Archives November 2024

Kolkata, 28th November 2024: Calcutta Girls High School inaugurated “Dhwani: The Music of Sound,” a two-day cultural extravaganza at the iconic Town Hall, Kolkata. Themed around the timeless Indian Raagas, this initiative serves as both a celebration and a homage to the rich legacy of Indian classical music. The event was graced by eminent personalities, including Mr. Firhad Hakim, Hon’ble Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation; Dilip Mondal, Hon’ble Minister of State for Transport, Government of West Bengal; Bishop Subodh C. Mondal, Chairman, Presiding & Resident Bishop of Bengal Regional Conference and Rev. Kamalaksha Sardar, Vice-Chairman and Pastor of Thoburn Methodist Church.

Indian Raagas are not merely musical compositions; they are treasures of our heritage that embody centuries of cultural evolution, emotional depth, and spiritual resonance. They reflect the soul of India, weaving stories of tradition, nature, and human emotion into intricate melodic patterns. Events like “Dhwani” are vital in ensuring these treasures are passed on to the next generation, fostering a sense of pride and reverence for our cultural wealth.

The performances at “Dhwani” showcased the talent and dedication of students from Standards 3 to 9 and 11, with highlights including an enchanting opening song, a felicitous welcome to the dignitaries, an expressive opening dance, and a captivating dance drama. These pieces brought the nuances of Indian Raagas alive, blending storytelling and movement to evoke the timeless beauty of classical music.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Basanti Biswas, Principal and Secretary, Calcutta Girls High School, said, Indian Raagas are the heartbeat of our musical heritage and a profound expression of our cultural identity. ‘Dhwani’ is a humble effort to preserve this legacy and instill its values in the younger generation. Our students have shown exceptional passion and dedication, which reaffirms our belief in the power of traditional learning to inspire future generations. By embracing initiatives like Dhwani, we at Calcutta Girls High School not only intend to nurture artistic talent but also to reinforce the importance of connecting today’s youth with their cultural roots. I am sure events like these shall remind us that the preservation and celebration of our heritage are critical in shaping a well-rounded and culturally enriched society.

Photo Caption- Pic 1 (L-R): Basanti Biswas, Principal and Secretary, ” Calcutta Girls High School; Shri Dilip Mondal,  Hon’ble Minister of State Transport  Govt. Of West Bengal; Shri Firhad Hakim, Hon’ble Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Hon’ble Minister- in-charge Urban Development and Municipal Affairs and Housing Govt. Of West Bengal; Bishop Subodh Chandra Mondal, Chairman Calcutta Girls High School and Resident and Presiding Bishop Bengal Regional Conference, Methodist Church in India; Sudipta Mondal, President Deaconess Conference,  Bengal Regional Conference, Methodist Church in India; Rev. Kamalaksha Sardar, Vice Chairman, Calcutta Girls High School”

Abu Dhabi, 28 Nov 2024: In a landmark initiative to strengthen ties between India and the United Arab Emirates, the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) in support with Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs hosted the “India-UAE: Shaping Sustainable Futures: Innovation and Investment in Real Estate” conference in Hilton, Yas Island Abu Dhabi. The conference brought together over 350 participants, including 35 government delegates from India, industry leaders, and dignitaries from the UAE, marking a significant step forward in collaboration between the two nations.

The conference, which was part of NAREDCO’s Abu Dhabi & Dubai Study Tour, saw discussions on innovative solutions and investment strategies for sustainable urban development. The event underscored the strategic importance of the India-UAE partnership, which has evolved into a model of economic and cultural cooperation.

H.E. Eng. Mohamed Ebrahim Al Mansoori, Director General of Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme; Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure UAE, & Minister’s Advisor for Engineering Affairs, underscored the UAE’s commitment to sustainability and urban innovation. “The UAE has reduced its non-oil GDP by 8%, achieving a homeownership rate of 91% by the end of 2023. These are the results of financial sustainability and progressive policies. By sharing our experiences, we aim to create eco-resilient cities that inspire the world. India’s rapid urbanization presents immense opportunities for collaboration, and together, we can build a future defined by sustainable innovation.”

