Archive: March 31, 2021

Business World, News

People of Sikkim to enjoy non-partisan Civic/Panchayat Vote after 27 years…

Mar 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang (Golay)

Sikkim: The people of Sikkim will be voting in a nonpartisan election after nearly three decades. This is possible due to the change implemented last year in the Sikkim Municipalities Act, 2007 by the current government under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang (Golay).
The main objective for bringing back the partyless Municipal/ Panchayat election was to remove fear from the minds of people, thereby opening the gate for good, clean, and educated people becoming an active part of the political system.

In 2020, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha Government under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) amended the Sikkim Municipalities Act,2007. He abolished the party based Municipal Elections ensuring that people can go and vote without the fear of being harassed.

This has also left a positive impact on the number of people contesting elections, especially the women contestants.In Sikkim, 50% seats in civic/panchayat bodies are reserved for women. Yet this year, unlike previous elections, a new trend is emerging. Many women candidates are contesting from seats which are not reserved for them.

Speaking about the act, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) said, “In a democracy, people should not be afraid of the government instead consider themselves as part of it.This non-partisan election was one of the major promises that Sikkim Krantikari Morcha Government had made to the people of the state in its election manifesto. And we are proud that we were able to keep it.With this change we hopethat more individuals would consider joining and building the state together.” He further added that he is delighted to see such a promising response, especially from the women of the state.

In 1994, when the Pawan Chamling Government came to power, they introduced party-based elections for Panchayat and Civic Bodies. This was a drastic change from the non- partisan based elections that the people were used to and seemed to prefer.

This caused distress among the people of Sikkim as they had no choice but to vote for the members of the ruling party. Taking advantage of being a small state with a low population, the ruling party, during every Panchayat or Municipal Election, would intimidate, put political pressure, and influence the people to vote for them. Fearing political vendetta and victimization, the general public had become helpless.

Thus, the amendment to the act, Sikkim Municipalities Act, 2007, has seemed to have brought a much-needed relief from the distress that plagued the people. The gratitude of the public is evident in the high number of electoral contestants from different walks of life. The Panchayat and Civic Body election this year would act as a fresh start of the people of Sikkim.

Education

CUCET – an entrance to seek admission in 54 universities across India

Mar 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Universities common entrance test

Being one of the major reforms introduced to the Indian Education system in the recent times, the Central Universities common entrance test (CUCET) is an All-India test for admission various Under-graduate/Integrated, Post-Graduate and research programs in Central/State Universities of India. Having a major change in this academic year, CUCET has been named the common entrance test for admissions to 54 central universities.

It is anticipated that the CUCET will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Recently, Delhi University has also hinted to conduct the admission process for the Academic year 2021 through CUCET and based on class XII marks. Though it is known that CUCET is not an entirely unfamiliar entrance test but the central universities have been conducting it until the last year for admissions. While the major difference would be that the earlier version of CUCET were conducted in the offline mode and now the proposal is to conduct the test as a Computer Based Test (CBT), which, with complete details of the exam is expected to be revealed soon.

Various suggestions were recommended under the New Education Policy (NEP, some of which were to change the current setup of 10+2 to 5+3+3+4. The graduation was also modified to a 4-year program with various exit points for the student.  If a student exits the program in one year you get a graduation certificate, similarly, if a student exits after two years a student will get a graduation diploma. A student who completes three years gets a degree. Similarly, the CUCET was also a suggestion provided in this NEP.

Why CUCET?

The new education policy 2020 proposed a common entrance test for higher education. This will scrap the current domination of marks among the students. Over a period of time, we have seen the sky-scraping cut offs of Delhi University creating a lot of pressure on the students and the parents to get the best so that they get admission in these colleges.

There will be no stream instead there will be a multi-disciplinary setup with the option to choose a foreign language and more emphasis on critical thinking.

This will enable students to have a varied knowledge of the subjects. For example, a student wants to pursue Math Hons with it now it is possible to take history as a subject. This is the most important recommendation of the new education policy called multi-disciplinary.

