Archive: June 1, 2023

Leadership can address gaps in equitable progress, labour productivity and agriculture: BCIC Leadership Conclave 2023

Bengaluru June 1st, 2023: Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), today conducted a one-day conclave. in the city titled ‘BCIC Leadership Conclave 2023’ with the theme ‘India – Its Leadership and the shift underway’. The aim of the conclave was to provide a forum for leaders to learn from each other, explore leadership development strategies and discuss industry. Setting the context Krishna Kumar R, Chairman, E-Commerce, Retail, Logistics, and Warehouse Expert Committee BCIC said that leadership can address the existing gaps in equitable progress, labour productivity, and agriculture among other areas.  During the conclave, BCIC launched its in-house magazine ‘E-Synergy’.

In his welcome address, Mr. Jairaj K, IAS Retd., Former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka said, “A leader should have four E’s, namely energetic, energize, execution excellence and a strong sense of ethics. The need of the hour is to move the agenda forward constructively and progressively for nation development. The purpose of this conclave is to disseminate ideas and create a leadership culture that can be sustained and fostered in India.”

In her inaugural address, Padma Shri. Smt. Nivedita R Bhide, National Vice President, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari said, “We need to be rooted in ourselves to be able to deliver deep-rooted leadership, which does not bend or crack with changing situations.  The basic thing about leadership is to have the ability to transmit vision and values through the channel of love and respect and real sustainable development through deep-rooted leadership will be possible only if it is based on culture. It is important to compete with oneself to excel and take forward the spirit of service in the spirit of nation-building. We work extensively in Arunachal Pradesh, and I invite corporates to consider investing and setting up units in the state for the development of the region and the nation.”

Delivering the keynote address, Sudhanshu Mani, Innovator of Vande Bharat (Train 18) and former GM, of Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, Chennai said, “Railways is at a springboard for quantum growth today and is six to eight times cleaner and greener than road or air. India is far ahead of any other country in terms of electrification and will soon be 100% electric. This has been possible only through effective leadership and vision. To accomplish anything, you need first and foremost to have vision, leadership, will, determination, planning, resources, and overall, love whatever you do; love your organization, and love your people. Leadership with empathy, passion, and a sense of purpose can transform an organization from doing more of the same to doing something new. It is also important to remember that no organization will go anywhere if it does not respect its women, not merely in lip service but in action. Never let the fire of your dreams die, wait patiently for the opportunity.” Speaking about what needs to be done in railways, he said, “While the government recognizes the potential of the railways in India’s growth and has boosted investment from Rs. 50,000 crores to Rs. 2.6 lakh crore, railways currently hold only a 27% share in logistics. This needs to be a core focus area and efforts need to be concentrated on bringing down logistics cost to GDP. Also, if we are to believe that we will be ‘aatmanirbhar’ by 2047, more attention has to be given on how we transport common Indians. It is also projected that by 2047, fifty more Indian cities will have metro rail services.”

Speaking on why and how India holds an edge and potential in manufacturing, Kamla Bali, President and Managing Director, Volvo India Group said, “Manufacturing currently is 15 to 17% of India’s GDP and despite concerted efforts from various governments the needle has not moved for the last 25 years. There is currently an opportunity to triple our manufacturing sector from the current USD 400 billion to USD 1.2 trillion. For India’s economy to progress it is important that the contribution of manufacturing increases. We cannot become an economic world power in one sector alone, we need contributions from manufacturing, services, and agriculture to progress and compete on a global scale. Three pillars, if addressed correctly, will boost manufacturing in the country. The first is the domestic ecosystem, which includes ease of doing business and policies; secondly, firm level competitiveness or how competitive are Indian companies on a global scale. It is here that we need to encourage and develop MSME’s as 80% of manufacturing comes from this sector and unfortunately most MSME lack the resources and vision to scale; and lastly the Global ecosystem where the government plays a key role in FTA’s and enabling access to global markets”

