Category business

Mumbai, May 02, 2023 – Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering (MPSTME) at NMIMS University, Mumbai, has achieved a remarkable feat by winning 2 Harvard Diplomacy Awards and 4 Social Venture Challenge (SVC) awards at the Harvard WorldMUN 2023 conference in Paris, France, in collaboration with CINUP, Paris (Comité Interuniversitaire des Nations Unies de Paris), the organizers of PIMUN. Known as the “Olympics of MUNs,” the five-day forum was led by faculty advisor Dr. Nikhil Gala, who played a crucial role in mentoring the MPSTME delegation to achieve these outstanding accomplishments.

Jash Damani, B Tech CE 4th Year, and Anuradha Bansal, BTI CE 1st year, received the Harvard Diplomacy Award. Additionally, the SVC winners include ReFlex, founded by Anish Sudhan, a third-year B Tech CSE Cybersecurity student, Siddharth Mundada, a second-year MBA Tech Mechanical student, and Anuradha Bansal, a first-year BTI CS student. ReFlex is a not-for-profit venture that promotes a circular economy and a sustainable environment
by reusing and repurposing flex material used in banners and billboards for underserved communities with active involvement from the youth.

Project Techtile, led by Samyukta Mandampully, a second-year B Tech CSE DS 311 student, aims to provide training in software to visually impaired individuals, helping them attain upward mobility and advocating for greater digital inclusivity. Stride, headed by Yash Mudaliyar, a fourth-year B Tech Data Science student, manufactures artificial limbs using 3D printing technology, producing lightweight, durable, and eco-friendly products that benefit those in need. ASAP India, spearheaded by Shehzeen Khan, a fourth-year B Tech Data Science student, works towards ensuring equitable distribution of healthcare resources to underserved communities, bridging the gap between service providers and affected parties while engaging in ancillary activities to help improve the quality of life in
these communities.

Membership to the MPSTME delegation was granted through a rigorous and multi-round selection process. Students were scrutinized and critically vetted at every point, under the careful supervision of Dr. Nikhil Gala. The first round involved participation in IntraMUN, an in-house MUN organized by MUNSociety MPSTME, attracting over 300 registrants. Only award winners and the best performers were shortlisted for the final rounds, where they underwent intensive training to prepare themselves for the WorldMUN.

Dr. Alka Mahajan, Dean MPSTME NMIMS, stated, “The MPSTME team was the only delegation from India to win at the Olympics of MUN with over 1500+ participants worldwide. The team also received a total funding of $15,000 (~12 lakh Rupees) awarded to the SVC winners. MPSTME has always been at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that our students have a holistic exposure and are nurtured as socially sensitive individuals. Students are encouraged to come up with innovative but practically implementable ideas that can do a world of good to society as a whole. Each project idea is inspired by this very fact and the best practices followed at MPSTME.”

02 May, 2023: Noise, India’s leading connected lifestyle tech brand, today announced the expansion of its round dial smartwatch portfolio with the launch of NoiseFit Force Plus, a rugged smartwatch made especially for thrill-seekers. It comes fitted with a shortcut button that instantly directs you to the sports mode, allowing you to unlock the experience instantly. Resonating with its theme ‘Built for Extremes’, the smartwatch is a rallying call for the ones all set to take up their next big adventurous challenge, making it a perfect choice by completing their rugged look. The new smartwatch is available for grabs at gonoise.com and Flipkart at a starting price of Rs. 3,999, starting today.

Amit Khatri, Co-founder, Noise commented on the launch, “Innovation is the guiding force behind everything we do at Noise, and the new NoiseFit Force Plus is an embodiment of this value. As a forerunner in democratizing industry-leading innovation, our products represent the brand’s commitment to creating a fully-connected experience for new-age users, in all scenarios. Built for extremes, we are certain the new smartwatch will prove to be an ideal choice for users looking for a tech companion in their adventures.”

