Archives 2025

Bangalore, India 20th Feb 2025 – Bangalore Hospitals, a pioneer in advanced healthcare, proudly announces the launch of its state-of-the-art Dialysis Centre, designed to provide high-quality, safe, and comfortable dialysis care for patients with chronic kidney conditions.

The new facility, located in Tower Two of Bangalore Hospitals, features a dedicated VIP dialysis room, 24/7 accessibility, and the latest Fresenius dialysis machines, ensuring superior treatment standards. This expansion aligns with Bangalore Hospitals’ commitment to offering comprehensive, patient-centric healthcare solutions.

Dialysis patients often require treatment three times a week for four hours each session, making comfort and safety essential. The Bangalore Hospitals Dialysis Centre is designed to address these needs with aesthetic and functional enhancements. Patients will have access to spacious wide beds instead of standard recliners, private TVs for each patient, a dedicated VIP dialysis room with a private kitchen and seating area for family members, single-use consumables, and high-quality dialysate solutions to minimize infection risks. The center will also have 24/7 nephrology team supervision, ensuring immediate medical support in case of emergencies.

“Our goal is to provide a dialysis experience that is not only medically superior but also comfortable and stress-free for patients,” said Dr. Abhishek Mannem, Medical Director of Bangalore Hospitals.

The center adheres to global safety protocols, incorporating Fresenius dialysis machines, single-use tubing, and dialysate solutions to prevent cross-contamination, and regular serology testing to monitor patient health. Patients will also have access to customized packages and membership programs for affordable and seamless care.

Unlike standalone dialysis centers, this facility is integrated with Bangalore Hospitals’ main hospital, ensuring immediate access to ICU and emergency services if required. This eliminates delays in critical care, offering patients peace of mind during treatment.

Understanding the financial burden of long-term dialysis, the hospital offers custom patient packages for cost-effective care, insurance coverage and reimbursement options, and a location that reduces travel time for those requiring frequent sessions.

Since its establishment in 1991, Bangalore Hospitals has been a leader in innovative medical solutions. This new Dialysis Centre reflects the hospital’s mission of delivering global standards of care in India, bridging the gap between treatment protocols in the U.S. and India.

“Dialysis should not feel like a clinical burden. Our vision is to create an experience where patients feel at home—watching a movie, relaxing in a positive environment, and receiving world-class treatment,” said Dr. Lahari Surapaneni, CEO of Bangalore Hospitals.

ORLANDO, FL ( February 20, 2024) – Emmy award-winning full-service creative media production company edgefactory has formed an official partnership with Digital Creative Associates of San Francisco (DCASF), a leader in cultivating effective visual storytelling for world-renowned science and technology entities, the companies announced today.

Although this partnership is new in its officiality, edgefactory and DCASF are long-time partners with decades of experience in creating dynamic scientific animations and product launch PowerPoint presentations within the scientific community. For over a decade, DCASF and edgefactory have partnered on major brand launches within the Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography space.

This partnership comes at a time where both companies are known to provide unparalleled quality services in the video production world, having worked together on a variety of projects in the scientific realm with industry leaders such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS). The teams have been behind major product launches through CSO Keynotes, trade-show displays, explainer videos, PowerPoint templates and content for Research Institute LED walls, and more.

Brian Cole, edgefactory CEO, shares that, “After working closely with DCASF for over a decade already, making this partnership official is the perfect next step for us. Combining both of our talented teams unlocks an exciting new chapter of possibilities for STEM-related animated production projects.”

A preview of the duo’s expanding success can be seen in edgefactory’s precision alongside DCASF to bring mass spectrometry instruments to life with dynamic product sample animations, creating never-before-seen visuals that represented the technological breakthroughs of ASMS.

In a world where beauty is often measured by skin color, Shemaroo Umang is ready to challenge these long-standing stereotypes with its new show, Jamuniya.

The first look of the show introduces us to Jamuniya, played by the talented Aleya Ghosh—a fearless woman who refuses to let society define beauty by skin tone. Set against the lively backdrop of a village mela, the teaser takes us on an emotional journey.

