Archive: March 1, 2023

Industry experts call Odisha land of opportunity for Start-ups

Bhubaneswar: New Chairman of CII Odisha State Council Shri Sashi Sekhar Mohanty calls Odisha a land of opportunity for start-ups. He said that the state has a very strong ecosystem for entrepreneurs to start their journey on any scale, be it medium or mega scale.

Talking at the conference on ‘Odisha: A land of opportunities for MSMEs, Entrepreneurs, IT and Industries’ organised by CII Odisha State Council at Bhubaneswar Wednesday, He said, “There are more than 1500 start-ups in the state and the main objective is to set up 5000 start-ups by 2025. With the available ecosystem, entrepreneurs can start their journey on a big scale also. Odisha is a major state in India in IT business. It truly defines the future destination for the IT industry among tier-2 cities. IT policy of the state enables atmosphere where IT companies can nurture them and create new employment opportunities.”

Deputy Chairman of CII Eastern region Shiv Siddharth Kaul calls MSMEs the backbone of any economy and opined that State like Odisha needs a thriving MSME base as much as big industrial houses. MSMEs cannot thrive without a market and it is the duty of big industries to connect them with various regions. The challenge is it requires a friendly environment to thrive both. He urged all big industrial houses to ease the entry barrier for new MSMEs and set some quotas like 5-10% to buy from them.

MD of Javastra Technologies J B Pany emphasises the need for a robust logistic infrastructure to reduce the cost of transportation. He said that huge opportunities lie in an inland waterway. We need to develop them by dredging rivers some meter which will help industries and also to open new economic avenues for nearby areas.

Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, President-Strategy and Business Development, Vedanta Limited said that “MSMEs of Odisha have huge opportunities to grow further. To achieve the said objective mother industries need to handhold, support, and provide mentoring support to them. We need to create a conducive atmosphere for their development.

On this occasion, dignitaries have presented Industry Carnival Awards for CII Odisha 2022-23. Roadshow on Logi connect Exhibition and Conference was also inaugurated. Logi Connect Expo to be held at New Town Rajarhat, Kolkata, West Bengal. Companies involved in logistics, supply chain, transportation, shipping and port, material handling, warehousing and storage equipment, consultancy, and IT-related business can participate at the expo to showcase their products, services, and solutions.

Other dignitaries present at the occasion were Mr Priyadarshi Nanu Pani, President and CEO, CSM Technologies Pvt Ltd, Mr Vanka Sivaramkrishnam, AVP, Jindal Stainless Limited and Mr Sudhir Jaiswal, CEO, Enterprise System Solutions Pvt Ltd.

T-Hub Selects 9 Startups to Showcase India’s Innovation Potential at City Tech-Tokyo Event

India,1st March 2023: T-Hub, which leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem, has been chosen as the sole representative of India at the prestigious “City-Tech for a sustainable future” event in Japan on 27th and 28th February 2023. The event is the largest and most influential global platform for startups to showcase their innovations and technologies and create a sustainable society. T-Hub’s selection to represent India at this event provides Indian startups with a unique opportunity to gain global exposure and connect with potential partners, investors, and customers in the Japanese market.

Out of the 30 countries participating in the event, T-Hub has been selected to represent India at the delegation. After receiving around 70 applications from startups across India, T-Hub selected nine startups with proven business models and global use cases to represent India at the event. These startups, including Invenndt Insights, Graymatics, Flytta, ZenDevX, Landeed, Hala, Interview Desk, Coneio, and Statwig will showcase their innovative solutions at the event. T-Hub will facilitate a free showcase booth for the startups and play a pivotal role in facilitating investor, customer, and partnership discussions in Japan for the startups.

T-Hub’s CEO, Mahankali Srinivas Rao (MSR), stated that, “We are excited to represent India at the City Tech Tokyo event. Our participation in the City Tech Tokyo event provides a unique opportunity for Indian startups to connect with potential partners, investors, and customers in the Japanese market. We are proud to facilitate a platform for these 9 startups to explore collaborations and expand their footprint in Japan.”

The City-Tech Tokyo event is organized by influential business alliances and organizations such as Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan Business Federation, Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Japan Association of New Economy, Japan Venture Capital Association, and The Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The startups will be part of an extended program with TiE Japan and the Indian IT Association of Japan to explore the Japanese and Southeast Asian market. The event provides a unique opportunity for T-Hub to connect with global players and explore potential collaborations.