Equipped with the brand’s advanced calling feature, Tru SyncTM technology, NoiseFit Force Plus comes with a single-chip Bluetooth 5.3 making it easy to use and pair. Its robust battery which lasts up to 7 days on a single charge, allows consumers to keep pressing ahead without any hassle, and the IP67 water and dust resistance feature makes the watch extremely durable. It sports a 1.46” AMOLED display with 466*466 px along with 550 nits brightness. This guarantees an improved visual experience while one is on the move.

The smartwatch comes with a host of productivity and health monitoring features. Not just that, users can choose to call from the dial-pad, access recent calls and save up to 10 contacts on the watch using Noise Buzz, making interaction with the device extremely seamless. The smartwatch comes packed with an array of wellness features under Noise Health SuiteTM that can keep track of all your vitals including heart rate, SpO2, sleep monitor, stress measurement, breath practice, and female cycle tracker. Users can also keep their daily reminders and weather forecast handy, with the help of its inbuilt Productivity Suite. The NoiseFit Force Plus offers over 130+ Sports modes, and 100+ Watch faces and can be paired with NoiseFit App to unlock the next-level productivity game.

The NoiseFit Force Plus is available in the following color options: Jet Black, Mist Grey, and Teal Blue.

Mother’s Day is a special occasion to show your love and appreciation for your mom, and what better way to do that than with the latest tech gadgets? Here are six must-have newly launched affordable tech gadgets that are perfect for spoiling your mom on her special day:

Wireless Earbuds

Wireless earbuds are a great gift for moms who love music or are always on the go. They’re portable, comfortable, and offer a great listening experience without the hassle of wires. One of the most popular affordable options on the market right now is the Anker Soundcore Life P2. They’re sweat and water-resistant, have a long battery life, and offer noise-cancellation technology.

Portable Charger

In today’s world, everyone needs to stay connected, and running out of battery life on your phone can be frustrating. A portable charger is a practical gift that your mom will appreciate, especially if she’s always on the go. One of the most affordable and reliable options on the market is the RAVPower Portable Charger. It offers fast charging, multiple USB ports, and a slim design that can fit easily in a purse or bag.

Fitness Tracker

If your mom is into fitness or looking to start a new healthy lifestyle, a fitness tracker is a perfect gift. The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a newly launched affordable option that offers a range of features such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and activity tracking. It also offers personalized guided breathing sessions to help reduce stress.

Smart Speaker

A smart speaker is a great gift for moms who love music, cooking, or just want to stay connected with their favorite news or weather updates. The newly launched Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation) is an affordable option that offers high-quality sound, Alexa voice assistant, and the ability to connect with other smart home devices.

Smartwatch

Smartwatches have become increasingly popular over the years, and they make a perfect gift for moms who love fitness and technology. The newly launched PLAYFIT SLIM2C is a bluetooth-based CALLING smartwatch with a 1.3″ fashionable and circular dial and a rich IPS display. The complete package of the design boasts of a rich, 500 nits brightness display, an IPS panel providing an all-view angle display visibility, a flat dial surface courtesy of the 2.5D glass which rests on top of the display, and an equally irresistible PLAYtime of 5 days. This sleek innovation incorporates a wide range of technological advancements and features designed to meet the on-the-go lifestyle needs of modern-day consumers.

Video Doorbell

A video doorbell is a practical gift that can provide your mom with an extra layer of security and convenience. The newly launched Wyze Video Doorbell is an affordable option that offers motion detection, two-way audio, and HD video recording. It can be connected to a smartphone app that allows your mom to see and communicate with visitors from anywhere.

In conclusion, these affordable tech gadgets are great options to spoil your mom on Mother’s Day. They’re practical, useful, and offer a range of features that can enhance her daily life. Whether your mom loves music, fitness, or just staying connected, there’s a tech gadget that’s perfect for her.

Kolkata/New Delhi, 02 May 2023: IDCA Tri-Nation ODI for the Deaf 2023 commenced with a powerpack match between India and Bangladesh at the Merlin Club Pavilion Cricket Grounds, Kolkata on April 29th. In this series, teams from Bangladesh, Nepal, and India will compete against each other to lift the coveted trophy and take home the grand prize.

