Archive: May 29, 2023

Piro Space to host IPL finals livestream in the Metaverse

Mumbai, 29th May’23 – Piro Space Metaverse, a pioneering virtual reality platform, is set to transform the way fans experience sports with an unprecedented offering. As part of its groundbreaking initiative, Piro Space Metaverse will host the live stream of the highly anticipated TATA IPL Final, with pre-match sessions, live scorecard, and live commentary.

With the aim of providing fans with an all-encompassing experience, Piro Space Metaverse introduces an array of features to enhance their engagement. Prior to the match, pre-match sessions featuring renowned sports personalities and experts will offer valuable insights, analysis, and predictions, heightening the anticipation and excitement for the main event.

During the match, fans will have access to live scorecard, ensuring they stay up-to-date with every run, wicket, and milestone achieved by their favorite teams. Additionally, a team of expert commentators will provide real-time commentary, adding a layer of immersion and expertise to the viewing experience.

“We are thrilled to present this unprecedented live-streaming experience to fans around the world,” said Kapil Jain, co-founder of Piro Space. “By incorporating pre-match sessions, live scorecards, and live commentary, we are providing fans with an immersive and interactive platform that redefines how they engage with sports.”

Piro Space Metaverse invites fans to immerse themselves in a dynamic virtual environment where they can not only watch the match but also interact with friends, family, and fellow enthusiasts. Through features like chat functions and social networking capabilities, fans can share their thoughts, emotions, and banter in real-time, creating a sense of community and togetherness.

PTE Academic recognised for Student Direct Stream visas into Canada

May 29, 2023, Bangalore/Mumbai – Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, has today received approval from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for PTE Academic to be accepted for all SDS (Student Direct Stream) applications.

PTE Academic will be accepted by the IRCC for SDS applications as of August 10, 2023.

This approval follows IRCC’s recognition earlier this year of PTE Core for proof of English language proficiency for Canadian permanent residency or citizenship.

SDS is an expedited study permit process for students applying to study in Canada from Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.

Latest IRCC figures for 2022 show Canada reached an all-time high for international students. As of the end of October, IRCC had processed more than 750,300 study permit applications during the 2022 calendar year.

The UK, Australian, and New Zealand governments already accept PTE Academic for all visa applications. PTE Academic is also accepted by thousands of universities across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, and the USA. PTE can be taken at more than 400 PTE centers in 118 countries.

Andy Bird, CEO, of Pearson, said: “Canada is a great place to be a student – fantastic colleges, beautiful scenery, exciting culture, and nightlife. With PTE Academic now recognised for SDS purposes, I’m delighted that Pearson can help even more test takers achieve their dream of studying there”.

“This recognition comes hot on the heels of PTE Core being approved for Canadian economic migration purposes earlier this year and reflects our determination to make PTE the test of choice for everybody wanting to live, work or study abroad.”

PTE brings together human expertise and the latest AI technology to deliver an English language proficiency test that is both impartial and highly accurate. AI technology is used for scoring and biometric data collection provides enhanced security measures. PTE is delivered through Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing business of Pearson.

Furthermore, test takers can book online up to 24 hours in advance, take advantage of year-round worldwide test centre slots and receive their results on average within 1.3 days.

PTE Academic tests taken before August 10 will be eligible for SDS provided they are submitted after this date and are within the expiry period stipulated by IRCC. Applicants are advised to check IRCC guidance.

Amitabh Bachchan partners with GSK for shingles awareness and prevention

National, 29th May 2023: GSK today announced a partnership with veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan to raise awareness about shingles, a painful condition that affects 1 out of 3 adults above the age of 50 years[i].

The campaign film evocatively captures the agonising pain caused by shingles and its debilitating impact on the people living with it. It gives an important message that it is possible to protect ageing adults against this pain through vaccination.

Commthus,ng on the partnership, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan said, “Shingles is known to be painful and thus certainly a setback to senior citizens. For prevention against Shingles, I recommend the Senior Citizens to talk to their doctors.”