Sh. Kuldip Narayan, IAS, Joint Secretary & Mission Director (Housing for All), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, spoke on the ambitious scale of India’s housing mission. “In the last nine years, we have facilitated the construction of over nine million affordable houses, ten times the number built in the previous decade. Our next target is to construct 10 million homes in just five years, doubling the speed of delivery. However, the scale of urbanization in India demands even greater efforts. Greenfield city development and innovative urban planning are crucial if we are to align our infrastructure with the country’s economic growth, which is projected to grow at 7-8% annually over the next 20 years.”

He also noted the importance of a robust regulatory framework in driving progress. “Real estate contributes not just to economic growth but also to societal development. The single-window interface for approvals must be streamlined to facilitate ease of doing business. We must embrace best practices from countries like the UAE to create urban environments that are sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready.”

Sh. G Hari Babu, President of NAREDCO, emphasized the significance of the India-UAE relationship, describing it as the foundation for the event. “India and the United Arab Emirates are the best friends in the world today. With representatives from 21 Indian states attending this conference, we are taking important lessons in sustainable urban development back home. India’s housing journey has progressed from providing basic homes to affordable, sustainable, and now luxury housing for all. Cities like Hyderabad are seeing apartments worth 20-25 crores, reflecting the remarkable growth of our real estate sector.”

Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Chairman of NAREDCO, emphasized the significant contributions of the real estate industry to India’s economy. Currently responsible for 7% of the GDP, the sector is projected by Niti Aayog to expand to 15% as India approaches a $5 trillion economy. This growth creates a multiplier effect, driving employment, investment, and positively impacting 270 allied industries. Strengthening partnerships with the UAE will bolster collaboration, fostering innovation and accelerating sustainable development. Embracing global partnerships and focusing on eco-friendly practices will be vital for propelling the real estate sector toward a sustainable and prosperous future.

The conference showcased a diverse range of sessions,  centered on themes such as exploring Real Estate opportunities between India and the UAE, advances in construction technology: quality & sustainability, bridging boundaries: harnessing UAE’s RERA Strengths for India’s Real Estate Future and innovation in Urban Development: Effective Town Planning and Clearances. These panels featured leading experts from both India and the UAE, fostering valuable insights and collaboration.

This event marks a significant step forward in the collaboration between India and the UAE, fostering knowledge-sharing and innovation in the real estate sector. By addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities, the partnership aims to set a global benchmark in sustainable urban development. With its focus on strengthening international investments and building resilient cities, NAREDCO continues to lead India’s efforts in reshaping its urban landscape.

Bangalore, INDIA and Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, November 28, 2024: Sonata Software, a leading Modernization Engineering company, today announced that it has secured a multi-million dollar Modernization deal with a global leader in access solutions. This transformation deal will integrate and standardize the client’s APAC business processes across 13 countries, ensuring seamless operations and real-time engagement with customers, suppliers, distributors, and partners.

As part of this digital transformation journey, Sonata Software will partner with the client to modernize their Dynamics AX 2012 R3 to state-of-the-art D365 Finance and Supply Chain Management. This modernization will encompass migrating data from legacy systems, implementing a data platform that includes over 260 Power BI reports, optimizing advanced warehousing and planning processes, and conducting pilot programs in Australia, New Zealand, and China. Additionally, an intelligence layer will be built into their systems using Microsoft Fabric, which will accelerate their data-to-decision journey seamlessly.

This deal was secured in Q1 FY25 and mentioned during the aligned earnings call which took place on July 31, 2024.

“Our efforts will focus on automating end-to-end processes, harnessing Microsoft’s comprehensive technology stack to improve scalability and facilitate adoption for the client,” said Anthony Lange, Chief Revenue Officer at Sonata Software. “Through our digital transformation efforts, we will standardize and optimize their trading and manufacturing processes, integrate financial planning and monitoring, and simplify customization and integration by leveraging industry best practices.”

Over the past three decades, Sonata Software has made significant investments in Australia, leveraging its highly skilled workforce, business-friendly environment, and supportive government policies. This strategic growth has enabled the company to deliver world-class Modernization Engineering services to nearshore and local clients, particularly in the retail and manufacturing sectors. Most recently, the company further strengthened its presence by announcing a new Centre of Excellence, in collaboration with the Victorian Government, to address the rising demand for generative AI and data solutions.

