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New Delhi, 19th February 2024 – INDE Racing, India’s first ever FIM-licensed team, soared to new heights on the international stage at the recent FIM e-xplorer World Cup. The team, led by last season’s champion Sandra Gomez, secured a historic third place on the podium and heralded the first time ever an Indian registered team has achieved this milestone in an international FIM global competition and with all the world’s top teams taking part.

The first race of this season was held over the weekend at the Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Osaka and was attended by HE Hirofumi Yoshimura, Governor of Osaka’s prefecture, thousands of fans and a number of local dignitaries and officials.

INDE Racing’s Sandra Gomez and Spenser Wilton who has Indian descent, showcased their talent in navigating the challenging course with finesse and speed. Their exceptional skills, coupled with the team’s strategic approach and cutting-edge technology, propelled INDE Racing to a very creditable 121 points overall. As newcomers, who were competing in their first ever race against opponents who had far greater global experience, INDE Racing managed to stamp its authority and lay down a strong marker for the rest of the season.

The overall race ended with the Japanese Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) claiming the top spot with 132 points and Robbie Maddison Racing coming second with 131 points.

Abhishek Reddy Kankanala, owner of KSG and INDE Racing, expressed immense pride in the team’s achievement, said, “This podium finish is a significant and historic milestone for Indian motorsport on a global stage. It is testament to our hard work and collective effort especially given this is our debut season and the first race we have competed in at this level. This special moment in history is for our sponsors and partners who have been instrumental in their unstinting support for the team and most importantly for our fans across the globe who have been cheering for us.”

The second race of the 2024 FIM e-xplorer World Cup will take place in Norway in May.

New Delhi, February 19, 2024: Kurkure, India’s most loved snack brand unveils its latest positioning, ‘Chatpate Se Sab Patein’ as a stance against conformity, encouraging individuals to embrace their orginality. This positioning has been brought to life through a campaign a TVC spearheaded by its charismatic brand ambassador Sara Ali Khan. This campaign perfectly captures the essence of breaking conformity while maintaining the warmth and quirkiness that Kurkure has always been known for.

Kurkure has always been a family entertainer and a household name in the country, infusing quirky masti through compelling storytelling and innovative products. Upholding this very spirit with ‘Chatpate Se Sab Patein’, the brand aspires to inspire individuals to liberate themselves from the pressures of a set culture and wholeheartedly embrace the freeing spirit of anti-hustle. Embracing a balanced lifestyle over relentless work, this culture reflects a collective desire for well-being and fulfillment, challenging traditional notions of success with a more holistic approach.

The TVC kicks off with Sara as a bride, looking radiant on her wedding day, standing on the stage. When her boss, Sanjay, gets on the stage to congratulate her it results in a delightful exchange, he cheekily accuses Sara for not answering his phone in the morning. This elicits her witty “Sanjay” comebacks as she bites her a pellet of Kukure. Transitioning into a flashback where she is humorously cites examples of the different uncalled-for situations created by her boss and each of her family members comically contributing these instances to Sanjay with synchronized chants. Sara, in good spirits, jests about the reason her phone is always busy, the person who wishes her good morning before her mother, the person who keeps the chanting longer than her grandmother and the person who will unexpectedly be third wheeling on her honeymoon with Sanjay being at the epicentre of all these situations. The revelation of Sanjay as her boss results in a playful interaction, leaving the wedding guests in laughter. The TVC concludes with Sanjay claiming that he’s just her boss and only wants ‘kaam’ with a swift and witty reply from Sara- That’s right Sir, CalmDown! The scene effortlessly transitions to the satisfying crunch of Chatpate Kurkure, emphasizing the tagline – ‘Chatpate Se Sab Patein’.

Sharing her thoughts on the campaign, Brand Ambassador Sara Ali Khan said, “What is life without a harmonious work-life balance? Honestly, for me, it is nothing! Kurkure’s ‘Chatpate Se Sab Patein’ brilliantly takes on the cause of championing a balanced life with a twist of humour and relatability. I truly enjoyed playing a part in such a strong and often ignored narrative taken up by Kurkure. I’m sure our viewers will resonate with the feeling of having a ‘Sanjay’ in their life and my one mantra to all of them will be- Stay calm, bite into your favourite Kurkure and let the fun unfold.”