Yuma Saito, CEO & Partner at Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support Co. Ltd (Japan), expressed his satisfaction with the participation of T-Hub and the 9 selected startups at the City Tech Tokyo event. He stated, “The startups that T-Hub has arranged to showcase at the India pavilion are very promising, and we could not have asked for a better ambassador than T-Hub to represent India at the City-Tech event. We believe that T-Hub’s participation in the event will strengthen the relationship between India and Japan, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the future to further bridge the Indo-Japan corridor.”

The selection of nine promising startups as part of the delegation arranged by T-Hub is a testament to its commitment to supporting the growth of startups and fostering innovation in India. The event will provide the startups with a unique opportunity to explore the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets and connect with potential partners, investors, and customers.

With its strong ecosystem of partners, T-Hub has successfully impacted over 1800 startups through various programs and initiatives, connecting them with over 600 global and national corporate partners and providing 2000 mentor connects to help them scale. T-Hub’s participation in the City-Tech Tokyo event is a significant milestone in its mission to create a robust and sustainable startup ecosystem in India and beyond.

On purchase of every Side by Side Refrigerator, LG customers will get free Times Prime membership with benefits worth over Rs. 60,000

New Delhi, March 1, 2023: Two giant consumer brands, LG and Times Prime today announce their coming together for a strategic partnership for their “Assured Benefits Carnival,” where the electronic giant will gift Times Prime Annual Membership to its customers on purchase of any “Side by Side Refrigerator”.

Upon product purchase, customers will receive a voucher code for the Times Prime annual membership with access to a wide range of benefits from premium & popular brands such as Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, Cricbuzz Plus, Gaana Plus, EazyDiner, ET Prime, TOI+,and many more. This one-stop shop also provides exclusive offers and discounts over Rs.60,000 on your favorite brands such as Myntra, Uber, Chaayos, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, etc.

Speaking on the latest collaboration of the brand, Harshita Singh, Business Head of Times Prime said, “The aim of this strategic partnership is to enrich the offering bouquet of an appliance leader like LG with Times Prime’s holistic ecosystem of all lifestyle brands under one app. This wholesome nature of our app integrated with an umbrella of offerings by LG is bound to benefit both brands for sales and engagement.”.”

As one of the most preferred lifestyle super-apps, Times Prime offers an extensive range of benefits on a single platform, from shopping to entertainment and lifestyle brands like Starbucks, Myntra, Uber, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, Google One, and many more. Times Prime positions itself as a unique Super App that curates subscriptions and benefits besides elevating lifestyle with superior & exclusive access to global brands and experiences. The campaign is designed to create a sense of urgency and dramatize the importance of availing the benefits of Times Prime subscription.

To know more about the LG InstaView Side by Side refrigerator, visit

LG Electronics: Buy TVs, Home Entertainment & Appliances | LG India

Redcliffe Labs expands its coverage in Andhra Pradesh

Redcliffe Labs expands its coverage in Andhra Pradesh, with the launch of two state-of-the-art Labs in Vijayawada & Vizag

Andhra Pradesh, March 1st, 2023: Redcliffe Labs, a leading omni-channel Pan India diagnostics service provider recently launched two advanced labs at MVV Neeladri Apartments, Maharanipeta, Vizag and A S Rama Rao Street, Kasturibaipet, Vijayawada. This move is in line with the company’s strategic expansion plans in Andhra Pradesh and Southern states of India.

These labs are staffed with highly skilled and qualified team of technicians and scientific officers, supervised with MD Pathologist Dr. Lakshmi Kasula at Vijayawada and Dr. Polamarasetty Meghana at Vizag. These labs house all clinical laboratory departments, including Biochemistry, Hematology, Immunoassays, Clinical Pathology, Hormones, etc. Residents of these cities and nearby towns like Guntur, Tenali, Narsaraopera, Gudiwada, Machilipatnam, Eluru, Vizianagram, Narsipatnam, Anakapalle, Srikakulam & Rajamundry will get benefit from the world-class diagnostic services provided by the well-equipped lab facility. Redcliffe has opened 250+ collection centres in the southern geography. It is pertinent to mention that Redcliffe already has impressive footprint in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

These labs are equipped with state-of-the-art fully automatic instruments, ensuring highest level of accurate reporting. All diagnostic test reports are delivered by the labs within 24 hrs of receiving the sample. The lab follows stringent quality protocols for accurate diagnosis of samples within a defined TAT. In addition, Redcliffe Labs is also offering a home collection facility; ensuring samples are collected well within time followed by accurate results.

Redcliffe Labs is well known for its high-quality diagnostic services at affordable cost. The tests can be booked online through the website (www.redcliffelabs.com) or mobile app as well as through walk-ins at the lab or collection centres.

