L-R – John Churchill and Chuck Thomas [photos Courtesy of Southwest Tennessee Community College]

(Memphis, Tenn.) – Southwest Tennessee Community College recently announced two new leaders to its senior leadership team. Chuck Thomas III has been named the College’s chief government and external relations officer and John Churchill, community liaison for Southwest Workforce and Community Solutions.

“We are excited to have John and Chuck join the Southwest family,” Southwest President Dr. Tracy D. Hall said. “They are outstanding leaders with a history of success and leadership in the Memphis and Mid-South community. They will play a critical role in advancing our strategic plan and efforts to position Southwest as a workforce development leader in the Mid-South.”

As the chief government and external relations officer, Thomas will build community support to advance the college’s initiatives and collaborate with government, civic, and community leaders to increase awareness and develop intervention and remediation strategies to address issues that impact the future health and safety of the Southwest community.

“I’m excited and honored to join the Southwest Tennessee Community College leadership team,” Thomas said. “I look forward to building and strengthening alliances with the greater Memphis and Shelby County community, state legislators, local elected officials and key business leaders.”

Thomas joins Southwest after a 40-year telecommunications career that spanned several account management positions. His most recent post was regional director of external and legislative affairs at AT&T, a position he held from 2009 until his retirement from AT&T this past December after more than 23 years of service. During his tenure in external affairs, he advanced the telecommunications giant’s public policy initiatives in Greater Memphis and 15 surrounding West Tennessee counties. His efforts ensured successful small cell and AT&T Fiber deployments and successfully positioned AT&T’s FirstNet, SLED and National Account teams with key stakeholders throughout the region. Thomas also served the Greater Memphis community as a board member of the Memphis Federal Reserve (Chairman 2014), Greater Memphis Chamber, The United Way of the Mid-South, Memphis Rotary (vice president), Teach For America, LISC Memphis, Bartlett Chamber and LeMoyne-Owen College. A native Memphian, Thomas grew up in Orange Mound and attended Melrose High school, Mississippi Valley State University, Southwest Tennessee Community College and the University of Memphis where he studied Criminal Justice and Political Science.

Churchill will be instrumental to the rollout of the Southwest Workforce Solutions Center (SWCS) as he works with community stakeholders to increase career pathways through a diversity of high-quality workforce programs that promote economic mobility for Southwest students.

“Coming back to Southwest feels like coming home,” Churchill said. “I am privileged to be able to work with a great staff as they develop innovative programs to provide local companies and industry with a skilled workforce. When you see a community that has a strong economy and great jobs for its workforce, typically, there is also a strong community college planted within that community,” he said. “I hope that I can contribute to the quality of Southwest’s workforce development programs and help increase the community’s awareness of Southwest as a strong economic driver in Memphis.”

Churchill began his career as a member of the United States Navy, where he served for 20 years. During his military service, he supervised testing and assessment systems for the Navy Trident submarine facility and directed operations for an advanced electronic training school. After the military, he joined the Kimberly Clark Memphis tissue manufacturing plant as supervisor of electrical maintenance and technical training. He also served on the startup team for Kimberly Clark’s first fully self-directed facility in Tulsa, OK. After stints in maintenance operations leadership with Champion Paper and Nabisco in Houston, Texas, Churchill joined Gerdau Ameristeel where he oversaw leadership and technical training at 20 North American steel mills.

Along with manufacturing, Churchill has extensive experience in workforce and economic development. In Memphis, he served as executive director of Corporate Training and Continuing Education at Southwest Tennessee Community College (2011-2015) and later as vice president of Business Services at the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce. His most recent post is chief operations officer for Technology Education to Go, LLC, where he helps area K-12 school districts, nonprofit organizations and businesses develop education pathways to livable-wage careers. Churchill also works with area businesses to improve work culture and increase employee skill levels.

“The sports sector in India has been granted the largest budget allocation in its history and from a venture capital perspective will be positive as it is helpful towards entrepreneurs that are solving real pain points in the sports industry.

The massive increase of over 300 Crores in the Union Budget effectively shows a steady rise for the Indian Sports and Venture Capital Industry as it helps startups gain more support in funding and mentorship programs. The budget will help to focus specifically on emerging markets and sports such as cricket, golf, beach sports, and e-sports among others.