The ODI team of India is led by Sai Akash, who also steered the Chennai Blasters to victory in the recently held IDCA T20 Deaf Premier League 2023. The maiden Deaf ODI to be held in India was inaugurated by a well-known citizen activist, Mr Mudar Patreya.

Speaking on the occasion, Sumit Jain, President Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) said, “We are elated to welcome teams from Bangladesh & Nepal to India and host them in Kolkata. IDCA will provide these specially-abled players with an opportunity to play in a world-class facility sponsored by the Merlin Group in Kolkata. The specially-abled youths of our neighbouring countries are excited to visit & compete in India.

A series of six matches will be played among the three teams and the two teams with the maximum victories will make it to the finale to be held on Friday, 5th April from 9:30 AM.

Inaugurating the Tri-nation ODI Mr Mudar Patreya said, “If you saw the tri-nation tournament as just another cricket competition you might have missed the significance of what the players had achieved to get to Calcutta (Kolkata). They had prevailed over extensive odds, the primary odds being the handicap of being told that they were handicapped. The next level would be to see these cricketers faring successfully in integrated cricket and hitting the ball out of the park – literally and metaphorically.”

Ms Roma Balwani, CEO of, IDCA said, “We are extremely thankful to Mr. Mudar Patreya, a well-known citizen activist, Guest of Honour for gracing the occasion and motivating the players. We are also grateful to Century Ply for extending their support for this tournament.”

The event is being sponsored & supported by its corporate partners Century Ply, Emami Group, KFC India, Hero MotoCorp, Impact Research and Measurement, Kaizen, Nykaa, Cognito, Trisys, Zenab Zarif & BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Nepal. The match is being live-streamed by FanCode & IDCA YouTube channel.

The list of the scheduled matches can be found at IDCA’s Twitter handle: INDIAN DEAF CRICKET ASSOCIATION (IDCA)🇳 (@indian_deaf) / Twitter

Zac Bilyeu to focus on creating initiatives that strategically capture additional growth opportunities.

(St. Louis, Mo., May 2, 2023) AAdvantage Insurance Group recently hired Zac Bilyeu as Business Development Specialist. In this position, he will focus on commercial sales, recruiting and training. Bilyeu’s responsibilities include generating prospects, developing new relationships, handling existing accounts, and maintaining client satisfaction by providing custom insurance plans in the property and casualty marketplace.

Prior to joining the agency, Bilyeu worked for a national voluntary benefits company as a Territory Sales Trainer. He holds his life and health licenses, as well as his Property & Casualty Insurance certifications, in Illinois and Missouri.

Bilyeu earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Bilyeu also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill. and a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Ill.

Founded in 2009, AAdvantage Insurance Group specializes in auto, home, business, transportation, and life insurance. The agency serves clients in 19 states with the majority in Illinois and Missouri. AAdvantage Insurance Group is located at 78 S. Main St. in Glen Carbon, Ill.

“Zac is an excellent resource when it comes to risk management and client retention,” said AAdvantage Insurance Group CEO Josh Kaburick. “We look forward to all he will accomplish for our organization, including the solutions he will create to fully meet our client’s needs.”

AAdvantage Insurance Group 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, VIAA generates more than $600 million in written premium and is the regional founding member for the Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance (SIAA), a $11 billion national alliance.

For more information about AAdvantage Insurance Group, call (618) 692-4440 or visit http://www.aadins.com.

Bangalore, 02 May 2023: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) registered sales of 14,162 domestic units in the month of April, 2023. The company also exported 1,348 units of The Urban Cruiser Hyryder this month, thus clocking a total of 15, 510 units. While there were no exports in the corresponding period last year, TKM had registered domestic sales of 15,086 units in April 2022. The company undertook a week-long maintenance shutdown from April 24-28, 2023 for the upkeep of machinery and equipment to sustain operational efficiencies, productivity and safety.