The 3rd Edition of the IndiAirport 2024, organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), was inaugurated on 26th Nov 2024 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi, marking a pivotal moment in the journey of India’s aviation sector. Bringing together a distinguished line-up of policymakers, industry leaders, and global stakeholders, the three-day conference and exhibition aims to showcase cutting-edge innovations, address sectoral challenges, and shape a robust roadmap for sustainable aviation growth.

In his keynote address, Guest of Honour Shri Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India emphasized the sector’s integral role in realizing India’s constitutional ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. Highlighting the transformative impact of the aviation industry, he noted that India now ranks as the third-largest domestic aviation market globally. Mr. Srivastava spoke about the critical balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability, urging stakeholders to adopt greener technologies and sustainable operational practices. He praised India’s airports for their efforts in contributing positively to the environment, with several facilities already achieving net-positive contributions.

Special guest Dr. Sharad Kumar, Hon’ble Member (Operations), Airports Authority of India (AAI), emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships (PPP) in driving this growth. He highlighted the significant investments of over ₹91,000 crore channelled through PPP models since 2019 to modernize and expand airport infrastructure. These investments, Dr. Kumar said, have been pivotal in meeting growing passenger volumes and creating world-class facilities. He also stressed the need to adopt international technology transfers, particularly in air traffic management, and to develop indigenous capabilities to enhance India’s competitiveness in both civil and defence aviation.

The ambitious roadmap for India’s aviation sector was a central theme during the inaugural session. Mr. Sanjiv Edward, Chair, PHDCCI Civil Aviation Committee, outlined the government’s plan to invest ₹920 billion in airport infrastructure, aiming to increase the number of operational airports from the current 157 to 200 by 2025, with another 200 airports envisioned over the next two decades. This initiative, he said, is not just about increasing numbers but democratizing air travel and making it accessible to every Indian, particularly through transformative schemes like UDAN that have connected Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to major hubs.

In his address, Dr. Jatinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General, PHDCCI, reiterated the critical role of the conference as a platform for collaboration and innovation. He announced that a whitepaper would be released at the end of the conference, encapsulating key deliberations and actionable insights from the sessions.

Technology and sustainability were at the forefront of discussions. Speakers emphasized the transformative potential of AI-powered predictive analytics, blockchain, and biometric solutions like Digi Yatra to streamline operations and enhance passenger experiences. Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles and drones were identified as key innovations poised to revolutionize urban mobility and logistics. The integration of these technologies, coupled with sustainable practices such as solar power adoption, energy-efficient infrastructure, and waste management, is seen as critical to building a future-ready aviation ecosystem.

The session featured insights from global stakeholders, including Ms. Miriam Schönrock, Head of Marketing, GATE, and Mr. Rocco Marcuccio, Project Coordinator, Air Tech Italy. Ms. Schönrock emphasized the importance of Indo-European collaborations in addressing challenges and accelerating progress in aviation technology. Mr. Marcuccio underscored the significance of global expertise in supporting India’s aviation ambitions, highlighting Airtech Italy’s role in fostering innovation through partnerships with 40 Italian companies.

The event also highlighted the inclusive growth of India’s aviation industry. Mr. Srivastava lauded India’s leadership in promoting gender equality, with Indian women accounting for a disproportionately large share of the global pilot workforce. He emphasized that the aviation sector embodies the ideals of liberty and accessibility, with expanding connectivity offering unprecedented opportunities for all Indians.

With over 50 exhibitors and participation from more than 200 delegates, IndiAirport 2024 provides an unparalleled platform for industry stakeholders to engage, innovate, and collaborate. The conference will explore a range of themes, including airport technology, ground handling, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) innovations, and sustainability. The event will culminate in the release of a comprehensive whitepaper, offering actionable recommendations to guide India’s aviation sector toward a future of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Chennai (India), Singapore, Nov 28, 2024: The world’s 3rd largest automotive supplier has sold 820,000 shares, equalling 4.3 percent stake, in its listed Indian subsidiary, ZF CVCS India, to increase liquidity and financial flexibility for its growth plans.