India’s growth being the highest among major economies is a powerful aspect that will aim to encourage participation of youth and women in the sports activities in our country.”

Bangalore, February 3rd, 2023: India has assumed the presidency of G20 from 1st December 2022 for a period of one year. In its presidency, 1st Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) Meeting is scheduled to be held from 5th February to 7th February 2023.

NTPC, India’s largest integrated power utility, on behalf of Ministry of Power, Govt of India, will be hosting a side event in form of an International Seminar on Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) on 5th February 2023 at TajWestend, Bengaluru. This seminar is likely to be attended by industries, policy makers, scientists and academicians of different countries.

The seminar will focus on underlining the importance of CCUS for achieving “clean energy transition” and subsequently moving towards Net Zero.

Bangalore, February 3rd, 2023: India has assumed the presidency of G20 from 1st December 2022 for a period of one year. In its presidency, 1st Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) Meeting is scheduled to be held from 5th February to 7th February 2023.

NTPC, India’s largest integrated power utility, on behalf of Ministry of Power, Govt of India, will be hosting a side event in form of an International Seminar on Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) on 5th February 2023 at TajWestend, Bengaluru. This seminar is likely to be attended by industries, policy makers, scientists and academicians of different countries.

The seminar will focus on underlining the importance of CCUS for achieving “clean energy transition” and subsequently moving towards Net Zero.

“Government’s focus to encourage manufacturing of products locally will boost the national manufacturing infrastructure. It’s great to see a clear focus & plan to achieve the net-zero carbon emission target by 2070. The Green Growth initiative & announcement of Rs 35,000 crore for priority capital investments towards energy transition and net zero objectives are a welcome move.

An outlay of ₹19,700 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission will reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports in the long run. Batteries are a key component in the sustainability sectors. Basic Import duty on goods and machinery used in the manufacture of lithium-ion cells has been waived which will encourage production of EVs & batteries locally and will benefit the ecosystem immensely.
The current budget is well structured with provision for every sector. With proper allocation of resources, the future economic growth of the country seems promising.”

Nalin Negi- CFO and Interim CEO, BharatPe

“We warmly embrace the Union budget 2023. Fintechs have come a long way over the last few years, and the Government’s initiatives to drive financial inclusion and enable digital payments have been one of the key drivers of the growth journey of this sector. Fintech services in India have been facilitated by India’s digital public infrastructure including Aadhaar, PM Jandhan Yojna, video KYC, India Stack and UPI, and digital payments have grown by 76% in transactions in 2022. In this budget, FM Nirmala Sitharaman has reimagined the government’s Digilocker services for the fintech sector. This will further aid the growth of the sector, along with the Government’s continued support to drive digital payments. Also, the government’s plans for encouraging countries looking for digital continuity solutions to set up data embassies at the GIFT City will further help position India as a global leader in the fintech industry.

Technological advancements can give us the edge as we strive to become a US$ 5 trillion economy. The announcement of setting up of Centres of Excellence for AI will fuel the focus on technology and innovation. Also, the National Data Governance Policy that will bring in innovation and research by startups and academia will enable access to anonymized data.”

Rahul Garg, Founder & CEO, Moglix & Credlix

“It’s encouraging to see that despite the global recessionary waves, India’s economy is growing. The Union budget 2023–24 builds upon the foundation established by the previous budget, with a vision of a prosperous, inclusive India where the fruits of growth reach all sections. Overall, this budget continued focusing on promoting exports, boosting domestic manufacturing, enhancing domestic value addition, encouraging green energy and mobility, streamlining the supply chain, and providing economic support to MSMEs across the country. Lowered tax rate of 15% for new companies starting manufacturing activities by March 31, 2024, will act as a catalyst, driving the public-private partnership investment in infrastructure, including railways and roads. The thrust on manufacturing & infrastructure will enable the country to achieve the target of achieving a manufacturing potential to export goods worth $1 trillion by 2030. National Green Hydrogen Mission will facilitate the transition of the economy to low carbon intensity and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports, thus contributing to green growth. According to our commitments at COP26 and COP27 on climate action, the Union Budget signaled the beginning of the decarbonization of India’s inbound supply chain. The National Data Governance Policy will unleash innovation and research by start-ups and academia, enabling access to anonymous data. The Unified Skill India Digital Platform would facilitate demand-based formal skilling, employer linkage (including MSMEs). Revamped credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs to infuse Rs. 9000 crore into the corpus. The budget has brought about entrepreneur-friendly measures on the policy and legal fronts to drive operational excellence across sectors. Access to entrepreneurial initiatives to further bolster the economic and human resource foundation of the country will drive start-up ecosystem in the country.”

