Six Yards and 365 Days press release: Six Yards and 365 Days hosts a Handloom Week Zoom Meet

Six Yards and 365 Days press release: Six Yards and 365 Days hosts a Handloom Week Zoom Meet

New Delhi | 12 August 2020: Six Yards and 365 days held a successful zoom event on the occasion of National Handloom Day. Ms Sunita Bidhiraja, Founder and Chairperson, Six Yards and 365 days had organised the event, which went on for three days (7th August to 9th August) and had a different theme every day.

From a very young age, Ms Sunita Budhiraja has been enthusiastic about handlooms, her interest and passion towards it, led her to start a trustee and social media campaign Six yards and 365 days which aimed at improving the morale and living conditions of the handloom weavers of tradition. Through this Ms Budhiraja has connected with a few associations and people who have been helping the division, offering budgetary help, sorting out raw material, purchasing handloom sarees and stocking them at their own expense even though there are very few buyers.

The panel pertained of various Padma Shree and National Award winners. The panel for the first day-7th August- consisted of Ms Malini Awasthi, Mr Shribas Chandra Supakar, Mr Saeed ur Rehman, Ms Belaa Sanghvi, Mr Nishant Malhotra. With Banarasee Saree as the theme, the Zoom event went smoothly. The second day, i.e. 8th August, had Odisha Weaves as the theme and the panel constituted of Ms Navika Kumar, Ms Anupriya Mridha, Ms Purvi Patel, Mr Sanjeev Manglani, Ms Neeta Shetkar, Ms Divyavalli Rajaram.

The third and the last day of the event, i.e. 9th August had artists, entrepreneurs and bureaucrats as panellists. Mr Arun Somani, Dr Alka Raghuvanshi, Mr Paroma Banerjee, Ms Indu Halder, Ms Uttama Das made the panel extremely eminent. The theme for the members was Chanderi Sarees.

The three days of the event saw an extensive discussion on how to protect the ecosystem of handloom sarees. As the centre scrapes the Handloom Board and the Handicraft Board, the discussion became the need of the hour.

Tanla announces unaudited financial results for Q1 FY 2021

Hyderabad, August 12, 2020: [NSE-TANLA; BSE-532790] — The Board of Tanla Solutions Limited at its Board Meeting held on August 12, 2020, announced the un-audited financial results for the quarter ended on June 30, 2020, for FY21.

  • Revenue at ₹455.5 crores increased by 15% sequentially from the first quarter of FY20.
  • Gross Margin at ₹105.3 crores increased by 37% sequentially from the first quarter of FY20.
  • Net Profit at ₹78.6 crores increased by 204% sequentially from the first quarter of FY20.
  • EPS at ₹5.17, increased by 196% sequentially from the first quarter of FY20.
  • Tanla and all its subsidiaries remain debt-free.
  • Provision of ₹3.7 crores for loss of investment in liquid funds and a provision of ₹2.92 crores created for doubtful debts in FY20 have been reversed in the current quarter, as the same has been realized.
  • A tax refund of ₹1.44 crore has been received during Q1FY2021.
  • Interest income of ₹3.42 crore comprises of ₹1.4 crores as interest on TDS and ₹2.02 crore realized as interest from fixed deposits made in HDFC Bank.

“Tanla’s quarterly performance bucks the trend amidst the raging pandemic disrupting global economies.,” said Uday Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director of Tanla. “Our unique market standing as a leading Digital and Cloud Communications player have resulted in robust topline and bottom-line growth both YOY and QOQ.”

Commenting on TRAI’s directive for the commercial launch of DLT services from Sept 1, 2020, Uday Reddy said,” With the commercial rollout of Trubloq slated for September 1, this blockchain-enabled platform has the traction to become the gold standard in its space. For Regulators, Telco’s and Enterprises alike spams and mobile fraud risks can be mitigated and additionally provide the end-users with the power to choose.”

Business Highlights

  • During Q1FY21, 80 new customers were signed up with an annual potential revenue of ₹80 crore, constituting a healthy mix of customers from leading verticals (e-commerce, BFSI, EdTech, Telecom etc.) including established brands to high potential startups.
  • Tanla was awarded a contract by a leading telecom service provider in Dubai for deploying the subscriber consent management system for promotional/bulk SMS based on blockchain technology.

