Category business

Gurugram, India, February 16th, 2023: Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd. (Sona Comstar), one of the leading global providers of automotive technology solutions, has achieved the production milestone of 350 million gears since its inception. We started production of the precision forged differential gears at our plant in Gurgaon, Haryana, in 1999 and commenced production at our plant in Pune, Maharashtra, in 2005. From our plants in India, today, Sona Comstar serves seven of the world’s top-10 PV OEMs, three of the world’s top-10 CV OEMs, seven of the world’s top-10 tractor OEMs, five of the world’s top-15 EV OEMs and four of the top-15 Indian e2Ws OEMs.

As per Ricardo’s estimates, Sona Comstar’s global market share of differential gears increased to 7.2% in 2022 from 5.0% in 2020. The company continues to dominate the Indian market for differential gears with a 60‑90% market share across vehicle categories. Backed by our R&D and engineering capabilities, we are committed to innovating and supplying cutting-edge technologies to our discerning customers.

The company crossed the production milestone of 150 million gears in 2015 and achieved the 250 million mark in 2020. The next 100 million gears production milestone was achieved in three years, reflecting the company’s strong growth. This outstanding achievement is the result of our customer’s trust, our suppliers’ support, and the efforts of our people. The company expresses gratitude to its customers for their faith in its products, which encourages us to innovate and enables our growth.

Management Comment

Mr. V. Vikram Verma, CEO of Sona Comstar’s Driveline business, said, ” I congratulate my team on achieving this milestone of 350 million gears production and thank our customers for their continued trust in our products. This is a great milestone in our journey to become one of the world’s most respected and valuable auto technology companies. Engineering excellence and innovation are at our company’s core, and we always strive to innovate and solve complex engineering problems for our customers worldwide.”

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Chennai, February 16, 2023: CAMSPay, a panoptic payment platform specializing in solving the BFSI sector’s payment challenges has received in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA).

Part of Computer Age Management Services Limited (CAMS), India’s largest registrar and transfer agent of mutual funds (a SEBI-regulated entity), CAMSPay has been an integral payments partner supporting Mutual Fund investors, Insurance policyholders, and Loan borrowers for over a decade in enabling them to move from paper-based mandate process to offering digital payment solutions. As a specialized payments solutions provider to the BFSI segment, the in-principal authorization from RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator will widen the scope and coverage of CAMSPay.

“CAMSPay provides a wide range of payment options including Digital Payments, Payment Gateway, Cards, UPI, and Net Banking. The in-principle authorization from RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator is a key milestone toward further strengthening our offerings in the BFSI segment. We reaffirm our commitment to making payments more seamless and secure to all stakeholders ” said Mr. Ravi Kiran, Head of New Businesses for CAMS.

Mr. Vasanth Jeyapaul, CEO of, CAMSPay said, “We are thrilled to receive the in-principle authorization to operate as a Payment Aggregator to create a much more robust and inclusive digital payment stack for the chosen merchant segments that we operate in, delivering a variety of acceptable options. The license will help us further fortify our offerings in the payments arena”.

Mutual Fund Investors use CAMSPay for their SIP and bullet investments, Insurance Policyholders for paying their policy premia, and loan borrowers for repaying their loans. With a comprehensive suite of payment options, CAMSPay is well-known for its strong commitment to compliance and security. CAMSPay works with over fifty financial institutions which include mutual funds, insurance companies, and NBFCs across India. As the first to provide UPI Autopay service to the Mutual Funds sector, CAMSPay continues to lead the market with its innovative payment solutions.

New Delhi, February 16, 2023: In line with their joint commitment to empowering the workforce of tomorrow with future-ready skills, Shell and Microsoft announced a collaboration to impart digital skills to students in vocational education institutes. The project aims to enable 5,000 underserved youth across 24 government institutes with digital productivity and employability skills and prepare them for digital careers in the manufacturing and energy sectors.

Emerging technologies are changing the nature of jobs and redefining the scope of productivity in every sector. Job roles across sectors that typically did not require digital skills earlier demand foundational digital skills to adapt to new requirements. The addition of a digital curriculum to the training offered in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics will enable the students in non-IT trades to enhance their skills for jobs.

With a goal to enable livelihood opportunities for students in ITI and polytechnic trades such as electrician, electrical engineering, fashion designing, and more, the first phase of the program will focus on creating awareness about digital employment opportunities across Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Further, the initiative will support the enhancement of digital learning labs at these institutes and build the capacity of faculty members to sustain the outcomes of the program. SRF Foundation will deploy the program in each of the states and provide 240 hours of training, which includes modules on data analytics and sustainability at the workplace.

