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Corporate Connections to expand its footprint in Telangana

Corporate Connections to expand its footprint in Telangana – Jayesh Ranjan to launch a new chapter of a global networking platform to be launched in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, April 05, 2024.….Corporate Connections, a global community where leaders connect to develop business-building relationships, gain access to advanced professional development opportunities and participate in peer advisory groups is to expand its operations in Telangana.

Mr.Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments of the Telangana government. and Guest of Honour is Mr.S.P.Reddy, Chairman & MD, Terminus Group to launch a new chapter in a function to be held in the city on Saturday evening announced S. Sharad Mahiswari, Kamalesh Gupta, Executive Directors of Corporate Connections and KVT Ramesh Master Franchise for Corporate Connections in Telangana and AP in a press note issued in the city today. We are setting the chapter in Hyderabad and nominations are being accepted from successful business owners and C-Level executives, they added.

About 100 guests including CorporateConnections members and many outstation guests are expected to participate in the launch function. We have the presence of Directors & Members from 18 Cities in India and video messages globally including Global Market President Robert Gervais.

This Chapter is to be launched with an initial membership of 18 individuals/business owners, Ssharad Mahiswari, Executive Director, of Corporate Connections said that they would be limiting the membership to 25 per chapter.

Corporate Communications is Canada-headquartered and has a global presence. Corporate Connections is spread over 4 continents across 29 countries and 65 cities.

It will be a community of successful, and forward-thinking business owners and leaders who are willing to be a part of a rapidly expanding business with unmatched potential and scalability. Combined this results in exclusive and unparalleled access to the world.

CorporateConnections has 600-plus Members in India and plans to expand to various cities in India. We are looking to spread our wings into multiple cities immediately,” said KVT Ramesh

This will be an ideal platform for global business leaders to generate exceptional and measurable results through executive networking opportunities. Our proven model has helped executives build strategic and tactical relationships through a structured and supportive environment and has been a catalyst for change in their businesses and communities.

Further, only one individual from an industry vertical can become a member of a chapter. “to make a safe environment to do business”.

“Corporate Connections is the premier platform for accelerating executive-level connections. It provides global business leaders with the ideal setting for generating exceptional and measurable results through executive networking opportunities.” “Our members join CorporateConnections®️ to develop business relationships, gain access to advanced professional development opportunities and participate in peer advisory groups, said S. Shard Mahiswari.

Business

Retail’s Brightest Minds Convene at Retail Leadership Summit 2024 to Forge Future Pathways

Mar 4, 2024 by Mansi Praharaj 0 Comments #Abhishek Bansal, #Amazon (US and India), #Amazon (US and India) and Vivek Somareddy, #ANAROCK, #Anujj Puri, #APAC International Stores, #Ashwin Khasgiwala, #Avjit Mitra, #Avnish Anand - CaratLane; Avnish Kumar, #Being Human Clothing; Sanjay Vakharia, #bigbasket, #bigbasket; Johnson Verghese, #Bijou Kurien, #Celio Future Fashion; Gautam Saraogi, #CEO, #CEO & Co-Founder, #CEO of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC) and the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), #Chairman, #Co-founder & CEO, #Croma, #Darpan Mehta, #David Macadam, #Dhiraj Agarwal, #Dhishoom Cinemas., #Director, #Emerging Markets, #Executive Director, #Forum Malls; Rajneesh Mahajan, #Fossil India; Nissan Joseph, #Founder & MD, #Go Fashion (India) Ltd (Go Colors);, #Hari Menon, #Infiniti Retail; Hari Menon, #Inorbit Mall; Sagar Daryani, #Inorbit Malls and Shibu Phillips, #International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), #Lalit Agarwal, #Lalit Agarwal - V-Mart Retail; Sagar Daryani, #Lulu group. While on the brands side were Manish Kapoor, #MD & CEO, #Metro Brands; Rajneesh Mahajan, #Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC), #Neeru's; Sanjay Vakharia, #Nexus Malls; Muhammed Ali, #Pacific Group; Dalip Sehgal, #Parul Gulati, #Pepe Jeans; Rajesh Jain, #Rajesh Jain, #Reliance Retail Limited, #Retailers Association of India (RAI), #Seller Experience and Global Trade, #Shopping Malls, #Sports & Leisure Apparel (Lacoste India), #Sports & Leisure Apparel Ltd; Sanjeev Rao, #Spykar Lifestyles;, #Spykar; P Jayakumar - Apollo Pharmacy; Rajiv Nair - Kaya Ltd; Samir Srivastav- Looks Salon; Satyen Momaya, #Trent, #Tushar Dhingra, #V-Mart Retail, #VP, #Wow! Momo Foods, #Wow! Momo Foods; Venkatesalu P

March 4, 2024, Mumbai: The Retail Leadership Summit 2024 (RLS 2024), organised by the Retailers Association of India (RAI), took place on February 28 and 29 at the Hotel Westin Powai Lake, Mumbai. This annual event brings together the brightest minds in retail to explore forward-thinking strategies within the industry.