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus remains inactive in the body after a person recovers from it. When the immunity of the body weakens, it re-activates to cause shingles. More than 90% of Indians by the age of 50 years have this virus in their body and are vulnerable to shingles[ii].

Dr Rashmi Hegde, Medical Director, GSK, said, “Amitabh Bachchan has been the face of several disease and vaccination awareness campaigns before, and his support has motivated people to take the required action to prevent these diseases. Today, India’s aging population is rising, and we need to make them aware of diseases such as shingles which can impact their quality of life. We believe this will persuade more people to talk to their doctors about protecting themselves or their loved ones from shingles.”

The film has been conceptualised and executed by Lowe Lintas. The creative focus is on capturing the intensity of the shingles pain through powerful metaphors and images. The representation of pain is based on scientifically documented patient testimonies.

Commenting on the creative insight for the film, Sagar Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer (Global Brands), Lowe Lintas said “Our challenge was to find a way to ‘show’ the unbearable pain of shingles, a sensation that can only be ‘felt’. That is why we have made use of imagery such as sharp nails piercing the body or a person getting electric shocks. We do not want to scare people, but we want to make them aware that Shingles can be extremely painful, and it can be prevented.”

Meghalaya presents $10 Billion Economy Vision! World Bank appreciates and assures continued support

New Delhi, 29th May 2023: The Hon’ble chief minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad K Sangma presented state’s vision to be a $10 Billion economy to the World Bank panel at Meghalaya House, New Delhi. The key attendees from World Bank were Mr. Augustus Tano Kouame, Country Director, Ms. Junko Onishi, Lead Social Coordinator, Meghalaya, Ms. Benedict, Senior Economist and Mr. Mohan Gopalakrishnan, Senior Economist. Hon’ble Chief Minister was accompanied by a delegation comprising Shri Donald P. Wahlang, IAS, Chief Secretary, Shri Sampath Kumar, IAS, Development Commissioner and Dr. Vijay Kumar D, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary.

Under the able leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, the state government has taken up a multi-thronged approach to realize its dream vision. State has implemented many citizen-centric initiatives augmenting all facets of socio-economic development and governance. Taking cognizance of the needs of the citizens and rapid evolving global order, the state has initiated several reforms in the sectors of roads, water, and governance. One such key landmark initiative is Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture Project (MeghEA), which is first of its kind by a state in India. The e-Proposal System, part of MeghEA has been lauded & awarded by UN-WSIS Award. This rare feat of making the impossible possible, has made the name for Meghalaya at the Global Podium, making the nation proud. State has been leaving no stones unturned towards the improvement and development of the state.

This has been possible through the collaborated efforts of the state’s machinery and external expertise from the funding agencies. Currently there are 12 externally aided projects being implemented in the state and additional 11 projects are there in the pipeline. This accumulates to over Rs.10,000 crores of external funding for the development of the state, out of which over Rs. 2400 crores have been secured from World Bank. Major Projects that have been taken up with the support of World Bank are Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP), Meghalaya Community Led Landscape Management Project (CLLMP), Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project (MHSSP), Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Employment and Resilience (MPOWER). The World bank representatives showcased excitement to see the success of the projects and appreciated Meghalaya for the performance. The World Bank also assures for continued support and coordination for delivery of upcoming projects. These projects are essential for Meghalaya to realize Meghalaya dream of becoming a $10 billion economy.

In this regard, Meghalaya has been working towards enhancement of Citizen service delivery. One such key project is Enhancing Governance & Service Delivery Capabilities with a budget of $60 million. The project has the following components that is aimed towards improving government services, making citizen’s life easier:

1. Enhancing Public Service Delivery
2. Capability Enhancement
3. Enhancing Strategic Planning and Public Finance Management

On this occasion, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad K Sangma said “We had a productive discussion with Mr. Auguste Tano Kouame, the Country Director of the World Bank, and his team on the way forward for the Enhancing Governance & Service Delivery Capabilities project in Meghalaya. As a government, we are committed to ensuring that government services and project implementation are conducted efficiently”. He further added, “We face significant challenges in project implementation; however, through synergistic efforts, we have achieved success and development interventions with the help of externally funded projects. The World Bank has been a valuable partner in Meghalaya’s development and continues to provide support”.