Latika Taneja, Head of Corporate Relations, Shell India, said, “Shell India is committed to supporting reskilling and upskilling programs to take employment opportunities within evolving energy and manufacturing markets, closer to the community. This collaboration between Shell and Microsoft will help create a future-ready workforce and open new avenues of learning and job opportunities for students in ITI and polytechnic colleges.”

Gunjan Patel, the Director, of Microsoft Philanthropies India, said, “In today’s digital-driven economy, it is critical to equip the youth in vocational education, especially in non-IT trades with digital skills to meet the demands of the rapidly transforming sectors. We are excited to join forces with Shell on this crucial initiative empowering skills for jobs and look forward to making a positive impact on the youth of India.”.

New Delhi, February 16, 2023: At a time when the world order is undergoing tectonic changes due to multiple disruptions driven by technology, geopolitical developments, and calamities exasperated by climate change, along with several other pressing issues, the seventh edition of Global Business Summit (GBS) will see an array of top global leaders across a wide spectrum of domains converging at Taj Palace, New Delhi – India, to find answers to the most pressing concerns facing our world today.

The seventh edition of the Global Business Summit (GBS) curated and executed by ET Edge, will bring together visionaries, thought leaders, heads of state, policymakers, climate advocates, academicians, and corporate heads to advance this agenda and exert the momentum needed to find sustainable and practical solutions to these issues.

Speaking about the Summit, Mr Deepak Lamba, CEO, World Wide Media and President, Times Strategic Solutions said, “The 2023 edition of GBS will build upon the experience of the global community to address some of the pressing challenges of our times which if left unaddressed today, will have far reaching consequences on the future. The power of positive collaboration has always been instrumental in addressing complex issues with global repercussions. It will be our endeavor to draw attention to such issues and provide a platform to promote a free-flowing interchange of thoughts towards sustainable global growth.’

GBS has become the platform of choice for significant stakeholders in global affairs to discuss and deliberate on the most pressing issues confronting the world in just eight years. The opinions developed and clarity gained on the next course of action will influence the world order. This year, nearly 2000 delegates will attend the Summit, including global and Indian business leaders, powerful government decision-makers, A-list academics, and key civil society members to discuss topics such as energy transition, sustainable economy, data issues, new world order, future of entertainment, intelligent future, and more.

Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, will be the chief guest this year.

GBS has drawn guests from the United States, Canada, Egypt, Ireland, Russia, Belgium, Britain, Greece and Israel over the years.

This year, H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri Cabinet Member & UAE Minister of Economy, Ted Sarandos Co-CEO Netflix, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric, Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC, Hans-Paul Bürkner, Global Chair Emeritus, BCG, Alexander MacDonald, Chief Economist, NASA are some of the leaders among other eminent speakers and attendees.

ET Edge, is India’s largest conference and thought leadership company. Since 2015, Et Edge has been at the forefront of creating unique thought leadership initiatives with the objective to empower multiple sectors, industries, and segments through the dispersion of critical business knowledge through strategically developed specialized conferences and summits. The Global Business Summit is amongst one of ET Edge’s flagship IPs that strives to bring together visionaries and key global leaders through its enriched knowledge platforms to aid the symbiotic relationship between societies and businesses.

For more information on the Global Business Summit, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, visit https://et-gbs.com

Experience the epitome of luxury and pleasure with the VitrA AquaControl. It promises a high-quality showering experience that is guaranteed to leave you stress-free and relaxed. Through this shower thermostat, the grandeur and authenticity of any VitrA product are showcased while keeping in mind the consumers’ satisfaction.

The thermostatic mixer has been developed to ensure constant water temperature and to make sure that your shower experience is uninterrupted. The smart technology controls fluctuation in water pressure – for a more comfortable experience. It is developed with your entire family in mind, the thermostatic bathroom mixers provide safe use for old and young alike thanks to a safety button that keeps water from reaching extreme temperatures. Choosing the VitrA AquaControl shower thermostat will bring the best of ingenious design technology into your bathroom.

With just the push of a button, VitrA AquaControl creates a magical showering experience. Even while relaxing with your eyes closed, you are always in control of the shower, thanks to the indicator button that diverts the water to the shower head of your choice. The AquaControl concealed mixers make it easy to adjust your showering system. When you push a function button, it will pop out, so you know which setting the AquaControl’s diverter is in.