A group of young girls excitedly browse through dolls, looking for one that resembles them. But amidst the cheerful crowd, a little girl’s smile fades—she can’t find a doll with her skin tone. When she asks for one, the shopkeeper’s response stings: “No one buys dark-colored dolls.” His words echo the deep-rooted bias that has existed for generations.

Just when silence threatens to take over, Jamuniya steps forward—strong, confident, and unshaken. She assures the little girl that beauty isn’t defined by the world’s prejudices but by the strength within. True beauty isn’t found on store shelves—it shines from within, just like the vast night sky.

As the teaser ends, it leaves us with a powerful question:

“Rang ke chashme se dekhti hai duniya… kya duniya ka nazariya badal payegi, Jamuniya?”

Can one woman challenge a mindset ingrained for generations?

Speaking about her role, Aleya Ghosh shared, “Fair skin has always been considered the beauty standard and there have been many stories around this. But what truly drew me to this show was its unique perspective. Usually, we see society imposing these biases, but in Jamuniya’s case, even her own family doesn’t see her worth. In the promo the pain of the little girl reflects the hurt that many girls experience, and Jamuniya will become the voice that challenges these deep-rooted beauty stereotypes. How a small-town girl fights against all odds to prove herself is something you’ll have to watch in Jamuniya!”

In a world where beauty is often measured by skin color, Shemaroo Umang is ready to challenge these long-standing stereotypes with its new show, Jamuniya.

The show’s first look introduces us to Jamuniya, played by the talented Aleya Ghosh—a fearless woman who refuses to let society define beauty by skin tone. Set against the lively backdrop of a village mela, the teaser takes us on an emotional journey.

A group of young girls excitedly browse through dolls, looking for one that resembles them. But amidst the cheerful crowd, a little girl’s smile fades—she can’t find a doll with her skin tone. When she asks for one, the shopkeeper’s response stings: “No one buys dark-colored dolls.” His words echo the deep-rooted bias that has existed for generations.

Just when silence threatens to take over, Jamuniya steps forward—strong, confident, and unshaken. She assures the little girl that beauty isn’t defined by the world’s prejudices but by the strength within. True beauty isn’t found on store shelves—it shines from within, just like the vast night sky.

As the teaser ends, it leaves us with a powerful question:

“Rang ke chashme se dekhti hai duniya… kya duniya ka nazariya badal payegi, Jamuniya?”

Can one woman challenge a mindset ingrained for generations?

Speaking about her role, Aleya Ghosh shared, “Fair skin has always been considered the beauty standard and there have been many stories around this. But what truly drew me to this show was its unique perspective. Usually, we see society imposing these biases, but in Jamuniya’s case, even her own family doesn’t see her worth. In the promo, the pain of the little girl reflects the hurt that many girls experience, and Jamuniya will become the voice that challenges these deep-rooted beauty stereotypes. You’ll have to watch how a small-town girl fights against all odds to prove herself in Jamuniya!”

MUMBAI, 20 February 2025 – Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting and a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), today announced the appointment of Sumit Sarawgi as the new head of its business in India. With more than two decades of global and local experience in strategic consulting, business transformation and digital innovation, he is set to lead Oliver Wyman’s ambitious expansion in the Indian market.

Mr. Sarawgi joins Oliver Wyman after nearly 17 years at Boston Consulting Group, where he was a Managing Director and Senior Partner, advising clients across industries on transformative strategies and delivering operational excellence.

Pedro Oliveira, Managing Partner for Oliver Wyman, India, Middle East and Africa, said: “Sumit’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities positions him well to ensure we deliver an outstanding range of services and solutions to clients in India. As a growing market for us, Sumit’s deep understanding of the business landscape, along with his experience of working with global clients, aligns with Oliver Wyman’s expertise driven approach that will be instrumental in delivering exceptional value to our clients in the next chapter of our journey in India.”

