Archives May 2025

Delhi: TELUS Digital India, a leader in AI-powered customer experience and business process solutions, is included in TELUS Digital’s  global 2024 Sustainability and ESG report, Leading with purpose, innovating with passion, which demonstrates significant strides in environmental conservation and social responsibility. The report highlights the company’s commitment to delivering digital-first, human-centered solutions while actively reducing its environmental footprint.

On the environmental front, TELUS Digital India, in conjunction with the global TELUS Digital organization, has achieved a 2.9% decrease in combined scope 1 and 2 emissions from 2024, setting a clear path towards their ambitious goal of net carbon-neutral operations by 2030. The company’s green efforts have earned top honors for their three major office sites in Gurugram, Mumbai, and Noida, including the prestigious IGBC Platinum certification, the highest rating for green buildings in India. Beyond infrastructure, TELUS Digital India has made substantial progress in sustainability initiatives, planting 2,000+ trees and implementing waste management programs across all their sites in India.

The report also showcases TELUS Digital’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Women now make up 25% of the Executive Leadership Team, 41% of management, and 36% of the Board, surpassing the 30% target. This progress is complemented by a strong 78% employee engagement score, indicating a thriving and inclusive workplace culture.

TELUS Digital India’s social responsibility programs are creating meaningful change. Project Samika, a flagship non-profit program in India, empowers women in IT and AI data annotation, having trained and hired 22 women, with plans to expand. The company has also partnered with Setu to run IT skill centers and vocational training hubs, supported by 33 internal mentors. TELUS Digital India has also worked with NGO partner, Arch Foundation, on a CSR initiative called Educode that equips young minds with essential tech skills and fosters innovation in their communities, benefiting over 687 students across two government schools in Greater Noida, Vedi Kanya Inter College and Maharana Kumbha Inter College.

As part of the company’s broader #GiveWhereWeLive commitment, which aims to drive meaningful change in local communities, employees contributed an impressive 5,300+ volunteer hours, a 41% increase from 2023. Additionally, the company has given 5% more funds for donations and grants, reaching 4,400+ beneficiaries in India alone for 2024.

Employee well-being and community engagement remain at the forefront of TELUS Digital India’s priorities. The company has established a number of Employee Support Groups, including the Connections Women’s Network, and Spectrum for LGBTQIA2S+ inclusion. Both resource groups have been actively organizing educational and engagement activities to promote diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace.

TELUS Digital India also continues to uphold the highest standards of governance and ethical business practices. The company has reinforced strong AI governance, advanced fraud prevention, and compliance measures to ensure cybersecurity, data privacy, and combat bribery and corruption. An active board of directors oversees the company’s ESG commitments and policies, ensuring strong corporate governance.

TELUS Digital India’s Facilities Director, J Shankar, emphasized the company’s environmental commitment, stating, “We believe true leadership in the digital space comes with a responsibility to the environment. This commitment drives every decision we make, from investing in renewable energy to reducing our carbon footprint. We take ownership of our impact and have made significant strides, but we know there’s more to do.”

TELUS Digital’s 2024 Sustainability and ESG Report demonstrates the company’s dedication to sustainable business practices, environmental conservation, and social impact. By integrating these initiatives, fostering an inclusive workforce, and maintaining strong governance, TELUS Digital India continues to lead in corporate responsibility while driving business success in the digital age.

INDIA, May 2, 2025 – Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-Native Networking, today announced its strong momentum and industry recognition in the data center networking market. The company achieved market leadership in the 800GbE OEM switching market in 2024 and is recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Data Center Switching, published on March 31, 2025. In 2025 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Data Center Switching report, Juniper also ranked #1 in Enterprise Data Center Network Build-Out and #2 in AI Ethernet Fabric Build-Out. Juniper’s data center networking innovation continues, with new capabilities announced today that dramatically improve performance and economics for customers in the AI era.

“Juniper believes that our position in the latest Gartner reports underlines the strength of our core data center value proposition, which includes simplified AI-native operations, openness that avoids vendor lock-in, industry-leading performance and unparalleled reliability – all driving exceptional customer experiences,” said Praveen Jain, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Data Center & AI, Juniper Networks. “Our data center team is firing on all cylinders with innovation and execution that supports the business needs of a diverse range of enterprise, AI and cloud provider customers globally.”