The expected CUCET approach

The Computer based aptitude test will test the students on

  1. Verbal Aptitude
  2. Logical Reasoning
  3. Quantitative Aptitude

The CUCET entrance test will be compulsory for the students who seek admission to all the universities, and experts believe that it is absolutely the need of the hour to introduce a common admission test for all the universities. It is very important for the following reasons:

  1. The rising cut-offs of the universities create unnecessary pressure on the students
  2. Equal Opportunities to all the students
  3. This will enable the students to understand the importance of APTITUDE BUILDING and will make them market ready.
  4. The quality of students will get enhanced
  5. This will aim to give students holistic development

This change of conducting one exam is the change for good and will allow students to experience equal opportunity in the real sense. For this, students need to continuously strive towards honing their skills and understand the importance of aptitude building

Business World, Technology

Comment on vulnerabilities in VMware’s vRealize Operations

Mar 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Satnam Narang, #Staff Research Engineer, #Tenable

“The most severe flaw, CVE-2021-21975, is a server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the vROPs Manager API. An unauthenticated, remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to the vulnerable vROPs Manager API endpoint. Successful exploitation would result in the attacker obtaining administrative credentials.

“VMware also patched CVE-2021-21983, an arbitrary file write vulnerability in the VROPs Manager API, which can be used to write files to the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is post-authentication, meaning an attacker needs to be authenticated with administrative credentials in order to exploit this flaw.

“While on their own, these vulnerabilities may not seem as severe as CVE-2021-21972, a remote code execution vulnerability in VMware’s vCenter Server that was patched in February. However, if attackers chain both CVE-2021-21975 and CVE-2021-21983 together, they could also gain remote code execution privileges.

“VMware has provided patches for both flaws across vROPs Manager versions 7.5.0 through 8.3.0. They’ve also provided a temporary workaround to prevent attackers from exploiting these flaws. The workaround should only be used as a temporary stop-gap until organizations are able to plan for applying the patches.” — Satnam Narang, Staff Research Engineer, Tenable

Business World, News

LCR Capital Joins IIUSA Leadership Circle and Supports Grassley-Leahy EB-5 Reform Bill

Mar 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

India: LCR Capital Partners is proud to announce it has joined the Invest in the USA (IIUSA) Leadership Circle and will be working with IIUSA and the EB-5 Industry in supporting the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2021 which was recently introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT). LCR Capital has experience throughout its leadership team of engaging the US Congress and will be working with the IIUSA advocacy team to galvanize support for the reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program.

Active in EB-5 since 2012, LCR Capital has always maintained close ties to Washington legislators from both parties. LCR Capital’s founder and executive chairman, Suresh Rajan, began his career as a policy advisor to members of the US Congress, and worked closely with then Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and longstanding Congressman Amory Houghton, Jr. who represented New York. Matt Virkstis, LCR’s Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel, worked for Senator Patrick Leahy and was Senior Counsel to the US Senate Judiciary Committee. Gregory Sweeney, LCR Chief Client Officer, worked for over 30 years with Praxair in leadership roles building global businesses, and during the final years, managed the company’s efforts to improve regulation and legislation at both federal and state levels focused on the investment side of the chemical, electronics, healthcare and performance coatings businesses.

“LCR Capital strongly supports the current legislation that Senators Grassley and Leahy have put forward. Good record keeping and thorough investor background checks should be table stakes in our industry. If we can achieve processing time improvements, clear respect for integrity and reauthorization, we will have modernized the legislation that underpins this program. Over $40 billion have been invested in the US through this program. These funds are not from the US taxpayer, nor is it new debt that must be repaid. They are from immigrants investing in new American businesses focused on job creation ,” said Suresh Rajan, Founder and Executive Chairman of LCR. “First generation immigrants are a huge engine of growth for the US economy. How can we quantify the economic impact of highly-skilled entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Sergey Brin or Alex Behring. The United States gives them the foundation to build job creating American companies that support growth across the globe.”

“Leadership Circle members consist of industry leaders that have used their success within the EB-5 Regional Center Program to support IIUSA at the highest levels. Leadership members are unanimous in their support of the association and its push towards long-term EB-5 reauthorization,” said Aaron Grau, Executive Director of IIUSA.

“We understand the pressure that is put on Congress to improve the legislation underpinning programs like EB-5.” said Matt Virkstis, LCR’s Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel, “Senators Grassley and Leahy represent how two very senior legislators can work across party lines to support a program that is good for the United States. There are EB-5 programs in nearly every state and many of these developments would not be successful without EB-5 investment.”