Mr. Sarawgi succeeds Ajay Gupta and Aarti Nihalani, who have been co-leading Oliver Wyman’s India Market with exceptional dedication and success, having driven significant growth of Oliver Wyman’s India business over the past few years. “We thank Aarti and Ajay for their invaluable support in building strong foundations for our business in the market,” Mr. Oliveira added.

Mr. Sarawgi added: “The management consulting industry in India is at the cusp of transformation. Clients today seek agility and innovation that goes beyond traditional approaches, and Oliver Wyman is well positioned to deliver on this need. We are not just expanding our footprint—we are creating new markets in management consulting that existing players are yet to serve. I am truly honoured to join Oliver Wyman and lead its India business at such an exciting inflection point.”

Gurugram, February 20, 2025: RITES Ltd., a prime transport infrastructure consultancy, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), an R&D organization as a subordinate office of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. This collaboration entails works related to engineering consultancy services, and research & development projects in water resources, marine, and inland waterways infrastructure.

This strategic partnership will combine RITES’ expertise in transport infrastructure consultancy and project management with CWPRS’ advanced research capabilities in water resources to drive innovative solutions in marine, coastal, inland waterways, and hydropower infrastructure. It aims at enhancing project efficiency and sustainability through joint engineering consultancy, research, and development initiatives.

Mumbai, February 19, 2025: PayNearby, India’s leading branchless banking and digital network, has made a significant impact at the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, enabling seamless financial and digital services for millions of yatris. PayNearby’s cash withdrawal services through AEPS and MATM witnessed an impressive 19% growth during the duration of the Mela as compared to the previous month, reflecting the increasing demand for accessible and secure banking solutions during the event.

In addition to the surge in cash withdrawal services, other offerings also experienced notable growth. Aadhaar Pay services grew by 66%, highlighting the convenience and trust users place in biometric-based digital payments. Mobile recharge services saw a 32% increase, ensuring that attendees stayed connected with their loved ones. Insurance services experienced an 8% rise, underscoring the importance of financial security even during festive occasions. Money transfer services saw a significant 47% growth, ensuring that devotees could transfer funds with ease.

PayNearby set up assisted counters for essential financial and digital services at Jan Sahayata centers and through its 15,000+ multi-utility retail touchpoints across Prayagraj.

Speaking about the achievement, Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, of PayNearby, said, “The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is a momentous gathering that brings together faith, culture, and community on an unparalleled scale. Ensuring financial accessibility at such an event is both an opportunity and a responsibility. Our network has enabled seamless cash withdrawals, money transfers, and Aadhaar Pay transactions, with significant growth in usage, reinforcing the trust in digital financial services. The 66% rise in Aadhaar Pay and the 47% increase in money transfers highlight the critical role of assisted digital transactions in high-footfall environments. By empowering local retailers as digital enablers, we are strengthening Bharat’s financial ecosystem and making essential services more accessible when they are needed most.”

With a network of over 12 lakh retail partners, PayNearby continues to drive financial empowerment across Bharat, making every transaction seamless, secure, and accessible.

Kolkata, 19th February 2025 – StockGro, India’s leading investment advisory and knowledge platform dedicated to enhancing financial literacy, is proud to announce its collaboration with Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform, to help Zomato’s delivery partners manage their finances better. The collaboration aims to empower Zomato’s delivery partners with valuable tools and essential knowledge to manage their earnings and enhance their financial well-being effectively.

Through this initiative, Zomato has collaborated with StockGro to empower delivery partners with financial literacy through tailored education sessions. These sessions will be available in multiple local languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, and more, allowing delivery partners from across the country to access the content easily. The sessions will cover essential topics like budgeting, saving, investing, and future planning. This aligns with Zomato’s commitment to empowering 1 million gig workers by increasing their earning potential and financial stability through upskilling, partnerships, and benefit programs, enabling them to build financial stability and achieve their goals.

