Category technology

New Delhi,1st August 2023 Aspire Impact, a leading ESG, Sustainability, and Impact Assessment initiative in India, took a significant stride in tackling environmental challenges during a recent Global Consultation today, alongside Aspire Circle and TERI, its co-hosts. The global consultation titled “Catalysing inclusive Climate Innovations for the Global Impact Economy”, witnessed massive participation from experts representing corporates, SMEs, banks, investors, policymakers, politics, think tanks, and climate organizations. The focus of the event was to seek feedback on two ground-breaking research publications from two Working Groups set up ahead of the meeting on “Unlocking Climate Technologies for Global South” and “Catalyzing Climate and ESG-led Finance for SMEs and Supply Chains”.

The two working groups, each with a 25-strong group of experts, including Chief Sustainability Officers, ESG & Impact Leaders, and SME Platforms, collaborated for two months to jointly publish these research publications. Aspire Impact and Aspire Circle partnered with TERI, Mahindra University, m1Xchange, Desai & Associates, Capgemini, Protean e-gov, and The Rockefeller Foundation to present these publications.

The first Working Group, “Catalysing Climate and ESG-led Finance for SMEs and Supply Chains” outlines a visionary idea to establish a correlation between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, sustainability practices, and their impact on cost-efficient climate finance for SMEs and Supply chains. This can be achieved by leveraging Open Digital Eco-Systems (ODEs) to facilitate the discovery of climate finance opportunities and enhance the capacity of SMEs and supply chains, ultimately leading to their integration into an impactful movement and accelerating the transition towards achieving Net Zero emissions. An ODE with a clear purpose has the potential to catalyze the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make SMEs future-ready.

The second Working Group, “Unlocking Climate Technologies for Global South” envisions the establishment of a Climate Technologies Clearing House (CTCH). This innovative hub will serve as a Trade Hub, facilitating the transfer of climate technologies to governments and corporations in Global South nations. It addresses their need for financial assistance, smooth and transparent buyer-supplier discovery, and capacity-building to meet their commitments under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.

Speaking about the impact of the event, Amit Bhatia, Founder & CEO of Aspire Impact and Aspire Circle, said, “The Global Consultation with over 200 practitioners for our two research publications, co-authored by 50 experts, has been a remarkable T20 achievement. The recommendations of (i) a dedicated private initiative to build a facility for climate technology transfer from Global North to Global South, and (ii) Linking supply-chain financing to Climate action and ESG ratings are both a first for G20, as is the participation from Chief Sustainability Officers, ESG & Impact Leaders, and SME Platforms. These two recommendations help global SMEs and Big Business alike, while accelerating our planet’s transition to Net Zero.”

The two working groups included CXOs and leaders from around the world.

“Catalyzing Climate and ESG-led Finance for SMEs and Supply Chains” was co-authored by Abhishake Kumar Karn, Head, PSL Wholesale & MSME – RBL Bank; Dr. Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Senior Manager of Metrics and Research – Global Alliance for Banking on Values; Amit Bhatia, Founder & CEO – Aspire Circle & Aspire Impact; Anna Bruni Sabhaney, Founder – The Confluencers; Aparna Soni Bhalla, Relationship Manager, Trade & Supply Chain Finance – Asian Development Bank; Bhavya Sharma, Director, Communications & ESG – Urban Company; Debaroti Sarkar, Assistant Director, Knowledge Development – Aspire Impact; Fernando Cortes McAllister, Executive Director – Fundación Bolivar Davivienda; Harpreet Kaur Ghai, Director, Knowledge Development – Aspire Impact; Jamuna Rao Verghese, Managing Partner – Dancing Rain Capital; Jinesh Shah, Managing Partner – Omnivore; Kartikeya Nitin Desai, Founder & CEO – Desai & Associates; K.S. Priyadarshini, Sustainable Finance Lead – HSBC Commercial Banking India; Manish Kumar, Head-ESG & CSR – ICICI Bank Limited; Dr. Manish Kumar Shrivastava, Senior Fellow – TERI; Manjari Atroley, Co-Founder and Director – 2nd October Inc.; Meeta Narsinghani, Associate Partner – Circulate Capital; Rekha Krishnan, Managing Partner – WEFT Research LLP and Strategic Advisor – CLEAN; Rohit Bhatia, Chief Product Officer – Aspire Impact; Saneesh Singh, Independent Director and Former MD & CEO – Día Vikas Capital; Sangeeta Robinson, CSO – PVR Cinemas; Sundeep Mohindru, Founder Director – M1xchange; Suresh Sethi, Managing Director & CEO – Protean e-Gov Technologies Ltd.