Retail's Brightest Minds Convene at Retail Leadership Summit 2024 to Forge Future Pathways 2

Welcoming the audience at RLS 2024, Kumar Rajagopalan, Chief Executive Officer, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “In 2023, the retail industry witnessed a tale of two halves: robust growth initially, followed by a plateau. This reflects the criticality of aligning with market dynamics and consumer needs. We’re observing a transformative shift, with retailers blending digital and physical experiences to create seamless consumer journeys. The key to future success lies in harnessing the power of omnichannel strategies and understanding the evolving consumer preference for convenience and trust. As we move forward, embracing innovation and agile responses to market trends will be pivotal in shaping the retail landscape.”

Setting the tone for the summit, Bijou Kurien, Chairman, Retailers Association of India (RAI), expressed, “The retail industry in India is poised for significant growth in the year ahead. Driven by an 8%+ growth in GDP in Q3 FY’24 and based on steady investment by the Government and Private sector, consumption is bound to grow. The combination of online commerce coupled with offline expansion, driven by a more technology savvy consumer with greater aspirations would herald significant changes in retail structure, and channel strategy. Retailers and brands are gearing up for aggressive growth, particularly eyeing tier 2 cities for deeper market penetration. This strategic focus not only indicates a broadening of access for consumers but also signifies a shift towards tapping into the burgeoning demand in emerging urban centres. This optimistic outlook underscores the sector’s resilience and its pivotal role in the broader economic landscape of India.”

Highlights of RLS 2024 included presentations and knowledge reports by RAI-Boston Consulting Group report titled ‘Unlocking the $2Tn retail opportunity by 2030: An activist agenda’, RAI-Deloitte report titled ‘Future of Retail: Profitable Growth through Technology and AI’, RAI-KPMG report titled ‘Achieving seamless commerce in India’ and PWC report titled ‘How India shops online: Consumer preferences in the metropolises and tier-1, 2, 3, 4 cities’. Furthermore, Best Retail Workplaces 2024 report by RAI – Great Place To Work was unveiled and the respective teams were felicitated.

The Summit saw the participation retail leaders, as well as top names in the retail service provider space. Retail stalwarts speaking at the summit included Hari Menon, CEO & Co-Founder, bigbasket, Lalit Agarwal – V-Mart Retail; Sagar Daryani, Co-Founder & CEO, Wow! Momo Foods, Avnish Anand – CaratLane; Avnish Kumar, Director, Neeru’s; Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar; P Jayakumar – Apollo Pharmacy; Rajiv Nair – Kaya Ltd; Samir Srivastav- Looks Salon; Satyen Momaya, CEO, Celio Future Fashion; Gautam Saraogi, CEO, Go Fashion (India) Ltd (Go Colors); among many others.

Speaking during the panel discussion on RLS 2024, Lalit Agarwal, Founder & MD, V-Mart Retail, discussed creating experiences in retail that resonate deeply with customers, especially budget-conscious customers, to make them feel smart and stylish within their means. He emphasised on emotional connection through personalised service and storytelling, making customers feel valued and understood. Lalit Agarwal advocates for building strong brand connections that extend beyond the store, through all interactions, including advertisements. This approach aims to turn customers into authentic influencers, leveraging word-of-mouth for brand promotion. The key is continuous engagement and storytelling, which ensures customer loyalty and organic growth.

Noting the importance of strategy differences across retail categories, Rajesh Jain, MD & CEO, Sports & Leisure Apparel (Lacoste India), highlighted the approach in the premium fashion segment, emphasising a uniform customer experience across online and offline channels without price differentiation except during season-end sales. He said that this strategy aims to cultivate customer habits and preferences for purchasing channels, whether for convenience online or the experience in-store. By maintaining consistent pricing and service, customers understand the brand’s value proposition, reducing their expectation for discounts and fostering brand loyalty.

