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Bengaluru, July 24th, 2024: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) successfully held the second edition of the Bengaluru Retail Summit, a premier event that brought together the brightest minds and influential leaders from the retail industry. Held at the Sheraton Grand Bangalore, the summit emerged as a melting pot of transformative ideas, emerging trends, and invaluable networking opportunities. Against the vibrant backdrop of Bengaluru’s retail culture, it served as a pivotal platform for retailers and brands to engage in impactful discussions, collectively shaping the future of retail in India.

Speaking about the summit, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “India’s retail sector stands at the cusp of profound transformation. The dynamic discussions on strategies for retail success, the seamless integration of digital innovations, and the latest retail ideas have highlighted how industry leaders are navigating this constantly evolving market. Our focus on mastering the market and innovating is diverse. With a burgeoning middle class, expanding digital infrastructure, and strategic government initiatives, we anticipate a dynamic era of growth and innovation. These advancements position the retail sector as a pivotal driver of economic vitality and consumer empowerment in the years ahead.”

Highlights of the Bengaluru Retail Summit 2024 by RAI was the keynote address on ‘Revolutionize Retail with AI Everywhere’ by Ganesan V P, Consulting Business Leader for Retail, CPG, Travel, Transportation, Pharma & LS Industries – India South Asia, IBM.

The summit also hosted two stimulating Fireside Chats with Rajneet Kohli, CEO & Executive Director, Britannia Industries Ltd, and with Nirupa Shankar, Jt Managing Director, Brigade Group.

Expressing delight at the second edition of BRS, Rajneet Kohli, CEO & Executive Director, Britannia Industries Ltd said, “The future of retail lies in seamlessly blending technology with the human touch. Using data-driven insights to understand consumer preferences and deliver tailored experiences will drive growth and foster deeper customer loyalty.”

Hari Menon, Co-Founder & CEO, Bigbasket said, “The retail industry is at a pivotal point where digital transformation is crucial. Integrating online and offline channels is essential to meet evolving consumer demands. Innovation in logistics and personalized services will be the key drivers of future retail success.”

Karan Mehta, CEO, Easybuy, Landmark Group said, “Understanding and responding to diverse customer needs is more important than ever. By harnessing advanced analytics and staying ahead of emerging trends, retailers can create personalized and engaging shopping experiences, ensuring sustained growth and competitiveness.”

The summit witnessed captivating discussions on topics such as “Strategies for Retail Success: Navigating a Constantly Evolving Market” “Tech Adoption: Integrating Digital Innovations with Physical Presence” “Retail Technology: Powering Business, Enabling Growth” & “Mastering the Market: Transforming Insights into Growth Opportunities.”

industry leaders speaking at the summit included:

Johnson Verghese – Managing Director – Fossil Group India

Karan Mehta – CEO, Landmark Group

Rajneet Kohli – CEO & ED, Britannia Industries Ltd

V Muhammad Ali – CEO, Retail, Prestige Group

Manohar Chatlani – MD Retail India Pvt Ltd, Soch Apparels Pvt Ltd

Subhash Chandra – MD Sangeetha Mobiles

Mrunmay Mehta – CEO, WOW Skin Science

Ashim Ashok Patel, MD & CEO, i – TEK RFID

Hari Menon – Co-founder & CEO – Big Basket

Dr Shashank Sinha, CEO, Drolls India Pvt Ltd

Chandru Kalro, Managing Director, TTK Prestige

Chintan Mehta – Founder, Italian Colony

David R Stanley – Founder & Managing Director, Healux International Pvt. Ltd

Deepak Singh – Director & CEO Saturo Technologies

Sumit Jasoria, Co-Founder & CEO, NEWME

These thought leaders shared their insights on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities within the retail sector, fostering a rich environment of knowledge exchange and collaboration. The event’s successful execution has set a benchmark for industry gatherings, reaffirming Bengaluru’s status as a central hub for retail excellence.

About RAI:

Retailers Association of India (RAI) is the unified voice of Indian retailers. RAI works with all the stakeholders for creating the right environment for the growth of the modern retail industry in India. It is a strong advocate for retailing in India and works with all levels of government and stakeholders to support employment growth and career opportunities in retail, promote and sustain retail investments in communities from coast to coast, and enhance consumer choice and industry competitiveness.

New Delhi, 16 July 2024: The American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM India), the only U.S. industry chamber has announced the US-India Partnership Summit 2024 themed ‘Towards the world’s third largest economy’. AMCHAM India represents over 400 American companies operating in India is set to host the Summit on August 8th, 2024, in New Delhi.