“Unlocking Climate Technologies for Global South” was co-authored by Alok Jagdhari, Managing Partner – 92 Angels; Alka Talwar, Ex-Chief CSR & Sustainability Officer – Tata Chemical Limited; Founder & CEO – Aspire Circle & Aspire Impact; Dr. Amrita Goldar Senior Fellow and Thematic Lead – Climate Change Urbanization and Sustainability, ICRIER; Anirban Ghosh, Head, Centre for Sustainability – Mahindra University and Former Group CSO – Mahindra Group; Anurag Pratap, Vice President & CSR Leader – Capgemini; Ashish Mehta, Founder & Managing Partner – Second Nature Sustainable Solutions; Corey Glickman, VP, Global Head Sustainability and Design Consulting Services – Infosys; Girish Sethi, Senior Director, Energy Program -TERI, New Delhi; Harpreet Kaur Ghai, Director, Knowledge Development – Aspire Impact; Kartikeya Nitin Desai, Founder & CEO – Desai & Associates; Kavita Jadeja, Sustainability Professional; Kiran Sarkar, Head Sustainability (Automation & Farm Equipment Sector) – Mahindra & Mahindra Limited; Masood Mallick, CEO – Re Sustainability Limited; Rahul Singh Tomar, Associate, Chief of Staff to the CEO – Ather Energy; Rajeev Kumar, Vice President, Business Development and Integration – bp India; Rohit Bhatia, Chief Product Officer – Aspire Impact; Ruhana Zariwala, Global Head – Sustainability – Cipla Ltd; Sabina Curatolo, Impact Consultant; Dr. Sunita Purushottam, Board Chairman Global Building performanceNetwork and Head sustainability and CSR – Mahindra Lifespaces Developer Ltd.; Suruchi Bhadwal, Senior Fellow and Program Director, Climate and Air – TERI; Swapnil Joshi, Director, Sustainability & Design – Infosys Ltd.; Tanya Singhal, Founder – Mynzo Carbon (MyNetZero); Zarmeen Pavri, Co-Founder and Partner – SDGx

India, 28th July 2023: Selligion Technologies, makers of the world’s first consumer cloud computer, raised INR 5 crore in a pre-Series A round led by Malpani Ventures, one of the most respected VC firms in the country that helps and funds frugal innovations. They are leading the round with an investment of INR 3 crores, with the remaining investment being contributed by leading entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and investors from India, Singapore, and the USA. The funds raised will be used for research and development and to augment the manufacturing efforts for Selligion’s next phase of expansion.

Selligion Technologies’ focus is to change the face of learning and redefine computing in India by leveraging cloud technology and providing affordable yet uncompromised computers on a subscription model to every Indian student deprived of quality computing ecosystem due to a lack of spending capabilities.

Commenting on the collaboration Apeksha Mehta, Co-Founder and Spokesperson at Selligion Technologies, said, “At Selligion, we are dedicated to empowering every child with essential digital skills by offering a powerful computer hardware, a user-friendly operating system, and a robust cloud infrastructure. Thanks to our recent Pre-Series round A funding, we are poised to make significant strides in our mission. Our research efforts will focus on further enhancing our offerings, with the aim of increasing our manufacturing capacity multi-fold—allowing us to reach more than 1 lakh students by March 2024. Through our subscription-based model, we are committed to providing affordable and easily accessible advanced computers to students across India. These devices will serve as a catalyst for their growth, equipping them with the necessary digital skills to pursue rewarding careers.”

Dr. Aniruddha Malpani of Malpani Ventures, a pioneer in the field of medicine and one of the most celebrated champions for the cause of education for all, added, “Embracing digital literacy is the key to unlocking India’s potential, but with only 10-15 per cent of Indian homes owning a computer, our nation’s digital infrastructure demands immediate strengthening. We aim to bridge this divide, creating a technologically inclusive ecosystem that empowers every learner, regardless of their background, to thrive in the digital age. By strengthening our digital foundations, we can forge a brighter, more equitable future for our beloved nation.”