Furthermore, Darpan Mehta, Director Tax, APAC International Stores, Amazon (US and India) and Vivek Somareddy, VP, Emerging Markets, Seller Experience and Global Trade, Amazon (US and India) made a presentation on “Unlocking Mechanisms and Working Capital for Business Expansion”.

Additionally, the second day of RLS 2024 featured a keynote speech by David Macadam, CEO of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC) and the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC). This was succeeded by a dynamic panel discussion titled ‘Mahasangram: Retail and Retail Real Estate,’ bringing together prominent figures from both retail real estate and retail industries for an engaging exchange of ideas.

Mall Developers participating in the discussion were Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Group; Dalip Sehgal, CEO, Nexus Malls; Muhammed Ali, CEO, Forum Malls; Rajneesh Mahajan, CEO, Inorbit Malls and Shibu Phillips, Director, Shopping Malls, Lulu group. While on the brands side were Manish Kapoor, MD & CEO, Pepe Jeans; Rajesh Jain, MD & CEO, Sports & Leisure Apparel Ltd; Sanjeev Rao, CEO, Being Human Clothing; Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar Lifestyles; and Tushar Dhingra, Co-founder & CEO, Dhishoom Cinemas.

In his keynote address at the summit before the Mahasangram Session, David Macadam, CEO, Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC), International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), shared insights on the evolution of experiential retail and e-commerce. He discussed the challenges and opportunities within the retail industry, emphasizing the importance of adapting to consumer demands for experiential and sustainable shopping experiences. Macadam highlighted the significant role of AI and technology in retail, the impact of mixed-use developments, and strategies for business development. He advocated for embracing change, prioritizing customer experience, and leveraging strategic partnerships to navigate the retail landscape successfully.

Retail's Brightest Minds Convene at Retail Leadership Summit 2024 to Forge Future Pathways 3

Day 2 of RLS 2024 also had a dedicated D2C segment that saw participation of leaders of top D2C brands namely, Dhiraj Agarwal, Founder, Campus Sutra; Sneh Jain, Managing Director, The Baker’s Dozen; Harsh Lal, Co-Founder, The Souled Store. A scintillating Fireside chat with Parul Gulati, Actor & Founder of Nish Hair (featured on Shark Tank India). This segment explored the unconventional strategies that has enable these brands to achieve immense success in a short frame of time.

Parallelly to RLS 2024 was an extensive session of ‘Retail Store Design’ that saw participation of top retailers and brands deliberating on topics such as ‘Future of Retail Design: Exploring Emerging Trends and Technologies’, ‘Balancing Design and Functionality in Retail Spaces’, a captivating Fireside Chat and a Masterclass on ‘The art of curating memorable and meaning customer journey’.

The advisory board of RLS 2024 includes Anujj Puri, ANAROCK, Ashwin Khasgiwala, Reliance Retail Limited; Avjit Mitra, Croma, Infiniti Retail; Hari Menon, bigbasket; Johnson Verghese, Fossil India; Nissan Joseph, Metro Brands; Rajneesh Mahajan, Inorbit Mall; Sagar Daryani, Wow! Momo Foods; Venkatesalu P, Trent.

The first day of RLS 2024 came to a close with the grand felicitation of the crème de la crème of the retail industry with India’s Retail Champions Award 2024 and the Retail Start-up Awards 2024, both evaluated by eminent personalities from the industry as the Jury.

Winners of India’s Retail Champions Awards 2024 were:

Categories	Name of the Company	Name of the Brand
Apparel & Lifestyle	The Souled Store	The Souled Store
Apparel & Lifestyle	Raymond Lifestyle	Ethnix
Apparel & Lifestyle	Spykar Lifestyle Pvt Ltd	Spykar
Apparel & Lifestyle	Brand Concepts Ltd	BAGLINE, House of Luxury Bags
Beauty	Himalaya Wellness Company	Himalaya Wellness
Wellness	Wellness Forever	Wellness Forever
Wellness	Apollo Pharmacy Limited	Apollo Pharmacy
Consumer Durables & IT (CDIT)	Vijay Sales (India) Private Limited	Vijay Sales
Consumer Durables & IT (CDIT)	Infiniti Retail Ltd	Croma
D2C	Cleardekho Eyewear Pvt Ltd	ClearDekho
Department store	Shoppers Stop Limited	Shoppers Stop
Food & General Retail (Large format over 5,000 sq. ft)	LULU Group International	LULU HYPER MARKET
Food & General Retail (Small format below 5,000 sq. ft)	Reliance Retail Limited	Reliance Fresh Signature
Footwear	Metro brands Ltd	Footwear
Footwear	Liberty shoes Ltd.	Footwear
Home Decor / Home Improvement	Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd	Godrej Interio
Jewellery	Reliance Jewels (Reliance Retail)	Reliance Jewels
Restaurant & QSR	Apsara Ice Creams LLP	Apsara Ice Creams
Restaurant & QSR	Dindigul Thalappakatti	Dindigul Thalappakatti
Speciality Retail	Ample Technologies Private Limited	Monobrand Stoes of Apple, ASICS, UA and Bose. Apple Store brand name “Imagine”
Success Story of 2024	Trent	Zudio

