All posts by Neel Achary

Feb 20’2023, India: Cyboard School, a leading K12 online School, on a mission to take Quality and Futuristic Schooling accessible to everyone; has onboarded Dr. N. Madhuri Parti as Strategic Advisor.
Dr. Parti is a visionary and futuristic educationist, with vast experience in setting up and leading schools, and has played a vital role in the evolution of the learning experience.

Dr. Parti will look after Strategic enhancements across School Curricula, Operations and Learning Development. She will also be pivotal in introducing and implementing Design Thinking.

Dr. Parti brings a wealth of experience to her role at Cyboard School, having previously served as Group Director at Educomp and Shri Ram Schools. She heads the GEMS school outreach program and is on the advisory board of over 10 schools. She has also spearheaded the Lakshmipat Singhania Education Foundation.

With over two decades of experience in the education sector, Dr. Parti has been actively involved in building learning environments, developing out-of-the-box curricula, and promoting experiential learning. She has brought a paradigm shift in the learning framework and executed the 21st-century learning methodology, which includes collaborative learning adding creativity, and innovation, and honing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of students.

On the appointment, Dr. Parti said, “I am delighted to be a part of Cyboard School and look forward to working with the school’s leadership team to build on their achievements and create innovative approaches to learning that will shape the future of education.”

Dr. Parti’s exceptional work in the education sector has earned her numerous national and international accolades. She received the International Professional of the Year award from the International Biographical Centre, England, and was featured in the Marquis Who’s Who book, honoring successful individuals from different spheres of life. She also received the Doors to Diplomacy Platinum Award from the U.S. State Department for facilitating a project on International Relations and Diplomacy, and the Excellence in Education Award by the Rajiv Gandhi Education Foundation. She received the award for four avenues of service from Rotary International Chicago.

“With a veteran like Dr.Parti, who’s been part of some of the biggest educational institutions of the country, coming on board of Cyboard Online School, it clearly depicts that this is the Future of Schooling and the only way to make premium quality schooling accessible to every child in the country,” says Mr. Rajat Singhal, CEO, and Co-Founder Cyboard School.

Cyboard School follows the CBSE curriculum and is accredited with IAO. It was founded in the year 2021 and is headquartered at Gurugram. Cyboard currently caters to children from Nursery to Grade 7. Since the launch of the school, it has gained threefold growth in Admissions with over 1000 students so far. Cyboard school offers the best of all worlds: stress-free, systematic, and structured virtual classes from the comfort and safety of trained teachers & curriculums.

Delhi, February 20th, 2023: upGrad, also known as Asia’s largest higher EdTech Company is set to launch 8 new Offline Experience Centres (OEC) in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to accelerate its regional penetration in FY24. With 6 existing touchpoints already, upGrad has recorded a 400% increase in counselling sessions during previous January to this year.

“We understand that learning preferences across metros and non-metros, especially tier 3 or beyond are non-identical. Hence, we constantly upgrade our outreach techniques to ensure we scale our reach and that every person we connect with is aware of our product to be able to make an informed learning choice. AP & Telangana remain the two most important business-ready regions for us and hence, it is even more critical for us to track the constantly evolving learning patterns and develop market-ready products for higher growth,” said Jeetender Singh, Head of Offline Sales – India, at upGrad.

Commenting on the business, Mayank Kumar, Co-founder & MD, upGrad said, “While the internet has made inroads to most locations today, it still does limit the genuinity of the information shared. Therefore, with these zero-cost counselling sessions, we want to empower India’s youth and every household with easily available information while accelerating trust for a positive output. We are confident that with new Centres coming up in AP/Telangana in FY24, we will not just record higher business milestones, but shall also introduce wider employment opportunities across the two key states.”

With 35+ PAN India Centres operating, the brand has the most centres in West India followed by South India and an international presence in Nepal. These Centres have dedicated and skilled counsellors/coaches to guide visitors, potential learners and their families through the market trends, explain to them how upskilling could add another layer of expertise, and also address certain other academic and non-academic queries. Moreover, owing to the rapid growth momentum, upGrad had also expanded its office presence across AP & Telangana during FY23, thereby taking the total team strength to 300+ in just two regions.