Expressing her excitement, Aastha Bhasin, Category Lead, Kurkure, at PepsiCo India, “Kurkure, India’s cherished snack brand, has woven itself into the fabric of India households through its quirky taglines and compelling narratives over the years. As a brand that strives on its close connection with its consumers, we realised the challenges that come with conformism and a fast-paced hustle culture. Backed by this very insight, we’re thrilled to introduce our fresh positioning – ‘Chatpate Se Sab Patein’. Infused with a dash of humour and cheek, this positioning encourages individuals to liberate themselves from the shackles of conformity and embrace a balanced life. Rooted in Kurkure’s creative essence, our campaign film, starring Sara, masterfully captures the heart of this narrative. She not only impeccably embodies the protagonist’s role but also infuses authenticity and relatability into the storyline, staying true to Kurkure’s distinctive and flavorful identity.”

Vikram Pandey (Spiky), National Creative Director, Leo Burnett said, “Kurkure as a brand has always encouraged its consumers to make brave choices albeit with its signature quirky humour. With this film we wanted to use this humour to land an important message against toxic conformity. One such example that our film brings to life is that of toxic bosses. Often working long hours has been seen as badge of honour, but in reality, it takes away from precious family time. Kurkure encourages everyone to break these toxic cycles as #ChatpateSeSabPatein”

National, 19 February 2024: coto, the social community platform exclusively designed for women, proudly announces the appointment of Ankhi Das as their Community Advisor for their diverse communities of KOLs and influencers. In this role, Ankhi will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various fields, including business, mental health, finance, and healthcare to further coto’s ethos of sisterhood and women empowerment.

The coto community advisory board aims to keep the platform true to coto’s mission and help women engage with freedom without the fear of being judged or trolled. As a Community Advisor, Ankhi will guide the content and community teams to build a safe and responsible digital environment for women to create and consume content, share opinions, gain knowledge, and build new connections thereby revolutionizing the way women engage with the digital world through paid consultation services globally. She will bring a fresh perspective to the team that will shape the philosophies and content of the community through a strong narrative on the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of women.

Ankhi Das is a Tech Investor and a seasoned public policy expert with extensive knowledge and expertise in the technology sector. For nearly a decade, she held the role of Facebook’s public policy leader for India and South and Central Asia, where she spearheaded one of the largest policy teams in the regional tech sector. Her strategic leadership played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s growth objectives, contributing significantly to the expansion of the Facebook family of apps in India from 8 million users in 2011 to over 450 million users by 2020. Before her tenure at Facebook, Ankhi Das enjoyed a distinguished career at Microsoft, where she assumed diverse roles, including serving as the Policy Director and Head of Corporate Citizenship for the company in India.

Commenting on Ankhi’s new onboarding, Aparna Acharekar, Co-Founder, coto said” As a creative women-only platform, we are thrilled to welcome Ankhi Das to the coto team. Her expertise in advancing women’s causes and her commitment to fostering safe and supportive online communities make her an invaluable addition to our team. With Ankhi’s leadership, we look forward to empowering women worldwide through coto’s ever-evolving platform. Her passion, personality, and thoughts will help us curate high-quality content to empower and educate women about various topics. I am confident their contributions will inspire and encourage women and build a truly empowered digital ecosystem.”

Expressing her excitement about joining coto, Ankhi shared, “I am delighted to be part of a platform that prioritizes the voices and experiences of women. coto’s dedication to creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering space matches my values. By joining the platform’s Community Advisory Board, I look forward to contributing to inspiring women to achieve their best, have faith in their capabilities, and pursue the unique paths they are drawn to. I’m certain that we’ll cultivate a supportive community of women creators brimming with innovative ideas for becoming digital entrepreneurs. I am confident coto’s mission of connecting and empowering women economically will strengthen both the sisterhood economy and our community of women.”

As a Technology executive with over twenty years of operating and leadership experience, Ankhi enjoys working at the intersection of tech policy, consumer markets, and entrepreneurship development. Ankhi is a postgraduate from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi where she studied Political Science and International Relations. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Duke Center for International Development, Duke University, USA.

Bengaluru, India – Feb 19, 2024: Samsung, India’s largest electronics brand, today announced an exciting cashback offer on Galaxy A34 5G smartphone. Galaxy A34 5G offers a premium experience with Samsung’s signature Galaxy design and flagship features like Nightography, which help consumers shoot sharper images and videos in low light conditions. With best-in-class IP67 rating, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, 4 Android OS upgrades, and 5 security updates, Galaxy A34 5G is designed to provide a worry-free user experience.

As a special offer, consumers can now purchase Galaxy A34 5G with an instant discount of INR 3000. Originally priced starting INR 27499 for the 8GB + 128 GB variant, consumers can now own Galaxy A34 5G at just INR 24499 and the 8GB + 256GB variant at just INR 26499.