Business

IndiaAsha Foundation appoints social sector veteran Sujata Borkar as Executive Director of North West Maharashtra Branch

Jun 9, 2022 by Agency 0 Comments #Executive Director, #IndiaAsha, #North West Maharashtra Branch, #Sujata Borkar

IndiaAsha Foundation, the non-profit organisation operating in health, education, & social welfare sectors in several states of India, on Thursday announced the appointment of Sujata Borkar as the Executive Director of the Northwest Maharashtra branch of the organisation.

Borkar has worked at the grassroot level for more than two decades on various social issues and has been associated with IndiaAsha Foundation for more than one decade. With her passion for social change, IndiaAsha Foundation has successfully implemented many programmes with high social impact.

Appointment of Sujata Borkar as Executive Director of Northwest Maharashtra branch will give renewed thrust to various social activities of IndiaAsha Foundation that has been disrupted during the COVID pandemic period.

“I am honoured to take the new role of Executive Director of Northwest Maharashtra branch at India Asha Foundation that has been doing many pioneering works in the field of health, education and other related fields. Our efforts in rural and tribal areas of various states touch the lives of local communities deeply. Especially, reskilling initiatives for youth and overcoming learning disabilities of students in rural and tribal areas are some of the initiatives, we take pride. With an efficient team and encouraging ecosystem, India Asha Foundation will strive to serve the underprivileged of the society with passion and care,” said Sujata Borkar, newly appointed Executive Director of Northwest branch of MaharashtraatIndiaAsha Foundation.

She said that the organisation would resume many of its social activities that had been severely disrupted due to the COVID pandemic.

“The COVID pandemic has disrupted social intervention measures worldwide and India is no exception. However, we are resuming our activities with renewed vigour a laser sharp-focus on helping children from rural & tribal areas in overcoming learning disabilities apart from ensuring overall personality development. Given that school dropout rates have been high owing to COVID, we aim to minimise school dropout rates and help children to cope with mainstream education,” Borkar added.

Established in 2001, IndiaAsha Foundation has been working relentlessly to uplift the quality-of-life of people living in rural and tribal areas. In the last two decades, the Foundation is deeply involved in in promoting education, civic duties, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, social causes and civic duties among rural citizens.

In education sector, IndiaAsha’s ‘Indeea’ project has been instrumental in imparting soft skill development and career-oriented computer courses to students in rural areas of Maharashtra. The project also promotes STEM activities through collaboration with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Innovation Centre in the rural areas.

Similarly, the 7-year old Project SHARP (School and Home Applicable Remedial Programme] is another flagship project of IndiaAsha Foundation.Under this initiative, the Foundation facilitates normal development of children with any learning difficulty through specialized remedial coaching. ‘SHARP’ has conducted 5,613hours of sessions in average 15schools constituting 5,379students in which 15trainers had run various awareness campaigns, participative workshops, proactive competitions, psychological counselling and remedial coaching. Out of 5,379 participants, 3,139 students were passed out their final examinations and joined the mainstream education.

IndiaAsha Foundation has been running various healthcare interventions like building AIDs awareness campaign, blood group checkup and nutritional counselling among others. The Foundation has also been promoting environmental awareness programmes, voting rights, no to bribe among others under its civic duties’ initiatives. It also promotes literature & art related activities by organizing various cultural group activities, promotion of books by new artists, running of a magazine that spreads knowledge-based articles among others.

Currently, it has embarked on a journey to establish an exploratory lab for young children, rare books reprinting, and a learning disabilities school for upliftment of rural people. The Foundation is actively seeking patrons and donors, who can generously contribute towards these noble causes.

