Archive: July 1, 2022

Business

AirAsia India to conduct recruitment drive for Cabin Crew in Uttar Pradesh

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

New Delhi, June 2022: In line with AirAsia India’s network expansion to Lucknow with daily direct flights connecting Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Goa, the airline announced a recruitment drive for Cabin Crew in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Inviting applicants with a passion for delivering exceptional customer service, the airline has invited registrations on airasia.co.in/jointhecrew, through its social media handles.

The recruitment drive will take place at Taj Mahal, Lucknow on Sunday, 3rd July 2022. The recruitment drive is open to candidates with a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) or Pre-University Course (PUC) certification (10+2) from a recognised board or university with a good command of written and spoken languages, English & Hindi, and holding a valid-Indian passport. Candidates are also required to meet the prescribed height and Body Mass Index (BMI) criteria.

Registration Date : 3rd July 2022, Sunday (registration closes at 9:00 am)

Final Round Date: 4th July, 2022

Venue: Taj Mahal Lucknow, Gomti Nagar Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226010

Registration Link: airasia.co.in/jointhecrew

In 2022, the airline has conducted recruitment drives for Cabin Crew in Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Dehradun in line with its strategy of recruiting and grooming the best talent to ensure exemplary customer service. Selected candidates undergo medical and background checks to be eligible for AirAsia India’s comprehensive 100-day cabin crew training process which provides expertise in cabin safety and service delivery. The curated curriculum emphasises soft-skills and functional training, including –

● Grooming

● Customer Centricity and Communication

● Aviation Security

● Handling Dangerous Goods

● Voice and accent training

● Safety and emergency handling procedures

● Practical drills for door operation, evacuation slides, ditching and fire drill

● First Aid

● Service Delivery

The rigorous training grooms candidates to become professional crew members in a role and lifestyle that is inspirational and coveted across the world, with extensive travel and flying allowances for the crew and immediate family.

Training is conducted at the airline’s state-of-the-art Red Wings Training Centre in Bengaluru along with drill sessions in Delhi. At the end of the programme, individuals are officially awarded their wings in a graduation ceremony.

Becoming an AirAsia India cabin crew member extends beyond a service role – the airline has the highest safety rating of 7/7 with a zero incident report from airlineratings.com, and offers award-winning meals and service. The AirAsia India cabin crew department seeks confident individuals with a bright personality who are able to take on critical responsibilities like managing aircraft services, security, and safety procedures while being solution oriented and empathetic. As a guest-facing ambassador of AirAsia India, cabin crew are expected to uphold the values of the organisation and deliver exemplary service to guests.

Note: Please be advised that AirAsia (India) Private Limited will never charge any money for recruitment. For any recruitment related information, please check out AirAsia India on Twitter @AirAsiaIndia, Instagram @AirAsiaIndia, Facebook @AirAsiaIndia and LinkedIn @AirAsiaIndia.

Business

Lexus India and Bangalore International Airport announce exclusive partnership

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

June 2022: Luxury car manufacturer, Lexus India, and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), the operator of Kempegowda International Airport (BLR Airport) have announced an exclusive partnership for the movement of guests at the VIP terminal.

All guests at BLR Airport’s VIP terminal will now be chauffeured between the aircraft and the terminal in luxurious Lexus cars. Lexus India is providing the vehicles as part of the Airport’s fleet for VIP movement.

Lexus vehicles were handed over to Mr. Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL at a special ceremony by Mr. Naveen Soni, President, Lexus India along with Mr. K.I. Jojoe, CEO, Lexus Bangalore and Mr. George Kuttukaran, Director, Lexus Bangalore.

Mr. Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL said, “At BLR Airport, we are always looking at ways to find solutions to create the best customer experience and enhance the overall travel experience of our passengers. We are confident that this partnership with Lexus will offer our premium guests an exclusive on-ground experience when they travel through our Airport.”

Mr. K. I. Jojoe, CEO, Lexus Bangalore commented, “At Lexus Bangalore, we constantly endeavor in delivering the Lexus promise of providing amazing guest experiences to our discerning guests. We are very happy to support this collaboration by offering the best of our services to such important dignitaries.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Naveen Soni, Lexus India President said, “We at Lexus India are driven by the Japanese philosophy of “Omotenashi” meaning exceptional hospitality and the Indian spirit of “Athithi Devo Bhava” to anticipate guests’ needs and to provide them the amazing Lexus experience. This alliance with Bangalore International Airport is another strong step in this direction, that gives us an opportunity to provide our VIP guests a luxurious experience of utmost comfort & luxury through our meticulously crafted Lexus cars. This will surely enhance their travel experience whenever they are visiting the city.”

