Genpact and Deloitte Form Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Business Transformation and Build Enterprise Resilience

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Genpact and Deloitte Form Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Business Transformation and Build Enterprise Resilience

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Alison Close, #Anil Nanduru, #Ayan Chatterjee, #chief commercial officer, #Deloitte Consulting LLP., #Digital Business Operations and Analytics Services, #Genpact, #Genpact (NYSE: G) and Deloitte, #IAOP, #IDC., #national managing principal, #Operate Services, #research manager

Genpact (NYSE: G) and Deloitte announced a strategic alliance to offer comprehensive solutions to help organizations scale and optimize critical business operations, drive speed to the outcome, deliver business transformation to enhance competitive growth, and build resilience in an uncertain future.

As clients reimagine their core businesses, the challenges that lie ahead are increasingly complex, creating a need for an ecosystem of partners to help organizations rapidly pivot and prepare for the future. Genpact and Deloitte’s deep domain and technology experience, along with depth in driving transformation at scale, creates a unique combination. Genpact’s strength in running intelligent operations coupled with Deloitte’s breadth across advise, implement and operate services, offer a tailored end-to-end solution for clients.

“Genpact and Deloitte are a natural fit,” said Alison Close, research manager, Digital Business Operations and Analytics Services, IDC. “This alliance is a game-changer and signals a revolutionary model of providing end-to-end solutions for clients.”

The alliance will deliver a number of tangible benefits to clients that can be leveraged quickly to help them accelerate their digital transformation journeys, with an emphasis on mission-critical services in areas such as finance and accounting, supply chain, and procurement. Enabling clients to focus on their core strengths, the alliance will help deliver increased enterprise value without them having to build or run the solutions themselves. It will also provide access to domain depth and knowledge in the latest technologies like digital, cloud, and artificial intelligence while optimizing process expertise.

“Businesses must leverage technology to differentiate, scale quickly, and stay ahead in today’s environment,” said Ayan Chatterjee, national managing principal, Operate Services, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “It’s no longer about just executing the transformations; it is about continuously innovating and realizing the maximum value from these transformations over a period of time. Our alliance with Genpact brings this philosophy to the forefront. Our combined services can often generate the savings that can in fact fund these much-needed transformations.”

The alliance will provide clients with both bespoke and predefined solutions to accelerate the shift to new business models and meet market demands. Genpact and Deloitte has collaborated on several joint go-to-market offerings to help clients in their transformation journeys. Two of the predefined solutions include GenOne™, a finance as-a-service offering powered by Workday, and DEAL (Digitally Enabled Accelerated Lending), that helps accelerate and lower the cost of the commercial lending process. Additionally, Deloitte and Genpact can build and execute bespoke multi-year solutions for our clients leveraging a wide array of technologies to drive large scale transformations, while operating both the legacy and the transformed environments.

“We have always believed an ecosystem of partners is the way of the future. To enable digital transformation, service providers need to create solutions by not only investing in their own people, proprietary tools, and intellectual property, but they also need to build a partner ecosystem that brings comprehensive and specialized solutions to the market,” said Anil Nanduru, chief commercial officer, Genpact. “Through this alliance, clients are already seeing the impact as we address their needs to drive end-to-end operational capabilities and accelerate digital transformation.”

Recently, the IAOP® recognized the Deloitte-Genpact alliance for demonstrating excellence in collaboration, innovation and outcomes with the Excellence in Strategic Partnerships honour.

“In recent years, we’ve seen more and more Global Outsourcing 100 applicants contribute their success to strategic partnerships,” said Debi Hamill, chief executive officer, IAOP. “This is something to celebrate, and for this reason, we added it as an option on the GO100 award application. But make no mistake, our new Excellence in Strategic Partnerships program is a stand-alone, admirable recognition, and we’re thrilled to honour these organizations.”

Business World

Quote on behalf of Anil PM, Head-Legal and Compliance, Bajaj Allianz Life

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Anil PM, #Bajaj Allianz Life, #Head-Legal and Compliance, #Quote

Quote on IRDA circular on the issuance of electronic policies – On behalf of Anil PM, Head – Legal and Compliance, Bajaj Allianz Life

“The decision to issue electronic policies without having to also send the physical policy document is a welcome move, considering the current situation which poses quite a challenge for physical policy despatch. This is in fact an opportune time to make the policy issuance process digital. It will enable the industry to facilitate the timely issuance of insurance policies to the customers and will help customers start their life cover on time.”