Selligion delivers a powerful, no-compromise home computer loaded with all the apps needed for school and office work, along with a Keyboard and Mouse. Selligion Praho is the world’s first hybrid cloud computer, specially designed to solve all possible use cases in education. Selligion Praho is conceptualized and designed in India and runs on Selligion Abacca OS.

Bangalore, India 21st July 2023– Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW), formerly known as Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI), announces the setting up of the Community Engagement and Training Center at Koramangala Police Station. The project, envisioned as a community hub and designed in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, will aid the Bangalore City Police through community collaboration and prepare to mitigate future outbreaks and pandemics through a participatory approach.

Located at the Office of Deputy Commissioner of Police, South-East Division in Bangalore, this multifunctional hub is designed to facilitate training programs, meetings, and strategic planning, while fostering an environment for effective community engagement. With a capacity to accommodate up to 100 people, the hub represents a significant step towards enhancing the relationship between law enforcement and the community. This versatile space can serve as a training centre, meeting hall, and war room, enabling the Bangalore City Police and community members to work together seamlessly and effectively. The infrastructure is uniquely constructed using the Brutalist style of Architecture Design. It is eco-friendly, i.e., without any plastering or painting, thereby reducing the carbon footprints of the building. The windows and doors were built using basic aluminum extrusions, thereby avoiding timber use. Apart from being sustainable and eco-friendly, this design is very functional when it comes to thermal effects and acoustic advantages. This kind of construction can be built faster and easy to maintain, compared to ordinary plastered and painted buildings.

RK Shenoy, Senior VP – Mobility Engineering & Member of Executive Leadership Team, at Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) says the project is not limited to the structure but how communities get involved closely and promote a safe empowered society. “The Stakeholder Visioning Exercise helped us ideate on how this Center could be a true potential for the community, wherein the Police Force becomes an agent of goodness and various social groups could come and sensitize the public on many relevant topics of the day. The infrastructure could aid the Police Force to join hands with the community and be prepared to mitigate future outbreaks and beyond pandemics through a participatory approach. This ideation led to the creation of a Community Engagement Centre at Koramangala Police Station,” said RK Shenoy.

Shri. C K Baba, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (South-East) Bengaluru City, said, “We are thrilled to see the establishment of the Community Engagement and Training Center at Koramangala Police Station. This multifunctional hub represents a significant step towards enhancing the relationship between law enforcement and the community. We applaud BGSW for their commitment to community collaboration and look forward to the positive impact this center will have on our city that aims to bring organisations, law enforcement and citizens closer.”

BGSW proudly handed over the setup to the officials on February 10, 2023, with hope that it will be utilized to serve the community and the people from the neighborhoods. On March 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the community hub hosted a session for Women in the Police Force, recognizing the work of Rani Chennamma Pade who has been focussing on awareness campaigns for the safety of women citizens across the city.

NOIDA, India and NEW YORK, July 20, 2023: HCLTech, a leading global technology company, has joined the XR Startup Program, an initiative between Meta and the MeitY Startup Hub to discover, nurture and accelerate extended reality (XR) technology startups in India.

“We are thrilled to participate in the XR Startup Program to mentor and support startups and innovators in emerging technologies including augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality. Digital engineering is of strategic focus to HCLTech and our involvement in this program reinforces our commitment to nurturing emerging technologies and innovation to drive all-around growth,” said Vijay Guntur, President, Engineering and R&D Services, HCLTech.

As a knowledge partner of this program, HCLTech will help foster a vibrant ecosystem in which Indian startups can pioneer and develop innovative services, hardware and software solutions with focus on education, healthcare and agri-tech, creating significant economic, social and environmental impact.

“The XR Startup Program is playing a crucial role in supporting startups embrace extended reality technologies. We are delighted to collaborate with HCLTech for this program. Their leadership and guidance as a trusted partner will greatly benefit the program participants and further Meta’s vision of nurturing immersive technologies and innovation in India to make the country a hub for these emerging technologies,” said Shivnath Thukral, Director and Head Public Policy, India, Meta.

HCLTech’s subject matter experts will provide one-on-one mentorship to the startups, leading thought leadership sessions and providing valuable business and industry perspectives. As the program progresses, the startups may leverage HCLTech’s global infrastructure, next-generation engineering technology and innovation labs to develop, test and validate their use cases.