BCIC leadership conclave 2023 witnessed the participation of delegates from government, PSUs, startups, corporate, and academia. Other speakers included Chandru Kalro, Managing Director, TTK Prestige Ltd who deliberated on ‘Leadership in Consumer Durables – Discretionary and non-discretionary spends in a growing market’, T N Hari, Co-Founder, Artha School of Entrepreneurship who spoke on ‘Transformation of startups – Evolution and Leadership of startups in India’, Shekar Viswanathan, Former Vice Chairman & Whole Time Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor who elaborated on ‘Transformational leadership – Toyota – A Case Study for the World’, Mr. Kandaswamy Bharathan, Joint Managing Director, Kavithalayaa Productions Pvt Ltd who spoke on ‘Lessons in Excellence from Creative Industries – a leadership perspective’, Dr. Chetan Singai, Academic Lead and Associate Professor, Chanakya University, Bengaluru National Education Policy (NEP)  who spoke on How India aspires to grow leadership qualities in the budding minds, Harish H V, Founder and Managing Director, ECube Investment Advisors who spoke on ‘Role of India in sustainability and clean energy’ and  Manu Saale, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India who spoke on ‘Leadership – Global awareness and ability to foster an innovative culture in branding of premium segment’.

Vogue World Arrives In London’s West End

Today, Vogue has announced that Vogue World will be coming to London on 14 September to kick off London Fashion Week, starring a roster of global talent from the Vogue family supporting the spectacular evening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

The inaugural Vogue World event held last year was a first-of-its-kind, globally live-streamed fashion show and street fair in New York City. This year, Vogue World: London will be a theatrical production, conceived with Stephen Daldry – the English director and producer whose work includes Billy Elliot, The Crown, and the West End adaptation of Netflix’s Stranger Things – as creative advisor. Vogue World welcomes the support of the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House including The Royal Ballet, the dance company Rambert, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and LW Theatres.

Using the framework of an opening night in the West End, Vogue World will harness the power of fashion to spotlight and celebrate London’s unparalleled performing artists, as well as marking the start of London Fashion Week. Vogue World will begin with a red carpet, followed by performances – everything from Shakespeare to Stormzy, Michaela Coel, and Rambert – across the worlds of opera, theatre, film, contemporary dance, classical and popular music. All will be executed with the lens of Vogue’s unique fashion perspective.

Continuing the precedent set by Vogue World’s debut in New York, the London event will shine a light on the AW23 collections of a range of both homegrown and international talent, from emerging British designers to the biggest fashion names in the world. Fashion will be shepherded by Poppy Kain (Fashion Director, British Vogue), Jack Borkett (Contributing Fashion Editor, British Vogue), and Harry Lambert (stylist).

Vogue World has been overseen and driven by Anna Wintour (Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue), Edward Enninful (Editor in Chief, British Vogue and European Editorial Director, of Vogue,) Mark Guiducci (Creative Editorial Director, of Vogue) and Juan Costa Paz (Global Creative Director, Vogue).

Emily Burns (Freelance Director and National Theatre Associate) and Fran Miller (Producer at the National Theatre) will be joining as show director and creative producer respectively. British DJ and producer Benji B comes on board as music director. Production will be overseen by Bureau Betak, who bring their best-in-class expertise to hundreds of fashion shows, events, and exhibitions each year. Vogue World’s live stream will be produced by Den of Thieves, who cater for events ranging from award shows like the MTV VMAs to singular music events including Miley Cyrus’s New Years Party.

Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, of Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “Our editors have spent so much time at fashion shows over the years, around the world, that we thought: ‘Why not put together one of our own—one that tells a story about the cultural moment we’re in, but through the lens of fashion? New York did that brilliantly well, and now we will be doing it again in London to show our support for the arts. The arts are under threat in the UK and Vogue World will be a timely reminder of how important they are, how vital a part of our lives, and how much they need our support.”

Edward Enninful, Editor in Chief, of British Vogue and European Editorial Director, Vogue added: “I’m thrilled to be co-hosting the second edition of Vogue World in London. British Vogue has been championing fashion, culture, and the magical point where the two intersect for 107 years. Now, we’re bringing its pages to life with the help of industry-leading talents in order to support the full spectrum of the creative arts in London. I can’t wait for everyone to join us at Theatre Royal Drury Lane for a night to remember.”