Commenting on the opening of these new labs, Mr. Dheeraj Jain, Founder & MD, Redcliffe Labs said, “We envision making diagnostics accessible and affordable reaching the grassroots of true Bharat empowering health and impacting lives. With the launch of each lab across Bharat, we are growing closer to our objective of providing quality diagnostics to Indians and clinicians helping them to make the right informed clinical decision. With these new labs launch, not only we will be able to make superior quality diagnostics service available to the people of Andhra Pradesh, but we will also be able to provide them the accurate reports in the shortest possible turnaround time to enable early detection of ailment thereby facilitating prompt treatment. Additionally, the new labs aid Redcliffe Labs in achieving its goal of reaching 500 Million Indians by 2030.”

Redcliffe Labs’ infrastructure, backed by AI and ML, helps create a satisfactory customer experience. Customers can create their profiles, book their tests, track their samples, and download smart reports conveniently through the website or app. Redcliffe Labs’ smart report offers the benefit of a comprehensive analysis of the health status of each customer. Also, being the first lab in India to implement real-time temperature monitoring patented technology helps them to ensure the sample integrity and stability, thereby ensuring accurate results.

Deepa Vegesina appointed as Chief Digital Officer of Revfin

Bengaluru, March 01, 2023: Revfin, an advanced digital lending platform underwriting financially excluded and underserved segments, announced the onboarding of product management veteran Deepa Vegesina as its Chief Digital Officer. In this role, she will oversee Revfin’s digital business including digital product and operations, diversify and scale digital offerings, user experience and B2B management. With a comprehensive perspective of the overall product strategy, Deepa will provide a crucial vision to Revfin’s product teams across the organization.

Deepa brings an extensive 16 years+ of experience spanning across process improvements, omnichannel management, customer engagement, B2B2C integrations, B2B portal creation and operations, IoT solutions, GTM and geo-strategy across European and Asian markets. Over the years, she has held several roles across organizations like Infosys (Airbus), Toyota Motor Europe, Amadeus and Bekaert.

On the appointment, Sameer Aggarwal, CEO and founder, RevFin, said, “Digital is a growth driver for Revfin and we are indeed excited to have Deepa with us as she is well positioned to take our digital vision forward and expedite our growth across new products and geographies. Her vast and diversified experience in transforming businesses combined with her passion for sustainability will help her in further strengthening our undisputed digital edge”

“I am thrilled to join Revfin as it provides me with a unique opportunity to work in the sustainability space, serving the financially excluded customer segment using digital channels. I could not have asked for a better combination of everything I love to work with” said Deepa Vegesina.

DNA Women Achievers Awards 2023 to celebrate the achievements of Women champions of India

India, 1st March 2023: The inaugural DNA Women Achievers Awards 2023 is all set to celebrate and recognize the achievements of women game changers who have been successful in creating a better future through their intelligence, diligence, path-breaking performance, and grit. The upcoming on-ground event will also include panel discussions of women stalwarts across different industries on ‘The role of Indian successful women in boosting Indian economy and elevating the society’ and ‘Is Homemaking the first step towards Entrepreneurship for women?’ and will be held on 3rd March 2023 in Le Meridian, New Delhi.

The Women Achievers Awards 2023 event will be graced by Chief Guest- Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways and Keynote speaker – BK Shivani. Industry stalwarts like Supriya Paul (Josh Talks), Kanta Singh (Deputy Director-UN Women), Dr Ranjana Kumari(Director, Centre for Social), Maya Vishwakarma(Padwoman) etc will be a part of the panel discussion series at the event.

With the rollout of DNA Women Achievers Awards 2023, the Zee News-DNA team looks forward to rewarding deserving women leaders who have very meticulously turned every challenge into a meaningful opportunity and succeeded in various fields. Women leaders will be recognized under a huge umbrella of prestigious award categories in sectors like Auto, FMCG, Retail, Health, E-commerce, Start-ups, Jewellery etc.

Emphasizing on the key objective of Women Achievers Awards 2023, Mr. Sushant Mohan, CEO, DMCL, highlighted, “Women-led businesses provide a great impetus to the economy. We, at IDPL, look forward to appreciate the efforts and accomplishments of women leaders and entrepreneurs, who have been game changers their respective sectors and hope to inspire many more women to join the league.”

Mr. Shridhar Mishra, CRO, IndiaDotCom Private Digital Limited, further added, “We, at IDPL, look forward identifying the key areas where the women achievers have shone in the dark and overcome the most challenging phases of their career. These awards are not just the recognition for the hard work put in by these women, but a motivation for the larger society to follow the suit.”

The work of the nominees will rigorously be reviewed by an esteemed team of Jury members based on various judging parameters such as Leadership, Accomplishments, and Future Potential etc.

