywood heartthrob Siddhant Chaturvedi has added a new feather to his cap — making his singing debut with American Tourister’s vibrant new campaign, “Everyone’s In”! Featuring alongside the effervescent Ananya Panday and the soulful Jonita Gandhi, Siddhant steps into a new role, blending music and acting to create a memorable summer anthem.

Launched by Famous Innovations in collaboration with Sony Music, the upbeat music video celebrates the spirit of inclusive travel, where everyone’s story matters. Siddhant Chaturvedi and Jonita Gandhi bring the track alive with their energetic vocals, set to the catchy composition and lyrics by Vayu Shrivastava, the talent behind hit songs like “Naagin” and “Beat Pe Booty”.

The video, directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi and produced by Good Morning Films, captures spontaneous, heartwarming moments of travel, starring Ananya Panday and Siddhant Chaturvedi. It brings to life the simple joy of being welcomed wherever you go, reminding viewers that the best journeys are those where everyone feels like they belong.

Speaking about the campaign, Raj Kamble, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Famous Innovations, said, “This campaign is a reflection of a simple thought—travel is better when no one feels left out. The music, cast, and storytelling all come together to echo that sentiment in an authentic and uplifting way.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Kumar Ahuja, Chief Revenue Officer, Sony Music Entertainment India, said, “At Sony Music, we believe music doesn’t just enhance storytelling—it drives it. Through our Brand Solutions division, we’re thrilled to bring this energy to American Tourister’s ‘Everyone’s In’ campaign and create a connection that truly resonates with audiences.”

Adding her thoughts, Anushree Tainwala, Executive Director Marketing at Samsonite, said, “‘Everyone’s In’ is more than just a campaign. It’s an invitation to be part of something shared and joyful. This music video perfectly captures that spirit.”

The music video was first launched on Sony Music India’s YouTube channel and has already crossed over 7 million views. It’s also streaming on leading audio platforms like Spotify, JioSaavn, and Apple Music, and supported by a dynamic TVC, outdoor, and digital rollout.

Chandigarh, May 03, 2025: The Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, has announced the admission schedule for the Craft Instructor Training Scheme (CITS) enrolment for the academic session 2025-26.

Aspirants, who possess an NTC (National Trade Certificate), NAC (National Apprenticeship Certificate), Diploma, or Degree qualification, or are appearing for the final year qualifying examinations (NTC/NAC/Diploma/Degree) can apply online at the official website— www.nimionlineadmission.in — between 8th May 2025 and 28th May 2025. Admissions will be based on the All-India Common Entrance Test (AICET), which will be conducted in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across multiple centers nationwide. The examination is scheduled for 15th June 2025.

The selected candidates will be offered training across 41 trades — comprising 28 engineering trades and 13 non-engineering trades — at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and Institutes for Training of Trainers (IToTs) across India. Under CITS, 45,025 trainers have been trained in the last five years, between 2019 and 2024.

The Craft Instructor Training Scheme (CITS) is designed to train instructor trainees comprehensively, covering both technical skills and training methodologies. The program ensures that instructors are well-versed in techniques for effectively transferring hands-on skills, with the aim of producing skilled manpower for the industry. The National Council for Vocational Education & Training (NCVET), as an imperative, deems it suitable that all trainers in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) are CITS-certified.

TORONTO, May 3, 2025 /CNW/ – Sunwing Vacations’ Partner of the Month for May, Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, is offering travellers the chance to see paradise through luxury’s lens. With more ways to save, Canadians can discover the best of destinations like Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic from lavish accommodations when booking a vacation package with Hyatt and Sunwing Vacations before May 31, 2025.

Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection offers Canadians Endless Privileges®, Unlimited-Luxury® and Unlimited-Fun® at their properties across the tropics. With ideal beachfront settings, world-class spas, gourmet gastronomy, 24-hour room service and more, lavish vacations are no longer just a dream. Designed with every traveller in mind, their expansive range of brands offers amenities and accommodations to complete the ultimate vacation, work travel or destination wedding, where even the smallest of moments become lifelong memories.

For vacation packages secured between May 1 and May 31 for travel by October 31, 2025, travellers can benefit from rate reductions* and kids stay free*, plus be entered for their chance to win a seven-night all inclusive vacation package for two at Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun in Mexico. Non-purchasing customers are also eligible to win but are limited to one entry during the contest period and must submit the form available on Sunwing.ca.

For a dream last-minute or summer vacation that offers luxury for less, Sunwing Vacations customers can book a Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection resort with their local travel advisor or at Sunwing.ca.

May 3, 2025, Mumbai: Union Bank of India, today announced the launch of its MSME & CASA Outreach program, a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening relationships with existing customers, expanding outreach to new MSME clients, and driving sustainable growth in CASA deposits.

The countrywide outreach camps follow the RBI Monetary Policy Committee’s back to back rate cuts which saw interest rates on bank credit fall 50 basis points. Union Bank’s MSME loan now start at an affordable interest rate of 8.75%.