Galaxy A34 5G features a floating camera setup as well as a metal camera deco which matches the device’s colour. It is available in four trendy colours – Violet, Lime, Silver and Graphite. Built to last, Galaxy A34 5G has spill and splash resistance with an IP67 rating, meaning, it can withstand 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Additionally, this smartphone comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection for improved scratch and drop protection. The vivid display on Galaxy A34 5G features true-to-life colours with Super AMOLED technology and the 120Hz refresh rate allows for incredibly smooth scene-to-scene transitions, even in fast motion.

Galaxy A34 5G comes with 48MP OIS primary lens, 8MP ultra-wide lens, and 5MP macro lens. Galaxy A34 5G also has multiple Camera AI features namely Object Eraser, Image Remaster and Image Clipper. The Object Eraser removes unwanted objects, shadows and reflections from the images. Image Remaster makes photos look even better due to its new image processing engine and Image Clipper lets consumers make cut-outs of the subjects of their photos and use them elsewhere.

Galaxy A34 5G comes with Samsung’s defense-grade security platform Knox which protects users personal data in real-time. Additionally, Galaxy A34 offers consumers a host of meaningful experiential features that enrich their lives. The unique Voice Focus feature allows users to enjoy clearer voice/video calls even with popular third party apps. Galaxy A34 5G comes with Samsung Wallet which lets consumers use the Tap and Pay feature with their credit cards, and a smooth UPI payments experience. Users can also securely access their Digital IDs such as PAN, Driving License, Vaccine certificates and many more with Samsung Wallet.

National, 19th Feb, 2023: BITS Pilani is delighted to announce that alumnus Chaitanya Kalipatnapu has made a significant contribution to the establishment of the BITS Endowment Fund, committing over one million dollars to his alma mater. This pledge not only propels the initiative forward but also sets a precedent for alumni engagement and contribution.

Chaitanya is the co-founder of Eruditus group, which is a global leader in professional education. His career journey included roles at Sun Microsystems and INSEAD, where he also served as President of the Alumni Association’s India chapter. He is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and visiting lecturer at INSEAD.His commitment to BITS Pilani is longstanding, evidenced by a INR 2 Crore donation to establish the Kalipatnapu AR-VR Lab, aimed at fostering innovation in augmented and virtual reality technologies.

Chaitanya has been honoured as an inaugural “Lifelong Learning Laureate” by the Haas School at the University of California, Berkeley. He actively supports educational and sport initiatives through the Kalipatnapu Foundation. In recognition of his contributions to entrepreneurship and philanthropy, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2023 from BITS Pilani in the category of Public Life/Entrepreneurship/Philanthropy.

Chaitanya stated “BITS Pilani played a pivotal role in my personal and professional growth. This small gesture would support the Institution in driving further impact through high-quality education and in creating a sustainable ecosystem of excellence”.

Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani, expressed appreciation for Chaitanya’s pivotal role as one of the founders of the Endowment Fund, stating, “The remarkable progress achieved by BITS Pilani Alumni Relations in just over 5 years since its inception underscores the significance of this culture of giving back in the Institute’s history. We are delighted to welcome Chaitanya as a founder of the Endowment Fund and eagerly anticipate his active participation in the Institute’s activities and future growth endeavours.”

Prof. Arya Kumar, Dean of Alumni Relations and an esteemed alumnus himself remarked, “Chaitanya’s altruism will be remembered, and its impact will endure indefinitely. We are honoured to have a distinguished professional of his calibre who has brought name and fame to the institution by not only as an entrepreneur but also through his philanthropic initiatives to transform the society at large.”

BITS Pilani, with its illustrious alumni network, remains dedicated to nurturing a tradition of excellence with the continued support from its global alumni community.

INDIA, February 19, 2024 — New research commissioned by IBM (NYSE: IBM) found that about 59% of enterprise-scale organizations (over 1,000 employees) surveyed in India have AI actively in use in their businesses. The ‘IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023’ found early adopters are leading the way, with 74% of those Indian enterprises already working with AI, having accelerated their investments in AI in the past 24 months in areas like R&D and workforce reskilling.

Ongoing challenges for AI adoption remain, including hiring employees with the right skillsets and ethical concerns, inhibiting businesses from adopting AI technologies into their operations. Therefore, in 2024 addressing these inhibitors would be a priority, like providing people with the relevant skills to work with AI and having a robust AI governance framework.