News

Zoho Books offers to support QuickBooks’ customers in India

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Chennai, June 2022– Zoho announced that it is open to supporting and serving customers of QuickBooks in India. In a recent turn of events today, Intuit’s QuickBooks announced its discontinuation from India market effective January 31, 2023. Their products and service offerings for accountancy and small business customers will no longer be available in India. As of July 1, 2022 no new signups to QuickBooks products will be accepted in India.

Prashant Ganti, Head of Products – Tax, Accounting & Payroll, Zoho commented, “The continuation of financial systems for any business is essential for its growth and sustainability. At Zoho, we understand how challenging it can be for businesses to find a replacement for their existing financial system. Zoho Books will be glad to serve the needs of those businesses looking for an alternative solution, and help them transition smoothly.” Zoho Books is a comprehensive, cloud-based financial platform that helps businesses take care of their finance, perform core accounting functions, track stocks, reconcile bank accounts, manage projects, and keep them GST compliant. 

“Zoho Books is hyperfocused on strengthening its operations in India, enabling businesses to simplify and abstract GST filing and compliance, e-invoicing, and e-way bill compliance, and gain deep visibility into their finances. We have a strong customer base in the country, and will continually work towards serving them. Zoho is also a GST Suvidha provider,” further added.

Business

Mansion House and Courrier Napoleon Green Festive Pack Lucky Draw Winners Announced

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Hyderabad, June 2022: Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. (TI), promoter and manufacturer of the famous ‘Mansion House’ brand, today announced the winners of its ‘Festive Pack’ Lucky Draw contests at an opulent ceremony held at the ITC Kakatiya. As part of the initiatives, TI awarded the participants with a host of prizes that ranged from a new car, bikes and latest gadgets to appliances like refrigerators.

Overjoyed on winning a brand new Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, Mr Saikishore, resident of Hyderabad said, “I was excited to participate in the contest, however, I had never imagined that I will go on to win the lucky draw. It is a dream come true and my family and I are grateful to the organisers for this initiative.”

TI had organised the ’Festive Pack’ Lucky Draw contests for both its premium brands, Mansion House and Courrier Napoleon Green. The company received an over-whelming response of over one lakh entries from across the country. In addition to the Maruti Suzuki car which was awarded to the winner of the Mansion House ‘Festive Pack’ Lucky Draw contest, awards like Yamaha bikes, Samsung smart televisions, Samsung smart phones and tablets, Amazon Alexa Bluetooth speakers, to name a few, were given to the other winners of the two contests.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Amit Dahanukar, Chairman and Managing Director, Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. said, “I congratulate all the winners of our Festive Pack Lucky Draw contests. At TI, we are committed towards offering an unparalleled experience to our consumers through our brands and products. This is another step to enhance our engagement and relationship with one of our most important stakeholders. Mansion House saw a growth of over 25% in the last year, which is much more than the industry growth. The company is currently in growth phase. The Brandy category has been defined by Mansion House for last so many years, we continue to innovate in this category, we have come out with a flavoured brand, its first of its kind flavoured Brandy to be introduced in the country. The initial response is very encouraging. We are set to make Brandy category very exciting in the coming years.”

In the Mansion House Lucky Draw, Mr H M Mohan, resident of Bangalore and Mr Sanjay, resident of Mahe won new Yamaha FZ S FI bikes and in the Courrier Napoleon Green Lucky Draw Mr. Yugendira K, resident of Puducherry won the swanky new Yamaha FZ25 bike. In addition to the prizes that were announced, the company will also distribute a set of Mansion House Branded Coasters to 3300 winners selected through Lucky Draw as Consolation prizes.

Technology

WiJungle achieves milestone, mitigates over 3 billion cyber threats

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Gurugram, June 2022: WiJungle- a one-stop unified cyber security platform, has recently announced a new milestone with the successful mitigation of more than 3 billion cyber threats across its global customer base. With this achievement, WiJungle has progressively established its eminence worldwide across all major industry verticals like IT/ITES, defence, hospitality, Healthcare, education, retail, BFSI, manufacturing etc.