TKM posted a healthy domestic growth of 26% in the first four months of Calendar Year 2023, by selling 61,005 units in the same period last year, where 48,278 units were sold, domestically.

With the Made-in-India Urban Cruiser Hyryder, TKM restarted its export operations from the Indian market to South Africa and the Middle East from the month of December 2022. This development strongly embodies the company’s commitment towards ‘Mass electrification’ with ‘Make in India’, not only for the country but also for exports which underpins India’s emergence as a global manufacturing hub for cleaner and greener vehicles. Besides initiating the export of vehicles, Toyota Group has also been exporting e-Drives which is a critical electric powertrain component that is being locally manufactured by Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) in Bidadi near Bengaluru.

Speaking on sales numbers Mr. Atul Sood, Vice President, Sales and Strategic Marketing said, “TKM is continuing to witness high demand as well as good enquires, and needless to say we are extremely thrilled to see the market responding very positively. This reflects the customer acceptance of our world-class product line-up and advanced clean technology solutions, as we continue to strongly serve our customer base in India. The Toyota Hilux, Innova Hycross and the New Innova Crysta continue their phenomenal run, as the strong demand continues, which indicates customers growing trust in Toyota for their family’s mobility needs. Our SUV segment share also continues to be buoyant owing to the success of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder along with segment leadership of the Fortuner and the Legender, which are consistently leading with over 82% market share in Q1 of CY 2023. The Vellfire and the Camry Hybrid are also steadily contributing to our sales.

Our focus on the “customer first” philosophy also continues to manifest while we prioritize taking care of our customers. Earlier this month, we launched ‘Wheels on Web’ (WOW), an Online Retail Sales platform for the Bangalore region. This new platform offers customers, a seamless virtual experience by enabling them to book, purchase and get delivery of their favorite Toyota models like HyCross (gasoline), Hilux, Legender, Camry, Fortuner, and Innova Crysta (GX) at the comfort of their homes. Through such innovative services, our objective is to provide value-addition to our esteemed customers, to enable a convenient process for the purchase of Toyota vehicles, facilitate end-to-end transactions, including secured online payments for providing a one-stop-shop solution.

As we continue to focus on offering customers a choice of vehicle that fits their lifestyle and needs, we would like to thank our suppliers and dealer partners for working extra hard to meet the robust market demand and preparing to meet the evolving market needs in a dynamic manner.”

Overview of TKM

Overview of TKM 1st Plant:

Overview of TKM 2nd Plant:

New Delhi, May 2023: Pullman New Delhi Aerocity is hosting a Tribal Gourmet pop-up showcasing ‘Meghalayan cuisine’ from May 5th to May 14th, 2023, Tanisha Phanbuh, a self-taught North Eastern Food Connoisseur, proud participant in Masterchef India Season 6 and the Founder and Director of Tribal Gourmet, a platform showcasing the North East’s gastronomical delights will be showcasing a range of Meghalayan re-imagined gourmet dishes at the award-winning Pan-Asian restaurant Honk.

Speaking on the occasion, Tanisha Phanbuh says, “The North-Eastern cuisine of India is full of undiscovered fresh and vibrant flavours. Being born amongst the vibrant flavours of Meghalaya, I intend to carry the essence of the Northeast and aim to spread the aroma to the metropolitan cities through these pop-ups. It is my conscious effort to start a conversation around the delicacies of Meghalaya, and I feel that by joining hands with Pullman New Delhi Aerocity, I can bring them to the spotlight, making it a mainstream gourmet delight for its patrons.”

In the past, Tanisha has successfully executed multiple food pop-ups at places like “The Olive, Whisky Samba, Cocktails and Dreams Speakeasy, and The Meghalayan Age,” all of which have been well received by people.

Pullman New Delhi Aerocity invites all its patrons to savour the flavours of this cuisine with Tanisha, Director of Tribal Gourmet, and raise a toast to north-eastern flavours.