“The increase in AI adoption and investments by Indian enterprises is a good indicator that they are already experiencing the benefits from AI. However, there is still a significant opportunity to accelerate as many businesses are hesitant to move beyond experimentation and deploy AI at scale,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia. “To harness its full potential in the coming months, data and AI governance tools are going to be critical for building AI models responsibly that enterprises can trust and confidently adopt. Without the use of governance tools, AI can expose companies to data privacy issues, legal complications, and ethical dilemmas – cases of which we have already seen plaguing many across the world,” he added.

Highlights for India from the ‘IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023’ conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM:

Over the last several years, AI adoption has remained steady at large organizations surveyed: 

• Today, 59% of IT professionals at large organizations report that they have actively deployed AI while an additional 27% are actively exploring using the technology.
• Similarly, around 6 in 10 of IT professionals at enterprises report that their company is actively implementing generative AI and another 34% are exploring it.
• 74% of IT professionals at companies deploying or exploring AI indicate that their company has accelerated their investments in or rollout of AI in the past 24 months in areas like R&D (67%), reskilling/ workforce development (55%) and building proprietary AI solutions (53%).

Easier to use AI tools and the need to reduce costs and automate processes are driving AI adoption among surveyed companies:

• Advances in AI tools that make them more accessible (59%), the need to reduce costs and automate key processes (48%), and the increasing amount of AI embedded into standard off the shelf business applications (47%) are the top factors driving AI adoption.

The skills gap remains the biggest barrier to AI adoption in India:

• The top 5 barriers hindering successful AI adoption at enterprises both exploring or deploying AI are limited AI skills and expertise (30%), lack of tools/platforms for developing AI models (28%), AI projects are too complex or difficult to integrate and scale (27%), ethical concerns (26%) and too much data complexity (25%).

The need for trustworthy and governed AI is well understood, but barriers are making it difficult for surveyed companies in India to put into practice: 

• IT professionals are largely in agreement that consumers are more likely to choose services from companies with transparent and ethical AI practices (98% strongly or somewhat agree) and 94% say being able to explain how their AI reached a decision is important to their business (among companies exploring or deploying AI).
• However, despite understanding its importance only a minority are taking key steps towards trustworthy AI like reducing bias (36%), tracking data provenance (46%), making sure they can explain the decisions of their AI models (52%), or developing ethical AI policies (46%).
• The top barriers for developing trustworthy and ethical AI are the lack of an AI strategy (57%), lack of company guidelines (55%) and lack of AI governance and management tools that work across all data environments (55%).

Among surveyed organizations in India, AI is already having an impact on the workforce:

• Among companies citing AI’s use to address labor or skills shortages, they are tapping AI to do things like reduce manual or repetitive tasks with automation tools (63%), automate customer self-service answers and actions (63%) or using AI to improve recruiting and human resources (56%).
• 46% are currently training or reskilling employees to work together with new automation and AI tools. 51% said that employees at their organization are excited to work with new AI and automation tools.

Bangalore, February 19, 2024: Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel manufacturer and exporter, has extended its support to multiple schools in the city to bring meaningful and positive changes in the traditional education system. As part of this Akshara program initiative, Shahi collaborated with the Government Model Higher Primary School, located in Chokkasandra, Peenya, and has provided a computer lab and extended support in supplying basic amenities, including a sanitary napkin incinerator machine. The inauguration of the new facility was held in the city in the presence of the Shahi team, school authorities, teachers, and children.

Sharing details of the infrastructural development of the school, Shahi highlighted the below list of amenities that are provided to the school children:

· Computer Lab: 10 computers and UPS batteries for the children from 5th to 8th standard

· Floor Art painting (Nali Kali Thattegalu) for the 1st to 3rd standard children

· Basic Amenities: Cupboards, sports materials, library books, green boards, a suggestion box, chairs, tables, and academic-related charts for all the children and staff

· Interactive Screen for audio-visual tools and virtual classes: this will be utilized by 1st to 8th-standard students for smart class

· Sanitary Napkin Incinerator: for the girls to burn the sanitary napkin during school hours. This will help to maintain hygiene.

The event was graced by Anjanappa, Block Education Officer, Peenya Bangalore; Mr. M. Muniyappa, BBMP Corporator, Bangalore North along with senior officials from Shahi: Mr. Venkata Chalapathy, Senior General Manager, Human Resource; Ms. Chitra Prasad, Senior General Manager, Organizational Development; Ms. Suguna Sarojini Manne, Senior Manager; and Mr. Ramprasad Murugesan, General Manager Production.

The Akshara program is developed under Shahi’s Shikshanam initiative. The program conducts a thorough need-assessment study to understand issues of the schools and Anganwadis and builds a plan to provide support. The issues found in the assessment highlighted a need for infrastructural improvement, basic amenities for school children to access education, and academic encouragement. Shahi has nationally impacted around 2824 children, 11296 parents, and family members through this Akshara program.