As India embarks upon the next stage of digitalization, riding on digital technologies, cyber risk resilience and privacy considerations become imminent. Accordingly, cyber risks must be identified and eliminated across levels, from consumer to enterprise to nation. To foster cyber as a culture and create safe cyberspace along with a well-fortified infrastructure, many companies are stimulating cyber security solutions to bolster every nook of the ever-widening digital world. WiJungle, a ‘Make in India’ startup, is helping the government as well as private giants to up their cybersecurity game.

Delighted with the achievement, Karmesh Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of WiJungle, said, “We are pleased to announce that none of our customers have ever faced any security breach. It is a testimony to our tech staff working exhaustively to make cyber resilience easy for our esteemed customers. To enable India to reach greater heights in cybersecurity, we are bolstering the cybersecurity framework by managing and securing the digital infrastructure.”

Of the 3 billion+ cyber threats eliminated, WiJungle has successfully mitigated more than 18% of high-risk cyber threats and 31% of moderate threats collectively across its customer base. The unified security platform also stated that none of the companies’ customers have ever reported a security breach. To drive the next growth stage, the cyber firm plans to expand its technology team to strengthen further its AI & ML powered OS.

Founded in 2017, WiJungle develops and markets ‘Unified Cyber Security Platform’ and currently serves the government as well as private giants. The company is also among the highest-rated vendors on Gartner in network security and caters to the cybersecurity needs of businesses across multiple countries. Being the world’s first Unified Cyber Security Platform, WiJungle aims to transform the way cybersecurity is consumed today by enterprises.

WiJungle also raised seed funding at a valuation of $22 million from SOSV, a global venture capital firm based out in the United States that operates early-stage startup development programs. Besides securing the funding, the company has also relocated its headquarters to Gurugram & further recently received the National Award from Government of India. To accommodate the growing needs of customers, the company also plans to hire for multiple positions across different departments, including but not limited to Engineering, Sales, Operations, HR, Support etc.

Business

Van Gogh Museum Welcomes DHL as Main Partner

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Amsterdam, June 2022 – The Van Gogh Museum and DHL are taking the partnership globally after fostering a local partnership the last two years. Drawing on the educational experience of the Van Gogh Museum and the global reach of DHL, the partners will work together over the next three years towards the shared ambition of making a positive impact on the lives of new generations around the world through Van Gogh’s masterpieces.

‘It’s incredibly special that we have been able to count on support from DHL, especially now in uncertain times,’ says Emilie Gordenker, General Director of the Van Gogh Museum. ‘I look forward to a successful collaboration in which the connecting power of art can make a difference to the lives of new generations.’

With this global partnership, the partners aim to inspire and connect children around the world, for whom (art) education is not always available or accessible, through the art and life story of Van Gogh as a medium. These children will learn about the painter’s life and work as well as explore personal development topics such as discovering identity, chasing dreams and overcoming adversity. The programme will be launched this autumn with DHL providing full service shipping and logistics coordination.

‘We are extremely proud to extend and develop our existing successful partnership with Van Gogh Museum. I believe art is an essential aspect of life, and it is a privilege for DHL to be a key partner in making it inclusive, connecting new audiences across the world with the incredible works of Van Gogh,’ says Alberto Nobis, CEO of DHL Express Europe. ‘In DHL we live by ‘Connecting People. Improving Lives’ and we are particularly excited about launching this new global teaching programme in September.’

Both companies value employability and education. As part of its sustainability roadmap, Deutsche Post DHL Group invests 1 percent of the Group’s net profits in social impact initiatives each year. Through its GoTeach program, DHL supports children and young people by providing the building blocks for better employment opportunities. The Van Gogh Museum is known for its educational impact, developing interactive lessons and teaching resources for primary and secondary schools for decades.

In June 2020, DHL Express became the Official Logistics Partner of the Van Gogh Museum, handling all shipments from the Van Gogh Museum’s web shop in a more sustainable way using DHL GoGreen climate neutral shipping. As a result, Van Gogh fans were still able to get close to his art at a time when visiting museums was not always possible due to pandemic regulations. From late June 2022 DHL will be main partner of the Van Gogh Museum, alongside ASML and Van Lanschot.

News

TV9 Network salutes the shining stars of Indian Road Transport Sector

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

TV9 Bharatvarsh, in association with Continental Tires and Maruti Suzuki Commercial, organised the Leaders of Road Transport (LORT) Awards 2022 on June 23, celebrating the wheels of the nation i.e. the road transport sector.