“MeitY Startup Hub’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship has made India the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. The next wave of innovation, transformation and investments is in XR technologies and the metaverse, and the ‘XR Accelerator’ program will ensure that Indian startups are at the forefront of developing, launching and scaling immersive technology solutions for the global markets. Active collaboration of the academia and industry leaders provides practical guidance and support to the startups to become leaders for this new era,” said Jeet Vijay, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub.

The XR Startup Program is contributing to India’s efforts in establishing a foundation for the metaverse while fostering the development of XR technologies within the country. This aligns with the country’s vision of transforming the next decade into a ‘Techade’, enabling opportunities for the youth of India.

The Indian Music Experience Museum (IME) will host a lecture demonstration by Dr. Kaustuv Kanti Ganguli. It will look at new psychoacoustic and scientific approaches to music appreciation in the context of Hindustani Music.

Dr Ganguli will illustrate how our auditory system perceives and processes the rich tonal intricacies of ragas and share insights on how pitch, timbre, and rhythm interact to evoke deep emotional responses. Further, delving into the intersection of music and technology, the lecture will demonstrate how computational models can aid in understanding the structural patterns, melodic variations, and improvisational techniques employed in Hindustani classical music.

The lecture will be followed by a Khayal performance exploring the expressive world of Raag Bhairavi.

Accompanying artists;

Dr. Ravindran Katoti (Harmonium)
Shri Yogeesh Bhat (Tabla)

Venue: Indian Music Experience Museum, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Bengaluru.
Date: 20 July 2023
Time: 05:00 pm to 07:15 pm
Event is open to all.

Mumbai, 6th July 2023 – Quick Heal Technologies Ltd., a leading global cybersecurity solutions provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Vishal Salvi as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, effective immediately. Salvi, a former executive at Infosys, brings with him over 29 years of experience in driving excellence in the cybersecurity and information technology domains in India and globally.

Prior to joining Quick Heal Technologies, Salvi held the position of Global Chief Information Security Officer, Business Head of Cybersecurity Service Line & Senior Vice President at Infosys Ltd. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in shaping the information and cyber security strategy across the Infosys Group. Salvi’s extensive expertise in cybersecurity and information technology has been honed through various leadership roles at renowned organizations such as PwC, HDFC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Global Trust Bank, Development Credit Bank, and Crompton Greaves.

Dr. Kailash Katkar, Chairman and Managing Director, Quick Heal Technologies Ltd., will continue the role of Chairman and Managing Director. Dr. Katkar’s exceptional leadership has been instrumental in the company’s remarkable growth and success. Under his visionary guidance, Quick Heal expanded its presence in the enterprise cybersecurity space in 2015 with the introduction of the acclaimed brand ‘SEQRITE’ while retaining a dominant market share in the retail segment. With his proactive direction, the company embraced a goal to make ‘Cybersafety a fundamental right for all’ and continue to make significant efforts to address the awareness gaps that have left billions of individuals, businesses, and governments vulnerable to cyber-threats worldwide.

Expressing his confidence in the new leadership appointment, Dr. Kailash Katkar stated, “I warmly welcome Vishal Salvi to the Quick Heal family. Our team has tirelessly worked to deliver robust cybersecurity solutions, and I take immense pride in the significant business value we have created for all stakeholders. With customer centricity and innovation as our driving forces, I am confident that Quick Heal will continue to secure individuals, organizations, and nations. Together with Vishal Salvi as our CEO, we are fully committed to transforming the cybersecurity ecosystem in India and solidifying our position on the global map.”

In response to his appointment, Vishal Salvi commented, “I am deeply honored to assume the role of CEO at Quick Heal Technologies Ltd. Quick Heal has earned a solid reputation as a trusted leader in the cybersecurity industry, and I am incredibly excited to lead this exceptional team into the future. In the face of constantly evolving cyber threats and the critical importance of prioritizing digital security, I am fully committed to the shared goal of making ‘Cybersafety a fundamental right for all.’ I am eager to drive growth, cultivate a culture of innovation, and provide unmatched value to our customers and stakeholders. Together, we will strive to create a cyber-secure world for everyone.”

The appointment of Vishal Salvi as the CEO and with Dr. Kailash Katkar as the Chairman and Managing Director marks a significant milestone for Quick Heal Technologies Ltd. Their combined expertise, leadership, and industry knowledge will further fortify the company’s position as a global leader in cybersecurity.