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Central Bank Watch: Keeping the powder dry for now

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #HDFC Bank, #Treasury research team
  • In line with our expectations, the RBI kept its repo rate on hold at 4%, citing the uncertainty around both inflation and growth as the reason behind this “wait and watch” approach. The policy corridor was also kept unchanged, with the reverse repo at 3.35% and the MSF rate at 4.25%. 
  • RBI stance: The RBI continued to keep its policy stance as accommodative and mentioned that supporting economic recovery assumes primacy in the conduct of monetary policy. 
  • More rate cuts ahead? In terms of forward guidance, the RBI highlighted that while there is still space for further rate cuts, it would like to use this space more “judiciously” when its most effective. Depending on the inflation trajectory, we see room for further rate cuts – between 25 to 50bps- in H2 FY21. Bottom-line: RBI is likely to use the limited space available for rate cuts prudently and wait and watch for further clarity on growth and inflation before cutting again. 
  • Growth and Inflation Expectation: The central bank refrained from announcing specific forecasts for growth and inflation for the year. However, it said that it expects GDP growth to contract in FY21 and inflation prints to remain elevated in Q2 FY21 before moderating in H2 FY21. Going forward, the RBI remained cautious over the upside risks for inflation, including – protein-based food inflation, cost-push pressures due to high fuel pump prices, and any disruption in supply leading to higher food inflation. 
  • Regulatory changes: The more important announcement today was the resolution framework for COVID- 19 related stressed borrowers. The RBI introduced a special restructuring window under the earlier “Prudential Framework of Stressed Assets” (June 2019) for corporate and personal loans, subject to specified conditions and safeguards. The details of the same are still awaited. Furthermore, the RBI also extended the restructuring framework for MSME debt, already in place, for MSMEs that have been hit by the pandemic. 
  • The disappointment: The RBI did not announce any changes to the current HTM limit at 19.5% for banks. As highlighted in our recent report (Monetary Policy Preview, 4 August 2020), in the absence of an increase in the HTM limits, the pressure on the RBI to conduct a larger quantum of OMOs is likely to rise. This could be challenging with the existing liquidity surplus at over INR6trn (as of July-end). What this essentially means is that the pressure at the long-end of the yield curve could rise. 
  • Bond View: The 10 year 05.79% yield (introduced in May 2020) and the new 10-year 05.77% inched up by 3-4bps post the policy announcement. We expect yields to remain range-bound in the near term, with a slight upward bias. Although, any significant upside is likely to be capped by yield management tools like Operation Twists conducted by the RBI. Over the medium term, the outlook remains uncertain and is likely to be influenced by any announcement (or the absence of) around OMOs or raising HTM limits. The Specifics:
  •  Key regulatory measures announced:
  • 1. Resolution framework for COVID related stress: A window will be provided under the Prudential Framework (introduced in June 2019) to enable lenders to implement a resolution plan without a change in ownership for corporate and personal loans.
  • o Borrower accounts that were classified as standard for more than 30 days with the lenders as on March 1, 2020, will be eligible
  • o Lenders to keep additional provisions of 10% on the post-resolution debt
  • o Resolution plan may be invoked anytime till December 31, 2020