VitrA AquaControl is designed solely for the users’ comfort and enjoyment. This elegant product is offered in two shapes, a circular and a square each having a colour variety of chrome and gold. There is a function to choose water current from both the hand shower and the showerhead at the same time for better efficiency. The combination of thoughtful design and innovative technology makes it a one-of-a-kind luxury product.

To upgrade your convenience and enhance your pleasure, the VitrA AquaControl provides a refined showering experience. It will, without a doubt, make a stunning and desirable addition to your home.

16th February 2023, Belgium: India’s first Clean Label and 100% Whole Grain certified food brand, True Elements, was invited to represent India at the first-ever global outreach event for Millets by the Government of India – the Saveurs & Métiers Expo – held in Belgium in January 2023.

2023 has been earmarked as the International Year of Millets (IYOM) by the UN with the objective of promoting millets as the next supergrain globally. Naturally gluten-free, environmentally sustainable, and loaded with health benefits, Millets have taken center-stage for the Government of India (GOI), with Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi amplifying this mandate across manufacturer, consumer, and enabler cohorts alike. Participation at the three-day Saveurs & Métiers Expo, hosted by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA, Government of India) and the Embassy of India to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (EU), marked the first global outreach for IYOM. At the expo, Ambassador Santosh Jha (Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the EU) inaugurated the India Pavilion and welcomed European businesses to sample Indian millet products and build a pathway to their retail presence in European retail stores.

Smt. Vinita Sudhanshu, Deputy General Manager, APEDA, Government of India, said, “This expo in Belgium was the first-of-its-kind event, marking the beginning of the International Year of Millets 2023. Since India is leading the resurgence of this ancient super-grain, it was important for us to show the world how we are bringing millets and driving innovation within the packaged food category. Start-ups and disruptors like True Elements are showing the world the novel uses of millets by driving innovation in millets through their products like Jowar Poha, Millet Chikki, and Cereal Biscuits. It was heartening to see the wave of positive responses and appreciation coming their way because of these innovations.”True Elements has been at the forefront of delivering taste and health via Millets for the last 4 years and was honoured with the ‘Best Startup Award’ by the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) – Government of India. Recently, the brand also won the Forbes D2C Disruptor Award – Brand of the Year (Sustainability) for its work with Millets.

Sreejith Moolayil, Co-founder & COO of True Elements, said, “There exists plenty of curiosity and intrigue around Millets in India and the world now – in fact, these super-grains have already begun to lead the sustainable nutrition conversation internationally. True Elements has been driving millet-based food innovations since 2019, and we’re glad our range saw global appreciation. We will continue innovating to deliver a larger range without compromising on taste and health benefits.”At this global forum, which saw participation from large corporations, key retailers and notable manufacturers from Europe, True Elements was accoladed for its range of over 35 innovative millet-based products which were suited to the global palate, met global accreditations and kept the brand’s promise of providing 100% taste with 0% jargon, 0% chemical, 0% preservatives or 0% added sugar.

Ved Agarwal, Head of Marketing of True Elements, mentioned, “What truly summarised the event for us was Ambassador Santosh Jha’s immediate reaction as he took a bite of our Jowar Poha and said- ‘Wow. This is brilliant”. This, along with a meaningful pool of global leads and engagement with export partners who want to take Millets to Europe together with True Elements, made this outreach a success for us.”Meanwhile, closer home, True Elements also participated in the Millets and Organics International Trade Fair, one of the largest fairs organised by the Department of Agriculture and KAPPEC,

Government of Karnataka in Bengaluru, where they demonstrated the versatility of their millet-

based offerings and were appreciated for the same.

SquareFoot is proud to announce the launch of their Chaletino series of floors. The Chaletino planks create a lovely and elegant atmosphere with the best light, for large and impressive rooms that invite one to make a special feature of the floor.

Chaletino is the epitome of finesse and grandeur, often found in the most luxurious homes. The building blocks of this artistically curated engineered floorings are procured from the rarest of the rare woods, which are then transformed into a highly durable, exquisite product.

Chaletino is for the discerning and lends a luxurious appeal to your space! Larger spaces only express themselves as luxurious when few or no joints in the floor are visible. This explains why longer and wider planks are preferred over shorter ones. Wide plank flooring imbues the space with a timeless, classic feel; SquareFoot’s Chaletino planks create a lovely and elegant atmosphere with a massive width of 300 mm and a length of 2750 mm the floor radiates class. The oak surfaces of these planks are available in a range of finishes to suit the most varied of furnishing styles. The Live Pure surface protects the floor from dust and dirt, while at the same time appearing like untreated or sanded raw wood. It is available on a 15mm thickness floor, improving installation where floor height is an important factor and giving improved efficiencies when underfloor heating is used. Each board is handcrafted with a distinctive feature and is enhanced by hand to give the floor an authentic look.