LCR Capital will be working with its Washington contacts and bringing in additional relationships through its development partners to help clarify any issues about the EB-5 program. LCR has already worked with hundreds of highly educated investors and fully sees the benefits these families can bring to the US companies and communities they join.

Business World

Asus brings new laptops under its celebrated ZenBook and VivoBook Series

Mar 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Arnold Su, #Asus India, #Business Head, #Consumer and Gaming PC, #System Business Group

 Taiwanese tech giant, ASUS, today announced the expansion of its consumer laptop portfolio with the launch of all new ZenBook and VivoBook laptops, powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 U-Series. The ramp up consists of the premium ZenBook 13 OLED (UM325UA),  an array of VivoBook notebooks such as VivoBook S S14 (M433), VivoBook Ultra K14/K15 (KM413/KM513), VivoBook Flip 14 (TM420), ASUS VivoBook 15 (M515) and VivoBook 17 (M712). The line-up aims to provide an immersive experience to the consumers with power-packed performance and long battery life.

While the bold and youthful ASUS VivoBook series is designed for the Gen Z,  and comes packed with top-notch performance, innovative features and NanoEdge display, for unmatched productivity, ZenBook 13 OLED on the other hand is top-of-the-line consumer PC, pining to make smarter technology an everyday reality for the most discerning consumers. Further, with ultra-thin profile and light weight, the offerings are not just about being productive but can also be slipped into the backpack and carried around effortlessly.

Commenting on the launch, Arnold Su, Business Head, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India, stated, “With the launch of  the new VivoBook and ZenBook laptops, we have further pushed our boundaries to empower consumers with the latest technology which makes multitasking seamless and boost productivity at the same time. Consumer experience has always been the core of our innovation, and the new ZenBook and VivoBook, featuring the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 U-Series Mobile Processors, are designed to meet the different needs of users while uplifting their overall experience.”

 

“PCs have become more essential than ever for work, study, play, entertainment and beyond. Consumers want performance on-the-go with outstanding battery life in an ultra-mobile form factor”, shares Vinay Sinha, Managing Director – India Sales, AMD. “AMD Ryzen 5000 U-Series is built on the new “Zen 3” architecture and is designed to deliver the perfect blend of performance and efficiency. The new ASUS ZenBook and VivoBook is for notebook users who want to do more without any compromise on style.”

 

 

ZenBook 13 OLED (UM325UA) – The Powerful beauty

ZenBook 13 UM325 is a portable everyday ultrabook with the highly efficient AMD Ryzen™ 5000 U-Series 7nm processor and the Full HD NanoEdge OLED display. The laptop is backed by a 67Wh battery and can deliver up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge. Weighing merely 1.11 kg compact, the laptop provides a 178° wide viewing angle and delivers enhanced display with PANTONE® Validation. Further, the laptop comes with ASUS WiFi Master Technology. It not only uses the built-in Intel WiFi 6 wireless chip for faster wireless transmission performance, but also adds ASUS exclusive WiFi SmartConnect and WiFi Stabilizer functions, which provides greater distance, stability, and a seamless wireless network experiences for users.

ASUS VivoBook S S14 (M433) – Style meets elegance

Powered by up to AMD Ryzen™ 5 5500U Mobile Processor, the VivoBook S S14 runs the latest integrated AMD Radeon™ graphics for efficient multitasking and light gaming on the go. The laptop pushes the boundary by showcasing what’s possible with its NanoEdge display. Further slimmed down top and side display bezels contribute to an astounding 85% screen-to-body ratio for unrivalled immersion, in a notably compact package. In addition, the wide viewing angle on VivoBook S S14’s Full-HD LED panel offers great color reproduction to experience stunning visuals, even when sharing the screen with family, friends or colleagues.

ASUS VivoBook Ultra K14/K15 (KM413/KM513) – Upgraded performance with immersive visuals

ASUS VivoBook Ultra K14/K15 follow up after the VivoBook S S14/S15 series. The new laptops offer notable design improvements over the previous generation.  The laptop is powered by up to the latest AMD Ryzen™  7 5700U Mobile Processors which offer a boost frequency of up to 4.3 GHz[i]. The integrated Radeon graphics offers up to 15% more graphical performance over AMD’s previous generation embedded graphics solution. Paired with up to 8GB RAM and a super-fast PCIe SSD solution to offer a powerful machine capable of delivering impressive performance. The 14 inch and 15.6 inch Full HD NanoEdge display on the new VivoBook Ultra laptop creates a whole new viewing experience.