New Delhi, February 20, 2023: In light of the auspicious festival of Mahashivratri, Delhi-based NGO, Wishes and Blessings distributed 2000 milk glasses to the homeless and destitute children. The drive was executed by organizing a unique milk distribution drive across Delhi NCR, Jharkhand, Karnataka, and West Bengal on 18th February 2023.

Wishes and Blessings have been celebrating this holy festival in a distinctive manner for the last six years. The beneficiaries of this year’s milk distribution drive include street and slum children, homeless children living in night shelters, orphans, visually impaired children, and children with physical disabilities. The NGO welcomed kind-hearted and generous individuals to come forward and contribute to this unique initiative.

Commenting on the occasion, the Founder and President of Wishes and Blessings said,

“It’s in small moments like these that I realize the magnitude of the efforts of social workers and in moments like these that I realize that every effort contributes to making a difference. It warmed my heart to see the contentment of the little ones as they gulped the glasses of milk. What we take for granted is a luxury for so many of the lesser fortunate out there. I appreciate everyone who came forward to assist us in spreading joy and positivity to those in need.”

Anjali, a beneficiary from the streets of Delhi said,

“Mama told me that milk is very nutritious for young children like me. I am so grateful that the didis and bhaiyas came to distribute these refreshing glasses of milk to me and my siblings. I feel happy and stronger today!”

Since 2014, Wishes and Blessings have been spreading happy smiles amongst the underprivileged through their various happiness-centric programs.

image.gifWith a sharp jump from INR 147.02 Cr of annual revenue in 2021 to INR 298 Cr in 2022, Komaki Group, one of the fastest evolving brands in the electric vehicle landscape of India, achieved more than 100 percent revenue growth this calendar year. The leadership team of Komaki Group attributes the company’s phenomenal performance to investment in R&D, especially in the battery division. As per their claim, the sale of Komaki’s EV bikes and scooters witnessed a massive uptick after the launch of the LiFePO4 battery, now embedded in most of Komaki’s high-speed two-wheelers.

During the same period, Komaki Group’s profit also doubled from INR 1.51 Cr to INR 3.25 Cr. Now, to create a robust EV charging infrastructure in the country, Komaki has set a target to invest Rs 75 Cr in installing 45,000 charging points across pan-India by December 2023. This will go a long way in contributing towards India meeting its ambitious non-fossil fuels target by 2030.

During Financial Year 2021-22, Komaki registered a staggering growth rate of 560 percent, with annual revenue of Rs 22.92 crore in 2021 to Rs 147.02 in 2022. Now, with another sharp rise in the annual revenue, the company has registered an overall growth rate of 1200 percent within 20 months of its inception. Notably, the exemplary growth of Komaki is completely organic, without any dependency on government subsidy and without any bank loans or funding from any financial institutions. This has also placed Komaki among one of the few startups in the clean energy sector which is running into profit consistently.

On the company’s staggering growth and future plans, Gunjan Malhotra, Director of Komaki Electric Vehicle Division, said, “Komaki, in just four years of existence, has earned a great reputation in the market and financially too the company is experiencing rapid top-line as well as bottom-line growth without any external funding. The brand has established a strong network of 380+ dealership stores all over the country. We offer the widest range of electric 2-wheelers, with 10 CMVR-exempt models and 8 high-speed registration models. Besides, we are working on the application of advanced technologies to manufacture the best-in-the-market batteries for our EVs. Our fireproof LIPO4 batteries are ensuring extra safety to our EVs and getting an overwhelming market response.”

Komaki has a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant spanning over two acres with offices and warehouses in Delhi / NCR.“Komaki is leveraging the best of the technologies available in the market to manufacture advanced electric vehicles and bolsters its market presence. We are constantly focused on revamping our batteries to make our vehicles safer. Further, soon Komaki will be making all its EV models registered high-speed vehicles. With the application of technologies, we are also installing TFT displays in our vehicles, and many exciting new features are in line to be launched,” added Malhotra.

By Suren Goyal, Partner, RPS Group.