Corporate and other Highlights

Update on Buy-back

In the buyback offer, 1.67 Cr number of shares were tendered, representing 87.80% of the buy-back offer size, resulting in the paid-up share capital reducing to 13.55 Cr equity shares of ₹1/ each from *15.22 Cr equity shares of ₹1/ each.

  • Post-buy-back, the number of shareholders reduced by 3614 shareholders from 50,711 on June 12, 2020, to 47,097, on July 31, 2020.
  • Total buy-back proceeds of ₹135.2 crores were discharged to the shareholders on July 22, 2020, and buy-back tax of ₹29.5 crores was paid on August 5, 2020.
  • The Shareholding pattern pre and post-buy-back is as given below:
 Pre-Buyback (as on June 12th, 2020)Post-Buyback (as on July 31st, 2020)
ParticularsNo. of shareholdersNo. ofshares% ofshareholdingNo. of shareholdersNo. ofshares% of shareholding
Promoters65,36,10,55835.2165,36,10,55839.55
Banyan Investments Limited12,19,99,82414.4512,19,99,82416.23
Employees4585,32,7855.64280,47,8355.94
Public                 50,6596,81,14,39044.74                 47,0485,19,06,58838.27
Total               50,711*15,22,57,557100.0                 47,09713,55,64,805100.0

*Note: Listing approval from BSE Limited is pending for listing of 62,85,858 Equity Shares allotted on April 3, 2020, pursuant to the conversion of warrants.

Update on Merger

  • The Hyderabad bench of the Honorable NCLT approved the merger of Karix Mobile Private Limited (“Karix”) and Unicel Technologies Private Limited (“Unicel”) with Tanla Corporation Private Limited (“Tanla”) on June 30, 2020.
  • As per the NCLT Order, the appointed date for the merger is April 09, 2019.
  • As approved in the NCLT Order, Tanla shall be named as Karix subject to regulatory approvals.
  • As an impact of Merger, Goodwill amounting to ₹158.4 crores is now available as a tax allowable expense for Tanla.

HR Update

The annual appraisal of the employees has been conducted and the employees have received the increments and promotions as per the Company Policy, for FY2021, resulting in the total resource cost increase by ~ 10%.

For Further Financial updates, visit https://tanla.com/investors.html

Auditors

Internal Auditors: Deloitte Touche Tohmastu India LLP

Statutory Auditors: MSKA & Associates

Q1FY21 Results interview with Mr. R C Mansukhani, Chairman, Man Industries India Ltd

Man Industries (India) Limited reports Financial Results:

  • Q1FY21 Total revenue of Rs. 4,101 million as against 2,447 million up by 68% YoY
  • Q1FY21 EBITDA for the period stands at Rs. 555 million as against 282 million up by 97% YoY
  • Q1FY21 PAT for the period stands at Rs. 174 Million as against 27 Million up by 549% YoY

Mumbai, August 12, 2020: MAN Industries (India) Limited, one of the leading Large Diameter Pipe manufacturing company has announced today its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. The company reported total revenue of ₹ 4,104 Million in Q1FY21. EBITDA Margin stands at 13.5% as compared to 11.5% YoY up by 200 bps and PAT Margin Stands at 4.2% as compared to 1.1% YoY up by 314 bps.

Commenting upon the performance and future outlook of the Company, Dr. R.C. Mansukhani, Chairman said “All our plant operations have resumed successfully and we are back on track in terms of order execution. We are seeing good traction from domestic as well as international market on the back of revival of demand from key geographies and domestic sector already doing well with ample opportunities from several upcoming oil and gas and water projects like Nal se Jal and river linking. We expect good order Inflows from both domestic as well as the international market in the near term”.

The unexecuted order book as on date is approximately Rs. 14,000 Million to be executed in the current financial year.

The company continues to have a robust book of outstanding bids for more than Rs. 1,80,000 Million at various stages of evaluation for several Oil, Gas and Water projects in India and abroad. The company, therefore, expects good order inflow in near future. 