Bangalore, 05th July 2023 – Lloyds Banking Group, one of the leading UK-based financial services groups has announced the appointment of Sirisha Voruganti as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of its new Lloyds Technology Centre, based in Hyderabad, India. Ms Voruganti, a globally renowned technology and innovation leader joins from JCPenney, where she has served as the Managing Director and member of the Board for JCPenney in India.

Ms. Voruganti has extensive experience in IT architecture, data engineering, and fintech innovation and has held several senior technology positions in multiple global firms. She was the first woman Managing Director for JP Morgan Chase in Technology in India and has served as an Executive Vice President of Architecture, Data and Shared Services for Mastercard.

Ms. Voruganti is passionate about building a high-performing engineering organisation as well as being committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within technology roles. Her impressive track record includes steering organisations through significant transformation and has been an inspiration for women in technology, exemplified by her creation of India’s first safety device for women’s protection.

Sirisha Voruganti said: “I am thrilled to be leading Lloyds Technology Centre during this pivotal phase of Lloyds Banking Group’s digital transformation. The new technology centre will allow us to tap into the extraordinary technology talent and expertise in India. It presents an incredible opportunity for brilliant and enthusiastic people looking to enhance their skills to drive innovation for Lloyds Banking Group’s customers.”

Commenting on the appointment, Ron van Kemenade, Group Chief Operating Officer at Lloyds Banking Group said: “Welcoming Sirisha Voruganti marks a significant stride forward in our plans to establish our new technology centre. With her outstanding background, extensive experience and leadership qualities, I’m delighted that she’s chosen to join Lloyds Technology Centre and excited about her passion for using technology and innovation to deliver great experiences for our customers.”

Sirisha Voruganti will assume her role as CEO and Managing Director of Lloyds Technology Centre later this month, overseeing its establishment and longer-term growth strategy.

Bengaluru,6th July 2023 To provide advanced powering solutions for India’s gas power sector, GE Vernova’s Gas Power business (NYSE:GE) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) announced today the continuation of their long-term cooperation with the fourth extension of the Technical Assistance and License Agreement including scope for the engineering and manufacturing of heavy-duty gas turbines in India. The signing of the agreement is an extension to the collaboration between the two power sector industrial companies that started in July 1986.

The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Nalin Shinghal, Chairman & Managing Director, BHEL; Mr. Jai Prakash Srivastava, Director (Engineering, Research & Development) & Director (Finance – Addl. Charge) BHEL; Mrs. Renuka Gera, Director Industrial Systems & Products, BHEL; Mr. Deepesh Nanda, CEO, GE Gas Power South Asia and President & CEO, GE Aero-derivative Business, Gas Power Asia and other senior officials from GE and BHEL. Mr. Theodoros Stamatiadis, Executive Counsel (IP), GE Power also participated in the meeting virtually.

Through this agreement, GE Vernova’s Gas Power business will continue to strengthen BHEL’s capabilities to offer best-in-class gas turbine technology and help meet the power plant requirements of customers. Till date, BHEL has supplied about 230 GE gas turbines to various oil refineries, process industries, and utilities in India and overseas. The above cooperation is also contributing towards reshaping India’s energy roadmap by promoting indigenous manufacturing capabilities, creating new job opportunities, and expanding the supply chain network. It is a testimony to Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) and Make In India initiatives, and also aligned with India’s Power Vision.

“BHEL has been providing innovative technological solutions in the power sector and embracing collaborations built on values of trust and commitment towards creating a more sustainable ecosystem. Our long-term association with GE helped us in building a robust energy value chain, offering a comprehensive portfolio of gas turbine powering solutions, and setting new industry benchmarks, while we look forward to achieving new milestones in the energy sector. With the new agreement, we will also be able to offer hybrid powering solutions by using GE’s aero-derivative gas turbine technology and support the growth of renewable energy in India.” said Mr. Jai Prakash Srivastava, Director (Engineering, Research & Development) & Director (Finance – Addl. Charge) BHEL.

“Over the decades, GE is helping to address global challenges in the energy sector by offering innovative and disruptive technology that can drive energy transition forward and helping nations to reduce emissions in the power sector in more than one ways. Both GE and BHEL have created a strong legacy of providing integrated solutions to the power plant owners – delivering higher efficiency, reliability and availability of the gas turbine units. We can together bring a significant shift to reduce emissions in the gas power sector, especially in India.” said Mr. Deepesh Nanda, CEO, GE Gas Power South Asia.