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (TM420) – Flip for your creative vibe

The ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 lets you unleash your creativity as it is powered by AMD Ryzen™ 7 5700U Mobile Processor, which offers a boost frequency of up to 4.3 GHz The 14-inch thin-bezel NanoEdge display provides incredibly immersive viewing experiences, allowing a 14-inch panel to fit into a 13-inch-class chassis. As a result, the Flip 14 offers more compact dimensions with an impressive screen-to-body ratio. The display also offers wide viewing angles and exceptional color reproduction for truly vivid visuals. The astounding 82% screen-to-body ratio features unmatched interaction. VivoBook Flip 14 is designed for the ultimate touch experience, with a touch-enabled display that detects even the subtlest fingertip movements. ASUS Pen support allows you to let your creativity flow with a natural responsive feel. The bundled pen holder simply sticks onto the VivoBook Flip 14 lid, to keep your ASUS Pen always within reach.

 

ASUS VivoBook 15 (M515): Classy looks and performance

ASUS VivoBook 15 M515 is a stylish and feature-rich 15-inch laptop that arguably delivers the best value among all similar options in the market today. The 15.6-inch Full HD two sided NanoEdge display on the new VivoBook 15 pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with even further slimmed down bezels all around the display. This results in a notable 83% screen-to-body ratio for immersive viewing, which comes in a compact package. To add on, the Full-HD LED panel offers good color reproduction with stunning visuals.

ASUS VivoBook 17 (M712): See more, carry less

Whether at work or play, the incredibly compact ASUS VivoBook 17 immerses you in an ultimate experience in whatever you set o.ut to do. Its new thin-bezel display provides an amazing 85% screen-to-body ratio for visuals that draw you in, while the ErgoLift hinge tilts the keyboard to give you a comfortable typing position. VivoBook 17 is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen™ 5 5000 Series Mobile Processor with integrated Radeon™ graphics

 

Some of the new laptops come equipped with ASUS Intelligent Performance technology or AIPT, the new intelligent performance optimization technology by ASUS that balances a devices CPU Performance, system temperature, air flow, fan noise and power consumption. The AIPT technology is capable of boosting the system’s performance by up to 40% while delivering a full day of battery life, while preventing it from overheating. It also gives users the flexibility to choose between optimum performance or optimum battery life by switching between Whisper Mode, Balanced Mode and Performance mode.

Model

Starting Price

Availability

ZenBook 13 OLED (UM325UA)

 ₹ 79,990

Channel

ASUS VivoBook S S14 (M433)

 ₹ 65,990

Channel

ASUS VivoBook Ultra K14/K15

 ₹ 58,990

Channel

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (TM420)

 ₹ 59,990

Channel

ASUS VivoBook 15 (M515)

 ₹ 54,990

Channel

ASUS VivoBook 17 (M712)

 ₹ 62,990

Channel & Flipkart

Business World, News

Stainless steel production declines by 19% to 3.17 MT in CY2020: ISSDA

Mar 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #ISSDA, #Mr K K Pahuja, #President

New Delhi: Stainless steel melt production in India stood at 3.17 million tonnes (MT) in CY2020, registering a decline of 19% over CY2019 as per the latest figures released by the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA). Despite the pandemic-induced lockdown in the April-June’20 period, which halted the production in the country during the quarter, India continued to be the second-largest producer of stainless steel globally. The Indian stainless-steel production for CY2019 was recorded at 3.93 MT. The stainless steel production and demand saw a V-shaped recovery in India from July’20 onward after the government began relaxing the lockdown.

Global stainless steel melt shop production decreased by 2.5% to 50.9 MT in CY2020 compared to 2019, according to the latest data released by the Brussels-based International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF). China remained the leading producer accounting for more than 50% of the global stainless-steel production at ~30 MT and the only country to record a production increase of 2.5% in CY2020 over the preceding year. All other regions, including Europe, the US, and Asia, saw a dip in production in CY2020 on account of the impact of the pandemic.

Commenting on the development, President, ISSDA, Mr K K Pahuja said, “Performance of the domestic stainless steel industry is fair, considering the severe impact of the pandemic on the entire value chain. Efforts by the industry along with government stimulus helped in gradual recovery post July’20. As the economy is gradually regaining momentum, the government must look at sector-specific concerns to provide further policy stimulus. Revoking of countervailing duties on imports from Indonesia and China may impact the current growth of the sector in this calendar year and again lead to dumping of stainless steel.”