As part of this initiative, StockGro has successfully conducted 10 high-impact financial literacy sessions across Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bangalore, equipping 1000+ delivery partners with essential financial skills. By covering budgeting, saving, investing, and future planning, these sessions have empowered delivery partners to take control of their earnings, build financial security, and plan for a stable future. This initiative marks a crucial step in enhancing financial well-being within the gig economy, helping delivery partners make informed decisions that directly impact their livelihoods and long-term prosperity.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Ajay Lakhotia, Founder & CEO, StockGro said, “At StockGro, we believe that financial literacy is a key driver of long-term personal growth. We are excited to collaborate with Zomato to empower delivery partners with the knowledge and skills they need to make smarter financial decisions. This collaboration will not only improve their financial security but also enable them to build better futures for themselves and their families.”

“At Zomato, our delivery partners are the backbone of our business, and we are committed to building a more supportive environment for them. Through this collaboration with StockGro, we aim to empower the delivery partners with the necessary tools to take charge of their financial journey, helping them make informed decisions and secure a healthier financial future,” said Anjali Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Zomato.

India; February 19, 2025 – Pocket Entertainment, the newly restructured parent company of Pocket FM and Pocket Novel, is excited to introduce Pocket Toons, an AI-first comics platform that leverages AI to transform storytelling and content creation, setting new industry benchmarks in speed, quality, and accessibility.

How AI is Transforming Comics
At the core of Pocket Toons lies Blaze!, a cutting-edge AI-powered studio revolutionizing the way artists and writers create. Designed to enhance creativity without compromising the soul of great storytelling, Blaze! empowers creators to produce high-quality, episodic content 20 times faster than industry standards—all while slashing production costs to just a third of the usual.

Blaze! automates complex processes such as background rendering, scene composition, coloring, and quality control, allowing artists to focus on storytelling and character development rather than production bottlenecks.

With Blaze!, Pocket Toons has redefined content production, releasing three episodes per day for a comic—a game-changer in an industry where the norm is just one per week. This represents a 20x improvement in speed at one-third the cost, setting a new benchmark for how comics are created, distributed, and consumed. This breakthrough ensures readers always have fresh, immersive stories to dive into, setting a new benchmark for engagement and storytelling.

Market Growth and Early Success
Since its beta launch in January 2025, Pocket Toons has gained rapid traction, already hosting over 30 comic titles and achieving strong product-market fit, with users engaging for an average of 60 minutes every day.

To accelerate its next phase of growth, Pocket Entertainment has committed $15 million in 2025 for scaling up Pocket Toons and is targeting $100 million in ARR by 2026.

Massive Engagement & Growth
Pocket Toons is already witnessing high engagement during its beta phase, proving that audiences are embracing this new way of consuming comics:

• Users are spending over 60 minutes per day on the platform; Paying users are spending over 2 hours daily
• Total reading time on the platform has surpassed 6 million minutes during the beta phase
• Total downloads have crossed 100,000 in the last two weeks

Rohan Nayak, Co-founder & CEO of Pocket Entertainment, emphasizing on the transformative role of AI in the entertainment landscape, said “The fusion of AI and human storytelling marks the beginning of a new creative era. Historically, every major evolution in entertainment—be it cinema, animation, or digital streaming—has been driven by technology. At Pocket Entertainment, we are harnessing AI to amplify human creativity—empowering artists to push the boundaries of storytelling without replacing their unique artistic expression. By integrating AI into the creative workflow, we are not just increasing efficiency—we are unlocking new possibilities for storytelling at an unprecedented scale. Our users on Pocket Toons are loving it, spending over 60 minutes daily. AI-powered comics aren’t the future—they’re happening now”

Shreyas Joshi, SVP of Pocket Toons, elaborated on AI’s impact on the comics industry:

“The demand for high-quality, episodic content has never been higher. We are producing content 20x faster at a third of the cost, making high-quality comics more accessible than ever. Blaze! supercharges artists’ workflow while preserving creativity and originality, setting a new global benchmark for AI-powered storytelling. It amplifies the capabilities of artists, allowing them to produce more without sacrificing their originality or the quality of their work. Pocket Toons is not about replacing human creativity—it’s about enhancing it. As we look ahead, AI-driven platforms like ours will be instrumental in shaping the future of entertainment, bridging the gap between artistic ambition and scalable production.”