“Fashion and the performing arts have always been symbiotic and interdependent, so when Anna pitched the idea of this event to Stephen and me, I was thrilled to put forward a team from the National Theatre to conceive and realize this spectacular, one-off show which will celebrate and reflect the vibrancy of the London Arts scene. As we continue to recover from the pandemic as a sector it is touching to have such support from the fashion world and to also have the opportunity to showcase the incredible talent from across the worlds of performing arts and fashion,” added Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre.

All net ticket proceeds from Vogue World will benefit performing arts organizations in London, including the National Theatre, Royal Opera House including the Royal Ballet, and the dance company Rambert. The event, which will again be live-streamed globally, will be accompanied by live activations in other Vogue markets, a dedicated e-commerce site, and more.

Friends of Vogue including Naomi Campbell, Victoria Beckham, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and Sir Ian McKellan have come together to feature in a range of exclusive promotional assets released on Vogue’s website and social channels today, to mark the official first day of ticket sales.

Vogue is also proud to welcome Genesis as the presenting partner for Vogue World: London in 2023. Vogue is working with accessibility consultancy Tilting the Lens and its CEO Sinéad Burke to ensure this event is open to as many people as possible.

Starting today, members of Vogue Club – Vogue’s first global fashion community – will have exclusive 48-hour presale access to the Vogue World: London experience, with general tickets on sale 2 June. For more information

Tecnimont Private Limited announces funding support for WiSE from rural parts of India

New Delhi, 1st June 2023: Tecnimont Private Limited (TCMPL), a subsidiary of MAIRE Group, today announced its funding support for Women in Science, Engineering (WiSE) from rural parts of India. This is initiative involving a total of 165 girls is led by Prof. Rajesh Zele from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) to encourage young girls from rural parts of India to pursue higher education in STEM through a week-long intensive residential program at IIT Bombay.

This activity is part of MAIRE Group’s sustainability strategy, specifically in the creation of value for the territories and communities where MAIRE operates through corporate social responsibility projects and initiatives.

Excited with the collaboration, Valentina Grieco, MAIRE Group CSR Senior Specialist said, “Project WiSE is driven with a special focus on the rural areas from India, such as Maharashtra, Bihar, and Odisha, to help the adolescent girls build their confidence in subjects like science and mathematics. While the rural adolescent girls face challenging situations in continuing their education, TCMPL strives to make education interesting for the students and parents to ensure enrolment of girls continues in the higher standards.”

“TCMPL is committed to helping the communities where they operate,” said Prof. Zele, “With their support, we were able to include students from remote areas across the nation. After the week-long program, the girls will continue to interact with one another, and their mentors at IIT Bombay through online sessions. This will help shape their future and career decisions,” concluded Prof. Zele.

IIT Madras Research Park and Reserve Bank Innovation hub to drive financial inclusion through Indian regional languages

Chennai, 1st June 2023: IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) and IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) join hands with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) to drive voice-driven banking innovation. The objective is to address language barriers., a key challenge in financial inclusion for millions of Indians. The Voice-based banking solution aims at performing basic banking transactions through voice commands in the Indian languages of Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu to start with, in addition to English. The innovation will assist people who are illiterate and visually impaired, in their banking services and help the underbanked population in overcoming language barriers during their banking activities.

Marking the onset of this collaboration, IITMRP, IITMIC, and RBIH, in partnership with leading banks, SBI, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra, and IDFC First conducted the voice banking hackathon ‘Vaulter Voice’ at the IIT Madras Research Park campus. Students, start-ups, and young working professionals across the country passionate about developing voice-based solutions that promote financial inclusion in India, participated in the hackathon, showcasing the potential and possibility of voice-based banking services.

It was on International Mother Language Day, IITMRP announced the Voice Banking Hackathon, inviting students, start-ups, and young working professionals, with the challenge to develop a solution that can perform basic banking transactions through voice commands in the Indian vernacular languages along with English. Out of the 114 registrations received from students and working professionals from across 35+ institutes and colleges across the country, IITMRP shortlisted nine finalist teams who were invited for a 6-hour hackathon to work on their solutions, where they tested the app developed by them, executing additional commands/tasks and presented it before the expert panel.

Commenting on the possibilities of voice banking, Mr. Rajesh Bansal, CEO of RBIH said, “There are over 600 million low and middle-income individuals in India without access to digital banking. We aim to help more than half of such underbanked population to overcome their challenges in banking services with voice banking in the next few years”.

