Archives 2023

Bangalore, 11th February 2023 Aster RV Hospital recently conducted a rare and minimally invasive heart procedure on a 71-year-old patient, Shobha (name changed) suffering from rheumatic heart disease, giving her a new lease on life. Earlier, this procedure was conducted only once in Karnataka, making this the second of its kind in the state. Having already undergone two open-heart surgeries to treat her condition, a third open-heart surgery would be high risk and lead to a longer recovery time for the patient.

“Shobha was suffering from repeated spells of breathlessness, especially upon exertion, which is a common sign of valve degeneration. She had a bioprosthetic tricuspid valve implanted during her second open-heart surgery 12 years back which has now degenerated. In such a patient, particularly because of her age and comorbidities, conducting another open-heart surgery to fix a new valve can be extremely risky. We advised her to undergo a Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Valve-in-valve Procedure,” explained Dr. S. Venkatesh, Lead Consultant – Interventional Cardiology at Aster RV Hospital.

A physical examination, Echocardiogram, and CT Aortogram were performed to evaluate the size of the heart and determine whether there was any extra fluid in the heart or lungs, as well as other procedures to check the heart and assess any potential damage. The patient successfully underwent Tricuspid valve-in-valve implantation on 11 October 2021. “Through a vein puncture in the groin, we accessed her heart and implanted a MYVAL 27.5 mm tricuspid valve within the previous bioprosthetic valve. This procedure typically takes about an hour to complete. She was extubated the same day and had an uneventful recovery,” said Dr. Venkatesh.

“I was anxious about going through another open-heart surgery as I have crossed 70 years of age and do not have the strength that I used to have. This non-surgical option was great news to me, and I am glad I was in the hands of skilled doctors who made it a seamless experience. My recovery has been very smooth, and I was able to go back to my normal tasks within a week of surgery. I am enjoying my time with my grandkids!” said Shobha.

According to reports, about 70% of patients suffering from valve disease are due to rheumatic heart disease in India. This is a condition where the valves in the heart are permanently damaged because of childhood streptococcal infection and its sequela. The incidence of heart valve disease increases significantly with age affecting the longevity as well as the quality of life of elderly patients. This procedure requires expertise and is done only at specialized centres.

Visakhapatnam: February 11 th, 2023: Adani Gangavaram Port the deepest and the most modern port in the country today inducted a new Loco Train to enhance the operational capacity & efficiency in rake handling from the port. The Port infrastructure is being developed with forward planning for future requirements of increased volumes of rakes future. The port has also set a new record of handling 600 rakes in a month. Previously the Gangavaram port handled 594 Rakes in December month.

The Port is having state of the art infrastructure facilities to manage various imports and export cargo having deep-depth multi-purpose cargo berths. In addition to that Adani, Gangavaram Port is equipped with vast storage facilities including covered warehouses to manage various cargos and state-of-the-art material handling systems. Adani GPL is consistently performing well and creating newer records for cargo management.

Speaking on the occasion Adani Gangavaram Port Limited management said “We are extremely delighted on adding a new loco at the port and also achieve the new record of handling 600 rakes in one month. We at Adani Gangavaram Port offer substantial economic benefits to Indian importers combined with highly efficient port operations and evacuation system with faster turnaround time & delivery. We are extremely happy to see the trade derive benefits of modern deep-water infrastructure.”

Bengaluru, 1 1February 2023: MPOWER Financing, the leading provider of scholarships and no-cosigner loans to students from around the world, recently inaugurated a new workspace in Hebbal, Bengaluru. The team launched a brand-new, 22,000 sq. ft office, situated on the ninth floor of a high-rise building. Brick walls are creatively substituted with floor-length glass windows specially designed to enhance the free flow of creativity and novel thinking.

The newly inaugurated office has a seating capacity of over 200 people, expandable to 400 seats, to accommodate MPOWER’s ambitious employee growth plans. The new office is part of MPOWER’s philosophy of maximizing employee productivity and satisfaction, through state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, benefits, and flexible policies. For instance, MPOWER provides onsite meals, cab facilities, a doctor’s clinic, a coffee shop, an in-house cafe, games rooms, a cloud kitchen, and a small grocery shop. There is a daycare service nearby to maximize the convenience of working parents. Large open collaborative spaces, conference rooms, telephone booths, and training rooms have been designed to mirror MPOWER’s collaborative work style.