The AI Engine Driving Pocket Toons
Pocket Toons is deploying AI-driven innovation across multiple dimensions to accelerate growth:

• Personalized Audience Engagement – AI curates and recommends content tailored to user preferences, enhancing reader retention and satisfaction.
• Diversified Content Expansion – AI enables the exploration of new storytelling formats, including interactive comics and immersive genres.
• Global Reach & Localization – AI-powered analytics help identify key markets and adapt content for diverse cultural and linguistic audiences with unprecedented speed

The Blaze AI suite underpins its’ creative ecosystem, ensuring seamless and scalable artistic production:

• Tailored AI Models for Artists – Each artist benefits from an AI model that can be adapted to and trained with their distinct style.
• Real-Time AI Rendering – AI-generated illustrations are produced instantly using accessible, everyday computing power.
• AI-Powered Search & Quality Control – Intelligent scene-matching and automated quality checks maintain artistic integrity and coherence.

“India is making its mark on the global AI stage, and Blaze! is the latest proof of how India is building AI for the world. I am incredibly proud that Pocket FM, a pioneer in the audio entertainment revolution, is now expanding its vision with the launch of Pocket Toons. With its proprietary AI-powered studio, Blaze!, Pocket Toons is setting new benchmarks in the comics industry—redefining storytelling by blending human creativity with AI-driven efficiency. This is not just about speed and scale; it’s about democratizing comic creation, empowering artists, and making high-quality storytelling more accessible than ever before. As one of our portfolio companies, Pocket FM continues to push the boundaries of innovation, proving that India is at the forefront of shaping the future of global entertainment.” said Harsha Kumar, Partner at Lightspeed.

The Comics Market is Booming—AI is the Key to its Future
The global comics industry is undergoing rapid transformation. Valued at $8.63 billion in 2023, the comics market has been expanding at an annual growth rate of 7.8% since 2018. By 2028, projections estimate it will reach $11.39 billion, with a further increase to $15.38 billion by 2033. This momentum is fueled by AI-powered content creation, increasing digital adoption, and the rise of mobile-first reading experiences.

Feb 19th, 2024 Bengaluru: SwiffyLabs, a leading full stack financial technology platform, today announced the promotion of Babu NS to Chief Product & Business Officer. This strategic appointment strengthens the company’s leadership as it continues to transform digital banking and lending solutions globally.

Babu, a founding member of SwiffyLabs, brings over three decades of expertise in core banking technology. He is widely recognized as one of the architects of Finacle, Infosys’ flagship universal banking platform, where he spent 24+ years shaping its product strategy and driving global banking transformations across India, USA, MENA, and Singapore.

In his expanded role, Babu will spearhead product innovation and go-to-market initiatives, focusing on SwiffyLabs’ end-to-end lending solutions that enable financial institutions to launch and scale secured and unsecured innovative lending products including Loan Against Securities (LAS), Embedded financing, Supply Chain Financing, Green Energy Loans among other traditional loan products.

“Babu’s deep understanding of banking technology and his track record of building scalable platforms makes him ideal for this role,” said Ashish Anantharaman, Founder & CEO of SwiffyLabs. “As a founding member, his leadership will be crucial as we continue to empower financial institutions with our cloud-native solutions and our AI platform to accelerate our digital transformation journey.”

Before SwiffyLabs, Babu was an early member at Navi Technologies, where he built a data-driven digital lending platform. His expertise spans complex digital banking, core banking, and lending transformation programs.

SwiffyLabs empowers global financial institutions with scalable, secure, and intelligent lending and payment solutions. Apart from a Loan Origination System (LOS) and Loan Management System (LMS), the company has built Risk Management System (RMS), Collateral Management System (CMS), and Business Rules Engine (BRE) allowing financial institutions to deploy lending products with a speed, and flexibility. The company was incubated under Jio Platforms in 2023.