“The stage is set for voice banking in India. The real need of the hour is developing Indian technology which specifically addresses our regional languages. As part of our “Fintech for Inclusion” initiative, we will look at potentially incubating some of the solutions showcased today, perfect their solutions and work with our partner banks to run a pilot programme or adopt these solutions as part of their banking services. We should be able to roll out a pilot project in around 12-18 months and potentially scale them in the next 2-3 years,” added Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President of IIT Madras Research Park.

Renault India Achieves Remarkable Milestone of 9 Lac Sales

Hyderabad/New Delhi, June 1st, 2023: Renault, the leading European brand in India, is proud to announce a remarkable achievement of surpassing 900,000 vehicles sales in the country. Renault India is one of the youngest and fastest carmakers to achieve this feat.

Renault India has attained this significant milestone by offering innovative and disruptive product portfolio, persistent commitment towards customer satisfaction, network expansion, rural focussed strategy, and pioneering marketing initiatives.

This accomplishment highlights the unwavering commitment of Renault India to deliver unique products, cutting-edge technology, and unparalleled customer experiences. With a strong emphasis on quality, safety and innovation, the company has captivated consumers sentiments and gained the trust of customers in India.

Renault India in the past 11 years has consistently pushed limits and introduced some industry-first, advanced and enhanced safety features across its product offerings. The company’s diverse product portfolio has catered to the varying needs and preferences of customers in the country. In addition to offering exceptional products range, Renault India has also fostered strong partnerships with dealerships across the country, ensuring an unmatched ownership experience for customers. The company’s dedicated network of over 450 plus sales and 530 service touchpoints, played a crucial role in providing support and personalized service to every customer.

According to Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & Managing Director, Renault India Operations, “We are extremely thrilled to have crossed the 9-lac sales milestone in India. This incredible journey has been made possible by the unwavering support and belief in the brand from our esteemed customers, dedicated dealer partners, valued suppliers, and our exceptional team of employees, and engineering professionals. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have contributed to this remarkable achievement. Over the last few years, we have established a strong foundation in India. Company’s commitment to the Indian Government’s ‘Make in India’ vision is unwavering and Renault aims to attain 90% localization for its upcoming products.”

“India is a strategic and among the top 5 markets for Groupe Renault and we have a clear long-term strategy in mind for the country. We have formulated a strong product-offensive plan for India, with heavy emphasis on localisation in future range of products. With a long-term commitment to the Indian market, Renault plans to bring several new innovations in products and services, to meet the evolving needs and preferences of customers”, added Mr. Mamillapalle.

As Renault India celebrates this remarkable milestone, it reaffirms its commitment to delivering high-quality vehicles and exceptional customer experiences. With a strong foundation, an expanding network, and a customer-centric approach, Renault is poised for continued success and growth in the Indian automotive market.

Renault’s leading product line-up in India includes KIGER, TRIBER and KWID.

Renault KIGER launched in India in 2021 has already established itself as a Stunning, Smart and Sporty B-SUV. Renault KIGER is one of the most affordable offerings in the compact SUV segment with cost-effective maintenance. The company recently refreshed KIGER’s variant portfolio with enhanced value proposition and class leading safety features. Powered by a world-class turbocharged 1.0L petrol engine, KIGER not only offers more performance and a sporty drive, but also boasts best in-segment fuel efficiency of 20.62 KM/L. Renault KIGER has also been awarded with the 4-Star Safety Rating for Adult occupant safety by Global NCAP, the foremost global car assessment programme.

Renault TRIBER has been valued for the proposition that it offers in terms of outstanding quality, modularity, and attractive design with superior value packaging. Renault TRIBER offers the best level seating space in all rows that can accommodate one to seven adults in comfort in less than 4 meters. It also offers one of the largest boot space of 625L in its category. Renault TRIBER is built with best level safety features and boasts of a 4-Star Safety Rating for Adult occupant safety by Global NCAP.

Launched in 2015, Renault KWID is a breakthrough product in terms of design, innovation, and modernity. Renault KWID has redefined the entry segment in India led by its contemporary SUV-inspired design language offering best-in-class features and an economical cost of ownership. Enabled by its 98% localisation levels, Renault KWID makes it a strong ‘Make in India’ testament.