Mr. Gaurav Saraf, Jt Managing Director, SquareFoot says, “These stunningly good-looking floors are individually selected from exclusive timbers from across the world, hand-cut and crafted to offer customers a truly unique floor only available at SquareFoot. It is a product that combines the rarity of real oak, which enhances the aesthetic value of your floor, with the strength and durability of high-quality engineered wood. Chaletino is a one-of-a-kind, ultra-luxury product found in the most discerning and opulent homes. The type of wood Chaletino offers will almost become extinct in the next 10 years, although we ensure we respect the resource and preserve it for future generations.”

The Chaletino planks are on exclusive displayed at SquareFoot showrooms in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Patna, Pune, and Surat.

Kochi, February 16, 2023: It is no secret that India’s economic growth revolves around millions of retailers, traders, and self-employed individuals. As a means to cater to their business growth through providing working capital and loans for business improvement, Muthoot FinCorp is introducing a novel and custom-made product, ‘Vyapar Mitra Business Loans.’

With Vyapar Mitra business loans, Traders, Business owners, and self-employed individuals can avail of business loans based on their daily cash flow without any additional collateral. Making Vyapar Mitra stand out in the financial market, one can get business loans without Income Tax Return papers and no prior CIBIL score records. Shop owners who earn a daily income can benefit from the daily repayment option, lowering their interest outflow which makes Vyapar Mitra more attractive than bank loans. The new product also offers benefits like no pre-payment charges, loan renewals up to three times a year, simple and fast documentation, and quick disbursal of loans. Vyapar Mitra is set to be launched on the 15th of February 2023 and will be available in 3600+ Muthoot FinCorp branches across the country.

“Muthoot FinCorp has always stood to transform the lives of the country’s common man and give the unbanked their first entry point to the formal banking sector through MFL. This is a custom-made product for meeting specific customer requirements, especially for the daily income groups, and this time we wanted to do it for the micro and small enterprises of the country which keep our economy vibrant. I hope that ‘Vyapar Mitra’ plays a significant role in boosting the economy through empowering the retail traders and shopkeepers of the country’’ said Shaji Varghese, CEO, of Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.

Adding another golden feather to its 136+ years of transforming lives, Vyapar Mitra is yet another customer-centric solution developed by Muthoot FinCorp. Praised for its empathetic and thoughtful products, Vyapar Mitra is no different. It is tailor-made exclusively for each business segment keeping their specific needs and requirements in mind.

Muthoot FinCorp Ltd., the flagship company of the Muthoot Pappachan Group, is one of the leading NBFCs in the country, providing loans against gold and MSME loans. Over the years, Muthoot FinCorp, an organization built on trust has delivered a wide range of products and services targeting low and middle-income families. Serving more than 1,25,000 consumers every day, Muthoot Pappachan Group has left its mark in multiple sectors, including financial services, tourism, transportation, real estate, IT services, healthcare, precious metals, international services, and alternative energy.

Mumbai/Panaji, February 2023: Students and academics from 12 Portuguese cities have arrived in Goa, to familiarize themselves with Indian hospitality, cuisine, and culture, as part of a broader cultural exchange program between India and Portugal. The delegation received a traditional welcome on arrival to the V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) campus.

The Portuguese delegation hosted by VMSIIHE will undergo a four-week intensive program that features a packed curriculum including field trips, practi-cum-work sessions, and visits to various companies in Goa as part of the “Collaborative International Training and Education Program” with Turismo de Portugal, a government body which is also responsible for selecting the visiting students from various hospitality institutes in Portugal.

This is the first cultural exchange program organized by the Institute post the pandemic.

The visiting delegation of students and faculty will get a first-hand experience of classic Indian hospitality through a well-planned itinerary put together by the faculty of the Goa-based institute. Their intensive itinerary in Goa also includes activities like an insightful visit to the Margao market which is well-known for having a wide assortment of traditional fruits and vegetables. They will also be attending several lectures from experts on tourism trends in Goa and India.

Going beyond the theoretical world of hospitality studies, there will also be several instructional demonstrations by faculty and guest chefs who will introduce the international delegation to the vast, flavorful world of Indian cuisine. The delegation will also be introduced to the wonders of Feni, Goa’s indigenous liquor, on their visits to various farms and distilleries in the state. They will also be introduced to several culturally diverse experiences, which includes visits to historical temples, UNESCO World Heritage sites in Old Goa, tribal villages, among other locations of significant interest.