Bonn Group of Industries, one of India’s leading manufacturers of FMCG Food products, is focused on establishing connections and building bonds of trust and successful partnerships with its massive channel partners’ network. The brand organized an exclusive channel partners’ meet in Gwalior, MP. Coming together to acknowledge performance and construct plans, the event was marked by insightful discussions and guidance by leaders. Besides being appreciated for achieving sales objectives through the hygienic distribution of products, the channel partners were also celebrated for being an integral part of the company’s progress journey.

The channel partners were also acknowledged for their efforts in helping the company to meet its Sales objectives by ensuring the hygienic distribution of Bonn Products across the state. The top deck from Bonn Group shared its vision to target double-digit growth and build the MP market as one of its prime markets. The objective of the meeting was to make the channel partner feel that they are very much a part of the Bonn Group of Industries and that their growth is an integral part of the company’s progress.

“With a well-established network in India, we endeavor to penetrate urban and semi-urban areas of MP through our highly committed channel partners & Sales Team; Distribution is the core of any FMCG business; therefore, we always make a conscious effort to align channel partners with Company’s way forward’’, said Mr. Dawinder Pal, Head of Marketing, BONN Group of Industries.

“Gwalior channel partners’ meeting has helped us in identifying challenges & market gaps Madhya Pradesh market. Despite our good performance amid COVID, we want to take the game ahead by making the best of the coming quarter. The channel partners have been about our new products with which they can help us achieve pre-COVID sales numbers,” said Mr. Navdeep Chadha, VP Sales, Biscuit.

Guest of Honor

1. Navdeep Chadha (VP Sales)
2. Dawinder Pal (Head of Marketing Bonn Group)
3. Rakesh Sharma (AGM Sales)
4. Dinesh Sharma (Sr Sales Manager)
5. Sukhpreet S. Naz (Assistant Brand Manager)

Indore, 24 January 2023: Kotak Securities Limited today announced its strategic tie-up with Indore-based Exclusive Securities – a leading Madhya Pradesh based brokerage firm, with clientele spread across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Under this partnership, Kotak Securities will cater to over 30,000 investors and clients of Exclusive Securities.

This partnership will help both Kotak Securities and Exclusive Securities provide technology-led investment products and services to their clientele across the country.

Jaideep Hansraj, MD & CEO, Kotak Securities Limited said, “We are truly excited to partner and service around 30,000 investors through this tie-up with Exclusive Securities. In the coming months we will ensure seamless integration and provide the best possible service to the newly on-boarded clientele. This tie-up will further strengthen the investor’s journey in the stock market with our research insights, trading app loaded with a host of features to make transactions faster.”

BD Bhatter, Chairman, Exclusive Securities Limited added, “We are delighted to have this strategic tie-up with Kotak Securities. Kotak is one of the most trusted names in the BFSI segment. Both companies have been in business for a number of decades and coming together will give the clients the expertise of over 50 years.”

Sanjay Samaiya, Director, Exclusive Securities Limited also said, “This alliance with Kotak Securities will create more opportunities for customers to invest in a wide range of products along with robust technology. It will be a win-win situation for all stakeholders of both entities, and it will empower the Exclusive group to serve the clients with best practices in the industry for their wealth creation.”

Mumbai, 24 January 2023: Columbia Pacific Communities (CPC), India’s largest and most preferred operator of senior living communities, inaugurated ‘The Virtuoso’, India’s first independent senior living community designed to international standards, for its customers earlier this year. With the opening of its signature project – The Virtuoso, CPC is proud to be the only senior living operator in the country with 10 operational communities.