The sale of shares has no effect on ZF’s control of ZF CVCS India, as it is the long-term strategy of ZF to maintain its solid majority shareholding in the entity. ZF CVCS India is the market-leader in the Indian CV supplier industry and remains a very important pillar in ZF´s global growth strategy.

On the back of a supportive market environment in India, ZF CVCS India has shown a strong operating and financial performance. The transaction will strengthen the financial flexibility of ZF, allowing it to invest in its further growth, and in the dynamically developing Indian market.

Mumbai, 28^th Nov 2024: Quess Corp, India’s leading business solutions provider, today launched the “IT Staffing Quarterly Digital Skills Report Q2FY25’, offering insights into the technology skills shaping the future of work in India. Despite navigating global uncertainties, the report paints a cautiously optimistic picture, highlighting the resilience and growth potential within the country’s IT sector. While demand for traditional programming languages persists, there has been a significant movement towards Cybersecurity, DevOps, Analytics, and, indicating a dynamic and evolving IT landscape.

Commenting on the tech hiring landscape, Kapil Joshi, CEO of Quess IT Staffing, said “Reskilling and Upskilling with proliferation of Global Capability Centres are driving the dynamic ecosystem of India’s tech growth. Quess has partnered with over 200 GCCS across India, facilitating the placement of more than 15,000 technology professional since FY22. Looking ahead, we anticipate a strong rise in the IT hiring intent of the manufacturing and BFSI sector. Emerging technologies such as Generative AI, Deep Tech, and Quantum Computing emerge are set to create over a million jobs by 2030. While challenges remain, India’s IT industry is well-positioned to grow 10-12% in the next six months.”

Leading Skill Suites in Demand

According to Quess, 79% of the aggregate demand emerged from the top 5 skill suites, namely Development, ERP, Testing, Networking and Data Science. In addition to these functional skill suites, there was a rapid increase in specialized roles and skills related to Java (30%), cybersecurity (20%), and DevOps (25%) between Q1FY25 and Q2FY25.

 Java

The demand for roles related to AI/ML have seen a significant increase of 30% from the previous quarter. The traditional programming language, Java has emerged as a cornerstone for AI initiatives across various industries such as IT services, Fintech, healthcare, e-commerce and telecom sectors

DevOps

To overcome the historical divide between development and operations, various organizations are increasingly relying on DevOps. Industries such as BFSI, retail, IT services, and Telecom are heavily adopting DevOps leading to high demand for the DevOps engineers.

 Mid-tier IT Firms Take the Lead in the Talent Wars

In Q2FY25, technology talent demand saw a distinct trend across various IT Services firms leading by 37%, followed by Hi-Tech (11%), Consulting (11%), Manufacturing (9%) and BFSI (8%) firms.

Manufacturing: This sector witnessed a significant transition, with demand escalated on products across sectors such as semiconductor, electronics, and electrical industries. This diversification highlights the industry’s adaptability to technological advancements and prioritizing innovation in both product development and supply chain management.

Consultancy: The consulting industry is flourishing in India due to its growing economy coupled with its vast pool of skilled talent. The global consulting firms find India as an attractive destination. The increasing focus on digital transformation, technological advancements, and the need for strategic guidance has driven demand for consulting services across various sectors.

BFSI: This industry is seeing a surge due to rising disposable income, and growing urbanization are driving demand for financial products and services. Government initiatives with digitalization are contributing to the industry’s expansion. There’s also a highly competitive environment and innovation due to the presence of tech start-ups and fintech companies.

The GCC Phenomenon: Powerhouse of Tech Hiring

Global Capability Centres have emerged as the powerhouse of tech hiring India during Q2FY25, driven by a robust demand for skills in roles such as AI/ML, Analytics, Cybersecurity, Cloud, and DevOps. These technologies have applications across various sectors. In healthcare, Java is utilized to develop Electronic Health records.  Consumer goods companies are transforming their operations by adopting cloud security measures, including Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions. Meanwhile, BFSI companies are leveraging DevOps practices to enhance their digital banking platforms, focusing on Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and containerization strategies.