To revive the Indian stainless steel industry urgently, ISSDA has urged the government to adopt a multi-pronged strategy of boosting local manufacturing and curbing unwarranted imports in the country. ISSDA expects a glut of stainless steel imports at a time when the domestic industry is struggling to cope with the disruptions caused by the pandemic. India is a large and lucrative market, and with the suspension of duties, China and Indonesia are expected to resort to aggressive dumping. For an industry with high import intensity, this could aggravate unemployment in the sector, particularly in the MSMEs, which constitute one-third of the capacity.

Business World

GoMechanic opens a new spare parts franchise outlet in Lucknow

Mar 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #co-Founder, #GoMechanic, #GoMechanic SPARES, #GoMechanics SPARES franchise in Lucknow, #Mr. Nitin Rana

Lucknow: GoMechanic – India’s largest network of technology enabled multi-brand car workshops, announced the launch of their GoMechanic SPARES franchise store – We Care Auto Part, on 24th Mar 2021 . GoMechanic, which has recently ventured into the auto parts market with their new brand – GoMechanic SPARES, will distribute its entire range of multi brand products through this franchise outlet. The brands available include Mobil, Gulf, Monroe, Bosch, Valeo, Purolator, Livguard, Lumax, LUK, NGK, Subros and Eurorepar amongst others.

GoMechanics SPARES franchise in Lucknow

With the launch of GoMechanics SPARES franchise in Lucknow, the brand aims to expand their spare parts business in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and solve the problem of lackluster supply of high quality auto parts. The brand will now cater to the needs of existing and future spare parts retailers & distributors and workshop owners. The franchise will be capable of supplying genuine parts of all the top brands at the best margins and discounts on account of GoMechanic’s nationwide partnerships with all major manufacturers and suppliers.

On the launch of the franchise store, Mr. Nitin Rana, Co-founder, GoMechanic said, “We are thrilled with the response we have got from our other outlets in the recent past. Lucknow is a new market for us, but our industry experience and exposure suggests that it is a high-potential and a very important market for businesses like us. Our aim is to provide swift and affordable solutions to all our customers. Having witnessed Growth even during the lockdown, we are positive about making our way through.”

About GoMechanic:

Started by IIT and IIM Alumni; Kushal Karwa, Amit Bhasin, Rishabh Karwa; Nitin Rana, GoMechanic, founded in 2016, is currently India’s largest network of technology-enabled car service centres, offering a seamless car service experience at the convenience of a tap. GoMechanic’s asset light model with centralized bulk procurement of spare parts from OEM’s, zero real-estate overheads and technology- driven efficiency, results in significant savings which are passed onto the customers. Currently, GoMechanic has over 500 car repair workshops across 25 cities in India, including Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. It currently services 2+ million cars annually and is targeting 10 million customers by 2021.

Health

Prof C Durga Rao receives a grant to enhance vaccine efficacy at a reduced cost…

Mar 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #and Associate Dean, #Andhra Pradesh, #Department of Biology, #Department of Biotechnology, #Government of India, #Prof C Durga Rao (Principal Investigator), #Professor, #Sciences, #SRM University-AP

Prof C Durga Rao (Principal Investigator), Professor, Department of Biology, and Associate Dean, Sciences,Department of Biology, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh has received a total outlay of Rs. 1,10,52,941/- from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to work on the project titled “Understanding the molecular basis for the extreme differential level of expression of genes from human and animal rotaviruses in gene-transfected cells: Implications for improving the growth of human vaccine strains”. Using the grant, the professor will be spawning the appropriate facilities to perform cell culture and virus-related research at SRM University-AP.

Understanding how a virus overpowers the host resistance mechanisms and seizes the host cellular processes for its own growth is very challenging and is essential for the development of not only efficient viral vaccines but also for antiviral therapeutic strategies. Prof Durga Rao informs, “Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe and acute dehydrating diarrhoea in infants and children below 5 years of age. Efforts by us and Dr Bhan, former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, led to the discovery and development of the first made in India rotavirus vaccine, produced by Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad.”