  • o RBI to constitute a committee under KV Kamath which will make recommendations on the required financial parameters and safeguards.  2. Restructuring of MSME debt: The RBI allowed stressed MSME borrowers to restructure debt if their loans classified as standard with the lender as on March 1, 2020. This restructuring shall be implemented by March 31, 2021. This is an extension of the already present restructuring framework for MSMEs that is in place as of January 1, 2020.3. Investments by banks in Debt Mutual Funds and Debt Exchange Traded funds (ETF): Currently, if a bank holds a debt instrument directly, it would have to allocate lower capital as compared to holding the same debt instrument through a Mutual Fund (MF)/ETF. It has now been decided to harmonise the differential treatment existing currently. This is likely to result in substantial capital savings for banks and is expected to give a boost to the bond market.4. Other announcements include:
    o Borrowing against gold jewellery: To increase the loan to value ratio (LTV) for loans against gold
    ornaments from 75% to 90%. This facility available till March 31, 2021.
    o Additional liquidity of INR 5000 cr. at repo rate to NABARD and INR 5000 cr. to National Housing Bank Inflation outlook: While the RBI refrained from giving a headline CPI inflation number, it highlighted that the headline inflation is likely to remain elevated in Q2 FY21 and moderate in H2 FY21 on account of a favourable base. The RBI noted that disruption in the supply chain has weighed on both food and non-food inflation. The RBI reckons that factors such as higher domestic pump prices on account of higher domestic taxes on petroleum products, cost-push factors, higher food prices, volatility in financial markets and rising asset prices could pose upside risks to the inflation
    outlook.o We expect headline CPI inflation to remain elevated in the near term, averaging 6.0% in Q2 on account of higher food prices and rise in core CPI (led by higher gold prices and some pent up in demand) and higher wages led by a shortage of labour. Looking at a broader time horizon, we expect CPI inflation to ease below 3% in Dec-20 supported by a statistical favourable base, contained food prices amidst healthy Kharif production and muted demand-side pressures that are likely to keep core CPI in check. On balance, we expect CPI inflation to average at 4.7% in FY21.Average headline CPI inflation (%YoY): HDFC Bank estimates
    Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
    6.5% 6.0% 3.6% 2.7% Growth Outlook: On the growth front, the RBI expects a healthy recovery in the rural economy supported by progress in Kharif sowing. The RBI expects a recovery in economic activity in Q3 and Q4 aided by gradual restoration of supply lines and some recovery in demand. For the full year, the RBI expects the growth to contract with downside risks emanating from deviations from the forecast in the case of sub-normal monsoon, global financial market volatility and
    a more protracted spread of the pandemic.o We expect growth to contract by 7.5% in FY21, with a sharper contraction in Q1 and Q2, and recover somewhat in H2 FY21.GDP Growth (%YoY): HDFC Bank estimatesQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4
    -21% -11% 0.7% 1.5%Treasury Economic Research teamDisclaimer: This document has been prepared for your information only and does not constitute an offer/commitment to transact. Such an offer would be subject to contractual confirmations, satisfactory documentation and prevailing market conditions. Reasonable care has been taken to prepare this document. HDFC Bank and its employees do not accept any responsibility for action taken on the basis of this document.Abheek Barua
    Chief Economist
    Phone number: +91 (0) 124-4664305
    Email ID: abheek.barua@hdfcbank.comSakshi Gupta
    Senior Economist
    Phone number: +91 (0) 124-4664338
    Email ID: sakshi.gupta3@hdfcbank.com
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Know About Aging Patterns Among Various Asian Indians by Dr Debraj Shome, Senior Cosmetic Surgeon and Director, The Esthetic Clinics & Dr. Rinky Kapoor, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Aging and the Indian Face, #Cosmetic Surgeon & Director, #Dr Debraj Shome and Dr Rinky Kapoor, #Dr. Debraj Shome, #The Esthetic Clinics

