All posts by Gouri Achary

Carnival Foods enters the world of kitchen automation with Mukunda Foods

New Delhi: Carnival Foods operating under Carnival Cinemas, recently made its, recently made its debut in the automation segment by collaborating with Mukunda Foods, one of the leading Bangalore-based automation companies for QSR and food courts in Carnival theatres. Carnival Foods understands the food industry and thus has a realisation that a food business is often expected to run on tight margins and function seamlessly while scaling up by the day. It understands the need to retain skilled labor, consistent food taste, and maintain strict quality control and thus making a paradigm shift to kitchen automation to build its brand recall value while maintaining consistent flavours across all outlets.

The brand has cuisine-specific solutions that simplify the cooking process for cuisines and breaks the monotony while eradicating strenuous tasks. The kitchen automation technology is helping the venture to scale up and thanks to the advancements in the sector, the training efforts to mentor employees about machine regulation are almost minimised. The machines are auto-assist, and anyone who can use an android phone can operate these machines and dish out delicious food.

Commenting on the new expedition in the automation domain, Rajeev Kumar, CEO, Carnival Food, said, “Each Carnival QSR is a celebration destination for our customers. It serves some of the most loved cuisines, and we wanted to serve them the best irrespective of if it’s a Lucknow outlet or a Kochi outlet. The intelligent kitchen automation with IoT has been a great accelerator here; AI-based standard operating procedure (SoP) and hygiene monitoring system gives a standardized experience. With automatic machines like Eco-Fryer, Wokie, and Dosamatic, the QSR store can efficiently run 5-15 specialized Purple Foods brands since these machines can cook almost 80% of the cuisines.”

Carnival Foods has opened 25 new outlets in the last three months and is planning to scale up to 200 more. The brand has installed automation like Eco-Fryer, Wokie, and Dosamatic across Mumbai, Kochi, Lucknow, Kochi, and Kolkata. They are also planning to execute this model at their Cinema level food court across 80 cinemas, starting with one in Mumbai.

While talking to Eshwar K Vikas, Co-Founder & CEO, Mukunda Foods, added, “The commercial kitchens always needed automation, but people were not able to make out the long-term benefits. But with new-age brands like Carnival, trends are changing, and they would set up a live example of why automation is a must for multi-outlet brands. Very few brands look at automation with a broader perspective and understand the additional benefits like low turnaround time, high hygiene standards, minimal wastage, and Carnival could.”

Automation has been helping ventures in the market to grow without compromising with their quality when their employees are on vacation, change in the operation staff or opening new outlets. It has made a difference in aiding the brands to maintain SOPs while simplifying their work and increasing efficiency without disrupting the flavours. Carnival Foods intends to encash the perks and lay emphasis on structural growth and upscaling of business along with providing top-tier services to its patrons. Setting off on a new journey, the brand envisions creating a space where food is meant to cure frowns and uplift spirits rather than disappoint the customers because of internal operational concerns and issues.

Sannam S4 Appoints Ashok Swarup To India Chair Of Board Of Directors

Sannam S4, a leading global education services provider and international market entry firm, today announced the appointment of former banking executive Ashok Swarup to the company’s Board of Directors. Ashok brings with him significant senior management experience in sales, marketing and government relations across a broad swath of commercial industries both in India and overseas.

In his new role at Sannam S4, he will help guide the company’s newly-launched Seamless, a global business and expansion solutions service that helps businesses and organisations expand across a wide variety of sectors.

“The role I will play at Sannam S4 is to highlight the India story,” said Ashok. “It’s about helping clients navigate India’s complexities. The big Fortune 500 companies come into India with huge teams. But for those who don’t have that degree of investment or human capital, they need to understand India, where they need to go, what the systems are, and what they should do. That will be where I will place my focus.

Portea witnesses 30% revenue jump this fiscal; now operational in 34 cities

Bengaluru, December 06, 2021: Portea Medical, India’s largest outside of hospital consumer healthcare company, has witnessed 30% growth in revenue during this fiscal year and expanded from 22 to 34 cities in the last 2 months. The company is working towards increasing its presence to 50 and 100 cities by March 2022 and 2023, respectively. It recently secured a $7.7-million commitment from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Portea has experienced an increased demand for higher complexity services at home in recent times. The company managed 6854 critical care patients at home between Jan 2019 and July 2021, out of which only 7.51% of patients required re-hospitalization, a remarkable figure against the US average of 16%. Out of 1788 patients on respiratory device support, 48% were weaned off and out of 2815 tracheotomized patients, 20.1% were successfully de-cannulated.