The Portuguese delegation will participate in Holi festivities on the campus, in order to familiarize them with an exciting slice of Indian culture. The three-day celebration of Carnival is slated to take place in the state during their visit which they will be witnessing as well.

The objective of the exchange program is to improve professional expertise and cultural integration in the hospitality and tourism sectors between Portugal and India, as well as to increase interaction between teachers and students. The highlight of this year’s program will be Indian cuisine and hospitality.

Indian cuisine is known globally for its richness and variety. The diversity of the soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups and occupations all play a definitive role in making the cuisine stand out globally. Classes on Indian meat and poultry preparations and variations of Indian vegetables and spices will also be conducted for the delegation.

“In 2017, we collaborated with Turismo de Portugal to bring forward this exchange program. Tourism is a thriving industry in Portugal. We can work together to improve the level of instruction we provide to our students. We are carefully collaborating with the Portuguese student group to give them a taste of India’s rich gastronomic and cultural legacy. This is the first time we are hosting the students after the pandemic, and we are ecstatic to have such a versatile and enthusiastic group of budding hoteliers at our campus. We hope this visit truly helps an exchange of ideas and knowledge between the two countries.” opines Professor Irfan Mirza, Director & Principal of the V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education.

The four-week-long program will conclude with the VMSIIHE issuing certificates of training to the visiting students and teachers. The second leg of the cultural exchange program will involve students of VMSIIHE visiting Portugal on a similar trip soon to raise awareness of the value of training for the growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in both countries.

Bangalore, February 16, 2023: In the post-pandemic era, as parents around the world look for blended learning solutions for their children, award-winning global live-learning platform BrightCHAMPS has launched its phygital model for life-skills learning, aptly named the BrightCHAMPS Next-Gen Hub.

The tech platform is planning more such Hubs across major cities in India, Indonesia, and UAE in the next 2 years.

The first-of-its-kind life-skills learning center offers hybrid STEM-accredited classes based on a curriculum extensively reviewed by an independent Global Curriculum Advisory Board with world-renowned experts from Roblox, Kyron Learning, GEMS Education, and Nous Group. The courses are in crucial subjects such as coding, robotics, financial literacy, and communications – things that are often overlooked in traditional schooling systems but are necessary for success in a digital world without borders. The first Hub opened its doors this week in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, while the second is slated to follow soon, in May 2023, also in Vietnam.

Speaking at the launch, BrightCHAMPS Founder and CEO, Ravi Bhushan said, “Our number one priority has always been to help our students achieve the best possible learning outcomes across all four next-gen skills. Our research with over 5,000 parents and students across India, US, UK, UAE, Australia, and South East Asia showed us a strong preference for a blended approach that combines the best of both worlds – the convenience of online tools and social learning in group sessions at offline Hubs. We’ve also learned that parents look towards global companies like BrightCHAMPS to simplify their lives by being the one-stop destination for all life skills learning for their kids. So we’re definitely looking to establish more BrightCHAMPS Next-Gen Hubs in the coming year.”

In the recent Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 to promote formal skill training, especially in new-age courses such as coding, AI, Robotics, and 3D Printing. This will lead to the creation of a job-ready workforce and increase the overall employability in the youth of the country. The ultimate goal is to reap the benefits of India’s demographic dividend, help kids and youth grow into adults who are well-equipped to be a part of the global workforce, and transform the country into the skilling capital of the world.

Elaborating on this, Aditya Gupta, the global head of the BrightCHAMPS Next-Gen Hub project, said, “The BrightCHAMPS Next-Gen Hubs is our attempt to upskill our kids and help them become global citizens. Through blended courses that cover entrepreneurship, finance, tech, coding, communications, robotics, and AI, our Champs will be encouraged to explore their interests and experiment with different disciplines to help them feel more confident when they step into the real world and pick their professional fields. We also rigorously ensure that only the Top 5% of teachers are appointed at all Hubs, after evaluation on 12-point evaluation criteria and certified by top universities in the world.”

A study conducted by the Center for Digital Education showed that 73% of teachers who use hybrid learning reported increased student engagement, 60% of teachers said it improved their students’ academic ability and up to 94% of all students engaged in a blended learning program finished the selected course successfully. Yet another study done by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that students who learn using a “blended phygital” approach, report better levels of understanding in reading as well as Maths.