According to the study Aging and the Indian Face: An Analytical Study of Aging in the Asian Indian Face, that is conducted by The Esthetic Clinics and its reputed Founders Dr Debraj Shome and Dr Rinky Kapoor, Asian Indians make up almost one-sixth of the world’s population. Although some aspects of facial beauty are universal, anthropometric morphology and age-related changes differ in all ethnic groups. This study published in the reputed journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery described various ageing patterns amongst Asian Indians. It is the first ever-ageing study published on how Indians age and with this iconic study, now deciding actually anti-ageing protocols to keep Indians younger will become easier for Indian doctors.

Ageing is an ongoing process. However, ageing patterns are known to be different in each race. Despite Asian Indians forming almost one-sixth of the world’s population, no data are available on how they age.

“Although some aspects of facial beauty are universal, aesthetic preferences vary amongst different ethnic groups and cultures. This is because of the cosmetic concerns, which differ according to variations in facial bony anatomy, morphology, and skin tones, both at a relatively young age and during ageing. Anthropometric features of Indians differ significantly from those of the Caucasian faces. Asian Indian faces are being treated as per the norms derived from Caucasian literature on facial aesthetics. India is a country of immense diversity, culture, different climatic conditions, and geographic locations. In India, regional differences exist in shape and colour,” said Dr. Debraj Shome, Cosmetic Surgeon & Director, The Esthetic Clinics

“Earlier, there was no other study conducted to determine how the Indian’s age. This is a one-of-its-kind study of various ageing patterns amongst Asian Indians. It will help Indians stay younger, reverse ageing by tackling those early signs of ageing such as crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, fat bags and loss of cheek volume highlighted Dr. Rinky Kapoor, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics

“India is a country of immense diversity, culture, different climatic conditions, and geographic locations. In India, regional differences exist in shape and colour that varies from region to region and get exacerbated due to ageing. Overall facial height of North, Indians were larger than that of South Indians. Also, the facial width of South, Indians is broader compared to North Indians, in both genders. The people from West Bengal can have broad to very broad faces.” said Dr Shome.

The Causes of ageing
“Structural facial ageing is mainly caused by volumetric fat loss, skeletal resorption, and redistribution of skin and soft tissue. In a younger face, superficial and deep fat is distributed evenly. With ageing, fat loss and hypertrophy cause irregular topographic changes on the face. These changes develop on the temples, cheek, and lateral chin. It further gets enhanced by bone resorption of the mandible and loss of lip volume. All this contributes toward the sagging of the overlying skin, leading to the variability of ethnocentric features of both facial structures and beauty,” said Dr Shome.

Understanding the ageing process
“The process of ageing is a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Skin types in Indians can range from Fitzpatrick type II to type VI skin, amongst various Indian regions. The phenotypic variations within India, based on the different geographical regions, cannot be ignored. It is very important to consider all these facts while studying the ageing process, as different races age differently. The early signs of ageing were seen in Indians in the age group of 35-40,” said Dr Rinky Kapoor.

Following are the ageing signs Indians MUST watch out for…

Crow’s feet
Crow’s feet are the wrinkles usually formed on the lateral aspect of the eyes with ageing. During facial expressions, persistent accordion-like contractions of the lateral orbicularis oculi muscle lead to its origin. Ptosis and laxity of the muscle also contribute to the same area were noted as early as 35–40 years of age.

Tear Trough Deformity
The tear trough is a 2–3 cm depression inferior to the pseudo-herniated orbital fat in the lower eyelid. The tear trough defect is a very common esthetic concern in Indians, even at a young age. Indians aged 20–30 years presenting with tear trough deformity mostly requires treatment for the medial hollowness. It may occur due to ageing, chronic exposure to sunlight, and tropical temperature. The mean age of occurrence of tear troughs to be 40–60 years, with initial signs as early as 35–40 years. North and East Indian population develop it earlier compared to the West and South Indian ethnic groups

Nasolabial Folds
Nasolabial folds can be attributed to the age-related facial sagging, loss of skin elasticity, and adipose tissue accumulation. The nasolabial folds were seen more commonly in women compared to men of the same age group. The folds developed early in East and West Indian ethnicities compared to the North and South Indian populations. Also, it was noticed that the South Indian population shows least nasolabial folds in the older age group of >70 years of age.

Marionette Lines
With advancing age, commissural skin begins to sag, causing mandibulo-labial folds. This further leads to depression around the corners of the mouth, which we often refer to as marionette lines. This gravity-dependent movement of the malar fat pads coupled with the decrease in the perioral volume as well as deepening of the nasolabial folds shapes the ageing midface. 38% of the Indian women over 30 years showed moderately to severely pigmented marionette lines.

Fat Bags and The fullness of Buccal Fat
McCurdy et al. mentioned that there is a substantially lower incidence of fine wrinkles in both darker and more lightly pigmented Asians, due to the increased dermal thickness. This can make lower lids look the looser and make under-eye bags more prominent in 40 years, resulting in an older appearance.

Loss of Cheek Volume Just below Zygomatic Arch
With ageing, there is deepening of nasolabial folds, subsequent hollowing of the cheeks, and loss of malar prominence. Also, there is the lengthening of the lower eyelid, increasing visibility of the orbicularis oculi muscle, along with enhancement of tear trough and formation of crescent/ “V”-shaped deformity along the maxilla and zygoma. The recession of the nasal alar cheek junction is also evident, as age advances. Individual fat compartments start becoming more discernible as separate entities rather than transiting smoothly from convexities to concavities as seen in youth.