The programs will be conducted across 62 locations from April 28 to 30, 2025, bringing together existing and potential customers, industry associations, trade bodies, and government agencies. These events will serve as collaborative platforms to address financial needs, promote digital banking awareness, and introduce tailored financial solutions.

The MSME & CASA Outreach program will focus on understanding customers’ financial needs, showcasing bank products, generating leads, and gathering feedback for continuous improvement in service quality and customer satisfaction. The program will cater to existing & prospective MSME customers, start-ups, young professionals, emerging entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, vendors and suppliers associated with large industries, and representatives from industry associations, trade bodies, and chambers of commerce. The CASA Outreach program is designed for prospective premium CASA customers, government department heads, doctors, and other professionals

The event will be presided over by senior officials from Union Bank and will provide a platform for customers to engage with the bank and share their experiences.

During the outreach, customers will have the opportunity to upgrade their CASA accounts and activate salary accounts on the spot. The program will also feature on-spot locker sanction, Vyom digital banking registration, and dedicated help desks for internet banking and mobile banking activation.

Researchers at Tulane University have created a first-of-its-kind subcellular map of an area of the brain commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease, a key step toward unraveling the mysteries of how the degenerative brain disease develops.

 The study, published in Nature Communications, illuminated the genetic mechanisms that cause the loss of brain cells that allow the disease to progress and identified a key protein as a potential target for treatment.

More than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with Alzheimer’s accounting for 60-70% of those cases. Despite the prevalence, little is known about its cause and existing medications can only temporarily ease symptoms, not prevent the disease from progressing.

“The human brain is the most complex organ in the human body and the mechanism of many diseases like Alzheimer’s is elusive,” said senior author Hui Shen, associate director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics & Genomics at Tulane University School of Medicine. “Using spatial transcriptomics, we were able to create a map of a part of the prefrontal cortex with single cell resolution to try to understand the underlying factors of Alzheimer’s.”

The researchers used stereo sequencing to examine a small section of the prefrontal cortex – the region responsible for decision-making and emotional control – in six brains at varying stages of Alzheimer’s.

This technology allowed them to “map” the brain tissue at nearly 250 times the resolution of older tools, essentially zooming in to reveal genetic interactions within a single cell and how those shift as the disease progresses.

The study found that genetic modules tasked with protecting neurons weaken or disappear in Alzheimer’s patients, allowing harmful proteins linked to the disease to build up and damage cells.

Researchers identified a protein, ZNF460, as crucial to these modules’ neuroprotective processes and as a potential target for treatment.

“The most important thing is that we’ve identified several interesting interactions at the molecular level that work to protect neurons under stress, and these interactions disappeared in Alzheimer’s patients,” said lead author Yun Gong, instructor at the Center for Biomedical Informatics & Genomics at Tulane University School of Medicine. “If we can find a way to target ZNF460 in a way that keeps these modules functioning, then we might be able to inhibit the progression of Alzheimer’s.”

In another surprising discovery, the study found that layered structure of the brain disappears as the disease advances, a phenomenon that Gong said “had not been observed before.”

Going forward, Shen and Gong said they hope to further research ZNF460 and ascertain whether its absence alone can be linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s.

“This is just one step toward understanding pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease,” Shen said. “Different areas of the brain may respond differently to the disease development so we have to keep working to examine other regions and create the most comprehensive image we can.”

3 May 2025 ,Salt Lake City, Utah — Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way we comprehend, detect and treat eye conditions, bringing new hope to millions worldwide. During the upcoming week (May 4 – 8) at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Salt Lake City, Utah, researchers will share breakthroughs on how AI is influencing the future of eye and vision health research and patient care, from enhancing clinical decision-making to simplifying workflows to equip patients with educational tools to create personalized care plans.

Scientists at the Annual Meeting will discuss multiple uses of AI, as well as share promising future applications, such as how advanced tools can more precisely detect early signs of diseases like diabetic retinopathy (DR) and glaucoma, sometimes even before symptoms appear. Automated screening tools can support underserved areas where access to specialists may be limited.

Researchers will show also how AI-powered algorithms — sets of rules that help computers learn from data — examine risk factors, track disease progression and identify disease trends that can inform public health strategies. AI can assess patient data to aid them and their doctors in recommending appropriate, personalized treatment plans. Some AI tools can enhance eye imaging techniques, assisting ophthalmologists in identifying and classifying abnormalities faster and with greater accuracy. Beyond the clinic and labs, there will be studies presented at the Meeting on how AI has improved assistive technology for individuals with vision loss (e.g., apps and devices that can support navigation and accessibility in everyday life).

This is just a small sample of the groundbreaking new research that will be featured at the ARVO Annual Meeting, signaling a transformative era for eye and vision science. As AI continues to evolve, it will bring even more innovative solutions that can enhance vision health and positively impact lives around the world.