Wellness leads to Happy & Prosperous Life | A session with Mr. Ashwini Kumar Chaubey ,Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare ,GoI on “FOCUS on WELLNESS”

In these times of pandemic, health and wellness have become the prime areas of focus. We need to sync our mind, body, and soul to keep ourselves positive, mentioned Mr. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Hon’ble Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. Of India in the session organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with AMWAY on ‘Focus on Wellness’.

Mr. Ashwini Kumar Choubey discussed that body is like the temple and we must ensure that we must take care of it on day to day basis. We need to ensure to live in a clean environment so that we can cleanse our body and further this would lead to cleaning mind and soul.

He cited examples of old times when people used to have a healthy lifestyle and followed healthy habits. He said regular intake of herbs like Galoy, Ashwagandha, and other Ayurvedic medicines help to keep our bodies healthy and practice yoga and meditation to keep the mind positive.

He highlighted that to keep ourselves well, we need to stay connected to nature and earth. We should absorb the morning sunlight and eat natural fruits and vegetables.

Mr. Rajat Banerjee, HEAD Corporate Affairs, AMWAY India Ltd in his deliberation mentioned that while COVID-19 has given us tough times, it’s time that we focus on a healthy workspace for the wellness of the employees.

India has been the land for yoga and Ayurveda making it closer to its traditional herbs and medicines. Covid-19 has allowed India to stand up and give back to the world, said Mr. Rajat Banerjee.

He highlighted that globally, there has been a spike rise in natural supplements like Vitamin C, D, Multivitamins, Tulsi, Chavanprash, and others. These natural supplements are being used to strengthen the immune
systems.

Col(Retd) Harmit Singh Sethi, Group Head & Executive Director-Corporate Affairs & Incubation-Dalmia Bharat Group talked about the concept of wellness and its eight major dimensions that are physical, emotional,
spiritual, social, financial, environmental, occupational and intellectual. He highlighted that the secret towards wellness is to master these dimensions that help to bring out the best version of oneself.

Ms. Anjali Singh, MD, Corporate Bank Operations, Deutsche Bank discussed that while this pandemic led us to stay socially isolated under lockdown, it has also made us concerned about each other and society.

This pandemic has changed our work culture, process, and environment. There is a need to look after the wellness of our employees as well. We need to give them physical security and wellness at the same time ensuring their health wellness by giving them medical insurance. We also need to change our way of communication and form creative ways to communicate with our employees and leadership. With these changing times, we need to look after the mental health of our employees as well, said Ms. Anjali Singh.

Dr. D K Aggarwal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in his presidential address mentioned that in these indispensable times, there is a need to focus on wellness especially at the workplace. Wellness is all about the mental and spiritual well being of the body. We need to take holistic measures to keep our body, mind, and soul healthy by practising yoga, meditation, exercising, eating a healthy diet, and taking natural medicines.

He deliberated about the importance of yoga that helps in lowering down stress levels; removing anxiety and depression at the same time giving peace to mind and strengthen our body.

He discussed that looking at the present times, there is a need to develop our health infrastructure and making the youth healthy and giving them the education that will lead to the formulation of a brighter India. He
mentioned that the economic package has stressed in developing healthcare facilities and infrastructure.

Mr. Pradeep Multani, Vice President, PHD Chamber while giving a vote of thanks to all the delegates and participants, deliberated about the effective results of taking Ayurvedic medicines and kadha for strengthening
immunity in these times of pandemic.

Dr. Aruna Abhey Oswal, Chairperson, WE Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry while gracing the presence of the delegates deliberated about the objective of the Women Entrepreneurs Committee that to empower women by supporting and building their connections so that they can be the entrepreneurs for the future. Women will not only make her family healthy but also ensure that its positive outcome affects the entire society.

She highlighted that these times of pandemic has led to us to go back to our roots by being with ourselves and give time to our mind, body, and soul. This pandemic has also allowed us to take care of ourselves and make ourselves stronger.