Road transport is not just an economical and preferred sector for goods and passenger transportation, it is also responsible for more than 87 per cent of the country’s passenger traffic and 60 per cent of freight traffic. However, despite the crucial role it plays in the movement of goods and people, its contribution to the economy goes largely unsung. TV9 Bharatvarsh has consistently and continuously acknowledged the efforts of the road transport sector and the people who run this industry.

Even in the times of the coronavirus pandemic, TV9 Network vaccinated more than 17,000 truck drivers of 25 transportation hubs in 15 cities through initiatives like Suraksha Bandhan and Highway Heroes.

At the Leaders of Road Transport Awards 2022, TV9 Bharatvarsh honoured the people who are bridging the gap between you and us with their trucks and buses. These are the people who are responsible for safer, cheaper, and better door-to-door connectivity. At this TV9 Bharatvarsh event, Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey encouraged and honoured the people working in the road transport sector.

The Minister also shared this information on Twitter and appreciated the vital role of this sector in the pandemic period. Mr Choubey congratulated the awardees and TV9 Bharatvarsh’s team for the campaign to vaccinate truck and bus drivers in the transport sector during the Pandemic. “Today, we have assembled to honor and recognize the leaders of road transport, organized by TV9 Network. During the COVID times, this sector played a pivotal role to supply vaccines and food distribution to the entire nation. Heartiest congratulations to all the winners,” Choubey said.

TV9 Bharatvarsh recognised and rewarded the efforts of nearly 50 transport companies and their promoters together with Continental Tires and Maruti Suzuki Commercial.

On the Leaders of Road Transport Awards, Raktim Das, Chief Growth Officer, TV9 Network (Digital & Broadcasting) said post the event: “Heartiest congratulations to all the winners. We are extremely happy to be able to recognize and reward these unsung heroes who have made last mile connectivity a possibility, in spite of innumerable challenges faced by the sector.

When the entire country was in the lockdown, these brave-hearts moved the nation forward with their unstinted commitment and dedication towards service to the nation.”

On the participation in the awards, Samir Gupta, Managing Director, India and Head of Central Asia Region, Continental Tires said: “We are happy to partner with TV9 Network to recognise the businesses and business leaders of the Indian road transport industry. India is one of the largest automotive markets globally and is a very important market for Continental. Continental has always worked towards empowering fleets with quality and innovative solutions to increase their profitability.”

Awards were distributed in categories like Women Entrepreneurs, Young Business Leader and All India Company of the Year. These awards were divided into four main segments based on fleet size. Mann Tourist Services won the Leader of Road Transport – Commercial Passenger Vehicle award in the fleet size of more than 75 vehicles, and Agarwal Packers and Movers for the All India Company of the Year in the fleet size of more than 300 vehicles.

Shashank Srivastava, Senior ED, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said: “In a short span of a few years, Maruti has been a huge success in the commercial transport segment with around 22% market share. We are very happy to partner TV9 in this felicitation ceremony to acknowledge and reward the contributions of these individuals and businesses who have contributed to our success in this category.”

The awards were given out to the winners by the hon’ble minister, Samir Gupta, MD, Continental Tires, Kalina Dalibor, Head of Business Area Replacement Tires APAC, Continental Tires and Shashank Srivastava, Senior ED, Maruti Suzuki Commercial; in presence of the key representatives from TV9 including Amit Tripathi, CRO, TV9 Network, Continental Tires and Maruti Suzuki Commercial, in front of an august gathering comprising the who’s who of the transport industry.

Business

SBI Card partners with Aditya Birla Finance to launch Aditya Birla SBI Card

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

New Delhi, June 2022: SBI Card, India’s largest pure-play credit card issuer, today announced the launch of ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card’, a highly rewarding lifestyle credit card, in a strategic partnership with Aditya Birla Finance Ltd (ABFL), the lending subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. The card has been designed to give customers significant reward points on their spending around telecom, fashion, travel, dining, entertainment, and hotels, among others. This makes ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card’ one of the most compelling cards for customers across segments, offering exciting benefits on both premium and mass brands that belong to the Aditya Birla Group.