Expressing his thoughts on the inauguration of the new office, Mr. Manu Smadja, CEO and Co-founder of MPOWER Financing said, “We are excited about this new workspace which is designed with employee interests at heart and is focused on providing a healthy, collaborative, and supportive work environment for everyone. Since raising USD$100 million from a consortium of investors in 2021, our growth has continued to accelerate. Through this bigger and better office space, we aim to stay true to our core values and our mission of providing access to education for an ever-growing number of bright students from around the world.”

MPOWER Financing has been recognized as a great place to work and is actively hiring for various roles such as engineering managers, salesforce developers, relationship managers, underwriters, and content managers in Bengaluru.

Established in the year 1965 as a medical products manufacturing company, Medtech Life Pvt. Ltd. diversified in the year 1998 to manufacture electro-medical products. Medtech is the pioneer Indian manufacturer of home healthcare devices. Today they are India’s largest manufacturer of homecare electromedical devices.

With their manufacturing unit set up in Gujarat across 1.2 Lakh Sq. Ft. area, the company manufactures a wide range of products including Nebulizers, Blood Pressure Monitors, Digital Thermometers, Pulse Oximeters, and Oxygen Concentrators, to name a few.

Innovation being one of their core values, the company has been renowned for pioneering and leading in the production of nebulizers in India. It also has a DSIR-approved Research and Development Division that continuously innovates and develops new products.

In 1998, Yogesh Shah (Director – Medtech Life), a Biomedical Engineer launched the needle burner and syringe destroyer, a thoughtfully designed inventive product, to save lives of para-medicals, rag- pickers, and sanitation workers, who are exposed to the threat of undisposed needles and syringes. These devices can save millions of lives that are lost due to needle-struck injuries every year.

Firm believers in the concept of swadeshi, Medtech declined a lucrative acquisition offer by another foreign giant in the year 2018 and decided to continue manufacturing in India. It is recognized as a trusted brand in India for over 20 years, especially amongst distributor channels, not only owing to the quality of products but also the post-sales services and value delivered. With a consumer-centric thought process, they also provide doorstep replacement/repair of products and offer end-to-end customer support.

During the pandemic Covid19, the company set up mobile vans with oxygen concentrators across remote areas of India like Goa, Satara, and Mumbai. These vans were fitted with battery banks to power oxygen concentrators and were used to provide free oxygen supply to the ones in need.

With a focused approach to being enablers of longevity and saving lives, Medtech is envisaging spreading awareness about the need for monitoring health periodically and manufacturing superior quality devices for personal healthcare and wellness to the larger population of the country.

Hyderabad: 11th February 2023: Kairos Technologies, a global organization, with its delivery center in Hyderabad, Telangana announces the setting up of a dedicated R&D center K-Labs. K-Labs will have an investment to build new generation products combined with Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence with state-of-the-art technology. With a current size of 1000 employees, the company plans to hire 400 more employees this year across different geographies to foster future growth.

Kairos takes this opportunity to reincarnate itself with a new logo, theme, and style. This new identity will help the company to connect meaningfully with its customers. The new-age customers are embarking on the journey of digital transformation and Kairo’s new service portfolio helps the company align with its customer positioning and grow together.

Kairos is focused on being a global technology-driven company that embraces change, invests in innovation, and seeks out new challenges, with the clear goal of achieving what is possible. The new branding is based on the company’s heritage, technology, and people – three factors that have helped shape the company and its portfolio.

According to Mr. Sudhakar Pennam, Founder & CEO, of Kairos Technologies and Solunus, “We are problem solvers who strive to be better for our customers, each other, and our community. Kairos’s ethos is Persistent Ingenuity, pushing ourselves to find new answers and to keep thinking and innovating. Our end-to-end portfolio of Digital Quality Engineering Solutions and Services helps businesses to confidently scale up their digital landscape and harness the power of proven and evolving technologies for growth and business agility. The new identity truly reflects our passion to pioneer technologies that will help change the world. To promote innovation and digital transformation, we are planning to hire 400 more employees this year to further strengthen our team of passionate technology professionals.”

He further added, “We are also proud to introduce 2 new IP Led solutions from our dynamic R&D Lab (K-Lab). KiTAP – Kairos Intelligent Test Automation Platform, is an AI-driven Low-Code Test Automation Platform that seamlessly integrates with CI/CD Pipeline. It is the first AI-Powered Test Automation Platform with Source Code Deployment on the client’s Test Infra, which combines the power of AI and Human Intelligence for the digital-next businesses. Also, we introduce DQ-Gateway – an all-in-one no-code solution for Data Quality assessment. It is a unique Data Quality solution built for Data Analysts to ensure the quality of client’s data in an interactive visual manner. These products will further enhance our services and solutions for the digital transformation of our customers.”