Jaw Line Prominence and Neck Volume
A youthful jawline is a straight line marked from the chin to the mandibular angle. Increased soft tissue laxity, inferior migration of the jowl fat compartment, and shrinkage of the mandible cause loss of definition of the jawline. Also, with ageing, the oval face becomes squarer due to the increase in the neck volume. The loss of prominence is more significant in North Indians followed by West, East, and South Indian ethnic groups.

Dr Shome said, “beauty parameters are mostly influenced by geographical, cultural, and morphological variations, detailed knowledge of the morphological characteristics of face and aging process of the various geographic groups is crucial. Once the pattern, process, and the areas most affected by aging are known, it is easy to formulate guidelines which suggest the ideal age and the ideal method to carry out a specific cosmetic procedure.”

He added, “The Asian Indian population (as per our study) ages earlier than the reported ages in the Caucasian population (in other studies). This seems counterintuitive, given the melanin content in the Asian Indian skin and counterintuitive from what we have observed in our clinical practice as well.”

This study can open up a gateway for new proposals of enhancing the understanding of the current concepts and techniques in the fields of facial aesthetics and facial cosmetic surgery. It will surely benefit people to age like fine wine,” concluded Dr Rinky Kapoor.

Source:https://journals.lww.com/prsgo/fulltext/2020/03000/aging_and_the_indian_face__an_analytical_study_of.7.aspx
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open: March 2020

Business World

Glenmark introduces higher strength (400 mg) of FabiFlu(R) to reduce the pill burden of COVID-19 treatment

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #400 mg version of oral antiviral FabiFlu®, #Clinical Development, #Dr. Monika Tandon, #for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in India., #Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, #Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., #Global Specialty/Branded Portfolio, #Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) study on FabiFlu®, #Vice President & Head

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a research-led, integrated global pharmaceutical company, today announced that it will introduce a 400 mg version of oral antiviral FabiFlu®, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in India. The higher strength will improve patient compliance and experience, by effectively reducing the number of tablets that patients require per day.

A higher pill burden has been associated with lower adherence to therapy, the latter affecting viral suppression and overall treatment outcomes. Also reducing the pill burden has been a demand from doctors and patients to enable adherence. The 200 mg dosage of FabiFlu® required patients to take 18 tablets on Day 1 (nine in the morning and nine in the evening), followed by 8 tablets each day thereafter for a maximum of 14 days. With the new 400 mg version, patients will now have a more relaxed dosage regimen, with 9 tablets required on Day 1( 4.5 in the morning and 4.5 in the evening), and thereafter 2 tablets twice a day from Day 2 till the end of the course.

Explaining the significance of this development, Dr. Monika Tandon, Vice President & Head, Clinical Development, Global Specialty/Branded Portfolio, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., said, “Being the first company to launch Favipiravir in India, we continue to innovate and seek new treatment options for Covid-19 patients. Introducing this higher strength of FabiFlu® is in line with these efforts to ensure a smoother experience for patients, by reducing their daily pill burden.”

“The 200 mg dosage of FabiFlu® was developed in line with global formulations of the drug Favipiravir, which had similar strength. The 400 mg version is a result of Glenmark’s own R&D efforts to improve the treatment experience for patients in India,” she added.

Glenmark has also commenced a Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) study on FabiFlu® to closely monitor the efficacy and safety of the drug in a large pool of patients prescribed with the oral antiviralFavipiravir, as part of an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study. Glenmark is also conducting another Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of two antivirals drugs Favipiravir and Umifenovir as a combination therapy in moderate hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients in India. The combination study which is called the FAITH trial is looking to enrol 158 hospitalized patients of moderate COVID-19 in India. Early treatment with combination therapy will be evaluated for safety and efficacy as it is emerging as an effective approach in shortening duration of virus shedding, facilitating early clinical cure and discharge of patients.

Business World

Adani Power Q1 FY21results

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Adani Group, #Adani Power Limited, #Adani Power Ltd, #Chairman, #financial results[1] for the first quarter of FY 2020-21., #Managing Director, #Mr. Anil Sardana, #Mr. Gautam Adani

Adani Power Ltd, a part of Adani Group, today announced the financial results[1] for the first quarter of FY 2020-21.

Operating performance

Average Plant Load Factor (PLF) achieved during the first quarter of FY21 is 51%, as compared to 78% achieved in Q1 FY 20. The PLF is lower due to the decline in power demand following the announcement of a nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19. Consolidated Units sold for the quarter are 12.7 BU, as compared to theQ1 FY20 sales volume of 16.5 BU.