The session was moderated by Dr. Yogesh Srivastav, Principal Director, PHD Chamber ad was attending by Mr. Vishal Chaudhay, Chairman, Jharkhand State Chapter, along with Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary-General, PHD Chamber along with other industry stalwarts around the country.

Steelbird has launched first ever hands free Face Shield in India.

New Delhi 12th Aug 2020: Asia’s largest Helmet manufacturer, Steelbird Helmets today announced the launch of first of -its -kind revolutionary IGN-1 HF Static Face Shield.

In the present time of COVID-19 pandemic, this revolutionary face shield has inbuilt hands free functions that allow the user to take the calls without touching the mobile phone which might have many viruses on its screen, and these might go inside the user’s body when the person touches the nose and mouth with the same fingers. Thus, Steelbird IGN-1 HF Static Face Shield minimises the risk of spread of Coronavirus.

Recent reports suggest that mobile phones might be one of the reasons for the spread of Coronavirus. It is not possible to disinfect the screen of mobile phones very frequently. Thus, Steelbird came up with the unique product IGN-1 HF Static Face Shield priced at MRP Rs. 1879/- that provides dual benefits to the users-  protection from Coronavirus and the feature of accessing mobile phones without having to pick the phone up again and again in your hand. The product is available for sale on Amazon.in & Flipkart.com and also on www.steelbirdhlemt.com

According to Mr Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director, Steelbird Group, “With the widespread of Coronavirus, we thought of coming with a product that gives 360-degree protection to people. So, we innovated IGN-1 HF Static Face Shield, which is a first of its kind revolutionary hands-free face shield. This face shield will not only help you to save yourself from coronavirus infection but you can also pick or receive a phone call and speak to the caller through the inbuilt Battery-less speakers and microphone system. One can also enjoy music through the Face Shield.”

Through this launch, we plan to manufacture 1,00,000 pcs of IGN-1 HF Static Face Shield in Three months (Aug-Oct) We have a vast portfolio of face shields for customers across age groups. So far, we have manufactured over 6,00,000 pcs face shields.” Added Mr. Kapur

Steelbird IGN-1 HF Static Face Shield is battery-less so there is no hassle of charging it, thus, one can enjoy uninterrupted music, take phone calls and access Google Assistant. The high-quality sound, noise cancellation through a single directional microphone makes it a must-have for the music lovers. It is compatible with all mobile phones. It can be used during the rainy season as it has a waterproof mechanism with IP5 water resistant hands-free part. It can be used by anyone as it has adjustable ear pads for added comfort as per an individual ear’s size and position.

Amid the COVID-19 situation, earlier this year Steelbird had entered into the medical devices segment. The company has already launched different types of face shields. Apart from the face shields, Steelbird has recently launched the Herbal Immunity Booster SHOTs and N95 Masks to fight against the viruses.  

Mitsubishi Electric India Launches MELFA ASSISTA Series of Collaborative Robots I

New Delhi, 12th August’20 – Mitsubishi Electric has launched a series of collaborative robots called MELFA ASSISTA in India. MELFA ASSISTA can work together with humans, keeping safety features such as collision detection a priority and complying strictly with the international safety and robotic standards ISO 10218-1 and ISO/TS15066. After a successful global launch, collaborative robots are ready to serve the Indian market and take a lead in Indian manufacturing. Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation &Industrial Division, located in Pune, is excited to serve its customers with the advancements in productivity, faster automation, along with flexibility and safety.

RT VisualBox, an intuitive engineering software will also be introduced in a new series for quick and easy system development. MELFA ASSISTA and RT VisualBox can be used by the customers to realize more efficient production, reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of Robotic Manufacturing Systems, and meet new needs for the adequate distancing of workers at manufacturing sites. We are all set to present the advanced form of interactivity and collaboration at manufacturing sites, which will lead to driving the long-term market growth.

Key Features

1) Simplified application development using intuitive flow-chart programming

– The RT VisualBox programming tool developed by Mitsubishi Electric enables operating sequences to be created intuitively by linking block diagrams in a chain of events, including connection with other devices such as robot hands and cameras. Fast program-development and design time help to reduce system TCO.