The signature senior living community is enhanced by a 20,000 sq. ft. clubhouse at the heart of the community, fine dining, a mini theatre, a multipurpose hall, guest houses, and other senior-friendly amenities. The Virtuoso also offers world-class amenities and facilities such as efficient cleaning services, 24-hour medical care and ambulance, chef-prepared meals, concierge services, and taking care of the residents’ household chores, so that they can lead an active, yet worry-free life. The community’s services also include planning a variety of daily activities for residents that support their physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual well-being.

Commenting on the launch, Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities, said, “It gives us great pleasure to announce the opening of The Virtuoso, our tenth senior living community in the country. Columbia Pacific Management’s more than four decades of experience in senior living went into creating India’s first senior living community designed to international standards. The residents of The Virtuoso will be able to leave their daily chores to us so they may spend their time living life to the fullest, pursuing their hobbies and passions. Built on the concept of positive ageing, a lifestyle that encourages residents to be physically strong, mentally alert, intellectually stimulated and socially engaged, CPC encourages seniors to live their second innings on their terms.”

The names of the communal areas at The Virtuoso and every other aspect of the community have been well thought through. The common areas have been named after well-known, uniquely talented personalities from around the world in keeping with the project’s name, The Virtuoso. Every place is named after a virtuoso. For example, the main restaurant is named Jaffrey, after Madhur Jaffrey, a Padma Bhushan awardee and one of the most renowned Indian chefs in the world, credited with introducing Indian cuisine to the West. The Multipurpose hall is named Mangeshkar, after the nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar. And so on.

CPC has always believed in the idea of inclusivity and strives to associate with special causes that touch many lives. Taking forward this thought, CPC has included an 8’6″ by 5’6″ mural of a banyan tree painted by Nadeem Shaikh in the foyer of The Virtuoso. Nadeem Shaikh is a Mumbai-based foot painter who was born without hands and is affiliated with The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association (MFPA). The Banyan tree serves as Columbia Pacific Communities’ brand emblem representing consistency, stability, and permanence. From a design perspective, the intersecting arcs’ vivid colours signify the meeting point of Columbia Pacific Communities’ three pillars: hospitality, wellness, and real estate. The colours are a mix of fuchsia, amber, aqua, and lavender, and they signify a zest for life and a homage to the spirit of positive ageing. CPC’s guiding philosophy is positive ageing, which encourages residents to be physically healthy, mentally aware, intellectually stimulated, and socially active.

The imposing lobby displays various thoughtfully chosen objects that takes inspiration from the decades gone by and evokes nostalgia and also from flora and fauna. The collection of objects includes vintage artefacts such as lanterns, old telephones, old photo frames and animal figurines amongst others.

The art work for the lobby and other common areas have been carefully curated to reflect the various affinities and passion points of seniors – from food to music, and nature to architecture. It is a kaleidoscope of colours, bringing alive the walls of The Virtuoso, telling many stories and evoking a myriad of emotions.

Mumbai, Hyderabad, January 24, 2023: To celebrate the 74th Republic Day, GO FIRST (formerly known as GoAir) today launched the ‘Republic Day Sale’, with incredible fares starting from INR 1,199/- for domestic flights and INR 6,599/- for international travel.

Passengers can book across all domestic and international sectors operated by GO FIRST, anytime between 23rd to 26th January 2023, for a travel period starting from 12th February until 30th of September 2023. Tickets for the offer can be booked on GO FIRST website (www.FlyGoFirst.com), or via the GO FIRST official Mobile App.

This sale helps travellers to well-plan leisure or business travel at budget-friendly rates. In addition to this, GO FIRST always aims to provide a comfortable and convenient flying experience to all its passengers. Recently, GO FIRST also announced its opening sale of the year, the ‘Travel India Travel’ sale.

GO FIRST has always been at the forefront of customer satisfaction, and in line with its, You Come First philosophy, has introduced several passenger-friendly services aimed at providing a seamless experience. This offer is an extension of its customer-centric philosophy, “You Come First”.