Despite the lockdown, the 3,300 MW Tiroda plant saw good demand for power for a major part of the quarter, due to its advantageous position in the Maharashtra merit order. The 1,320 MW Kawai plant also saw improving PLF in the month of June 2020, after the lockdown was relaxed and power demand started to normalize.

However, the Udupi plant witnessed a sharp fall in PLF due to a slump in power demand. The Mundra plant self was also affected by lower power demand and subdued short term market tariffs.

On the other hand, all power plants were able to achieve or exceed normative availability under long term PPAs through diligent efforts, despite restrictions imposed during the lockdown, in fulfilment of their role as providers of the essential service of electricity generation.

Financial performance

Consolidated total revenue for Q1 FY21 stood at. 5,356 crore as compared to Rs. 8,015 crore in Q1 F20. Adjusted for one-time revenue recognition and prior period items, the normalized revenue for the quarter was Rs. 5,353 crore, as compared to Rs. 6,892 crore for the corresponding previous quarter.

Consolidated EBITDA for Q1 FY21 declined to Rs. 1,541 crore as compared to Rs. 2,894 crore for Q1 FY20. EBITDA for the quarter was lower mainly due to higher one-time income recognized in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, lower EBITDA of Mundra due to lower PLF, and incorporation of operating expenses of REL and REGL post-acquisition.

Depreciation and interest charge during the quarter were higher mainly due to the incorporation of the consolidation of REL and REGL.

The results of the corresponding previous quarter included an exceptional item of Rs. 1,004 Crore, pertaining to the write off of certain receivables and advances, owing to the acceptance of resolution plan submitted by the company for the acquisition of REGL (previously Korba West Power Co. Ltd.). In comparison, Q1 FY21 has not recorded any exceptional items.

The loss after tax and exceptional items for Q1 FY21 was Rs. (-) 682 Crore, as compared to a loss after tax and exceptional items of Rs. (-) 263 Crore for Q1 FY20. The Total Comprehensive Loss after Tax was Rs. (-) 705 Crore for Q1 FY21, as compared to a Total Comprehensive Loss of Rs. (-) 266 Crore for the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Other developments

The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved a 25 year, 1,230 MW Power Supply Agreement (PSA) entered into by the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pench Thermal Energy (MP) Ltd. with MP Power Management Company Ltd. The power to be supplied under this PSA will be supplied by a greenfield, 1,320 MW Supercritical power plant to be set up in Madhya Pradesh under a Design, Build, Finance, Own, and Operate basis.

Adani Power Ltd. has also signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 49% stake in Odisha Power Generation Corporation Ltd. (OPGC) from the affiliates of AES Corporation, a US-based energy company, for the INR equivalent of USD 135 million. OPGC operates a 1,740 MW thermal power plant in Odisha, which includes a recently commissioned Supercritical capacity of 1,320 MW. It has a 25 year PPA with the Odisha Grid Corporation, and a dedicated captive mine in the State. Balance 51% stake in OPGC is held by the Odisha State Government.

Commenting on the quarterly results of the Company, Mr. Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group said, “Adani Power continues to march ahead towards the achievement of its vision to play an important role in fulfilling India’sgrowing demand for electricity. The Adani Group has a strong belief in India’s economic fundamentals and potential and the role of the infrastructure sector in attaining long term growth. Achieving the Government’s ambitious targets for the infrastructure sector will call for a confluence of enabling policy actions, procedural reforms, and support from the financial sector, in order to reinvigorate investments by the private sector. We remain committed to sustainable growth and being an active contributor to nation-building.”

Mr. Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Adani Power Limited, said, “Having combated and overcome the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, our resolve is to excel in all spheres of our activity and to meet the aspiration of millions of Indian who don’t have access to affordable power, has only become firmer. As we continue to seize opportunities of value creation in a challenging market and a fast-changing competitive landscape, we are focusing on operational excellence and sustainability, while taking long term decisions to enhance our strategic capability and resource flexibility. We are committed to fulfilling our promise to all stakeholders and creating lasting value for the nation and society.”