2) Comes with fast Robot setup time via the dedicated control panel

– Robot movements can be taught and recorded quickly via a dedicated control panel on the robot arm, doing away with separate teaching boxes* required for conventional industrial robots.

– The control panel features a simple design with a minimum number of buttons for simplicity, enabling even inexperienced users without expert knowledge of robots to set up the system with ease.

* Input and control devices for creating, recording and deploying movement programs

3) Easy monitoring of robot status via LED light

– A bright LED light that uses different colours to indicate the status of the robot is located conveniently on the robot arm for easy viewing, helping to lower TCO by eliminating the need for conventional monitoring devices.

Additional Features,

Certified peripheral devices such as electric grippers, cameras etc. can be connected easily using RT VirtualBox. The lineup of certified companies and connectable devices will be expanded to enhance the applicability of the MELFA ASSISTA series.

Addressing the Launch, Mr. Hisahiro Nishimoto, Business Unit Head-Factory Automation & Industrial Division, Mitsubishi Electric India Pvt. Ltd. said,” We are proud to announce the launch of Collaborative Robots in India. Our Factory Automation & Industrial Division is ready to support the customers with advanced automation needs. We are looking at faster automation, higher productivity, flexibility, safety and reduced Total Cost of Ownership. We are excited to see the efficiency it will bring to the factory floors and will ease the operation with common space sharing and work alongside employees to increase productivity.”

Compliance with International Standards & Contribution to Environment

MELFA ASSISTA complies with international standards such as the ISO 10218-1 general safety requirement for industrial robots and the ISO/TS 15066 technical specification for collaborative robots. Compliance with the functional safety standards of another leading international certification body is also planned for further reliability. Also, MELFA ASSISTA series robots can optionally use NSF H1 food-grade lubricant approved by the U.S. National Sanitation Foundation for the production of food & beverage products. The products announced in this release will contribute to the environment by helping to reduce energy consumption through optimized manufacturing.

Background

Industrial robots are being adopted for the manufacture of electronic, automotive, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, sanitary, etc. products. In addition, robots that enable human-robot collaboration are also expected to attract growing attention in helping to meet new requirements for the adequate distancing of workers in manufacturing sites. In response, Mitsubishi Electric is now releasing its MELFA ASSISTA series of collaborative robots and accompanying RT VisualBox engineering software, which together will enablecomp_1anies to install and set up robotic systems fast, intuitively and relatively inexpensively, and respond flexibly to rapidly changing business environments and social needs.

Gramodaya Chamber of Commerce & Tech. recognizes those ushering in Gandhiji’s dream of Gram Swarajya, through a silent revolution!

Gramodaya Chamber of Commerce and Technology (GCOT), a not for profit Social Enterprise, founded by the Alumni of Osmania University as part of its Centenary Celebrations in 2017, to emancipate the life of Rural dwellers, announced “Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskar” today on the eve of 73rd Independence Day Celebrations. The awards are in recognition of the yeoman service rendered by individuals and institutions to provide succour and uplift the vast majority of our population dependent on agriculture and allied activities for livelihood.

GCOT has been spearheaded by Vasanth Kumar Damasthapuram (popularly known as ‘Delhi Vasanth’), an Alumnus of Osmania University and MIT School of Government, Pune. He has been extensively working for the cause of the farmers and undertook a 2,140 Km padayatra in 2007 from his hometown Zaheerabad to New Delhi, to garner the attention of the Central Government to the miserable plight of farmers committing suicide. His walk was one of the key factors instrumental in compelling the UPA government to announce the 70,000-crore farm loan waiver in 2007.

Gramodaya Chamber of Commerce and Technology has instituted the “Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskar” to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and is recognizing the outstanding initiatives of Individuals and Institutionsglobally, working on Gandhian perspective of Agriculture, Rural Development and self-contained villages. These awards will be presented annually from this year onwards for exceptional contributions made to the rural economy.  

Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskar is being presented as a recognition to the stalwarts ushering in a new dawn in the rural communities and working towards accomplishing the goal of Gram Swaraj endeared by the Mahatma Gandhi. Gramodaya Chamber of Commerce and Technology, is paying a tribute to the father of the nation and the ideals he represented, which are so very relevant even today, on his 150th Birth Anniversary through these awards, says Delhi Vasanth.