The rewards-centric credit card has been launched in two variants – ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card SELECT’ and ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card’, on the Visa platform. Cardholders can avail greater value back in the form of reward points on their spends on Aditya Birla Group Companies, be it on telecom bills through Vodafone Idea (Vi) or on lifestyle stores such as Louis Philippe, The Collective, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, American Eagle, Polo, and Pantaloons among others. In fact, this card provides an added advantage of accelerated Reward Points on spends in hotels, a key benefit for travel savvy consumers.

According to Mr. Rama Mohan Rao Amara, MD & CEO, SBI Card, “We are delighted to join hands with Aditya Birla Finance, one of the leading NBFCs in India. This partnership will enable us to issue credit cards to Aditya Birla Group’s customer base, thereby providing them a great product for all their spending needs. This is in line with our strategy of enhancing value for both customers and co-brand partners. The customer acquisition process will be completely digital, thereby ensuring an enhanced customer experience. Aditya Birla SBI Card’s unmatched benefits coupled with Aditya Birla Group’s extensive and diversified brand portfolio will be a striking proposition for customers looking to spend across varied lifestyle categories.”

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Rakesh Singh, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Finance Ltd, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with SBI Card to launch the ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card’, which will immensely benefit the 35 million customers of Aditya Birla Capital and help us leveraging the customer ecosystem of the Aditya Birla Group. Consumers are adapting to digital payments today, and this offering will fuel the purchasing power of our consumers. It will enable us to engage deeper with them by ensuring an impactful consumer experience, best-in-class rewards, and hassle-free payment services.”

Mr. Sandeep Ghosh, Group Country Manager, India and South Asia, Visa said, “This exciting partnership of Visa, Aditya Birla Finance and SBI Card for the co-branded credit card is a great example of delivering simple yet customized offerings, for various brands of Aditya Birla Group and in categories like dining, entertainment, and fuel. We are confident the proposition will appeal to consumers and help build loyalty.”

Through ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card SELECT’, customers can avail 20 Reward Points on every Rs 100 spent in Aditya Birla stores and 10 Reward Points on every Rs 100 spent in dining, entertainment, and hotels. As a welcome gift, the card offers 6000 Reward Points to customers upon payment of card membership fee. They also earn 3000 Reward Points on achieving annual spends milestone of Rs 1.5 lakh and an additional 3000 Reward Points when they reach Rs 3 lakh annual spends milestone.

Key highlights of the card variants:

Aditya Birla SBI Card SELECT  

Aditya Birla SBI Card
Reward Points:

·         20 Reward Points per Rs 100 spent on Aditya Birla Stores (offline and online).

·         10 Reward Points per Rs 100 spent on dining, entertainment & hotels.

·         2 Reward Points per Rs 200 spent on other categories. (Except fuel, utilities and wallet reloads)

 Reward Points:

·         10 Reward Points per Rs 100 spent on Aditya Birla Stores (offline and online)

·         5 Reward Points per Rs 100 spent on dining, entertainment & hotels

·         1 Reward Point per Rs 200 spent on other categories. (Except fuel, utilities and wallet reloads)
Welcome Benefit:

·         6000 Reward Points as welcome gift

 Welcome Benefit:

·         2000 Reward Points as welcome gift
Milestone Benefits:

·         3000 Reward Points on achieving annual spends milestone of Rs 1.5 lakh

·         Additional 3000 Reward Points on achieving annual spends milestone of Rs 3 lakh

 Milestone Benefits:

·         2000 Reward Points on achieving annual spends milestone of Rs 1 lakh

·         Additional 2000 Reward Points on achieving annual spends milestone of Rs 1.5 lakh
Travel Benefit:

·         4 complimentary visits per calendar year to domestic Visa lounges in India. (Max 1 visit/quarter)

 Fuel Surcharge Waiver:

·         1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps
Fuel Surcharge Waiver:

·         1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps
Education

Times Professional Learning collaborates with SPJIMR to launch technology & management focused programmes

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

June 2022: Times Professional Learning (TPL), under its brand TimesTSW, has announced a strategic collaboration with SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) for the launch of several short and long-term programmes on management and technology.

Times Professional Learning and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research recently signed a partnership to this regard and will announce several new-age programmes catering to the evolving industry requirements that will empower learners to upskill themselves. The partnership with SPJIMR marks a landmark step that will enable learners to build leadership qualities and competencies, learn the latest analytical skills, and stay abreast to face challenges in the evolving VUCA world.