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Reaction quote on New Education Policy from Ed-tech expert

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #CEO and Co-founder, #Mr. Beas Dev Ralhan, #Next Education India Pvt Ltd., #The National Education Policy 2020

Mr. Beas Dev Ralhan, CEO and Co-Founder, Next Education India Pvt Ltd.

The National Education Policy 2020 can be seen as a positive and bold step towards transforming our education system. The new policies will help foster new-age innovation and creativity in the minds of K-12 students. By introducing experiential learning, the classroom pedagogy will move beyond the conventional methods and focus on well-rounded learning from an early age. This futuristic approach will democratise education by leveraging digital content and alternative modes of quality education, as stated in the policy. This not only addresses the prevalent gaps but also recognises the importance of EdTech.

Integration of creative combinations of subjects, specialised learning, blended learning, interdisciplinary methods and flexible curriculum will help develop 21st-century skills among students. The policy of introducing coding from class 6 onwards is a good initiative to foster cognitive development and encourage students to learn coding at the school level.

A holistic approach towards education by introducing 5+3+3+4 structure and 360-degree holistic report card is a much welcome step as it focuses on overall development as well as social and physical awareness.

The announcement regarding 6% public investment of the GDP will provide a much-needed boost to the quality of education in the country. The National Education Policy 2020 is truly a testimony of imparting quality education and hence unlocking opportunities to make the youth future-ready.

Business World

ETMONEY launches India’s Favourite Investment product, Fixed Deposits, assuring up to 7.35% returns

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #ETMONEY Founder-CEO Mukesh Kalra, #ETMONEY’s FD, #high-interest FDs from Bajaj, #online Fixed Deposits.

In line with its promise to serve the country’s investors with the most diverse range of investment options, the country’s largest online wealth management app, ETMONEY has partnered with Bajaj Finance to offer hassle-free, online Fixed Deposits. The latest offering will allow investors an easy investment opportunity with assured returns of up to 7.35 per cent. 

Indians have always prefered fixed deposits over other financial instruments owing to its reliability of being a safe investment option. However, with FD rates offered by Banks falling over the last couple of years, most Indians are now earning returns that barely beat inflation. With ETMONEY’s FD offering, millions of Indian investors now have an option to earn higher returns compared to many bank FDs.

The offering also comes with a host of features such as flexible interest payouts, tenures ranging from 12 to 60 months, and higher interest rates for senior citizens. The convenience of investing using ETMONEY in a seamless & 100% paperless manner along with the safety of this investment instrument can help millions of Indian investors plan their short-term financial goals with confidence.

Speaking on the launch of Fixed Deposits on its platform, ETMONEY Founder-CEO Mukesh Kalra said, “Fixed deposits have been an indispensable investment option for hundreds of millions of Indian families for over half-a-century. In these uncertain times, we intend to bring safety & assurance via high-interest FDs from Bajaj & enable Indians to grow their savings seamlessly. We’re glad to have been able to do it end-to-end, from concept to launch, amidst pandemic

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CIE@IIIT Hyderabad announces 11th Cohort of DeepTech and 5th Cohort of MedTech Accelerators

Aug 6, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #11thcohort of deep-tech and 5thcohort of MedTech startups, #6-month deep-tech accelerator programme, #AVISHKAR DeepTech is a 6-month cohort-based accelerator, #AVISHKAR& OJAS accelerator programmes at CIE@IIITH, #Dean R&D, #IIIT Foundation, #IIIT-Hyderabad & CEO, #OJAS MedTechan accelerator, #Prof. C V Jawahar

6 August 2020, Hyderabad: The AVISHKAR& OJAS accelerator programmes at CIE@IIITHhas opened applications for its 11thcohort of deep-tech and 5thcohort of MedTech startups. The 6-month deep-tech accelerator programme is specially designed for early-stage startups building products in the areas of Machine Learning, Image Processing, Robotics, AR/VR, NLP and other sub-domains of AI.

AVISHKAR DeepTech is a 6-month cohort-based accelerator for emerging tech startups and OJAS MedTechan accelerator for startups in life sciences, biotechnology, diagnostics, point of care devices for healthcare along with emerging technologies facilitated by CIE@IIIT Hyderabad, Co-creation Consulting& Sathguru management consulting.