The real estate market in India is once again on the rise. These are encouraging signs following a pandemic in which any kind of recovery was unexpected. It would not be incorrect to predict that 2023 is going to be a pleasant year for real estate. Presently, more buyers are interested in investing in Coworking spaces. More purchasing will occur in metropolitan and mid-level cities in 2023.

What began unpredictably a few years ago as a hybrid of a business center, a shared office, and a cafe has evolved into its own entity with a distinct identity. Today, coworking spaces can be found in any city where people can – or must – work independently. There are now over a thousand coworking spaces in cities all over the world. Although most new coworking spaces will receive a lot of interest from potential customers at first, not all will fill up. Co-working spaces are experiencing unprecedented demand. The Occupancy rates at coworking spaces have now shot up to 90-100%, compared with 45-60% a year ago.

Coworking spaces in India are already in high demand following the global epidemic. The implementation of the hybrid prototype is driving businesses to seek out flexible spaces, which is creating new business opportunities in the sector. Businesses are starting to recognize the significance of a smart working space because it stimulates new approaches to work and tends to increase efficiency. As they embrace the co-working space culture, the young generation of entrepreneurs, linked by Multinational enterprises and other mid-sized organizations, are re-shaping the sector.

Co-working spaces are already becoming extremely relevant in the post-pandemic era, not only for business owners and freelancers, but as well as for big organizations. Companies nowadays are acknowledging hybrid-work culture co-working spaces because they offer location versatility, simplified contractual arrangements, and an easy entry-exit alternative. In the middle of such a change in demand, such spaces perfectly blend in.

Coworking will continue to reside since it appeals to both small and large businesses. Co-working spaces can profit all businesses due to their being cost-effective, convenient, and expandable. Entrepreneurs are now considering flexible workspaces to be a wise investment because it enables them to concentrate on their activities and expansions while trimming frivolous spending. Demand for coworking spaces has already nearly doubled from post-Covid-19 levels and is expected to skyrocket in the coming years.

SEQRITE, a leading global enterprise cybersecurity solutions provider, shared its predictions for the cybersecurity space in 2023 and beyond. As per the cybersecurity solutions firm, the use of Android malware will rise this year, as threat actors gradually move past screen-sharing applications to execute attacks. Zero-day attacks make up a significant portion of cyberattacks encountered by enterprises. It has been reported that 30% of all malware attacks are zero-day exploits. Cloud service providers kept providing their products, allowing clients to easily and quickly construct applications. Since they cannot be installed on test equipment or reverse-engineered, these services are comparatively safe. However, as more businesses rely on cloud services, they become more open to malicious assaults. The Cosmos DB and Apache Log4J critical vulnerabilities of 2021 served as a reminder of the seriousness of these problems. Our forecast came true in 2022 when zero-days hit even more systems, including Apple iOS, Atlassian Confluence, Chromium, Google Pixel, Linux, WebKit, and Windows.

Such types of cybersecurity flaws are sought after by cybercriminals who deploy them to execute commands impersonating well-known systems. They might get access to and steal password-protected information, act like another user, or conduct denial-of-service attacks. For instance, a system flaw in cloud storage may provide access to data that would otherwise be protected.

The threat of zero-day threats will not diminish. In the ongoing struggle against cybersecurity threats, it is crucial to defend against all aspects of the vulnerability.

Pune, February 20, 2023: SBI Mutual Fund announced the launch of the SBI Dividend Yield Fund, an open-ended equity scheme investing predominantly in a well-diversified portfolio of equity and equity-related instruments of dividend-yielding companies. The new fund offer would open on February 20, 2023, and close on March 6, 2023. The first-tier benchmark of the fund is the NIFTY 500 TRI.

The investment objective of the scheme is to provide investors with opportunities for capital appreciation and/or dividend distribution by investing predominantly in a well-diversified portfolio of equity and equity-related instruments of dividend-yielding companies. This is proposed to be achieved by investing in businesses across market capitalization, being style agnostic with no sector bias, with attractive dividend yields plus potential growth in dividends, and aiming to achieve an aggregate dividend yield that is at least 50% higher than that of the Nifty 50 Index. The scheme will consider dividend-paying stocks that have paid dividends or repurchased shares in at least one of the previous three fiscal years.