The panel vetted several individuals and institutions who are bringing about a silent revolution in the rural economy and livelihood and with great difficulty shortlisted the following for their stupendous contribution:  

  1. Padma Bhushan Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Innovator of Param Supercomputer and Educationalist
  2. Padmasri S.P. Verma, Vice Chairman, Gandhi Global Family (GGF), J&K
  3. Mr. Vilas Shinde, Director, Sahyadri Farms (FPO), Maharashtra
  4. Mr. Popatrao Baguji Pawar, Former Sarpanch, Hiware Bazar, Maharashtra
  5. Mr. Koosam Rajamouli, Former Sarpanch, Gangadevipalli, Telangana
  6. Mr. Harikrishna Amirneni, Executive Editor, Annadata Farmers Monthly Magazine
  7. Brig. Pogula Ganesham, Founder of Palle Srujana
  8. Mr. Sivakumar Surampudi, Group Head of Agri and IT Businesses, ITC Ltd.
  9. Mr. Govinda Rajulu Chintala, Chairman, NABARD
  10. Dr. V. Praveen Rao, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, PJTSAU
  11. Ms. Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, Bangalore
  12. Mr. Sabu M Jacob, CMD, Kitex Garments, Kerala
  13. Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni, Eminent Columnist
  14. Ms. Satya Vani, Spiritual Leader
  15. Mr. B. Vinod Kumar, Vice-Chairman, Telangana State Planning Commission
  16. Mr. Mereddy Shyam Prasad Reddy, Gen. Secy, Telangana Retd. Engineers Association
  17. Mr. Ananthula Shyam Mohan, President, HPS Society
  18. Dr. B. Pratap Reddy, Former president of Indian Medical Association, Telangana
  19. Mr. Nana Patekar, NAAM Foundation, Mumbai
  20. Mr. Sushil Kumar Singh, Hon’ble MP, Aurangabad, Bihar
  21. Mr. V V Lakshmi Narayana, Founder, JD Foundation, Andhra Pradesh
  22. M/s Tata Trusts, Mumbai
  23. M/s Swami Ramanand Tirtha Memorial Trust, Hyderabad
  24. M/s Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar, Rajasthan
  25. M/s Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society, Chandupatla, Yadadri Bhongir Dist

These awardees will be felicitated at a grand ceremony once conditions become normal or else on the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in the meantime the citations are being reached out to them through the mail.

A JOYFUL HEALING AND SOUND THERAPY BY DR ANJU SHARMA AT MANBHAVAN ORGANISED BY MANOVIKAS CHARITABLE SOCIETY FOR SPECIAL KIDS

New Delhi, 12 th August 2020: Manbhavan, a popular and joyful support circle in India organized by Manovikas Charitable Society is gaining immense popularity for their virtual programs held exclusively for differently-abled people. The virtual platform was graced by Dr Anju Sharma, a renowned Psychic reformer, Sound & Energy Master, Wellness-Holistic Coach, International Speaker and Founder of the Musical Healing Band named “Sound of Infinity”.

Dr Anju started the session by discussing sounds and their frequencies around us and their impact on us. She made the session more interesting and interactive by making the students and the audience do breathing and clapping exercises followed by the counting of 1 to 30 with watching time. These exercises help to increase concentration. She also discussed how to keep the left and right brain active by doing Gyan Mudra, a brain-gymming exercise. It was a fun activity in which students have to focus on one hand in Gyan Mudra and swinging it left to right while humming any song or a simple birthday song. As the session continued, Dr Anju asked all the students and the parents to draw a landscape that helps to understand what is going inside an individual’s mind, to know how much a child and parents are connected and how the child perceives the outside world. She will analyse each landscape, once sent to her.