The Chief Secretary of Meghalaya, Shri Donald P. Wahlang noted, “This support mechanism from agencies like the World Bank aided by citizen’s zeal for progress and government’s efforts has put Meghalaya on a growth pedestal. This convergence would propel Meghalaya’s efforts in evolving the state as a growth center and open the economic corridor for the Northeast region”.

Team Computers along with Nutanix and Red Hat hosted- Modern Infrastructure for Modern Apps

With new technologies and applications emerging every day, companies are struggling to keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape and need modern infrastructure solutions, which are secure and reliable and can help them stay competitive.

In line with this Team Computers, one of the leading IT solution providers in India, along with Nutanix and Red Hat-certified full-stack platform recently held an event under the theme “Modern Infrastructure for Modern Apps”. The event highlighted a comprehensive overview of modern technology solutions that can build a robust IT infrastructure that meets the current needs and prepares companies for future growth.

The Nutanix and Red Hat-certified full-stack platforms bring immense capabilities for businesses to exploit the latest features of cloud computing, storage, and virtualization technologies. This powerful combination allows enterprises to increase their performance and agility in running their applications.

The event throws light on the upcoming applications that organizations must adopt in order to have a modernized approach to their technology stack. This also brings the need to simplify complex systems and processes, while offering a secure and reliable network base.

Moreover, the two companies along with Team Computers have partnered to provide companies with cloud-native solutions that prioritize simplicity, scalability, flexibility, and reliability. This combination ensures customers can easily transition from one platform to another while also maintaining a high level of data security through the latest technology.

Given the energy with which Team Computers bridges the gap between IT solutions and your business needs, the event offered an opportunity to explore a wide range of IT solutions from Nutanix and Red Hat, bringing together 60-plus IT leaders under one roof.

Finolex Cables announces Q4 FY23 Results

Pune, May 29, 2023: Finolex Cables Ltd., (FCL) at the meeting of its Board of Directors held today, approved results for the fourth quarter as well as the full year of 2022-23.

Revenues for the quarter ended March 2023 were Rs.1224.3 Cr as against Rs.1186.9 Cr for the corresponding period in year 2021-22, representing a 3% growth in value terms. In volume terms, Electrical Wires increased by 7% compared to Q4 of the previous year. Within the Communication Cables segment, most product lines increased in volume, by an average of 25%. Volumes in new products within the FMEG sector were affected by the changes to the energy efficiency norms which came in to effect from 1^st January 2023. While input costs had begun to show moderation, the impact on margins would not be felt until another quarter.

For the full year 2022-23, sales were Rs. 4481.1 Cr as against Rs. 3,768.1 Cr in the previous year – an improvement of 19%. During the year, commodity prices continued to remain volatile, which led to several price revisions to pass on both cost reductions as well as cost increases to the end customers, resulting in a situation where margins fluctuated every quarter. For the full year Electrical Wires grew about 16% in volume; OFC volumes grew by more than 50%, while all other products in the Communication segment grew more than 25%. As mentioned above, changes to the energy efficiency norms affected the sale of Fans during the last two quarters and impacted overall growth in the New product lines. Addition to product range, and expansion of distribution network have all contributed to the better revenues and volumes within these product segments.

Profit for the quarter, before taxes, was Rs.173.5 Cr, as compared to Rs.126.4 Cr in the previous year – the improvement is a result of volume led growth in the major segments as well as some pricing actions to maintain margins.

For the full year, profit before taxes stood at Rs 646.0 Cr as against Rs 526.6 Cr in the previous year – an improvement of 23 %.