Mr. Shamsher Singh, MD & CEO, of SBI Mutual Fund, said, “I am happy to announce the launch of SBI Dividend Yield Fund, an offering which provides investors a diversified mix of high and growing dividend yield companies. As the largest fund house in the country, we continue to add to our bouquet of offerings, and we believe this category has an opportunity to grow and find merit in investors’ portfolios.”

Mr. D P Singh, Deputy MD and Chief Business Officer, SBI Mutual Fund, said, “High Dividend Yield companies are generally thought of only from the angle of providing regular income, but many of them are strong growth-oriented businesses across market cap with the potential of long-term wealth creation. SBI Dividend Yield Fund presents an opportunity for those looking to invest in such strong businesses with steady cash flows for long term. Those who invest in direct equity, investors wanting long-term wealth creation, and even first-time mutual fund investors will find this fund suitable. Investors who want regular income can use the SWP (A) facility offered in this fund to plan regular tax-efficient cash flows’’.

Investors may opt for a tax-efficient way to receive regular cashflows by registering for SWP (A) Facility (subject to terms & conditions mentioned in the Scheme Information Document) which attracts capital gains as applicable for equity-oriented mutual funds. SWP (A) Facility is a customized facility offered to SBI Mutual Fund investors seeking regular cash flows in a quite simple and tax-efficient manner from their investments. All one has to do is select to withdraw a fixed % of their cost of investment or any specified amount to meet their regular cashflow needs from the various options available (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly). SWP (A) facility can be opted for both in Growth and IDCW while the remaining corpus continues to earn returns.

The minimum application amount is Rs. 5,000 and in multiples of Rs. 1 thereafter. The scheme would invest between 65% – 100% of its assets in equity and equity-related instruments of dividend-yielding companies (including equity derivatives), up to 35% in other equity and equity-related instruments, up to 35% in debt securities (including securitized debt and debt derivatives) and up to 10% in units issued by REITs and InvITs. The scheme may seek investment opportunities in foreign securities including ADR/GDR/Foreign equity and overseas ETFs and debt securities subject to regulations that may not exceed 35% of the net assets of the scheme.

Mr. Rohit Shimpi, CFA, will be the fund manager of this scheme with Mr. Mohit Jain the dedicated fund manager for overseas securities. Rohit currently manages the SBI Magnum Equity ESG Fund and the equity portion of SBI Retirement Benefits Fund.

20 February 2023 (New Delhi), The Broadband India Forum (BIF) today welcomed Smt. Aruna Sundararajan IAS (Retd.), Former Secretary (Telecom), Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications & Chairperson, Digital Communications Commission (DCC) and one of the most respected persons of the sector, as the Chairperson of the organization with immediate effect. BIF shared that Smt. Sundararajan accepted to chair the forum and to guide the organization in its mission of improving affordable broadband proliferation and usage access in India.

Smt. Sundararajan has served as the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministries of Steel, Information Technology, and Telecom; and retired as Chairperson of the Digital Communications Commission in July 2019. During her tenure, Smt. Sundararajan played a pioneering role in steering various important tech policies and initiatives across the domains of telecom and hardware manufacturing, e-governance, digital payments, data protection, cyber security, and tech start-ups.

Post her retirement, Smt. Sundararajan served on the Boards of leading companies including Delhivery, Infoedge and Bharat FIH, India’s National Bank of Infra Financing and Development (NabFID), Cochin International Airport, and a neo-banking start-up Digi Vriddhi. She is also an active member of various tech mentoring and angel financing initiatives.

Announcing the Chairmanship of.Smt. Aruna Sundararajan, Mr T .V. Ramachandran, President of Broadband India Forum, stated, “We are most fortunate and honored to have the leadership of Madam Smt. Aruna Sundararajan in our avowed mission of ‘Broadband for All’ in a technology-neutral and all-inclusive manner. We are confident that she would guide us to higher heights of excellence in serving the economy, the nation, and the consumer”.