Discussing the sound therapy, Dr Anju Sharma suggested the audience listen to the kind of music they love but advised not to listen to rock or loud music. Listening to sounds like flowing water, breeze or birds chirping can help in opening the brain nerves and makes the person energetic. Sound healing meditation also helps in removing fear and stress. She further helped with a few tips on colour healing for specific problems. The session concluded with Dr Anju answering a few questions from the parents. The audience was seen enjoying the activities and were happy to interact with Dr Anju Sharma.

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19, Manovikas Family has created the Manbhavan virtual programme to engage and connect with their students and other individuals with disabilities during this isolation time. It is a platform through which the team provides support to individuals and families struggling with isolation, emotional, and other family-related crises. Manbhavan is an opportunity to meet with a famous personality and create a friend circle, learning, performing, live virtual dance, music, painting, art and craft, concerts, drum play, virtual cooking classes, virtual yoga, and many more online activities. This virtual event is free and only for people with disabilities.

XLRI commences New Academic Session of 2020 at both the campuses

XLRI – Xavier School of Management welcomes the new batch of students of the new academic session of 2020. A total of 477 students joined the illustrious XLRI student fraternity.

New Batches at XLRI Jamshedpur Campus:

Flagship programs:

o Business Management (PGDM-BM: 2020-22 batch) – 181 students;

o Human Resource Management (PGDM-HRM: 2020-22 batch) – 181 students;

Along with:

o Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) – 15 students;

o Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EXEC-FPM) – 28 students

New Batch at XLRI I Delhi-NCR Campus

o Business Management (PGDM-BM: 2020-22 batch) – 72 students

The welcome session was conducted online for the students with an inaugural prayer. The welcome ceremony was addressed by Fr. P. Christie S.J., Director of XLRI- Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, Fr Sebastian George, SJ, Director, XLRI | Delhi-NCR Campus and the Dean (Academics), Prof.Ashis Pani.

Fr. P. Christie S.J., Director, XLRI-Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, welcomed the new batch of students of both the campuses. In his welcome address, he emphasized on the four essential hallmarks of Jesuit education. Elaborating on the four themes, he said, “XLRI’s successful growth over seven decades has been guided by these four important hallmarks of Jesuit education, and we will continue to place a strong emphasis on them. The first aspect being ‘Excellence’ – to strive continuously for the best, without getting easily satisfied and without becoming complacent with our achievements; the second aspect being ‘Integrity coupled with Ethics’ – which describes the ethos of XLRI. One cannot achieve excellence, long-term success without Integrity & Ethics, both go hand in hand; the third aspect relates to ‘Whole person growth across quotients’ – Growth of an individual across intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual levels; and the fourth hallmark being ‘Social Consciousness’-to be sensitive to the needs of the less privileged around us.”

While addressing the students Fr. P. Christie S.J., Director, XLRI-Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur said, “It’s the first time in the history of XLRI that we have the inauguration online due to the extraordinary circumstances created by Covid-19 outbreak. With all classes online, this term will be a new experience for all of us. We are doing everything possible to provide you with a similar learning experience as in the classroom. However, we look forward to seeing your bubbly selves on the campus as soon as MHRD and the local district administration give us the green signal. Excellence and Ethics are important elements of XLRI’s DNA and is passed on to every student of the institution. One of the goals of XLRI is to produce women and men for others, people with great sensitivity to the needs of the poor and the disadvantaged and the marginalized. We need to be conscious of the needs of the underprivileged sections of our society in our decision making as business leaders so that we can work for the inclusive and sustainable growth of India”.

“We are happy that we have a new campus in the Delhi-NCR area. One of the reasons for going to Delhi is the growing demand for more business leaders triggered by the economic growth in India. These extension campuses, from its very inception, were conceived as ‘an integral part’ of XLRI Jamshedpur. Our two campuses remain part of the same registered society, the same governing board, and have the same treasurer for all the campuses. Our institutional strategy visualizes both Jamshedpur and Delhi campuses as two entities of the same XLRI institutional brand, and the students of both the campuses belong to the one and only XLRI”, he further added.

The new students will be taken through a Special Orientation Programme drawn up by XLRI to update their knowledge before regular classes commence. This year the Orientation program will be conducted on a virtual platform.