A Leader in 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Center Switching
This new report looks at the data center networking industry through a modern lens, including capabilities for handling new AI workloads. Gartner evaluates vendors based on capabilities such as fabric management, ease of administration, platform integration, among others. The Critical Capabilities for Data Center Switching report is a companion to the Magic Quadrant that evaluates and ranks vendors’ solutions based on overall features, technologies and capabilities. In this report, Juniper scored the highest in Enterprise Data Center Network Build-Out, second highest in AI Ethernet Fabric Build-Out, and second highest in SONiC-Based Data Center Network Build-out Use Cases.

Top Spot in 800GbE OEM Switching Market in 2024
*According to 650 Group’s 2024 revenue shipment report published in March 2025, Juniper now commands a leading 44 percent share of the 800GbE OEM switch market, a critical enabler of the AI data center infrastructure. 800GbE is foundational to AI training, inference and storage clusters plus other high-performance computing (HPC) environments. Juniper was the first to ship 800GbE routing and switching platforms showing exceptional innovation and agility.

Disrupting Networking for AI with Data Center Innovations
Juniper’s data center solution, which is a key part of the company’s Mist AI-Native networking platform, continues to stand out on various fronts including ease of operations, performance, reliability and openness. This includes unique AIOps features for enhanced insights into application behaviors, multivendor intent-based networking for simplified fabric management, and an AI assistant, Marvis, that proactively identifies issues with recommended actions for resolution.

Juniper continues to introduce performance and power optimization capabilities specifically for AI workloads to reduce job completion times, decrease power consumption and increase ROI. For example, Juniper introduced innovative AI Load Balancing (AI-LB) techniques like Dynamic Load Balancing (DLB) and Global Load Balancing (GLB) to address the evolving networking needs of AI workloads. Juniper continues to innovate in this area with the introduction of RDMA-aware Load Balancing (RLB), which improves Ethernet network performance even further by uniquely pinning RDMA flows to deterministic paths to predictably load balance traffic across the network. By dramatically minimizing congestion, consistently achieving near theoretical maximum performance and delivering in-order packets, this eliminates the need for specialized SmartNICs and expensive scheduled fabric architectures.

Juniper also recently released LPO (Linear Pluggable Optics) for the Juniper Networks® QFX Series platforms that reduce optics power consumption by as much as 50 percent, enabling greater GPU scale and ROI. Juniper’s investments in Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) will further increase bandwidth density and reduce power consumption in data centers, especially for critical applications like AI and HPC.

“The cost and scale of our AI services is governed by the performance and efficiency of our AI infrastructure. Juniper’s AI-LB (AI Load Balancing) solution is the right technology to get the greatest AI network fabric throughput and thereby get maximum GPU utilization and performance from the AI infrastructure.”
– Daniele Cesarini, Head of AI/HPC Architecture, CINECA

As India prepares for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) COP11, concerns over foreign influence in health policymaking are gaining prominence. Growing apprehension surrounds the FCTC process, which many believe is increasingly shaped not by science but by a few powerful international NGOs, often backed by private philanthropic funding. While India has consistently asserted its right to localize global frameworks across sectors, the issue becomes particularly stark in the case of tobacco regulation. India faces one of the most severe tobacco burdens globally, with over 300 million users and more than 1.35 million annual deaths attributable to tobacco-related illness. The urgency to act is clear — but so is the need for regulation that reflects Indian consumption patterns, socio-economic realities, and public health infrastructure.

Commenting on the issue, Jeffrey Smith, Resident Senior Fellow at Integrated Harm Reduction, stated, “The only known fact is that the existing tobacco policies fall far short of meeting the goal of cessation. Without novel policies that provide options for those who use tobacco products to switch, it is unlikely that India will reduce the health consequences of tobacco use at the population level.”

Instead, global policy frameworks have often pushed for blanket prohibitionist measures — including on emerging alternatives that help fight the ill effects of smoking or chewing tobacco— while failing to adequately address the more harmful forms of tobacco, such as bidis and smokeless tobacco. The result is a regulatory approach that appears inconsistent with risk profiles and ground realities. Around the world, countries are re-evaluating such frameworks. Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the UAE, among others, are exploring more flexible regulatory models — focused on mitigating harm through innovation, consumer awareness, and better enforcement. 

Spanning 56,000 sq. ft. and housing over 1,200 seats, the new Hyderabad centre reflects alt.f coworking’s commitment to providing value-first, design-led workspaces that cater specifically to the needs of growing startups and small businesses. With future expansion potential of up to 100,000 sq. ft. and 2,400 seats, this flagship centre is poised to become a hub for the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Hyderabad is a growing market for flexible workspaces. Our launch here brings us one step closer to our vision of building a powerful national footprint,” said Yogesh Arora, Co-founder of alt.f coworking. “This centre isn’t just a workspace — it’s a foundation for founders who are serious about scaling.”