“Technology is growing at a rapid pace, and we see Innovation happening every day. However, for this Innovation to go mainstream, a thorough validation of Consumer Experience becomes mandatory. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning need a lot of data modeling and learning before they can go mainstream. So new age testing is needed to validate these models and we are building AI to validate AI” is what Ms. Radhika Rao, CDO of Kairos Technologies says. Exciting times call for bold actions and Radhika says there cannot be a better time and place than now to re-engineer the future.

According to Mr. Jagadish Mankal, COO of Kairos Technologies, “The new identity helps us connect meaningfully with our customers. The future-ready Kairos is equipped with an enhanced service portfolio and innovative products to help customers in their digital transformation.”

New Delhi, February 11, 2023: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and a Fortune Global 500 Company, today announced the launch of the Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor on the Delhi – Jalandhar National Highway with fast charging stations at 12 BPCL retail outlets strategically located along the highway (part of NH-44) as part of its initiative to address the range anxiety of electric vehicle owners.

The 750 Km long segment of NH-44 is the fourth such Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor in the country, with fast charging stations at roughly every 100 Km on both sides of the highway. Chennai-Trichy-Madurai, Chennai-Bangalore, and Bangalore-Coorg were the first three Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridors set up by BPCL.

The EV fast chargers at BPCL Fuel Stations will help customers recharge their EVs in just about 30 minutes to get a driving range of up to 125 kilometers after which there will be another BPCL EV charging station for EV owners going further ahead. All EV customers will be able to use the EV fast charging stations via a pay-per-use online service. The fast chargers can be self-operated without any manual assistance through support staff will be at hand when needed.

Located at BPCL retail outlets, these EV fast Charging stations offer long-distance and inter-city travelers much-needed safe, well-lit and secure pit stops together with amenities like clean and hygienic washrooms toilets, mATMs, etc for their convenience while their vehicle is being recharged. BPCL has digitized the entire EV charger locator, charger operations, and transaction process through the HelloBPCL app for an online hassle-free and transparent user experience.

Going forward, 200 such Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridors under the brand eDrive which carries the tagline Clean. Fast. Easy will be set up along key National Highways by 31st March 2023 as part of the drive to support and accelerate EV adoption in India.

BPCL also announced the launch of the Integrated Customer Program with MG Motors, a British automotive brand, who has so far sold 8900 electric vehicles in the country which will enable all MG’s EV customers while driving, to locate BPCL EV Charging stations through their car dashboards and fast charge their electric vehicles with specific benefits accorded to MG EV owners at all BPCL EV Charging stations across the country.

Subhankar Sen, Head Retail Initiatives & Brand, BPCL, and Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motors jointly announced the launch of the Integrated Customer Program in an event held in Delhi on 11th February 2023, in the presence of Rajiv Dutta, Head Retail North – BPCL, Mihir Joshi, State Head (Delhi, Haryana, HP & UK)-BPCL and other Senior officers.

Speaking at the launch, Subhankar Sen, Head Retail Initiatives & Brand, BPCL said “A cleaner planet is better for everyone and decarbonization is a challenge that requires broad-reaching, multi-faceted solutions and we in BPCL are playing our part by setting up the network of electric vehicle fast charging highway corridors to address the range, discovery and time anxieties of EV owners which we firmly believe will hasten the adoption of Electric Vehicles in the country. Our initiative with MG Motor India in creating a rewarding experience for MG Motor EV customers today is an important initiative under our EV charging strategy and towards our larger objective of achieving our goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. We are excited about our innovative technology integration with MG Motors who have incorporated our EV charging network in their dashboard navigator providing unmatched convenience for MG EV owners. This truly reflects the commitment of both our organizations to bring in cutting-edge technology for the promotion of EV adoption in the country.

Together with MG Motor India, we will be working to improve the EV charging experience along key travel arteries connecting cities, tourist destinations, and economic centers in the country.

Bharat Petroleum Fuel Stations offer consumers the added convenience of clean and hygienic washrooms, cash withdrawals, safe and secure parking while charging, free digital air facility, 24-hour operations, and much more. Select fuel stations also offer Nitrogen filling facilities. Several of Bharat Petroleum’s highway fuel stations also offer hygienic food through its strategic alliances with leading brands such as McDonald’s, A2B, Cube Stop, Café Coffee Day, and other local outlets. Bharat Petroleum has also planned to roll out its chain of In & Out convenience stores at key fuel stations on highways for added convenience to its customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Gupta, CCO, of MG Motor India said, “MG has been at the forefront of the development of a strong EV ecosystem since the launch of the ZS EV in 2020. It brings us immense pride to announce the inauguration of twelve new DC fast-charging facilities across the most significant highway of the country, in partnership with BPCL. We intend to establish a holistic ecosystem in India to accelerate EV adoption, and the new chargers at the BPCL fuel stations will provide the necessary impetus for people to switch to electric mobility.”