Cybersecurity: The Backbone of the Digital Era

As businesses increasingly migrate their operations and data to the cloud, robust cybersecurity measures have become essential. This shift has sparked a surge in demand for expertise in applications such as Coupa, Cyberark, Forgerock, JUnit, McAfee, Sailpoint, and SIEM. Overall, the growth in cybersecurity has reached 58% since the previous quarter, with IT services leading hiring efforts at 42%, followed by the Manufacturing and BFSI sectors. Bangalore, recognized as a tech hub, accounts for 64% of this demand. This surge is primarily driven by accelerated digital transformation, escalating cyber threats, stringent data privacy regulations, and compliance with government mandates.

Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in the Limelight

India’s tech landscape is experiencing a boom, with Bengaluru emerging as the undisputed leader. A staggering 62% of hiring requests flow through this region, followed by the West (14%), North (8%), and East (0.4%). After Bengaluru, the city-wise landscape in demand sharing is followed by Hyderabad (43.5%) and Pune (10%).

The office market is seeing continued growth due to both domestic and international companies seeking to expand their operations in the industry. There has been a surge in talent demand across various cities due to the expansion of GCCs in India. These companies focus on hiring skilled professionals from fields like e engineering, IT, finance, and analytics. This advancement has led to companies looking for hiring from the promising talent pools of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities

Methodology

This report is based on data from Quess IT Staffing’s operations which map demand and supply in our talent ecosystem. The findings speak to the evolving aggregate tech hiring demand and related insights to give leaders a clear understanding of what the talent market looks like. This report focuses on the quantum of demand in Q2FY2025 in Quess IT Staffing.

Lommel, Belgium. ZF Wind Power enhances the flexibility of SHIFT’s modular design, boosting its competitiveness. By implementing new validated technologies and know-how, the proven basis of existing platforms enables more powerful and cost-efficient modular concept developments. SHIFT now offers more powerful, cost-efficient, and compact modular configurations. These platform upgrades ensure the platform meets the dynamic demands of the wind market, providing versatile solutions for various wind turbines.

Launched nearly nine years ago, ZF Wind Power’s SHIFT modular gearbox concept enhanced turbine design flexibility, reduced time-tomarket, and cut costs. Currently, with almost 50 GW shipped, SHIFT demonstrates global competitiveness and adaptability across various classes, geographical regions and market segments. Covering onshore and part of the offshore wind segments with four main platform variants, SHIFT’s flexibility and reliability are industry-leading.

SHIFT answers the market dynamics

SHIFT anticipates market evolution by developing powerful, modular platforms that offer high flexibility and performance, helping partners stay competitive in their markets. The new generation SHIFT elevates modularity and adaptability to a new level while covering market versatility:

• Tonality-sensitive markets focus on the quality of NVH characteristics of the wind turbine’s performance, such as sound or vibration levels.
• Capacity factor driven markets prioritize the ability to meet high performance demand maximizing delivery of wind energy, ensuring more robust energy infrastructure and scalability.
• Capex-oriented markets emphasize the need for costcompetitive wind infrastructure to achieve lower cost of energy to enhance long-term growth of energy production supporting economic competitiveness.

“Whether the market is tonality-sensitive, capacity factor driven and/or capex-oriented, the new level modularity of SHIFT building blocks and technology offer a flexible choice in components to fit these requirements,” explains Felix Henseler, CEO of ZF Wind Power.

SHIFT-ing towards the future by building on the proven basis of the platform

All components benefit from ZF’s expertise and validated designs, guaranteeing high reliability. Leveraging extensive experience and insights from the installed base, the new generation SHIFT has enhanced its modular design for greater flexibility and competitiveness while maintaining its core characteristics of high performance, reliability and cost-competitiveness.

Maximal performance:

• Enhanced modularity allows optimization for power or cost competitiveness, covering more markets and customer demands.
• Flexible upgradability increases the torque range for SHIFT 4k new generation from 4000-5500 kNm to 4000-5900 kNm.

Industry-leading reliability:

• Gradual implementation of new technologies with controlled risk management, supported by combined resources and validation efforts across all SHIFT platforms, with almost 50 GW in operation.