With seats starting at just ₹8,000/month, the Hyderabad centre offers private offices, open seating, meeting rooms, and virtual office solutions —all supported by enterprise-grade infrastructure, a zero capex model, and transparent pricing.

A Proven Model, Now Going National

alt.f coworking already operates a strong network across Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram, catering to over 11,000 seats and managing more than 500,000 sq. ft. of fully owned and operated spaces. Unlike managed space operators, alt.f follows a 100% self-operated model, ensuring consistency in service delivery and complete control over customer experience.

The company’s expansion is a reflection of the increasing demand for flexible, compact, and high-trust workspaces in emerging business hubs. alt.f’s spaces are designed for founders who want performance without distractions—and an environment that scales with them.

Featured on Shark Tank India Season 4

The company recently gained national attention after being featured on Shark Tank India Season 4, further validating its distinctive business model and founder-first philosophy. The exposure helped shine a spotlight on alt.f’s mission: to help India’s small and micro businesses grow faster, smarter, and stronger.

Next Stop: 3 More Launches in 2025

Building on its Hyderabad entry, alt.f coworking will be launching three new centres in 2025, including one more in Hyderabad’s Hitech City. Together, these launches will add more than 200,000 sq. ft. and 4,000+ seats, strengthening the brand’s position as a preferred office space partner for founders across India.

Chennai, 2 May 2025: Continuing its legacy of meaningful entertainment, Zee Tamil once again demonstrated its commitment to creating impact beyond the screen. On the occasion of International Dance Day, 29th April, the channel brought together compassion, joy, and the true spirit of dance by visiting home of specially abled individuals in Chennai. The special celebration left a lasting impression on everyone involved and truly showcased the power of dance to bring people together.

Zee Tamil redefines dance on International Dance Day with a heartwarming initiative by the contestants of Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded 3. The DJD Reloaded 3 team including anchor Mirchi Vijay, select contestants, and crew members visited Samarpana, a home for differently abled individuals in Chennai. The team spent meaningful time with the residents, dancing with them, sharing laughter, and creating unforgettable memories. The heartfelt moments were captured in a video released on Zee Tamil’s social media platforms, which quickly went viral and touched thousands of viewers. This initiative beautifully echoed the show’s belief that dance transcends barriers and has the power to connect and uplift lives.

Zee Tamil’s flagship dance reality show airs every Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 PM to 10 PM and is designed to give aspiring dancers across Tamil Nadu a platform to shine. Selected through state-wide auditions, these participants are paired with celebrity dancers to perform as jodis (couples), showcasing their skills to a wider audience. The show is anchored by the dynamic duo Mirchi Vijay and Manimegalai and is judged by a stellar panel of judges comprising actress Sneha, celebrated choreographer Baba Bhaskar, and actress Varalakshmi Sarathkumar. Together, they bring energy, emotion, and credibility to this celebration of dance and determination.

Dr Raghav Kesri, Senior Consultant and Head of Department, Medical Oncology, Yatharth Hospital, Greater Noida

Cancer is no longer a disease confined to older adults. In recent years, India has seen a concerning rise in cancer cases among individuals under the age of 40. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), cancers among the youth, particularly breast, colorectal, blood, and thyroid cancers have seen a significant spike, especially in urban areas like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. This shift in demographics is a wake-up call for early detection, timely intervention, and lifestyle awareness.

Young Adults and Unexpected Cancer Diagnoses

Traditionally, cancer screening programs and public awareness campaigns have focused on middle-aged and older adults. However, doctors across India are now reporting more cases in younger individuals who often present with aggressive forms of the disease. Breast cancer is being diagnosed in women in their 20s and 30s, while young men are increasingly facing colorectal and testicular cancers. Unlike older adults, the disease in younger patients often progresses faster and can go undetected longer due to lack of screening.

Factors such as sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits, increased exposure to environmental toxins, obesity, smoking, and delayed medical checkups are contributing to this surge. Additionally, hereditary factors and genetic mutations play a more prominent role, especially in families with a history of cancer.