When – 5th to 14th May’ 2023 [7 PM Onwards]

Where – Honk, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity

India, 2 May 2023: Mr. Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR INOX Limited, the largest and the most premium cinema exhibitor in India and the fifth largest listed multiplex chain globally delivered the keynote address at CinemaCon 2023, the Largest Global Cinema Industry Event in Las Vegas, USA on April 24, 2023. A visionary and thought leader with over three decades of experience in the film exhibition business in India, Mr. Ajay Bijli shared key pieces of advice for exhibitors, studios, and streaming platforms globally.

Here are some highlights of his keynote address for different stakeholders in the eco-system:

Exhibitors

• Need to adapt to changing landscape and consumer behavior
• Make cinema more relevant and create new experiences – format, technology, and hospitality
• Use loyalty program and audience behavior data to provide meaningful engagements
• Use pricing strategies as a marketing tool through subscription programs, bundling of offers, and segmentation to attract customers at various price points
• Build out-of-home entertainment destinations, not just cinemas completely differentiated from watching content at home

Studios

• Create more content for the big screen
• Monetize the content journey – theatres first and then streaming
• Increase the theatrical window

Streaming

• Streaming and Cinema are here to co-exist
• Create a perfect ecosystem to make content bigger, leveraging the merits of cinemas and streaming
  Big-budget films can’t make it big and would not be able to recoup their investments if they come too quickly to streaming
• The probability of Piracy and theft of content is more on streaming
• Theatrical release set the quantitative and qualitative benchmarks and drive greater value for streamers
• Create a perfect eco-system attune to make content bigger leveraging the inherent strengths of theatrical and streaming
• Welcomes tech giants, Apple and Amazon’s plans to invest in making movies for cinemas

Mr. Ajay Bijli has become the First Indian Film Industry official to be invited to deliver the Keynote address in CinemaCon’s 11 year’s history. For someone who created the multiplex industry in India 25 years back, Mr. Bijli is strengthening and creating scale to the film exhibition industry. Through his critical experience of mobilizing content producers, mall developers, studios and cinema technology makers, Mr. Ajay Bijli has been able to create a conduit between consumers and film industry on one hand and the other with the retail industry and real estate development. Today multiplexes have witnessed significant growth across major Indian cities and smaller towns considering India is an under-screened market.

New Delhi, May 2, 2023: UK-based global conglomerate SRAM & MRAM Group, today inked a deal with DOSTYK REFINERY LLP, KAZAKHSTAN. The partnership will see SRAM provide an expanded range of Oil and Natural Gas affiliates in the region, strengthening the long-standing relationship between the two countries. With the collaboration in place, SRAM & MRAM Group will also diversify its energy portfolio by importing crude oil from non-Opec sources; will be procuring at least 6 million tonnes (mt) of crude from DOSTYK REFINERY, KAZAKHSTAN.

The development also signifies India being the world’s third-largest oil importer. The partnership will further strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two entities. The MoU was signed by Dr. Sailesh Lachu Hiranandani, Chairman SRAM & MRAM Group & Sartbaev Saken Satvaldievich, Export Director, DOSTYK REFINERY LLP.

Earlier in the year 2022, the Group partnered with Malaysia-based, Petrichor Capital Group for Oil and Gas trading businesses.

With the aim to ensure the long-term, sustainable security and supply of energy-related services in KAZAKHSTAN, the collaboration serves to boost the contribution of the leading company, as well as encourage the implementation of alternative energy solutions.

Speaking on the collaboration Vishal Ahuja, Global Marketing Director, SRAM & MRAM Group, quoted, “We are pleased to partner with DOSTYK Refinery and this will serve to add to SRAM’s Energy portfolio. This will also help in strengthening the partnerships between two countries and will also help in creating employment opportunities. We look forward to building upon our long-running collaboration.”

“The group is elated with the alliance that will certainly help the group explore in the segment. Besides, the collaboration will also provide the right impetus for the strategic growth plans and add value to the SRAM & MRAM portfolio,” quoted Sanjeev Kumar, Global Operation Director, SRAM & MRAM Group.