For over three decades, AMCHAM India has been at the forefront of fostering bilateral trade and investment between the United States and India. It serves as a vital bridge, connecting U.S. businesses with Indian policymakers, industry leaders, and key stakeholders. U.S. companies will be playing a catalyst role in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Companies like Amazon, AMD, HP India, IBM, Micron and Microsoft are investing heavily in India’s digital infrastructure, while firms like Dastur, Emerson and Honeywell are contributing to the country’s renewable energy goals. In the healthcare sector, companies such as Beckton Dickinson, Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare, Medtronic and MSD Pharmaceuticals are working towards enhancing India’s pharmaceutical and medical device capabilities.

As India aims to become the world’s third-largest economy, U.S. companies are gearing up to bring their core competencies, critical technologies, and investments to support this ambitious goal, committed to being long-term partners in India’s growth story, fostering innovation, creating high-quality jobs, and contributing to the overall development of the nation.

The AMCHAM U.S.-India Partnership Summit 2024 will examine, explore and establish new benchmarks for the size, scale and range of U.S.-India business exchange. This day-long Summit will have business leaders of the U.S. industry get a ring side view of the vison of the Government, its plans to achieve these milestones and the possibilities it could hold for U.S. businesses in India. CEOs from leading U.S. companies in India will attend the Summit. Senior government functionaries of the Government of India have been invited to the Summit.

U.S. firms currently support over 5 million direct and indirect jobs in India, with many companies having their largest workforce outside the U.S. based in India. U.S. companies are also aiding India’s technological advancement by supporting the development of a 10,000+ GPU exascale machine for India’s national security, showcasing the deep trust and collaboration between the two nations in cutting-edge technologies.

Speaking about the upcoming U.S.-India Partnership Summit Ms. Ranjana Khanna, Director General and CEO – AMCHAM India, said, “U.S. companies have emerged as significant contributors to India’s economic growth with over USD 66 Billion already invested across critical sectors such as defence, telecommunications, power, petroleum, space, and information technology. These investments have not only bolstered India’s technological capabilities but have also created substantial employment opportunities. AMCHAM’s U.S. India Partnership Summit is a platform to celebrate this and fuel further collaboration in the run up to India’s achieving its India’s economic ambitions.”

Kochi, India – 12th July 2024: The Government of Kerala and IBM inaugurated India’s first International GenAI Conclave at Kochi. The event was presided by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, Products, IBM Software, the Hon’ble Minister for Law, Industries and Coir, Government of Kerala, Shri P. Rajeev and other dignitaries from the Govt. of Kerala and IBM.

The two-day event brings together eminent international and Indian technology experts, industry leaders, policymakers and academia to deliberate on the potential of GenAI, trends, its challenges and opportunities. The International GenAI Conclave also highlighted and showcased the role of GenAI in building innovative solutions that deliver impact for the industry, government, start-ups and student communities.

Speaking at the occasion, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Kerala is proud to host India’s first GenAI Conclave that will serve as a platform for new ideas, collaborations and innovations. This milestone has paved the way for Kerala to become India’s nerve center in making indigenous contributions in the field of GenAI. Our government is dedicated to leveraging AI for sustainable development, bettering governance, easing way of life and accelerate transformation across all sectors including industries.

In his keynote address, Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, Products, IBM Software said, “India’s vibrant developer and start-up community, robust digital infrastructure, innovation prowess and ambition, will define the future of AI. Increasing investment in generative AI education, upskilling and applications will create a remarkable opportunity not only for India, but the world.”

Kochi, India – 10th July, 2024 : IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the launch of its GenAI Innovation Center in Kochi which will allow enterprises, start-ups, and partners to explore, experience, and build generative AI technology. As organizations transition from AI experimentation to deployment for adding business value, they often find AI projects too complex or difficult to integrate due to limited skills or expertise. To address this challenge, the GenAI Innovation Center will provide organizations with access to IBM experts and technologies designed to help them build, scale and accelerate adoption of enterprise-grade AI.

The center is built on InstructLab, a new technology jointly developed by IBM and Red Hat for enhancing Large Language Models (LLMs) with a client’s own data and will also take advantage of IBM watsonx AI and data platform and AI assistant technologies. It will allow clients to learn about the fine-tuning of LLMs and to partner with IBM to have their own trained, fine-tuned, and governed models deployed for their enterprise use cases.

The GenAI Innovation Center will be a part of the IBM India Software Lab in Kochi and will be managed by IBM’s technical experts. With access to the latest in generative AI technology, LLMs, case studies, and IBM experts, the center will nurture a community focused on harnessing the power of generative AI to address societal and business challenges ranging from sustainability, public infrastructure, healthcare education, inclusion and more.