India’s focus to achieve net zero emissions and include green hydrogen into the energy mix would need future ready powering technology. Today, GE has 120+ gas turbines supporting power generation with hydrogen blends and associated fuels around the world and the fleet has accumulated more than 8.5 million operating hours. GE’s gas turbine portfolio, including the B- and E-class, has the capability to burn hydrogen levels from 5% (by volume) up to 100%. This capability varies depending on the type of combustion system used. At the same time, gas-based power can also provide a cleaner base load power as compared to coal-fired power generation, at the grid level, to the growing base of intermittent renewable energy in India. As per the agreement, the BHEL customers can now have access to GE’s advanced gas turbines that are capable of burning blends of hydrogen, methanol, syngas and other low BTU fuels, contributing further towards accelerating energy transition in India and region at large.

Additionally, GE and BHEL are providing comprehensive engineering, repairs and maintenance services to the gas power plant operators in the region. These services are offered by BHEL-GE Gas Turbine Services (BGGTS) Private Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between GE and BHEL. Established in 1997 and located in Hyderabad, BGGTS is synergizing advanced class gas turbine technology with local engineering capability.

Milan, June 28, 2023 – Sababa Security S.p.A. – a leading Italian cybersecurity player that provides an integrated and customised offer of products and managed services to protect different IT, OT, and IoT environments from cyberthreats – announces that it has signed a partnership agreement with Radiflow, a leading global vendor of OT cyber security solutions for advanced protection, monitoring and risk management of industrial systems and critical infrastructures.

Attacks to OT systems and critical infrastructure are an ever-increasing threat with potentially severe consequences, including damage to the infrastructure itself, disruption of production processes, and even harm to the environment and public safety. In 2022, we’ve witnessed a heightened frequency of cyberattacks on key industry suppliers, with manufacturing ranking first among the most target sectors and vulnerability scanning being the preferred method of attack.

Bringing together their cybersecurity expertise and industrial know-how, Sababa Security and Radiflow join forces to enhance organisations’ ability to identify vulnerabilities, mitigate risks, and respond effectively to OT cyber threats. From risk assessment & management platform to ongoing monitoring and training, the two companies will be offering industrial enterprises tailored technologies and services to meet their industry-specific needs and empower their critical infrastructure.

“Sababa Security already protects several critical infrastructures in industries such as oil and gas, utilities, energy generation and distribution, and is constantly investing in R&D within the OT field thanks to the strong collaboration with universities and Competence Centres such as Start 4.0 – of which the company is a member”, commented Alessio Aceti, CEO of Sababa Security “In this respect, the partnership with Radiflow allows us on the one hand to strengthen our technical offering and on the other hand to support customers in achieving compliance with recognized cybersecurity standards, including the New Machinery Regulation (NMR) and IEC 62443”.

“Radiflow’s team is known, globally, for its cybersecurity expertise and reputation in the OT world.
Backed by research and led by innovation, we are committed to exceeding expectations by tailoring solutions to our clients’ industry-specific needs, stated Ilan Barda, CEO of Radiflow. Radiflow develops trusted Industrial Cyber Security Solutions for critical business operations. We offer a complete portfolio of game changing solutions for ICS/SCADA networks that empower users to maintain visibility and control of their OT networks, including an Intelligent Threat Detection tool that passively monitors the OT network for anomalies, as well as our unique CIARA platform delivers OT Risk Management with a clear understanding of Organizations’ continuous risk postures, a Risk score as well as a high-level view of each site’s status. The partnership with Sababa Security allows our joint clients to achieve their risk posture objectives over time and address their OT vulnerability issues.”

Hyderabad, 24th June 2023….. Technology for the sake of technology will not survive. Digital Transformation must improve user experience, customer experience, bottom line and behaviour said Chief Guest, Mr SGK Kishore, Executive Director (South) and Chief Innovation Officer – GMR Airports at GMR Group, (Ex. IAS) at the Impetus, a full-day innovative conclave held at HICC on Friday, aimed at driving digital transformation and empowering industries held on Friday at HICC.

He was delivering a keynote address on Digital Transformation and gave his perspective. He described the event as unique and timely. It is an opportune time, he said and that the day-long conference was planned for discussions on new technologies, embracing technologies and digital transformation. And a good part of the conclave, he said, that most of the participants are MSMEs, for whom technology is an essential part of their business. It is important for them to remodel their business.