Improved competitiveness:

• Industrial standardization achieves volume efficiencies in design, validation, production, and service.
• Shorter time-to-market through unified SHIFT technology, which accelerates readiness across platform variants and speeds up the validation process, enabling faster access to new markets.

 “SHIFT is now even more versatile, combining design flexibility, modularity and competitiveness which can be deployed in a wide range of wind turbines covering existing and new markets,” summarizes Martin Knops, CTO of ZF Wind Power.

SHIFT 4k – The first of the new generation SHIFT

ZF now introduces the new generation SHIFT 4k to the market. The new platform variant is designed to cover an impressive torque range from 4000 to 5900 kNm, ensuring robust performance across various

applications. Additionally, it delivers a turbine output ranging from 3.6 to 5.6 MW, with gear ratios reaching up to 190. This advancement marks a significant leap in our technology, providing enhanced efficiency and reliability for our partners. They now have the choice of a modular expandable platform for existing or new turbine variants or a highly competitive compact platform, both building on validated and reliable SHIFT technologies. The new generation SHIFT 4k has been selected by wind turbine OEMs to build new generation products that appeal multiple markets and regions incl. the United States of America, India and newly developing wind markets.

Empowering a sustainable future together with SHIFT, the technology DNA for the future

The development of the new generation SHIFT took place in close System Cooperation with partners. “During the design phase we developed a new level of modularization. This optimizes the reuse of building blocks, enhances configurations and drives standardization at component level while increasing interchangeability in designs, with a focus on reducing development, production and evaluation time,” explains Martin Knops. This means, ZF can guarantee a shorter time to market at a lower cost with the potential for future upgrades of turbine designs. Now, with the newest technology ZF can offer its partners even more flexibility. As every market is different, every partner might rethink the setup of their business: opting for resized and costoptimized versus upgraded, more powerful versions, or offer a turbine tuned for tonality-sensitive markets.

 “New technology implementations make SHIFT the most versatile wind gearbox platform on the market now covering torque ranges from 3000 to 8000 kNm. The strength of SHIFT’s DNA and the new technology enable us to empower a sustainable future together with our partners,” concludes Felix Henseler.

Mumbai, India – 28th November 2024 – Mumbai based Raising Superstars, a pioneer in the Early childhood development space that has been widely recognized in Early Childhood Education(ECE), was successfully featured in the World Early Childhood Development Forum (WED Forum) held during Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Week. ECD(Early childhood development) experts shared ideas on the future trajectory of early childhood development with various stakeholders present.

As the only representative from Eastern Asia, Raising Superstars presented its own philosophy and approaches to the world. Raghav Himatsingka, co-founder, graced the occasion with his gratifying speech that impressed the crowd and was in consonance with the theme of innovation and research in the programme of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week.

His beliefs concerning the new age of early childhood education and technology and what Raising Superstars stands for. His session presented the company’s pioneering insights into encouraging young children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development using evidence-based techniques and unique programs.

Besides the speaking engagement, Raising Superstars let the audience experience the future of early childhood development. Raghav then showcased to parents, educators, and others, the unique programs by Raising Superstars and the The Prodigy Baby App, which have been enhancing the way children learn to grow since early baby stages.

Raising Superstars created a space to help facilitate authentic communication between parents, children, and mentors. This opportunity was valuable for families seeking to strengthen their understanding of early childhood development while fostering a collaborative approach to raising future-ready children.

“We were very excited to be a part of this event and to share our mission with the global community,” said Raghav Himatsingka, Co-Founder of Raising Superstars. “The conversations we had with parents, educators, and fellow innovators were inspiring. It reassured our belief that a future-driven approach to early childhood education is key to unlocking every child’s potential.”

Through the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week and the WED Forum, Raising Superstars was able to let everyone know its commitment to revolutionizing the early years of education by empowering parents and educators to provide a sound foundation for their future success.