11th February 2023, India: Revamp Moto, the leading two-wheeler electric vehicle start-up, and Croma, a popular technology retailer have come together to offer customers an exciting and sustainable shopping experience. This exciting campaign is going on from 26th January and will continue until 22nd March 2023 giving customers the chance to participate in the Croma Smartphone Carnival and avail of a range of discounts and deals.

The Croma Smartphone Carnival offers customers up to 50% off on smartphones and assured vouchers worth Rs. 10,000 on every purchase. Additionally, customers can win exciting prizes such as the Tata Nexon EV Car, Revamp Moto Electric Bikes, and more simply by making a purchase at a Croma store. To add to the excitement, both brands are offering 20 lucky winners the chance to take home a Revamp Moto RM Buddie 25 electric bike by scratching a card.

This exciting campaign is being advertised through posters in metros, locals, newspapers, and 500+ hoardings across 65 cities and 250+ stores in India. To enhance the customer experience, customers are encouraged to click a picture of a poster, share it on their social media accounts by tagging both Revamp Moto and Croma and stand a chance to be featured on the brand’s official social media accounts.

Commenting on the collaboration, Pritesh Mahajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Revamp Moto, stated, “We are delighted to partner with Croma to bring a fresh and sustainable aspect to the Croma Smartphone Carnival. This collaboration celebrates technology and sustainability, and we are thrilled to offer our customers the opportunity to win one of our RM Buddie electric bikes or even a Tata Nexon EV car. We are confident that this partnership will provide a unique and unparalleled shopping experience for our customers.”

Dendritic cells (DCs) perform several important immunological functions. However, their hyperactivity can result in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Now, to identify natural compounds that can regulate DC-mediated functions, a group of researchers screened 150 natural aroma compounds. They discovered that β-damascone, a major aroma component of rose, can suppress DC-mediated immune functions. In vivo experiments in mice models demonstrated that β-damascone has anti-inflammatory properties and can be promising as an effective immunomodulatory drug.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are important players of the immune system with important functions such as the identification of infectious pathogens, production of cytokines (chemical signalers of the immune system), presentation of antigens to activate T-cells, and more. Despite performing such key functions, DCs may lead to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases when hyperactive. Therefore, to prevent DC-mediated diseases, it is necessary to identify molecules that can modulate the functions of DCs.

Previous studies have indicated that natural compounds can serve as potent immunomodulators. To explore the role of such compounds in modulating the functions of DCs, a team of researchers from Japan, led by Prof. Chiharu Nishiyama from Tokyo University of Science, including Dr. Hikaru Okada, Dr. Masakazu Hachisu, and Dr. Naoki Kodama screened 150 types of natural aroma compounds. “Natural fragrant compounds are found in plants and microorganisms and are also commonly used in foods and daily necessities. However, not much research has been conducted on the physiological activities of individual flavor compounds, particularly on immune responses,” remarks Prof. Nishiyama while discussing their motivation behind this study, which was published in Frontiers Nutrition on February 9, 2023.

First, the team conducted a two-step screening process of aroma compounds, which led to the identification of a novel and effective modulator of DCs known as β-damascone—a primary component that constitutes rose fragrance.

Next, through a series of molecular and immunological assays, the team found out that β-damascone inhibited several functions of DCs including antigen-dependent activation of CD4+ T-cells and the development of Th1 cells (Type-1 helper cells). In addition, β-damascone reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines such as, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12p40, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a.

Discussing these findings, Prof. Nishiyama further adds, “We wanted not only to observe the effective active ingredients, but also to thoroughly examine their mechanisms of action at the molecular level, up to the point of verifying whether they exert physiologically meaningful effects.” True to their word, on exploring the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory functions of β-damascone, the team noted that these functions were mediated by NRF2—a master transcription factor with crucial antioxidative roles. NRF2 was found to exert these effects via its target genes, Hmox1 and Nqo1.