Why Awareness and Timely Action Matter

One of the biggest challenges in treating cancer among the youth is the delay in diagnosis. Many young people dismiss early warning signs like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, changes in bowel habits, or lumps, assuming they are too young to have cancer. This leads to late-stage detection, when treatment becomes more complex and outcomes less favorable.

Awareness campaigns must now evolve to speak directly to young adults, stressing the importance of not ignoring symptoms and undergoing regular health checkups, especially in high-risk groups.

Rethinking Prevention and Screening

While national cancer screening programs are being expanded, there is an urgent need to tailor these initiatives for younger populations. High-risk individuals, those with family history, lifestyle risks, or early symptoms should be prioritized for screening and early evaluation.

Hospitals and cancer care centers across India are beginning to introduce more youth-focused outreach and genetic counseling, particularly in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, where young-onset cancer incidence is rising rapidly.

The rise of cancer among young Indians is not just a medical concern, it is a social and generational issue. Early detection, timely intervention, and greater awareness can significantly improve outcomes. As India grapples with this evolving challenge, it’s essential to educate, empower, and equip younger generations with the tools to act early. Detection at the right time can save lives, even in the prime of youth.

Rudra says, “On this Labour Day, let’s pause and honor the hard work that goes into every role, whether on screen or behind the scenes. Every actor, technician, and crew member plays a vital part in creating something magical. The sweat, the dedication, and the passion that each one brings to their craft deserve appreciation. It’s a reminder that success is a team effort and each person’s contribution is what makes the world of entertainment come alive.”

The Rishto Se Bandhi Gauri actor further added, “Today is a celebration of all those who put in tireless effort, turning dreams into reality. Behind every great performance, there’s a story of hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. Labour Day isn’t just about the big names – it’s about everyone who works together to create something extraordinary. So here’s to the unsung heroes, the dreamers, and the doers – your efforts are what shape our world and make it better!”

2nd May’25, New Delhi: Roadcast, a leading SaaS-based, hardware-agnostic tracking and logistics management platform, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sridhar Iyer as its Chief Business Officer (CBO). With over 30 years of experience across advertising, marketing, and digital transformation, Sridhar brings with him a rare blend of strategic foresight and operational depth, traits that are set to play a pivotal role in shaping Roadcast’s future.

Sridhar-Iyer-CBO-Roadcast

Sridhar’s professional journey has been one of steady growth. Starting his career in brand management and advertising, he honed his skills at agencies such as Everest Advertising, TBWA Anthem, and FCB Ulka, working on brands across diverse sectors including White Goods, Cigarettes, Alcobev, Kitchen Appliances, Automobiles (2-Wheelers), Education , FMCG and B2B  brands. Over time, he evolved into leadership roles at prestigious firms like FCB Ulka, J. Walter Thompson, Publicis Capital and later joined Hashtag Orange a full-service digital agency as Chief Strategy Officer.

What distinguishes Sridhar is his strategic thinking and ability to build strong, high-performance teams and put robust systems into place. “I’ve always found my strength in building cohesive teams, developing structured processes, and setting up scalable business frameworks,” he shares. His experience spans across traditional and digital mediums, making him both a strategist and an executor. From cigarettes to education to alcohol, he has handled a wide spectrum of categories, with a strong understanding of consumer behaviour, digital engagement, and brand storytelling.

At Roadcast, Sridhar’s mandate is clear: to bring structure, scalability, and strategic direction to the company’s growing operations. In a fast-moving startup environment, he is focused on formalizing business processes across functions, including HR, sales, marketing, and product. From setting growth mechanisms in place to defining advertising and outreach roadmaps, Sridhar is building a solid foundation to help Roadcast scale exponentially in the coming years.

“Startups often move fast, but in the process, sometimes processes and structures get overlooked. My role here is to ensure that while we drive growth, we also build a stable, process-oriented organisation where every team knows their goals, KPIs, and the logic behind our business targets,” Sridhar said.

Vishal Jain, Co-founder and CEO of Roadcast, added, “Sridhar brings a unique combination of creative instinct and business rigour. His cross-category experience, understanding of brand frameworks, and hands-on leadership style will be instrumental as we enter our next growth phase.”

May 2, 2025, Mumbai, India: The University of Western Australia (UWA), one of the world’s top 100 universities, has submitted its application to the University Grants Commission in India to establish multiple branch campuses across India, with the hub to be established in Mumbai. UWA will become the first Ivy League–equivalent institution and the first of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities to set up a campus in India. The announcement was made at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) held at the Jio World Centre, where Diane Smith-Gander, Chancellor, UWA, met with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis in a closed door session.