Commenting on the appointment and various initiatives of IndiaAsha Foundation, Chief Patron of IndiaAsha Foundation, Sanjeev Dahiwadkar said, “India’s prosperity lies in equitable growth, which can only be achieved through upliftment of rural youth and children. All our initiatives are directed at serving rural communities across the spectrum to achieve these goals. With appointment of Sujata Borkar, all our social interventions will resume with new determination. We are confident that the organisation will serve the community better under her leadership and guidance.”

Business

Mother’s Recipe makes its presence felt at the Indian Pavilion at Expo2020 Dubai

Dec 6, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Executive Director, #Mother’s Recipe, #Ms. Sanjana Desai

Mother’s Recipe, India’s leading ethnic food category brand has announced its presence at the prestigious Indian Pavilion – World Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which began on 1 October 2021 and commences on 31 March 2022. It is one of the popular Indian FMCG brands to represent Indian food at the World Expo 2020 pavilion. It showcases about 50 different products at the world’s biggest cultural gathering

Mother’s Recipe brings to the United Arab Emirates, a traditional Taste of Indian Kitchen which is deep-rooted in culture, spices, and flavour. The authentic taste of Indian cuisine with rich tradition is brought to you through their wide range of products such as Pickles, Ready to Cook Spice Mixes, Instant Mixes, Delicious Chutneys and Papad. Mother’s Recipe has partnered with Sanjeev Kapoor’s popular food chain which has an exclusive eatery ‘Khana Khazana’, wherein the local citizens, ex-pats and visitors can taste as well as purchase their favourite products. Additionally, visitors can purchase meal packs which include packed pickles.

Ms. Sanjana Desai, Executive Director, Mother’s Recipe said “We are extremely proud to be one among the first in the FMCG category to be part of world-renowned Expo 2020 Dubai to showcase our products to the local, ex-pat and multi-cultural tourists. Our presence would add value to the visitor experience at the Indian Pavilion. UAE is known to be home to many ex-pats and through our presence, at the Expo 2020, we aim to offer our visitors a taste of India through our products that are packed with the highest quality ingredients using traditional recipes”.

Mother’s Recipe follows stringent, hygienic standards and strict quality control procedures that are implemented at various stages of processing to ensure the best quality of products without any preservatives. While purchasing raw materials such as fruits, vegetables, and spices, great emphasis is placed on quality to ensure authentic taste, which Mother’s Recipe brand promises to its consumers. The manufacturing plant in India has been certified under ISO 9001-2008 and ISO 22000-2005 (HACCP), Halal & Kosher & also registered with US FDA, Spice Board of India & Export Inspection Council.

Business

Pacific D21 mall begins unique campaign ‘Face of Dwarka’

Dec 2, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Abhishek Bansal, #Executive Director, #Pacific Group

Delhi: Pacific Mall Dwarka, through its unique initiative ‘Face of Dwarka’, honoured the citizens of Dwarka who have been selflessly making a significant contribution towards the development of region. The twelve people selected for the gratification and honor came from different walks of life but had one thing in common, their continuous and dedicated efforts to make the city orderly and lively.SDM Dwarka Mr. Pankaj Roy Gupta was Chief Guest of the event while Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba attended Face of Dwarka as the celebrity guest.

The 12 personalities honored by the mall included Piyush Mohanty (SDM Headquarters & SDM DDMA South-West Delhi), Daisy Ahuja & Yashika Gandhi (Dwarka Connect Community),Jayesh Doshi (Patel Community, Dwarka), Ajit Swami & Robin Sharma (ADRF, Dwarka Community), Kajal Chanana (Dwarka Moms Community), Air Vice Marshal Rajiva Ranjan (Sekhon Vihar RWA Community), Dr. Meinal Choudhary (Director- Akash Healthcare), Dr. RK Tandon (Chairman, Kamal & Trinity Educational Institution) Chandeep Bharara (Wing Cdr- Air Force & Naval Officers Encalve, RWA Community), Amog Lila Das (Vice President, Iskcon Dwarka Community) Mini George (ANHLGT Community, Dwarka) & Vishal Gupta (Radio Dwarka).

Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Group said, “We always give priority to social values in our initiatives and try to connect the people of Dwarka with their surroundings. Face of Dwarka is an initiative planned so that the people of the city can get to know and recognize the unsung heroes whose contribution makes Dwarka safe, organized and ideal region to reside.”