Currently, SRAM GROUP has a presence in the ports of Singapore, Malaysia, Fujairah, Hamriyah, Sharjah, Oman, Huston, and Rotterdam. The core Group has also tied up with different Refineries in countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Venezuela, Kuwait, and many other countries.

Sartbaev Saken Satvaldievich, Export Director, DOSTYK REFINERY LLP, expressed, “DOSTYK Refinery has a historic legacy in the region, and we are delighted to take our partnership with SRAM & MRAM to new heights. We are hopeful of this alliance and will continue to explore and offer best-in-class products and services. This alliance with SRAM will help u in capitalizing on new opportunities underpinned by sustainable and cleaner operations.”

The group will also be facilitating the supply of Jet Fuel A1, EN 590 (10 ppm, 50 ppm), D6, Gas Oil 1000 -2500 PPM, Crude oil of Heavy, Super heavy and Light, Pet Coke, LPG, and CNG.

Hitanshu Heera, Director, SRAM & MRAM Group quoted, “We are proud to be associated with DOSTYK REFINERY. The collaboration will help us in reaching out to non-Opec sources. It will certainly offer a great business proposition to all the stakeholders in the long run.”

India is home to a thriving startup ecosystem, and in recent years, several innovative startups have emerged that are focused on enhancing the customer experience for brands. These startups offer a range of solutions to help businesses improve customer engagement, streamline customer support, and deliver a more personalized experience. From customer engagement platforms to AI-powered e-commerce search platforms, India’s startup ecosystem is driving innovation in the customer experience space. Here are five Indian startups that are leading the way in this exciting field.

Kapture

Kapture is a renowned SaaS-based Customer Support Automation platform that deeply focuses on customer support and enables personal customer interactions. Founded in 2014, Kapture brings a customer profiling and segmentation tool that lets the user collect and segregate all prospect interactions on a single platform. This enables them to understand and profile their customers for a more real experience. The startup is helping brands with ticket management, a knowledge management system, an intelligent self-service portal, efficient customer data management, intelligent chatbots that provide contextual responses, omnichannel support operation that integrates queries from multiple channels onto a centralized location, customized tools, and powerful API integrations for smooth operations.

Zendesk

Zendesk is a ticketing system used to manage customer conversations. With any Zendesk plan, you’re able to manage email, Twitter, and Facebook conversations. On their higher-cost plans, you’re also able to manage phone and chat conversations. Though Zendesk is generally associated with larger teams because of the relative complexity of the product, resources needed for initial set up, and overall cost, they do have a few lower-cost plans. Those lower-cost plans do lack some features but should cover the basics for those with a primary focus on email support.

Freshdesk

A cloud-based customer support and helpdesk software that offers a range of features to manage customer interactions and improve customer experience. Freshdesk has two support offerings: one for just a help desk solution and one that covers omnichannel support. There are plan tiers within both, but the help desk solution is a lower cost on average when compared to the omnichannel product, and it’s probably a good starting place for most small businesses.

Salesforce

A cloud-based customer relationship management platform offering solutions for sales, customer service, and marketing, with analytics, automation, and integrations. It can be a good option for teams that are looking to provide support over Slack — Service Cloud integrates natively with Slack. Beyond Slack, you can use Salesforce Service Cloud to provide support via email, live chat, and self-service channels. The platform also offers add-ons like field service and AI tools and can integrate easily with Salesforce CRM for added customer insights.

Zoho

A customer relationship management platform that offers solutions for sales, marketing, and customer service, with features such as analytics, automation, and social media management. The company’s flagship product is Zoho One, an integrated suite of over 45 applications for sales, marketing, customer support, accounting, and other business operations. Zoho’s products are designed to be affordable and easy to use, and the company has been recognized for its commitment to customer satisfaction and support. Zoho is also known for its affordable pricing and its commitment to customer privacy, with a strict no-advertising policy and a data center exclusively for its customers.