A leader in research and graduate outcomes, UWA will leverage India’s strength as the world’s second largest innovation ecosystem and Western Australia’s commitment to accelerating its position as a renowned global hub of invention, investment, innovation and impact. UWA intends to provide a range of undergraduate and master degree programmes that will help shape the future economy, including STEM, Business and in particular creative industry offerings, leveraging the faculty and expertise of one of Australia’s leading music schools – the UWA Conservatorium of Music. Subject to UGC and UWA Senate Approval, the University of Western Australia intends to establish branch campuses in both Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu – among the top performing state economies in India.

Established in 1911 and globally ranked #77, UWA, a public research university in Perth, is amongst the top 1% of universities in Australia and #1 in graduate employability in Western Australia with notable alumni including Prime Ministers of Australia, five High Court Justices, Governors of the Reserve Bank, Federal Cabinet Ministers, Premiers of Western Australia, over 110 Rhodes Scholars, 2 Nobel Laureates and a Field’s Medallist. UWA has had its graduates positively impact the society – from Nobel Prize-winning scientists such as Professor Barry Marshall, to Indian Australian mathematician, Professor and Fields Medal winner Akshay Venkatesh, to former Australia Prime Minister Bob Hawke, among several others. The establishment of the India campus marks a significant milestone in UWA’s global expansion strategy. By offering Indian students access to world-class education and international degree pathways, UWA is not only enhancing individual career prospects but also contributing to the development of a skilled, globally competitive and future ready workforce.

“Mumbai has the highest concentration of talent and continues to attract individuals from diverse sectors – with Navi Mumbai emerging as a key dynamic hub in our country and ranked as a top destination in terms of quality of living. My vision for Maharashtra is to carve out dedicated zones with shared infrastructure. It’s an honour and pleasure to welcome University of Western Australia, a G08 (Ivy League equivalent), to establish a presence in Mumbai and thereafter in Educity, Navi Mumbai. This also builds on the long standing relationship we have with the Government of Western Australia who established a presence in our state in 1996 and we continue to deepen our relationship through innovation and education between Australia and India,” said Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis.

“We are proud for UWA to have chosen our first global branch campuses to be established in India. Our selection of India is based on a long standing history of research collaboration in the areas of agriculture, plant sciences and business; and leveraging the Government of Western Australia’s long standing presence across Mumbai and Chennai. We feel connected to India and wish to deepen that connection into a substantial footprint that has the landscape of a diverse and strong economic base. We are committed to working in and with Indian students and the Indian Government to support its ambitions under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” said Diane Smith-Gander, Chancellor, UWA.

Indian higher education is expected to grow by approximately 60% in the next decade and there is strong demand for quality education. However, access to top-tier institutions remains limited, creating a gap that UWA aims to fill. By offering degrees from a globally renowned institution, UWA’s India campus will equip students with the skills and credentials sought after by employers worldwide. It is intended that students studying at the UWA India Branch campus will have the opportunity to transfer to the UWA Crawley campus; as well as opportunities for UWA students in Perth to undertake experiences in the intended branch campus. This pathway not only offers an international education experience but also facilitates access to global career opportunities and fosters a diverse and globally connected academic community.

Gurgaon, 2 May 2025: Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. (SMIPL), the two-wheeler subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, today announced its sales for April 2025, showing a steady year-on-year growth.

The company sold a total of 1,12,948 units in April 2025, registering a 14% growth over April 2024 when it sold 99,377 units.

In the domestic market, SMIPL sold 95,214 units, up by 8% from 88,067 units sold in April 2024. Exports also grew strongly, with 17,734 units shipped in April 2025, compared to 11,310 units in April 2024, marking a 57% rise.

Commenting on the monthly performance, Mr. Deepak Mutreja, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd., said, “This positive start to the year fills us with gratitude. Each unit sold represents the beginning of a new journey with our customers and we are thankful to be a part of it. We will continue to work sincerely to meet the evolving expectations of our customers and contribute positively to their journey with us.”

During the month, SMIPL announced the launch of the 2025 edition of OBD-2B Suzuki Hayabusa in three new dual-tone colour options. In a move to enhance customer accessibility, SMIPL started online bookings of its products via Flipkart across eight Indian states. Adding to the month’s milestones, Suzuki Access entered the India Book of Records for completing the fastest scooter ride from India’s lowest region, Kuttanad, to the highest village, Komic.