There are three aspects to Digital Transformation as I understand, the top official of GMR Airports said. We keep hearing three different buzzwords—Digitization, Digitalization and Digital Transformation. Digitization is the initial step in using digital tools. Digitalization is about bringing in products and solutions. Mother of all these two is Digital Transformation. It is about how an organization transforms using digital technologies. It is more about their behaviour, their culture. The end objective is to improve their bottom line, culture, user engagement etc.

At GMR we have been focusing on new-age technologies. Our chairman is an ardent fan of embracing new-age technologies. With digital transformation, every business leader must behave like a technology leader. Digital Transformation is a continuous process. It is like fitness. It is a continuous effort. It is about non-technology companies also behaving like technology majors.

It should make everyone in an organization feel that he is an entrepreneur and ensure entrepreneurial behavior.

Drawing a parallel to Hindu Mythology, the bureaucrat turned business leader, SGK Kishore said Lord Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the sustainer, and Shiva destroyer and restorer. The modern businessman has to view digital transformation as creative destruction. Whatever you have created must destroy for good and better. They must think differently. Look at collaborative efforts, he added.

People own GMR Airport. They think it is theirs. It is a people’s airport. The leadership has been successful in transforming the airport into what it is today in the last ten years and digital transformation is one of the key factors for what it is today. The digitally transformed airport resulted in increasing process speed, storage capacity and better services. Aviation is a highly regulated sector. Minute details must be dealt carefully. Digital Transformation is very important to all sectors. He congratulated the joint organisers, FTCCI and HYSEA for identifying a very topical subject for the conclave.

Welcoming the gathering Mrs Manisha Saboo, President, HYSEA, and Vice President, Infosys said collaboration is the way forward. Today is a special day. Two great organisations HYSEA and FTCCI have come together first time to host jointly this conference. She talked about the power of collaboration. Chat GPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI which is the talk of the world is a collaborative effort.

Anil Agarwal, President of FTCCI said the kind of digital transformation happening in the last decade is an eye-opener. But, somehow MSMEs are left behind in this race. If you need to be globally relevant in a time when our economy is fast developing and hoping to be the world’s number one by the year 2047, we must encourage more and more MSMEs to embrace technology and transform their businesses digitally. Though covid accelerated this process, more impetus must be given to that sector, he observed.

Sri JA Chowdary, Founder, ISF, and former President of HYSEA said he heard when he was an IT advisor to Chief Minister Shri Chandra Babu Naidu, an SBI chairman saying ‘we are a technology company and we also do banking”. This is how one should look at their company and transform digitally. I also know of an incident where a PSU has taken one and half years to build a mammoth Data Logger, which later failed to work. Later the PSU imported a tiny machine, which did its job. Taking failures like this into account many refrained from getting digitally transformed, he said. Unless you are digitally transformed, you cant survive. Today many banks have fewer branches and more transactions. And they work 24×7, 365 days. That is the power of digital transformation he added. The theme is very apt and it is an ideal time to the organisation a one-day conference on the same.

Shri K Mohan Raidu, CEO, of Informatics India, and Chair of the IT Committee, FTCCI in his introductory remarks stressed the importance of digital transformation, which he said will put technology at the core of the business strategy. This would reduce operating costs and increases efficiency.

Pankaj Diwan, Founder and CEO, of Ideas labs Future Tech Ventures, who later in the day moderated a celebrity fireside chat with Raja, Chief Executive Officer, of Biliti Electrics, said, the Impetus was an effort to bring the business leaders from Traditional, Core Industries who are primarily members of FTCCI and IT Solution Providers who are primarily members of HYSEA come together on one forum. The purpose is to create and promote awareness of Digital transformation and implementation of digitalization in the core business processes.

The inaugural of Impetus was followed by four different tracks focused on industries such as Agri-tech, Food Processing, Manufacturing and Pharma and Healthcare industries. They focused on ‘Unlocking the Potential by Adapting and Accelerating Digital Transformation & Digital Innovation”.

UTOMATR a product developed by a startup was launched during the inaugural function.

In conjunction with the program, an expo was also scheduled to explore digital
solutions by participating delegates.

It was a distinguished gathering of over 250 industry leaders, government officials, and technology enthusiasts. It will be a platform for meaningful networking and knowledge sharing.