Every year the first-year students of XLRI undergo compulsory Village Exposure Programme and the Outbound Adventure Programme. Both programs have been specially designed for students to create awareness about the realities of rural India and foster a sense of team spirit. This year due to the pandemic, it would not be possible to organize these programs.

Tata Sky Binge strengthens OTT play with the addition of VOOT Select and VOOT Kids

Mumbai, 12 August 2020: Strengthening its content catalogue to meet the growing entertainment requirements across age groups, Tata Sky Binge – Tata Sky’s OTT aggregator service has now partnered with Viacom18 Digital Ventures to bring onboard their premium content streaming service VOOT Select, and kids-focussed VOOT Kids for its growing subscriber base.

This partnership will add India’s top TV shows from Viacom18 and Voot Originals, along with the most-loved cartoon characters from Indian and International shows, to Tata Sky Binge. Bringing the benefits of catch-up and premium OTT content on television, Tata Sky Binge already offers a host of entertainment options from India’s top OTT platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar Premium, ZEE5, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now and ShemarooMe.

The addition of VOOT Select and VOOT Kids to the existing vast offering of content on Tata Sky Binge will enable Binge users to access path breaking originals, exclusive international content, cult blockbuster movies in multiple languages and a versatile collection of thousands of videos, e-books, quizzes and audio stories for children with an aim to aid holistic development of their mental, emotional and social faculties.. The partnership will reconceptualize the way content is consumed on television in the age of connected devices and will help cater to a wide set of underserved audiences, giving a fillip to consumer satisfaction quotient.

Commenting on the partnership, Pallavi Puri, Chief Commercial and Content Officer, Tata Sky, said, “Keeping customer requirements at the forefront, we have continued to expand the library for Tata Sky Binge with OTT apps that offer the most popular and relatable content for the entire family. In the current environment when children are facing a dearth of entertainment options, adding VOOT Kids will enhance the entertainment experience for kids with a balanced library of fun and learning content. Further, with Voot Select, we will open the doors to Viacom18’s exciting library of movies and top Indian TV shows – all available 24 hours before TV.”

Commenting on the partnership, Gourav Rakshit, COO at Viacom18 Digital Ventures said, “At VOOT, we believe in building a versatile and immersive digital ecosystem that will add value to our users with path-breaking and diverse content experiences. With an increase in demand for content consumption, be it entertainment through VOOT Select or fun learning through VOOT Kids, this promising collaboration with Tata Sky Binge will help us cater and reach out to a larger audience base. We are delighted to partner with a like-minded brand who resonates with our ideologies and will help us make content viewing an enriching and engaging experience for all our viewers.”

With VOOT Select, Tata Sky Binge users can access a host of exciting content, including many Voot Originals like Asur, Marzi, Raiker Case, Illegal, etc. Blockbuster movies and on-demand content of popular shows from Colors (Hindi), MTV, Nickelodeon, Colors Kannada, Colors Marathi, Colors Bangla, Colors Super and Colors Gujarati will also be featured on the platform. Added to the list are renowned international shows, such as Shark Tank S11, Why Women Kill, The Good Wife, The Affair and The Twilight Zone among others.

At a time when kids are compelled to stay indoors and there has been an increased demand for content to keep them safely engaged at home, the partnership with VOOT Kids – India’s only app for kids that provides an amalgamation of learning and entertainment content – will provide the perfect destination for kids on Tata Sky Binge. It offers thousands of hours of popular Indian and international shows, with 200+ cartoons – including favourites like Pokemon, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Motu Patlu, Dora the Explorer, Ben 10 and Avatar – 150+ audio stories, 500+ eBooks and 5000+ educational quizzes.

Tata Sky subscribers can access the library of premium OTT apps on Tata Sky Binge via the Amazon Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition for just Rs. 299/-per month. New and existing Tata Sky customers can avail a Tata Sky Binge+ connection at an offer price of Rs. 3999/- which includes 6 months subscription to the Tata Sky Binge platform. Tata Sky Binge customers on the FireTV stick or the Android Box also get access to last 7 days of missed shows (based on a linear entitlement) and 3 months of Amazon Prime subscription at no extra cost.