In the earlier project, Professor Rao observed that while some human rotaviral proteins could be expressed at high levels when the cloned genes were introduced into mammalian cells, other proteins could not be expressed at detectable levels. However, the virus expresses copious amounts of all its proteins when it infects the cells. Prof

Durga Rao further shares, “Within a few hours of infection, each virus employs several ploys in the infected cell to subvert the cellular defence and regulatory mechanisms and captures the host for its own progeny production.”
Based on the earlier observations, this project will advance to unravel the tricks employed by the virus, and viral transactions in the infected cells. The outcome of the project will have implications for genetically engineering the poorly growing human vaccine strains for their efficient growth in cell culture, leading to reduced cost of not only rotavirus vaccines, but also other viral vaccines.

Business World, News

École Ducasse Culinary Schools to debut in Thailand with Nai Lert Group

Mar 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Paris-Bangkok: In an exclusive partnership with the renowned Thai hospitality Nai Lert Group, École Ducasse, together with its majority shareholder, world-leading hospitality management education group Sommet Education, is announcing the creation of a network of training centers throughout Thailand dedicated to culinary and pastry arts.

With the benefit of a unique culinary heritage carried by a pool of talented chefs on a continuous quest for perfection, but also with many passionate aficionados, Thailand is the ideal host for the development of specialized training in the culinary and pastry arts.

Iconic Transmission

Nai Lert Group is an iconic Thai real estate and hospitality group which owns and operates hotels, offices and commercial towers and is involved in educational and cultural management, food and beverage services in Thailand. Its founder, Nai Lert, was both a pioneer at the beginning of the 20th century in the development of the capital and the most important founding master developer in Bangkok. His descendants are now committed to preserving his values within the Group: luxury associated with innovation and avant-garde spirit.

École Ducasse shares the know-how of Alain Ducasse, considered to be one of the most renowned chefs of his generation by being the only Chef to hold 20 Michelin stars earned throughout his career. Alain Ducasse, who hails from the Landes region in the Southwest of France, is known for his innovation, attention to detail and dedication to both quality and technique. His desire to pass on his vision and knowledge lies at the heart of École Ducasse.

Nai Lert Group and École Ducasse are today combining their passion for hospitality, taste for excellence and commitment to deliver world class culinary programs to the delight of gastronomy enthusiasts.

Introducing French savoir-faire

As a chef, Alain Ducasse has achieved global renown by never settling for second-best. École Ducasse follows the same single-minded approach to the quality of teaching it provides. Comprised of Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (Best Craftsmen of France), world champions, renowned chefs and pastry chefs, École Ducasse teams bring together a unique mix of expertise.

As a result, since its founding in 1999, École Ducasse has become an established benchmark for excellence in education and training in culinary and pastry arts and has revealed some of the most renowned talents on world gastronomy scene.

On the occasion of the signing of this agreement, Elise Masurel, Managing Director of École Ducasse, commented: “We are delighted by this strategic alliance with a partner as iconic and robust as Nai Lert Group, which will accelerate the development of École Ducasse schools in Thailand. It is cultural exchanges of this kind that allow the constant reinvention of education, our teams and gastronomy.”

Naphaporn “Lek” Bodiratnangkura, CEO of Nai Lert Group said : “Nai Lert Group always strives for excellence through strategically partnering with the best in class in each industry. We are proud to continue the legacy of Nai Lert as we cast off on a new journey in pursuit to provide a legendary culinary education and an exceptional gastronomy experience for Thailand. In addition, I do believe that the new École Ducasse schools will also support the emergence of new talents who will contribute the country’s tourism dynamic”.

A network of École Ducasse Culinary Schools in Thailand

The first establishment in the setting-up of this network will be developed under the École Ducasse “Studio” brand which originates from École Ducasse – Paris Studio located in the heart of the 16 th arrondissement of the French capital.

Nestled among the century-old tropical gardens of Nai Lert Park in the heart of Bangkok, the “École Ducasse – Nai Lert Bangkok studio”, will span on nearly 1,000 m2, will open in the first semester in 2022. This will mark the start of a broader rollout in Thailand that will see the expansion of École Ducasse Studios and other campuses over the next few years.

The practical and academic courses offered will jointly celebrate the heritage of French and Thai cuisine, while echoing trends in contemporary gastronomy and in the philosophy of the institution’s founder and eponymous Chef.

For Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education: “After the opening of Paris Campus last autumn, this new stage of development for École Ducasse is a proof of the ever-growing appetite for the excellence and unique gastronomy courses delivered. This world-renowned institution is the perfect answer to the strong dynamic of the gastronomic sector in Thailand and more globally in the region.”

The future École Ducasse culinary schools in Thailand will deliver programs in culinary, pastry and sommelier arts aimed at professionals, amateurs, young graduates and children.

Business World, News

Equitas Small Finance Bank appoints new leaders in Technology, Digital, Operations, HR and Affordable Housing Finance verticals

Mar 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Hyderabad: Equitas Small Finance Bank ropes in industry experts to lead important verticals like Retail Assets, Technology, Digital, Operations and Human Resources of the bank. The leading small finance bank has recently appointed Mr. Narayanan Easwaran as Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Vaibhav Joshi as Chief Digital Officer, Mr. Pallab Mukherji as Chief People Officer, Mr. Siby Sebastian as Executive Vice President – Operations and Mr. Rohit Phadke as President and Head of Retail Assets.

As the Chief People Officer, Mr. Pallab Mukherji will be based out of the head office in Chennai, along with the newly appointed Chief Technology Officer – Mr. Narayanan Easwaran, Executive Vice President Siby Sebastian and President and Head of Retail Assets – Mr. Rohit Phadke. The Chief Digital Officer will be based out of the bank’s Mumbai office.

While Mr. Narayanan Easwaran, Mr. Rohit Phadke and Mr. Pallab Mukherji will be reporting to the Managing Director- Mr. Vasudevan P N, Mr. Vaibhav Joshi, the newly appointed Chief Digital Officer will be reporting to Mr. Narayanan Easwaran. Mr. Siby Sebastian as Executive Vice President – Operations will be heading the Centralized Processing Centre of the Bank across all products.

Mr. Narayanan Easwaran as Chief Technology Officer:

Narayanan, till recently served as Co-head for technology for IDFC First Bank Ltd. (Erstwhile, Capital First Ltd.) He has over two decades of experience on IT applications & infrastructure management, of which more than fifteen years have been I retail banking and finance businesses globally. Narayanan is a result-oriented technology leader and has been responsible for building and managing complex IT solutions designs, which have enabled businesses to innovate, differentiate and scale up rapidly. He has worked with business leaders in visioning and implementing IT infrastructure as a strategic and key differentiator. He has worked across industry verticals such as Banking and Finance, IT and Media with reputed conglomerates and leading banks.

Mr. Pallab Mukherji as Chief People Officer:

Pallab is a reputed HR leader with over 25 years of experience in Manufacturing and Financial Service Industry. He has excelled in strategizing and implementing various facets of HR including Resourcing, Remuneration and Performance Management. He has led the people side of the merger in large entities. Prior to joining Equitas Small Finance Bank, he worked with HDFC Bank and Arvind Mills. His last corporate assignment was to head Human Resources for the India Infoline Group. He has also worked as a consultant in HR for several Banks and Financial Services companies in India, South Asia and the Oceania regions. As a consultant, he was affiliated to IFC, World Bank Group and was involved in key organization transformation projects.

Mr. Rohit Phadke as President and Head Retail Assets:

Rohit Phadke is going to lead the bank’s initiatives in Affordable Housing Finance and Loan Against Property. Rohit shall be reporting into the Managing Director. He shall work in close coordination with other business heads. Rohit last worked with Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Co. Ltd as Business Head – Home Loans. Rohit had a long career with Cholamandalam having worked with them for 18 years. Post completion of his MBA from Pune University, Rohit worked with Apple Finance Limited before joining Cholamandalam.

Mr. Vaibhav Joshi as Chief Digital Officer:

Vaibhav has 20 years’ experience after completing his education in Australia. Before joining Equitas Small Finance Bank, Vaibhav worked with Yes Bank from November 2014 to December 2020, last as Group Executive Vice President & National Head – Digital Banking.

Mr. Siby Sebastian as Executive Vice President – Operations:

Siby is a Chartered Accountant with close to 25 years’ experience. He has last worked with SBM Bank India as COO & Deputy CEO and was instrumental in setting up their India operations. Prior to that Siby worked with ICICI bank for 14 years last as Head of Retail Operations and Service. He started his career with Deloitte and then worked with Kotak Mahindra before joining ICICI Bank.