“AI is at the core of IBM’s growth strategy. We are strongly committed to building and collaborating with different ecosystems for AI. The GenAI Innovation Center furthers IBM’s commitment to nurturing India’s AI community and catalysing innovation through co-creation and collaboration with an aim to serve the country’s best interests of growing AI skilled talent, boosting organization productivity and improving citizen services,” said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, Products, IBM Software.

Advancing generative AI technology through innovation requires a vibrant, democratic, and collaborative AI ecosystem to unleash its potential. IBM and Red Hat recently launched InstructLab, providing a revolutionary approach to advance LLMs with open-source innovation.

Bengaluru, May, 2024: Avtar Group, India’s leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Solutions firm, hosted the myAvtar Career Conference (MACC) at Karnataka Trade Promotion Organization (KTPO), Bengaluru today.

myAvtar Career Conference (MACC), the career extravaganza brought together inclusive companies and a vast pool of women talent from the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) under one roof. Participating Companies included, Aditya Birla Group, Publicis Sapient, Broadridge Financial Solutions India Limited, Moody’s, Renault Nisan Tech, IBM India, Google Cloud, HDFC ERGO, ACT, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Gallagher, Happiest Minds Technologies Limited, Stryker, Verisk, AKJ Somaiya Institute Of Management, among many others.

Tailored for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), MACC offered a unique platform to connect, collaborate, and converse with like-minded professionals, industry-leading companies, and renowned experts in the industry. The conclave was an ecosystem designed to foster learning, sharing, and networking for women in the STEM field; an opportunity to explore new horizons in the STEM field, to grow personally and professionally, and to unlock a world of possibilities. The conference witnessed a large gathering of students, educators, professionals, and industry leaders who shared their knowledge, experiences, and insights.

Avtar Group also announced the winners of their inaugural “Women in STEM” Awards. This Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of women who are making significant strides in the STEM fields. In STEM Icons 15 plus years of work experience category, Vaijayanthi Srinivasa Raghavan Senior Director, UPS India Technology Centre, Priya Kanduri, CTO, SVP – Cyber Security Services, HappiestMinds Technologies Limited, Deepti Singh, Deputy General Manager- Head of Department System Installation, Renault Nissan Tech have received top 3 awards. In STEM Divas 8-15 years of work experience category, Subbulakshmi Ramkumar, Deputy Manager, RNTBCI, Yogita Bhanwaria, Senior Manager, Biocon Biologics Limited, MuthuSusithra Devarajan, Team Manager, Broadridge Financial Solutions have received top 3 awards. In STEM Stars 2-8 years of work experience category, Nishtha Mahendru, Consultant, Applied Innovation Exchange, Capgemini, Nidhi Raut, Sr. Engineer, Renault Nissan Technology Business Centre India (RNTBCI), Indujaa Thangavel, Broadridge Financial Solutions have received top 3 awards.

“One of the key sectors that has the potential to boost women’s workforce participation, is the STEM industry. While 43%of STEM graduates are women, they make up only 28% of the STEM workforce. Moreover, women drop out of the workplace due to childbirth, childcare and elder care. Consequently, only 3 percent of women hold CEO posts in the STEM Industry. While research has established that improving women’s workforce participation can boost India’s GDP by 27%, more women in STEM would set the stage for inclusive innovation and solution designs that are equitable for all. Women have historically been underrepresented in STEM, yet they bring invaluable perspectives and ideas to these fields. MACC awards recognizes the exceptional talent, the brilliance, and diverse perspectives of women in STEM,” said Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President, Avtar Group announcing the awards at the myAvtar Career Conference today in Bengaluru.

“Through MACC, we are acknowledging the remarkable work being done by women in STEM and also addressing the systemic barriers they face. Our goal is to create an environment where every individual, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and drive progress,” added Dr Saundarya.

At the conference, three organizations with the “Best Programs for enabling women in STEM” – Biocon Biologics Pvt Ltd, Kyndryl and Molecular Connections Pvt Ltd were also recognized.

In addition to the awards, the myAvtar Career Conferences hosted a series of panel discussions, skilling tracks conducted by IBM, Google Cloud, Johnson & Johnson and Publicis Sapient exclusively for women. The event also provided a platform for knowledge exchange, mentorship, collaboration, further strengthening the presence and influence of women in the STEM field.

The conference hosted in the hybrid mode –saw an attendance of over 3000 women at the on-ground event, while there were over 2000 attendees virtually. Companies opened up jobs from entry-level to senior-level positions across India – Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Madurai and Coimbatore.