It brings together the deep-tech expertise of IIITH’s research labs and technology mentoring opportunities that help startups build a quality product/features within shorter timelines. The startups also go through a structured strategic business mentoring from Co-Creation Consulting & Sathguru Management Consulting, customer introductions and investor connects for a follow-on round of investments. MedTech startups also get access to Medtech consortium which includes clinicians, hospitals, pharma, biotech & manufacturing companies. Investment readiness of the cohort startups is a key deliverable for the 6-month programme. A number of other ecosystem partners of IIIT-Hyderabad also contribute toward the programme with business development services and tools.

Prof. C V Jawahar, Dean R&D, IIIT-Hyderabad & CEO, IIIT Foundation says, “Given the current scenario that the Indian start-up ecosystem is going through, programs like AVISHKAR will help boost and support nationwide innovation through early-stage startups. AVISHKAR’s base technology, mentorship and funding provide a massive edge. Using CIE@IIITH resources can translate into substantial benefits while scaling, and rapid internationalization of these ventures.”

Closing date for applications is 15 August 2020.

Application link: https://cie.iiit.ac.in/accelerator_programs/

Hear from our Avishkar mentors and Avishkar startups on how the 6-month accelerator helped: https://youtu.be/Jxw4Wa6g1eE

Hear from our OJAS mentors and OJAS startups on how the 6-month accelerator helped: https://youtu.be/IptecR55oUo

A few of AVISHKAR’s & OJAS success stories:

Instoried: Bengaluru-based AI-driven deeptech content startup Instoriedhelps brands predict the emotional impact of their content upon their customers’ minds

Niche.ai : Computer vision studio solutions for enterprises.

DreamVu :360 degree camera technology used for security, surveillance, crop monitoring, teleconferencing, virtual tourism etc.

Inventigen Technologies Private Limited: An advanced cancer prognostics platform provides computer vision and ML-based automated diagnostics tools and treatment decision support tools to histopathologists, radiologists and oncologists. They are based out of Hyderabad.

Altor: Building smart helmets that can be connected to the rider’s smartphones to provide features like accident detection and hands-free navigation

Dave Ai – Dave.AI is an Artificial Intelligence-powered sales augmentation platform. The platform helps brands create a virtual sales avatar to understand their customers, customer’s preferences & deliver a personalized value selling experience that improves profitable sales for the brand.

Answerwise.io: answers is a stunningly simple AI layer for your customer support that helps deflect your common support queries while providing a seamless support experience for your customers

News

Freedom from Infertility – Free Virtual Infertility Screening Camp at Oasis Fertility, Dilsukhnagar, from 8th to 15th August!

Aug 6, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #‘Free Virtual Infertility Screening Camp’, #2020, #Clinical Lead and Fertility Specialist, #Dilsukhnagar, #Dilsukhnagar centre, #Dr Sreevani, #from August 8th to 15th, #Oasis Fertility

Hyderabad, 6th August 2020: Oasis Fertility, Dilsukhnagar centre, is hosting a ‘Free Virtual Infertility Screening Camp’ as part of its 5th-anniversary celebration and to commemorate India’s Independence Day, from August 8th to 15th, 2020. As part of this, patients will be screened online and only those needing personalized counselling and care will be advised to visit the Centre. All such patients visiting the Center will be treated as per the safety protocols set under ICMR guideline. Patients wanting to avail the services of the free camp may register by calling 7337328877.

The prevailing COVID 19 conditions have led to a serious dilemma for the patients needing infertility care, says Dr Sreevani, Clinical Lead and Fertility Specialist, Oasis Fertility, Dilsukhnagar. The patients are apprehensive to venture out and visit the hospital for seeking Doctor’s consultation. On the other hand, the prospective parents are fast running out of time in their attempt to have a child. The window of opportunity for becoming parents diminishes significantly as the couple cross the age of 30, the chances of a female patient getting pregnant declines by 0.3% every month and the deterioration is a steep 2% with a delay of 6 months. Considering the patients’ discomfort to visit the hospital, Oasis Fertility is conducting Free Virtual Infertility Screening Camp to help them to lose no further time due to COVID 19, she adds.

Infertility is a serious health issue worldwide, affecting approximately 8% to 10% of couples worldwide. Out of 80 to 100 million couples suffering from infertility every year worldwide, probably between 25 and 28 million (25%) are in India alone. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), one in every four couples in developing countries is affected by infertility. The magnitude of the problem calls for urgent action, particularly when the majority of cases of infertility is avoidable.