Speaking about this, Meena Ganesh, MD, Co-Founder and Chairperson, Portea Medical, said, “The pandemic brought about a huge change in the way the government and regulators look at home healthcare, offering a huge tailwind for our business. Portea has been at the forefront in the battle against the pandemic as well as ensuring quality and consistency of care to other critical patients who need home management including long-term ventilator support, etc. Not only does this help free beds in hospitals for those who need them but also makes care more personalized and cost effective. Our strategic vision for 2023 and beyond is to take our digital-first healthcare services to more people and cities apart from using automation and other technologies for better consumer-centric care.”

Portea is now set to take forward the experience gained through the years as well as lessons from the pandemic with a three-pronged approach: transform current business with digital adoption – patient experience and care team experience; rapid geographical expansion – technology led, scalable asset Lite and cost-effective model; and digital-led business – new digital-led offerings, hybrid IoT led delivery models, Data Analytics. The company is expecting a 3X increase in monthly patients, and 10x growth in subscription plan by March 2023.

Portea has focused on leveraging technology to innovate and provide patient-centric solutions at all times particularly during the pandemic including complex hospital- based procedures such as advanced cancer care and dialysis at home. Through its technology driven services, the company is able to effectively cater to the out-of-hospital healthcare needs of people. The turnaround ushered in by home healthcare companies such as Portea can now help the Indian healthcare industry in overcoming several challenges that it faces at present. The company has catered to over 1 million patients in their home environment offering an extensive range of services for chronic diseases, elderly care, post-surgery care, diabetes management, chemotherapy at home, and other diseases or injuries requiring long-term care.

ADSEI Summit Demands Centre Government to Frame New Guidelines for Direct Selling Industry

New Delhi, 6th Dec, 2021:

The Association of Direct Selling Companies, Association of Direct Selling Entity of India ( ADSEI ) has demanded the central government to make rules regarding the direct selling industry so that chit fund companies can be cracked down. ADSEI, an association of direct selling companies, believes that after the rules are made, it will be easier for the direct selling companies working with the objective of creating employment, self-reliant India and vocal for local. Concerned about the repute getting maligned due to bogus chit fund companies, direct selling companies have now started coming forward themselves to crack down on chit fund companies.

In a solidarity meeting of Direct Selling Companies held at a five star hotel in Rohini , Delhi on Sunday, it was decided that a delegation of ADSEI would soon to meet the concerned ministers and officials of the Central Government in this matter.

Directors of more than 50 direct selling companies from across the country participated in the summit and discussed in detail the future plans and problems being faced by the companies associated with this business and their solutions. Hem Pandey, the secretary of the association and former secretary of the Union Ministry of Food Distribution and Consumer Affairs, considered the role of direct selling companies to be important in making the vision of self-reliant India come true.

BJP leader, MP from North East Delhi and former Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari, who attended this grand summit as the chief guest, said that surely due to some bogus chit fund companies, the businessmen associated with the direct selling industry, who are working honestly, have to suffer. Manoj Tiwari said that the good days of this industry have started since the Modi government was formed at the Centre. In the year 2016-2017, for the first time, the Modi government brought the guidelines for this industry, which the people of this industry were waiting for the last 20 years.

Manoj Tiwari said that along with employment opportunities from this industry, self-reliant India, and indigenous products have been promoted. Manoj Tiwari assured the owners and officers of the companies present that he would convey the issues raised by the association to the concerned ministers and officers of the central government so that their problems could be resolved.

In the Grand Summit, the association put forth its demand before the central government and said that rules should be made as soon as possible regarding the direct selling industry. With the formation of rules, on the one hand, the people of the country will have confidence in this industry, while on the other hand, it will be easy to tighten the noose on the companies doing money rotation in chit fund.

Sanjeev Kumar of the Association, while speaking, said that along with the concept of self-reliant India through direct selling, the concept of Vocal for Local will definitely accelerate.

The association said that in a global pandemic like Corona, where the rest of the industry was down, the direct selling industry grew the most during that time.
On this occasion, it was decided to work for the cleanliness of the environment on behalf of the association. The association said that in view of the alarming situation of pollution, every section has to come forward for environmental protection and promotion. He said that the association would soon prepare an action plan in this regard and start work for environmental protection.

On this occasion Direct Selling Coach Surendra Vats, Happy Health India Director Pawandeep Arora, AWPL Director Sanjeev Kumar, Darjuv9 Director Jitendra Dagar, Shopnet Director Arvind Atri, Robe (ROBE) India Director Sanjeev Kumar also spoke on the occasion. Keeping it, expressed confidence to create maximum employment through direct selling.

Shirt Theory, an affordable luxurious men’s fashion brand launches a premium collection of shirts

Shirt Theory is a premium luxe fashion brand for men, a one-stop-shop for affordable but opulent menswear. The brand believes that luxurious fashion should be within everyone’s reach. The premium shirts for men are durable, true-to-size, and most importantly, stylish. Shirt Theory is the perfect blend of luxury and comfort.