Smt. Sundararajan has had several firsts to her credit during her illustrious career. As the Chairperson of DCC, she was one of the primary forces behind the creation of the highly-acclaimed world-class telecom policy – NDCP 2018 and has been keenly involved in giving initial support and encouragement to the unique WANI architecture. She was the Chairperson of the 5G High-Level Forum and played a key role in formulating the way forward for India to go to 5G.

Commenting on her joining BIF and sharing her vision for digital India, Smt. Aruna Sundararajan said,”I am absolutely delighted to accept the invitation to be Chairperson of Broadband India Forum and contribute my best efforts to lead the think tank in its pursuit of ‘Broadband for All’ and the digital transformation of India.”

Hyderabad, 20th February 2023: Women empowerment dominated Day 2 of ELECRAMA 2023, the world’s largest electrical show of the Indian Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA), as the second edition of ‘Women in Power’ – a special initiative aimed at celebrating women in the power segment – got off to a spectacular start at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida on 19th February.

This year’s Women in Power featured a series of engrossing and inspiring conversations from the leading ladies of the power sector across various domains including the likes of Ms. Lakshmi Singh, Police Commissioner, Gautam Budh Nagar,  Ms. Charu MathuDirector General, IEEMA, Aarya Satyanarayan Director of Venson Electric Private Limited and Chairperson Women in Power Committee of IEEMA, Renuka Gera Director (Industrial Systems and Products) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL and several other dignitaries.

Ms. Lakshmi Singh, Commissioner of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “In the modern world, gender inequality is recognized as a major constraint to economic growth. Thus, we’re witnessing accelerated efforts to promote women’s participation in leadership roles. When it comes to the power sector, the participation of women – especially in realizing the goals of a sustainable economy – remains pivotal. Since India is rapidly establishing itself as the new hub for sustainability, harnessing the power of women across roles in the energy sector is integral to realizing the country’s vision. Having participated in such a thought-provoking session at ELECRAMA 2023, I hope our ‘Women in Power’ pavilion promotes gender equality which, in turn, can boost innovation in the energy industry.”

Mr. Rohit Pathak, President of IEEMA, said, “Power and energy sector remains a major contributor to the economic growth and development of our country. With India being the world’s third-largest producer of electricity, the participation of women in the power sector needs to increase. As the energy sector moves towards innovative clean energy solutions to pave the way for a sustainable future, the industry can leverage the untapped talent pool of the highly-skilled women workforce by increasing employment opportunities for them. Our Women in Power initiative was conceived to fulfill that and more. This year’s edition will continue to bring forth the voices of global women leaders pertaining to their industrial experiences and journeys, inspiring others and increasing participation in the sector.”

Ms. Charu Mathur, Director General, IEEMA, said, “The last edition of ELECRAMA saw the introduction of the ‘Women in Power’ pavilion which was the much-needed stepping stone for the formation of the ‘Women in Power’ chapter in IEEMA. We’re now well-equipped and more structured to connect career-oriented women in Power and Energy with like-minded individuals to discuss and overcome challenges in the ever-changing work culture. This year’s edition of Women in Power will continue to deliver on its promise of bringing women leaders under one roof and giving them a platform to discuss workplace challenges for a better future. With this special initiative, we’re looking to inspire more women to choose the electricals and electronics industry as an attractive career choice in India.”

Aarya Satyanarayan Director of Venson Electric Private Limited and Chairperson, IEEMA WIP- said, “Today, gender equality remains an unfinished business in every country in the world, which is why companies should be more focused on employing more women starting with hiring more female students so that the talent stays in the industry. Along with this, I think creating a healthy and safe environment is also an important aspect of any company which will help maintain a work-life balance for women and foster an inclusive work culture. I am happy to see that ELECRAMA 2023 is focusing on such significant issues that India is facing today regarding women’s empowerment and I hope we all get to see the change soon.

Renuka Gera Director (Industrial Systems and Products) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), said,’ I believe in today’s world, strength and power are not identified by gender. That’s why there is a greater emphasis being laid on gender equality with the promotion of women in leadership roles becoming the need of the hour. Recent studies also suggest that the Indian economy will grow by 25% with an increase in the participation of women. Additionally, 43% of women are contributing globally to the development. These are valid indicators of the influence highly-skilled women can have on contributing towards a sustainable economy.