The function of β-damascone was further confirmed by in vivo experiments in contact hypersensitivity mice models. The oral administration of β-damascone reduced ear inflammation in these mice models. Notably, these experiments also corroborated the role of NRF2 in β-damascone-mediated immunomodulation. Indeed, ear swelling was not suppressed in NRF2 knockout mice models, i.e., mice that lacked NRF2.

Taken together, this comprehensive study showed that β-damascone can function as an efficient modulator of DC-mediated functions and can effectively reduce the inflammatory effects of DC-hyperactivation.
We are confident that these findings will lead to the application of β-damascone as a safe and effective immunomodulatory drug very soon!

Feb 11, 2023, Bangalore – Crown Worldwide Group, the world’s largest privately held group of international logistics and related services companies, is pleased to announce the opening of the third phase of its state of art Records Management Centre in Chennai. As part of its commitment to provide an enhanced level of support to the clients, the records centre is one of its kind in the records management space in India.

The facility, with the addition of the third phase, shall store over 1.8 million standard carton equivalent (SCEs) and an additional 40,000 vault storage. The facility is equipped with the latest technology and security features to ensure the safekeeping of vital documents and records.

Crown has been operating here for the last 26 years in India having records management centres across 13 locations in New Delhi, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. The new facility will encourage deeper engagement with clients such as financial services, healthcare, legal, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries with the need for business information storage

The inauguration ceremony on Feb 10, 2023 shall be led by Tze Sheng Kong (CEO Asia, Crown Worldwide Group), Srinivas Krishnan (Regional Managing Director – South Asia, Crown Worldwide Group) and Praveen Joseph (Assistant Vice President – South Asia, Crown Records Management).

The facility is equipped with advanced fire suppression systems, CCTV surveillance, and biometric access control to ensure the safety and security of the records stored in it. Additionally, the centre is climate-controlled to protect the records from extreme temperatures and humidity.

The new facility will enable Crown Records Management to offer its customers in Chennai and surrounding areas with a range of records management services including document storage, document imaging, and document destruction. This expansion will also create additional employment opportunities in the region.

“We are delighted to inaugurate the third phase of our records centre in Chennai,” said Tze Shen Kong, CEO of Asia, Crown Worldwide Group. “This expansion will allow us to better serve our customers in the region and contribute to the growth of the local economy.”

Speaking on the development, Srinivas Krishnan, Regional Managing Director – South Asia, Crown Worldwide Group said “Since the acquisition of land in the year 2013 till date for our second wholly owned state-of-the-art facility, our Chennai operation has witnessed unprecedented growth and with the construction of vault and servicing office in Asthinapuram based on request plus feedback mainly from our existing and new BFSI ( Banking and Financial Services Industry )customers, we have been able to deliver enhanced value in this important market. We look to maintain the growth trend in this market in the near future in addition to our growing digital services.”

AI and chatbots like ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionize the education technology (EdTech) industry. AI technology can be used to personalize learning experiences, provide instant feedback and grading, and even automate administrative tasks, freeing up teachers to focus on teaching. Chatbots like ChatGPT can be used to provide 24/7 support to students, answering questions and helping with homework, as well as provide interactive language learning experiences.

Moreover, AI can also help analyze student data to identify learning gaps and provide targeted interventions to help students overcome challenges. With the increasing prevalence of technology in our daily lives, it’s not surprising that AI and chatbots are being embraced as powerful tools in education. It’s an exciting time for EdTech and there’s a lot of potential for further innovation and growth in this field.

Highlights:-

• 24/7 availability: ChatGPT can provide students with support and answers to questions anytime, day or night, which can be particularly beneficial for students who need help outside of normal class hours.
• Personalized learning: ChatGPT can generate personalized learning experiences for each student based on their individual needs and progress, helping to increase engagement and improve learning outcomes.
• Reduced workload for educators: By answering student questions and providing support, ChatGPT can reduce the workload of educators, allowing them to focus on other tasks, such as creating lesson plans and providing individualized attention to students who need it.
• Cost-effective solution: ChatGPT can provide an affordable and scalable solution for providing educational support, which can be particularly important for developing countries or for schools and universities with limited resources.
• Data analysis: ChatGPT can process and analyze large amounts of data, including student performance data, learning patterns, and preferences, providing valuable insights for teachers and administrators.
• Improved student engagement: By providing students with instant feedback and personalized learning experiences, ChatGPT can help to increase student engagement and motivation, leading to improved learning outcomes.

In conclusion, AI and chatbots like ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionize the EdTech industry by providing more personalized and accessible educational experiences, and by freeing up educators to focus on areas where they can have the greatest impact.