This event will be broadcasted LIVE on the Facebook platforms of Zee News and DNA.

Surge unveils its eighth cohort of 12 startups across India and SEA; 50% of startups have a female founder

Bengaluru, 1st March 2023 – Surge, Sequoia India & Southeast Asia’s rapid scale-up program for early-stage startups, has launched its eighth cohort, featuring 30 inspiring founders across twelve companies. Surge 08 includes startups that are building futuristic products across climate tech, AI (Artificial Intelligence), the Metaverse, digital health, new consumer brands and new models of e-commerce.

Surge’s curated community of startups now includes eight cohorts, 300+ founders and 130+ startups across 16+ sectors.

Half of Surge 08 startups have at least one female founder, including an AI and natural language processing PhD holder focused on AI in healthcare and two medical doctors from Indonesia who are leveraging technology to democratise access to health and wellness services. Surge 08 also includes two health tech companies using AI to improve insurance and medical imaging, two climate-tech companies, a metaverse gaming platform for GenZ, an AI company that’s worked with NASA, as well as three exciting consumer companies that are building new-age brands in the home decor,food and wedding sectors.

Surge 08 female founders

“Surge 08 founders are building next-gen products and businesses that have the potential to revolutionise their sectors over the next decade. These diverse set of founders each bring with them unique experiences and expertise to create ambitious and differentiated products and platforms to the problems they are tackling – and we are excited to be a part of their early company-building journeys,” said RajanAnandan, Managing Director, Sequoia India & Southeast Asia, and Surge. 

Many foundersare building for global markets from day one, and half of the startups in Surge 08 are looking to expand into the US, Europe and Canada.

Surge 08 is currently in progress and the founders are going through a 16-week hybrid program focused on company building. Past speakers and mentors in the program include Sanjeev Bikchandani (InfoEdge), Girish Mathrubootham (Freshworks), Kunal Shah (CRED), Amrish Rau (Pinelabs), Abhiraj Singh Bhal (Urban Company), Kunal Bahl (Snapdeal), Yamini Bhat (Vymo), Doug Leone (Sequoia Capital), Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm), Ashwini Asokan (vue.ai/Mad Street Den), Deepinder Goyal (Zomato), Nithin Kamath (Zerodha), and ViditAatrey (Meesho).

For the full breakdown of Surge 08 companies, please refer to the Appendix below. To learn more about Surge 08, please head to our blog post, and find out more about each Surge 08 company here.

Surge 08 Companies and Founders:

For full company profiles, please click here. https://www.surgeahead.com/startups/

Raising a Mathematician, Pravaha Foundation & Mahindra University come up with a 10 day free training program, Math.Biz

1st March 2023: Raising A Mathematician Foundation, Pravaha Foundation and Mahindra University, will be jointly conducting a 10-day Free of Cost residential training camp – ‘Math.Biz’. This national level training camp will be conducted from June 19-28, 2023 at Mahindra University, Hyderabad. Math.Biz is a camp for the students of grades 9 to 12 who have a strong interest in learning about application of Mathematical principles in finance, economics, business, and management and connects them to high school level mathematical concepts.

R. Hariharan, Co-Founder of Raising a Mathematician said, “Since last 10 years, through Raising A Mathematician Foundation we have been bringing opportunities for school students to see the bigger and wider spectrum of Mathematics. Through our free-of-cost residential programs like Raising A Mathematician Training Program and online programs like All Girls Math Nurture Camp, thousands of high school students from Leh to Andaman and Assam to Gujarat, have benefited by getting exposed to Math beyond the school and Olympiad curriculum. In these camps, students get a peer group who are deeply passionate about Math and top faculty across different continents who are from varied domains. Every year we see how domains like data science, AI, ML, etc. are growing and there’s a dire need that students who have a high potential be identified and exposed to such topics. Keeping this objective in mind, RAM (Raising A Mathematician) is now coming up with a 10-day free-of-cost residential training program ‘Math.Biz’.”

Around 100 students will be selected from schools across India through a selection test scheduled on April 2nd, 2023. Selected students will be attending this residential training camp for free. The camp aims at enhancing comprehension of high school mathematics and its practical applications in the real-world perspective and provides opportunities to learn from and engage with renowned faculty in the field. Students attending the camp will develop a deeper understanding of the role of mathematics in the business world while also developing critical thinking skills and connecting with a network of peers and experts in the field.