Mumbai, February 19: Cathay Cargo, a global leader in the air cargo industry, received the ‘Air Cargo Sustainability Leader of the Year’ award at Air Cargo India 2024 hosted by STAT Times. Director of Cathay Cargo, Tom Owen accepted the award that recognizes Cathay Cargo’s dedication to sustainability and commitment to creating a greener future.

Commenting on the win, Mr. Owen said, “Globally, aviation contributes to about 2% of carbon emissions and we have a role to play in combating climate change. To this end, we are constantly exploring solutions that will help create a more sustainable future. This recognition is a testament to the collective efforts of our team aimed at bringing us closer to our vision of being the world’s Most Sustainable Cargo Airline.”

The airline received the award for its array of initiatives including commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, pioneering Corporate SAF Programme, and its roadmap to making Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) account for 10% of its total fuel consumption by 2030. Moreover, its dedication to sustainability and social responsibility through initiatives like ‘Greener Together’.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Cathay Cargo has integrated its voluntary carbon-offset program Fly Greener into its online booking platform Click & Ship thus offering customers a more sustainable cargo solution, enabling them to effortlessly offset CO2 emissions with a single click.

Cathay has also introduced more fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet, such as the Airbus A350, A321neo, and Boeing 777-9X models scheduled to be delivered from 2025. These aircraft promise 20% greater efficiency than their predecessors, resulting in substantial reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Equipped with cutting-edge Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines, these aircraft offer fuel consumption and emissions reductions of up to 40% compared to older models like the 747F, while also outperforming competitors in efficiency.

The STAT Times International Award for Excellence in Cargo are decided based on two rounds of online voting by STAT Times magazine readers. Following suggestions from the readers for each category, the top five nominations are shared, and voting is opened for readers to pick their top company or individual, making winners a true choice of the industry.

Mumbai, 19th February 2024: Prepare for laughter galore as Zee Café brings you the uproarious “Breaking In”! Brace yourself to encounter a mismatched group of lovable housebreakers with hearts of gold, transforming pandemonium into comedy every weekday at 6 PM starting February 20th. Anticipate fumbling burglaries, eccentric disguises, and uproarious mishaps as these endearing rogues navigate unexpected twists and turns of each heist. So, bid farewell to the drama and immerse yourself in the pure comedic delight of “Breaking In” – where laughter is the ultimate prize!

Picture this: an unconventional security firm that breaks into houses to demonstrate the need for security. Enter Oz, the charmingly dubious leader with a moral compass that raises eyebrows and a wardrobe stocked with disguises that would make Mission: Impossible envious (portrayed by the ever-charismatic Christian Slater). Then there’s Cameron, the tech-savvy voice of reason amid Oz’s flamboyant chaos (played by Bret Harrison), and the rest of the crew—a diverse assembly of misfits with more heart than brains (although just enough brains to execute the occasional heist, sort of). Buckle up, comedy connoisseurs, because “Breaking In” will burst into your living room and crack open your funny bone like a bank vault. Don’t miss out on the hilarity, exclusively on Zee Café.

Bumbling burglars and big belly laugh from 20th February on weekdays at 6 PM only on Zee Café

[Lisbon, Portugal, February 19, 2024] At the TM Forum Accelerate week, the catalyst project “Intelligent and Value-Driven Network Operations Transformation,” incubated by Huawei and telecom operators China Mobile, STC (Saudi Arabia), and Hong Kong Telecom, etc., was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to TM Forum Assets Award. Presented by TM Forum, this award recognizes a team that has made the most significant contribution to the value of TM Forum’s assets based on the results of a Catalyst project.

The catalyst project leverages several capabilities from Huawei intelligent operations solution. The new metric EDNS (Expected Demand Not Served), the new platform iEM (intelligent Event Management), the new value framework VOF (Value Operations Framework), and cutting-edge technologies like AI and Graph Neural Networks (GNN). These capabilities collectively enhance operational efficiency by prioritizing work order based on service impact, thereby transforming operational mode.

The project team actively contributed over 30 standard proposals across various TMF working groups including AI Closed-loop Automation (AICLA), Measuring and Managing Autonomy (MAMA), Open Digital Architecture (ODA), and TechCo Organization Design (TCOD). These standards cover topics such as EDNS definition and implementation, iEM platform components, VOF for measuring the business value of operation, and talent skill transformation framework. The series of standards provide industry proven references to implement digital transformation and autonomous operation.