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Anish Srikrishna, CEO, Times Professional Learning, said, “The TPL-SPJIMR collaboration will enable us to roll-out future-centric programmes on management and technology that will benefit learners to build competencies. We aim to reduce the skill gap by making education affordable and accessible and build the next-gen workforce to be industry-ready with relevant skills.”

Prof. Preeta George, Associate Dean, Professional and Executive Programmes, said, “The partnership with Times Professional Learning is vital for our portfolio and our vision to scale our programmes. We intend to bring in a technological leap through innovation and with modern practices, remain steadfast towards our goals of democratising education with superior pedagogy. The transitions in the global environment will be critical for us to evolve and provide game-changing programmes to remain in sync with changing global trends in higher education.”

News

The Akshaya Patra Foundation and NTT Ltd Lay Foundation Stone for a Government School in Bengaluru

Jul 1, 2022 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Bengaluru, June 2022: NTT Ltd., a leading IT infrastructure and services company, along with The Akshaya Patra Foundation performed bhoomi pujan and laid the foundation stone of the Government Higher Primary School in Lakshmipura, Bengaluru, on Thursday, June 30, 2022, to further their collective efforts to address classroom hunger and malnutrition through education.

Both the organisations aim to complete the construction of the school, which is being built on a government-sanctioned plot, by the end of 2023. The INR ₹2 Crore project, spread across 7,500 sq ft, will have unique features such as a multi-purpose hall with a dedicated space for the consumption of mid-day meals, an amphitheatre, a computer lab, a library, solar power and rainwater harvesting systems. Other facilities planned are water purifying systems, classroom infrastructure, sports ground and CCTV cameras.

The event was graced by the presence of Shri Manjunath R, MLA, Dasarahalli Assembly Constituency, Bangalore, Shri Lohiteshwar Reddy, Deputy Director of Public Instruction (Bangalore – North), Shri Ashwath Narayana, Block Education Officer (Bangalore North – 4), Mr Sunil Kishore, Senior Executive Vice President, NTT, Mr Dilip Kumar, Chief Digital & Global Business Services Officer, NTT, Mr. Anant Arora, CSCO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation and Mr. Balaji MN, CFO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Manjunath R, MLA, Dasarahalli Assembly Constituency, Bangalore thanked NTT and Akshaya Patra for coming forward in building this modern government school. He assured his support to the fullest.

Speaking about the collaboration, Mr. Sunil Kishore, Senior Executive Vice President, NTT, said, “Access to quality education is a fundamental right of every child, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds. At NTT, we firmly believe that a holistic environment equipped with the latest technologies and digital inclusiveness can help create a world where children from economically-weaker sections do not have to forfeit opportunities because of affordability or accessibility issues. Our philosophy is to bring a tangible impact to our existing education ecosystem, and we are happy to have partnered with The Akshaya Patra Foundation to strengthen our social impact initiative while also providing a safe space for the children who are the future of this country.”

Established in 1963, the school is currently housed in an old building and provides education to 201 children from vulnerable communities and low-income families.

On the occasion, Mr. Shridhar Venkat, CEO of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “We are grateful to NTT Ltd. for reiterating their support towards our vision that ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger’. This collaboration will not only support us to provide children belonging to vulnerable communities with a holistic study space, but also help us maintain our conviction that education is one of the best approaches to nurture a happy future for our country. We are honoured to have partnered with NTT Ltd. and hope this collaboration will continue to make an on-ground impact for many more years to come.”

The project is a part of Akshaya Patra’s school rejuvenation program under the National Endeavour for Student Transformation (NEST), an initiative that focuses on addressing the various challenges faced at individual school levels. The Foundation firmly believes that every school has its unique challenges and the solutions will need to be customised to address these challenges with the expertise of the school administration. The program also focuses on community investment at a school level to engage parents and community members in stronger roles.

The objective of this initiative is to create an environment that will enhance the impact of education by focusing on infrastructural improvements, quality of education and community engagement. It is the Foundation’s attempt to create a sustainable and replicable model that will serve as a template for other schools in the future.

The project is one of the several collaborations between Akshaya Patra and NTT Ltd. Earlier, this year, both the organisations joined hands to provide Android tablets to 235 students of Government Girls High School and Government Girls PUC in Basavangudi to mark the launch of the Foundation’s Digital Education Initiative. Akshaya Patra implemented the initiative with the support of corporate donors to bridge the digital divide and further digital inclusiveness by providing students belonging to economically weaker sections of the society access to good quality, modern education for free of cost.