Raising Superstars is dedicated to revolutionizing early childhood education and parenting with innovative, research-backed programs designed to unlock the full potential of every child. With the No. 1 parenting application, The Prodigy Baby App, Raising Superstars empowers parents to nurture their child’s development with ease and confidence. With the new age of digital learning, Raising Superstars provides an incredible scope of screen-free learning for kids, making it a digital learning experience like never before. Ranked as World’s No. 4 EdTech Rising Stars of 2024 by the Times Magazine, Raising Superstars is committed to providing parents and educators with the tools they need to foster early learning and development, Raising Superstars continues to lead the way in shaping a brighter future for the next generation.

Fat Lulu’s offers an incredible experience that takes you straight into the heart of the Roaring Twenties. With rustic exposed brick walls, warm copper accents, and the lively sounds of jazz and swing filling the air, this Italian bistro creates the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable meal. Complementing the ambiance is a carefully curated menu, where every bite expresses the essence of Italian-American flavours.

At Fat Lulu’s, the food is the star. The menu features Brooklyn-style Neapolitan pizzas, handmade pastas, and dishes crafted from traditional recipes using only the finest ingredients. Signature offerings like Lulu’s Country Fried Chicken, Stuffed Pasta Ravioli, and the refreshing Signature Rose Sangria are just the beginning. For cocktail lovers, drinks like the Dirty Lil Rascal and Spicy Mango Margarita bring a fun and inventive twist to the dining experience.

Loyalty to authenticity is what makes Fat Lulu’s truly special. Its kitchen follows traditional pizza-making processes, with chefs preparing each pizza in a stone oven so that every bite is as authentic as it gets. Fat Lulu’s also invites guests to get hands-on with their pizza and pasta-making workshops, allowing diners to engage with the culinary process in an interactive and fun way. This commitment to tradition is what makes each visit feel unique and special.

Fat Lulu’s is the perfect place for every occasion, whether you’re appreciating a casual meal with friends or hosting a private event. With seating for up to 48 guests at their Khan Market and WMG locations, the comfortable, vibrant atmosphere is perfect for intimate dinners and larger celebrations alike.

Open daily from 12 PM to midnight, Fat Lulu’s guarantees every visit is a celebration of flavour, tradition, and enjoyment. With a meal for two priced at INR 1800, it’s the excellent destination to gratify in classic Italian-American cuisine, sip on creative cocktails, and engage yourself in the allure of a Brooklyn-inspired pizzeria right in the heart of the city.

In its twenty-fifth year of rural development, S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) received the 8th ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards 2024 in the category ‘Best Non-Profit Engagement Model in Sanitation (Rural)’ in an event held on November 26, 2024 at FICCI House, New Delhi.

This recognition highlights the foundation’s innovative soak pit and soak well designs, which address wastewater management challenges while promoting cleanliness and hygiene in rural areas. These efforts align with the vision of Swachh Bharat and reinforce the foundation’s commitment to sustainable development.

Mr. Ashok K. K. Meena, secretary, Sh. Jitendra Srivastava, joint secretary, Depatment of Drinking Water and Sanitation; Mr. Harsh Vardhan Aggarwal, president, FICCI; Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai, chair, and Ms. Natasha Patel, CEO, India Sanitation Coalition, presented the award.

Mr. Salahuddin Saiphy, principal lead, Water Management, Ms. Pooja O. Murada, principal lead, Outreach for Development and Ms. Priya Chaudhary, assistant program lead, S M Sehgal Foundation, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. In their address, Pooja and Salahuddin dedicated this award to the rural communities and the CSR partners who support the implementation, sustainability, and replicability of the project in the villages.

The SMSF Water Management Program focuses on harvesting and storing rainwater, replenishing groundwater, reviving traditional water bodies, and promoting access to safe drinking water through innovative, low-cost technologies and encouraging WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) behavior change. It also provides WASH training and hand-holding support for the capacity building of practitioners.

S M Sehgal Foundation has been working since 1999 to improve the quality of life of the rural communities in India by addressing critical issues such as food security, water security, and strengthening community-led development initiatives across rural India. Operating across 13 states and more than 2,727 villages, the foundation has reached 5.27 million people with its mission to drive social, economic, and environmental change through efforts in water management, agricultural development, and transforming the lives of schoolchildren. S M Sehgal Foundation continues to make a meaningful impact in rural communities.