On 28th February, the results of the International Math Olympiad were declared. This is a 1-month residential rigorous camp in which the top 52 students who qualify the Indian National Math Olympiad (where top 600 students from Indian Olympiad Qualifier Mathematics are selected). Out of the 52 students, 10 have been part of Raising A Mathematician (out of which 4 have been part of the Olympiad Training and 9 part of Raising A Mathematician training program. More about the camp on www.raisingamathematician.com Last date to apply: March 26th, 2023.

Telangana Agriculture minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy to inaugurate India’s biggest Agri show KISAN at Hyderabad

Hyderabad, March 1st, 2023: Hyderabad is getting ready to witness KISAN Agri Show, one of the largest agriculture exhibition in India will start on 3rd March and will continue till 5th March at Hitex. KISAN Agri Show 2023, is going to be the 32nd Agri exhibition in the series. The exhibition entry will be open from morning 10 AM to evening 5 PM. The show will be inaugurated by the Honorable Agriculture Minister of Telangana Shri. Singireddy Niranjan Reddy.

The past series of exhibitions received tremendous response and were very beneficial and useful for investors as well as farmers across the country. This year’s KISAN Agri show will have more than 150 exhibitors and is expected to have more than 30,000 visitors from all across Telangana and neighboring states.

The exhibition is spread over 10,000 sq.m of area and will connect 160+ companies in three days. The latest products and innovative concepts in agriculture will be displayed here. KISAN has been receiving support and participation from leading agricultural institutions.

SPARK, a special arena for Agri Startups is planned to present Advance technologies and innovative ideas. The penetration of mobile phones and Digital India Initiatives are empowering farmers. SPARK Pavilion of Agri Startups will be a major attraction at KISAN FAIR. Over 20 Agri Startups will present their new technologies and concepts here.

Gnana Kendram is a cluster of stands from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Agriculture University and ICAR institutions. Here farmers will get information and knowledge about new technologies and innovations appropriate for Telangana Farmers.

KISAN exhibition will focus on Agri Input, Water Management, Tools & Implements, seeds & planting material to help farmers locate things of their interest. Open Arena will display large farm machinery & implements. Farmers will see many innovative farm technologies especially evolved for Indian agro-climatic conditions.

From Gothic to Poppy colours – Here’s to the freshest trends for 2023 in home décor

By Mr. Ekant Singh, Founder & CEO – Page 2813

One of the greatest outcomes of the pandemic is that people are investing in doing up the décor of their homes much more than previously. With work from home becoming the new normal and people spending a lot of time at their homes, home décor today commands great attention. Let’s look at the trends that will be in vogue in 2023.

Gothic designs: Perceived to be related with a dark décor, gothic designs are sought after owing to their mystic, classic and intricate designs. Originating in the medieval period, one can see a lot of cathedrals and castle kinds of influence in these designs. The use of dark hues like charcoal grey, maroon, purple, matt blackish silver for the walls and contrast matching colours for curtains will give a grand gothic look. Opt for sweeping velvet curtains that look royal and match the theme. You can further accentuate the space with heavy intricately carved dark chocolate wooden furniture with rich velvet upholstery. Go for dark shades of rich colours like vintage purple or maroon to get that gothic look that will be ruling 2023.

The use of statement chandelier pieces, carved photo frames and wrought iron candle stands will add to the look. Use dim lighting that will add to the setting. Note that while the gothic look when put together is classy, the use of dark colours may make the area look smaller. So, for smaller configuration apartments, go minimal while opting for the gothic look else one will end up with crowded interiors instead. Also, as mentioned previously gothic designs are royal in nature and any clutter in the room dismisses the effect completely.

Poppy colours: The opposite to the gothic designs, as the name suggests poppy colours pop with energy, are subtle, give a very light calming effect. These include use of earthly colours like peach red, teal, olive green, mustard yellow, dusty lavender etc. You can do a two-colour combination of poppy colours and white to make your room look big and spacious. Sheer curtains will add that spunk to the entire look while getting in enough light and brightness in the room. While going for a décor with earthly colours, you can stay close to nature by carefully accessorising the room. For starters, a comfortable L-shaped sofa will pale floral upholstery will spring in a new vibe in the room.

Opt for lightweight and coloured furniture like oakwood instead of the heavy-duty teak. Also, instead of bulky all over the room pieces, opt for compact furniture that will be both efficient and clutter-free. Paintings, handicraft statement pieces and photo frames with family pictures will add to the room’s simple yet classy look. The advantage of these colours in your home is that even while being subtle and at the background, they become the heros the home décor. With the colours being bright in their own grounds, lighting in the room should be anything but dim. Finally, this kind of look is a breath of fresh air for smaller configuration units.

So, while these are two contrasting looks that will trend in 2023, each has its own beauty which when imbibed nicely will make your home, a dream home.