Shirt Theory’s wide range of collections includes Casual shirts, Evening wear, Formal shirts, Polo & tees, Relaxed Fit. They also offer Denim collections, Luxury Collection, and the Moonlight Collection. Moonlight is their latest collection which symbolizes the freshness and purity of the brand. You can pair your new favorite shirt with a woolen jumper for the chilly winter months, or wear it on its own for easy, breezy comfort during the summer. Their range of apparel is versatile, making it easy for you to find an outfit for all your needs. Whether it’s a business meeting, date night, or a day at the beach, you will find the perfect shirt for you at Shirt Theory.

Talking about the brand, Sanjay & Pallavi, Co-Founders of Shirt Theory, said, “With Shirt Theory, our aim was to create a fashion brand that transpired for everyone. Men who want to make a statement seek the best of luxury, and we have made it easier to access it. Customers can discover endless options for premium year-round staples, conveniently designed to be worn through every season. Additionally, you can enjoy free shipping on every purchase you make. We believe we should always put our customers first, which is why we have a guarantee that is catered to your convenience.”

To know more about the brand and to buy some affordable and luxurious shirts, head on to https://www.shirttheory.co.in/

About Shirt Theory: Shirt Theory is an affordable premium menswear brand based out of Delhi. The brand offers an extensive range of luxury shirts. The brand believes that luxurious fashion should be within everyone’s reach. The premium shirts for men are durable, true-to-size, and most importantly, stylish. Shirt Theory is the perfect blend of luxury and comfort.

Melbourne Nets Six FIFA Women’s World Cup Games

Melbourne’s AAMI Park will host six matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – the biggest women’s sporting event in the world – with the elite action to feature Australia’s Matildas. Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula today welcomed the announcement of Victoria’s place in the schedule, with AAMI Park to host four group matches and two round-of-16 games.

Melbourne’s games will involve seven countries with the teams to be determined in the official draw next year. Other World Cup games will be hosted in eight cities across Australia and New Zealand. The 2023 tournament will be the first time the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been held in the Southern Hemisphere, and the number of competing countries will increase from 24 to 32. The World Cup will take place across July and August, with the Matildas’ group-stage game at AAMI Park set down for 31 July 2023.

The Matildas will have a home base in Melbourne in time for the tournament, thanks to a $101 million investment
by the Andrews Labor Government to build a high-performance centre for the national women’s team at La Trobe
University’s Bundoora Sports Park.

The project will deliver the perfect environment for the Matildas to launch their World Cup campaign, including a
marquee pitch with grandstand seating, four other pitches, and high-performance facilities including a gymnasium
and wet recovery area, medical and rehabilitation centre, meeting areas and player lounge.

Grassroots clubs will have access to the centre’s pitches and community-level programs, including training for
volunteers and administrators, referees and coaches conducted on-site. The Government’s investment also includes the development of a Victorian State Rugby Centre at the Sports Park.

The Labor Government has invested strongly in community soccer, allocating $127 million to support more than 220 projects since December 2014.

Further funding provided to Football Victoria as part of the Government’s Together More Active program promotes participation across the community, while funding to Melbourne Victory provides programs to encourage female, multicultural, indigenous and regional participation, and to use soccer to help at-risk youth.

Participation in Victoria among women and girls is growing. The most recent Ausplay data showed the number of females playing club-based soccer in Victoria had more than doubled in five years to 55,000 – including 25,000
girls.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula

“Victoria is a natural home for major sports events and global tournaments in 2023 won’t get any bigger than the
FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

“We can’t wait to welcome the Matildas and other teams to Melbourne, along with thousands of soccer fans.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence

“We’re proud to be backing the growth of football and other sports in the community – the benefits in terms of
health and wellbeing are enormous.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams

“Participation in soccer continues to grow in Victoria, and the World Cup will further enhance opportunities for
women and girls in the world game.

Indo count acquires home textile business of GHCL Limited for Rs. 576 crores

Mumbai, 6^th December 2021: Indo Count Industries Limited, a leading manufacturer and exporter of Home Textiles has today entered into a Business Transfer Agreement (BTA) with GHCL Limited (GHCL) for acquisition of its Home Textile business at Vapi, Gujarat, on a going concern basis by way of a slump sale and Asset Transfer Agreement (ATA) for acquisition of specified assets of the US subsidiary of GHCL.

In order to meet the growing demand and capture the business opportunities, the Company’s Board today approved a BTA with GHCL for the aforesaid acquisition which has a fully operational manufacturing facility of 45 million meters annually located at Vapi, Gujarat. The facility also has sufficient land to double the capacity in the future. The cost of acquisition is Rs. 576 crores.