ELECRAMA 2023, with ‘Reimagine Energy – For Sustainable Future’ as this year’s theme, will have the largest public showcase yet of industry innovations by over 1000 exhibitors from India and abroad occupying 1,10,000 sqm of exhibition space over the course of the next five days. The much-anticipated event is expected to witness 3,50,000 footfalls and over 15,000 pre-scheduled meetings between buyers and sellers. The mega event will also see national and international industry experts and policymakers deliberate upon industry challenges, innovations, and business models through a series of leadership summits and meetings.

Apart from ‘Women in Power’, the five-day congregation will also enthrall delegates with multiple concurrent events. It will also host the world’s largest confluence of power transmission and distribution communities at the 5th Reverse Buyers Sellers Meet (RBSM) and Domestic Buyers Sellers Meet (DBSM). The mega event will also be seen focusing on building stronger electrical systems for homes, offices, and industries, and discussing the way forward for the complete electrification of railways. Digital technologies, IoT and AI-powered electrical systems, and other smart-tech solutions are being showcased at the event.

Hyderabad, 20th February 2023: In a big push towards widening the pool of women workforce in the automotive manufacturing sector, Pinnacle Industries has announced one of the largest women-only recruitment campaigns christened as ‘Evolutionary’. Pinnacle Industries is India’s leading manufacturer of seating systems, automotive interiors, railway seating & specialty vehicles. This distinctive campaign aims to provide a platform for talented and experienced women professionals and engineers to reboot their professional journey who have taken a career sabbatical due to various reasons such as family commitments, relocation, or other pressing commitments. ‘EvolutioNARI’ recruitment campaign will offer them a chance to restart their career, polish their skills, gain new proficiencies, and help them reassimilate into the corporate culture enabling them to thrive in a supportive and diverse work environment.

The first recruitment drive will be conducted from 23rd to 24th February 2023 at the manufacturing facility of Pinnacle Industries in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh. Interested female candidates can register and apply through https://pinnacleindustries.com/evolutionari-campaign/ or through QR Code available across Pinnacle Industries’ digital platforms, or walk in on 23rd or 24th February at the company’s Pithampur facility. The company encourages all women engineers and professionals who meet the job qualifications and requirements to apply, regardless of their career break duration.

Speaking on the launch of the women-only recruitment campaign, Mr. Arihant Mehta, President of Pinnacle Industries Limited, said “We are excited to launch “EvolutioNARI”, to promote gender diversity and inclusivity in the manufacturing, engineering, and automotive industry. We strongly believe that with the increased women talent pool, we will be able to create a more holistic and inclusive workplace, which is a strong growth driver for innovation, precision and outclass performance. We recognize that women’s talent continues to represent an underutilized resource, especially in the automotive & manufacturing sector. With this initiative, we are looking to gain a competitive advantage by hiring skilled women professionals looking to reboot their careers. By creating a workplace where women can thrive and contribute, we are confident that we will attract and retain the best engineering talent and continue to be at the forefront of our industry.”

To kick off, Pinnacle Industries is targeting to hire mechanical, electrical, and robotics women engineers with at least one year of experience. The company is also looking at hiring skilled professionals under R&D, Purchase, Tool, Operations, Tailoring, Stores, Administration, HR, and Finance functions. The company is also providing immediate joining to qualified women candidates with a reduced probation period and retention bonus.

Pinnacle Industries is known for its exceptional engineering solutions and cutting-edge technology and has been leading the commercial vehicles seating & interiors market for over 26 years. The company is confident that the women professionals and engineers hired through this recruitment campaign will bring fresh perspectives, inclusivity, creativity, renewed energy, and innovation to the table and help the company achieve its growth objectives.

Pinnacle Industries is committed to providing a supportive work environment and opportunities for professional growth. The company values diversity, equality, and inclusivity and believes that promoting these values can create a culture of excellence that benefits everyone.