PAT for Q4 of 2022-23 stood at Rs 134.6 Cr as against Rs 104.6 Cr for the corresponding period of the previous year – an improvement of 29%.

For the full year, profit after taxes were Rs 501.7 Cr as against Rs 404.6 Cr in the previous year – an improvement of 24%.

At its meeting today, the Board has recommended a dividend of 350 % for the year, which means an outgo of Rs7/ per for every share of Rs 2/- the overall dividend outgo would be Rs 107.1 Cr.

For the year ended 31^st March 2023, the consolidated results reflect net sales of Rs 4481.1 Cr as against Rs 3768.1 Cr in the previous year and Profit After Taxes of Rs 504.3 Cr as against Rs 599.1 Cr in the previous year.

The Company recently announced that it will be setting up a plant to manufacture Preforms for drawing fiber as well as enhance the fiber cabling capacity. For this purpose, Capex plans of approx. Rs. 300 Cr to be spent in fiscal 2023-24 and 2024-25 have been put in place. These plans are in addition to the already announced expansion into setting up of an E-Beam facility as well as other additions.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS                                                                                                                                        

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Hyderabad Runners 10th Annual Awards Night held

Hyderabad, May 29, 2023….. Hyderabad Runners, the 16 years old, city-based running group held its Annual Awards Night on Saturday night at Hotel Daspalla in Jubilee Hills in the city. The function continued late into the night. The Awards night held after the gap of two years due to Covid was the most awaited by runners in the city. Awards were presented to runners to recognize their running achievements and volunteering efforts in supporting and mentoring new runners.

Devyani Haldar and Soma Jagan Mohan Reddy were bestowed with the Hall of Fame Award.

Devyani is a scientist at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics. Coming from a non-athletic background, Devyai discovered her love for running in college. She has been running since 2021.

Soma Jagan Mohan Reddy, a physiotherapy specialist is known as a run machine. He is a dedicated marathon runner. He has incredible timings in many runs to his credit. He is known for his 10 marathons in 10 consecutive days. He is known for achieving this tremendous feat.

The other awardees include Vishwa Sanghavi, recognized as the Best Runner of the Year in the Female Category, and Aswaini Acharya, in the Male Category. BHEL Ace Runners and ECIl Runners were honored as the Best Running Groups of the Year. Alwal Runners, HillPark Runners, and Hitec City Runners were recognized as the Best Upcoming Running Groups of the Year.

The gala evening had a cultural program where runners displayed their variety of talents such as dancing, stand-up comedy, and singing. The runners proved that they were no less in cultural activities too.

A fitness, wellness book titled ‘Breathe Better, Live Better’ was launched during the function. It was authored by a Hyderabad Runner Sunil Menon, an accomplished runner who has qualified and run the prestigious Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest and ranks as one of the world’s best-known events. It is also one of the six World Marathon Majors.

Sunil also completed the grueling Iron Man competition, and in this book, he has penned his thoughts and research outcomes on the importance of learning and practicing proper breathing techniques.

Breathing comes naturally to all of us but very few of us give it much attention. In a world full of stress, noise, and chaos, the power of breath can be easy to overlook. “Breath Better, Live Better” offers an invaluable guide to understanding and mastering the power of breath to enhance the quality of our lives, he said while addressing the gathering.

New office bearers of Hyderabad Runners for the year 2023-2025 were introduced. They include Mr Abhijit Madnurkar, President; Mr Muralidhar Nannapaneni, Vice President; Arun Kaliappan, Secretary and others.

Speaking on the occasion President Abhijit said Hyderabad Runners is the first group in India to institutionalize running. Founded in May 2007, the primary aim of this not-for-profit society is to help people lead active lifestyles by making running a preferred form of fitness activity. He highlighted various initiatives of the society.

He added that our vision is to achieve a fit, athletic and active Hyderabad, by reaching out to every corner of the city.