This acquisition will catapult Indo Count to a leadership position in the Global Home Textiles Bedding segment:

• With addition of almost 50% new capacity, Indo Count becomes the largest Home Textile Bedding company, globally, with annual capacity of approximately 153 million meters
• Indo Count adds a whole new avenue of customer base which is untapped, thereby leading to gain in global market share
• Leverage joint capabilities of Design, Innovation and Products to a wider spectrum of customers
• De-risking manufacturing facilities with twin state geographical diversity
• Potential addition of ~ Rs.1,300 – 1,500 Crores p.a. to the topline of the Company

Key features of the transaction:

• The transaction includes acquisition of the Home Textile business of GHCL Limited as a going concern, on a slump sale basis, which includes its manufacturing facility at Vapi, Gujarat along with specified assets (inventory and intellectual property) of Grace Home Fashions LLC, US subsidiary of GHCL.
• Overall purchase Consideration for the said transaction is Rs. 576 crores on debt and cash free basis subject to closing adjustments as agreed in the BTA and ATA
• Acquisition will be funded through mix of internal accruals and debt
• The transaction is expected to be consummated by March 2022 subject to necessary approvals and completion of Condition Precedents (CP) in the BTA

Edelweiss Finance & Investments Limited acted as transaction advisor and Khaitan & Co. acted as legal advisor to the transaction

Commenting on this acquisition, Mr. Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman, said: “Today marks a landmark occasion for Indo Count with our Board approving the acquisition of the Home Textile business of GHCL. This is a significant step towards achieving a formidable leadership position in the Home Textile Bedding business ‘globally’. The new enhanced capacity will fuel growth for Indo Count to efficiently scale and serve a wider spectrum of customers and markets thereby increasing its global market share. 

This strategy enhances our customer centric approach leading to increased flexibility and better service levels. Further, we will leverage the joint capabilities of design and innovation to offer complete sleep experience.

We welcome the new team to Indo Count’s family and look forward to utilize their skills and experience to achieve the Company’s long-term vision.” 

About Indo Count Industries Ltd.

Indo Count Industries Ltd (ICIL), is one of India’s largest Home Textile manufacturer. Mr. Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman, has been ranked 10th amongst the India’s Best Top 100 CEO’s 2017 by Business Today. Under his leadership, the Company has achieved new milestones in the home textile business and has built significant presence across globe. Over the years, the Company has successfully carved out a niche for itself and has become a total bedding resource.

CARE’s credit rating is CARE A+ (Single A Plus; Outlook: Positive) for Company’s Long-Term Bank Facilities and CARE A1+ (A One plus) for Short Term Bank Facilities. ICRA’s credit rating is ICRA A+ (Single A plus; Outlook Positive) for Company’s Long-Term Bank Facilities and ICRA A1+ (A one plus) for Short Term Bank facilities. 

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this document relating to future status, events, or circumstances, including but not limited to statements about plans and objectives, the progress and results of research and development, potential project characteristics, project potential and target dates for project related issues are forward-looking statements based on estimates and the anticipated effects of future events on current and developing circumstances. Such statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties and are not necessarily predictive of future results. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. The company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results changed assumptions or other factors.

Two GIM students offered Rs. 30.17 lakh per annum package by E-Commerce giant through campus placement

Hyderabad, December 2021: Two Post Graduate Diploma Management (PGD) students specializing in Big Data Analytics (BDA) at the premier B-school Goa Institute of Management (GIM) have been offered a starting package of Rs. 30.17 lakh per annum by an e-commerce giant, at a campus placement drive at the state’s top B-school which is underway.

The Rs. 30.17 lakh per annum package tops last year’s highest offer which was Rs. 21 lakh per annum.

With the campus recruitment drive still ongoing, the campus is abuzz with anticipation about which student is poised to get the next big offer from a visiting recruiter.

The PGDM in Big Data Analytics is a niche course for those seeking a career as data scientists, analysts, administrators, or leaders in business intelligence.

Traditionally, top recruiters have been visiting the GIM campus from all the major sectors like BFSI, FMCG, Manufacturing, and Retail, with the IT sector being the top recruiter of students. The dedicated placement cell at GIM has been able to achieve 100 percent placement for its students across all PGDM streams in the past with an impressive 16 percent pre-placement offer (PPO) per batch.

“Students have been offered roles and responsibilities in diverse areas: from Research, Analytics, Finance, Consulting, Digital Operations, HR, Quality and E-commerce to Pharma, Healthcare, and Media,” explained Ajit Parulekar, Director, GIM.

The Goa Institute of Management was founded in 1993 by Fr. Romuald D’Souza with the help of a team of specialists and industrialists and has since grown to become one of the country’s best management schools. It is one of Goa’s top private B-schools, as well as places in the country’s top 50 business schools. The Registered Society of GIM now manages it through a Board of Governors.

To know more about the courses that GIM offers, visit the website www.gim.ac.in.