Business

This Wedding Season, Centuary Mattresses Launches Bumper Offer For Customers

Nov 24, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Centuary Mattresses, #Executive Director, #Mr.Uttam Malani

Mumbai:Centuary Mattresses, India’s fastest-growing mattress brand with a three-decade legacy, is set to launch its huge wedding season sale between 9st November to 15thDec 2021. During the offer period, customers will get a chance to win bumper prizes, including an electric car, electric scooters, mobile phones and thousands of other gifts. Each customer who buys a Centuary Mattress will receive an assured gift making this wedding season brighter than ever before!

The bumper prizes for lucky winners include aNexon electric car, two Ather electric scooters, two Honda Activa, and 40 Vivo/Samsung Mobile Phones. So, while prioritizing comfort with brand new, innovative mattresses, customers can look forward to take home some exciting gifts from leading brands. Centuary Mattresses will also offer assured gifts, including Boat Gadgets – smartwatches, portable Bluetooth speakers, Home accessories – bedsheets. Pillows and neck pillows, Cult fit vouchers,easy EMI/Finance/Cashback are also up for grabs!

Speaking about the offer campaign, Mr UttamMalani Executive Director Centuary India remarked “Centuary is India’s sleep specialist and is committed to providing the power of better sleep to its consumers. The sleep off campaign is built on the premise of encouraging health and welness through better sleep, by curating a set of gifts/vouchers such as Home accessories, Smart watches, Fitness vouchers, etc which will go a long way when paired with the right sleep solution to promote and enhance fitness of individuals.”

The extravagant festive campaign will be driven through extensive media activation across TV, print, outdoor and retail marketing, and BTL advertisements. The offer will be available across 350 + brand stores and 4500 + retails across South India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP/ CG, Odisha and North East markets.

Business

SIAM, ATMA & ITTAC organizes 2nd Series of virtual seminar on Road Safety Advocacy for Tyres

Sep 25, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Additional Secretary, #ATMA, #Director General, #Executive Director, #MoEF & CC, #Mr Prashant K Banerjee, #Mr Rajiv Budhraja, #Mr Ravi Agarwal, #SIAM, #the Chief Guest

New Delhi: The Indian apex automotive industry body, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) along with Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) & Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC) today led its 2nd edition of ‘Road Safety Advocacy for Tyres’ on a virtual platform. The seminar themed ‘Technology & Environmental Challenges’, this 2nd Series is a part of a Tri Virtual Series.

Under the ‘Tri Series Seminar’, ATMA-SIAM is organizing three sessions to spread awareness on various aspects of tyre care, road safety, and sustainability to advocate the road safety mission by MoRTH, Govt. of India. While the first series focused on tyre and road safety, the second one is emphasising on technology and environmental issues, and the third series will be on standards, regulations and sustainability.

The 2nd edition of the virtual program witnessed the participation of government officials as well as industry leaders and subject experts, who deliberated upon topics such as Sustainable Mobility and Technology & Environmental Challenges.

In his opening remark, Mr Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “The tyre sector is one of the most regulated one, but the irony is that despite being one of the most critical component for a safe drive the tyres don’t get enough attention. I believe that tyres deserve to be dealt on priority and with more respect therefore, this is important to spread awareness amongst the users.”

On the occasion, the Chief Guest, Mr Ravi Agarwal, Additional Secretary, MoEF & CC, said, “This initiative by SIAM, ATMA and ITTA will go a long way in creating awareness about tyre-maintenance and safety. Also, there is no doubt about the fact that automobiles are the true indicators of economic well-being of the country. There is a lot of potential for research in this area as it has a widespread impact on the environment as well as the economy. Also, a practical and sustainable model for extended producer economy in the domain of tyres must be constituted. The concept of a circular economy is important for the management of tyres from the design stage to the end of product lifecycle.”

Mr Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, ATMA, said, “Road safety and tyre-care are very much part of the inner core functioning of our association. In first phase, we connected closely with the users, further in second phase, we touched product, sustainability and environment and in the third and final phase, we will be connecting with influencers and policy makers. Life-safety is of utmost importance and deserves more attention in awareness campaign. And now the time is RIPE for tyres and safety elements that are associated. We call this RIPE, where R stands for Respect, I for information, P for practice and E for educate.”

During inaugural session Mr Ravin Kurian, Chairman, ITTAC also highlighted the commitment of industry along with the challenges to attain low rolling resistance and improving hostile environment for tyres.

Today, followed by inaugural session, the first Presentation session on ‘Scenario towards Sustainable Mobility’ was hosted by Mr Tom Thomas, Ex. Executive Director, R&D, Technology and Projects, CEAT; Dr K Rajkumar, Director, IRMRA; Mr V K Misra, Director Technical, J K Tyre & Industries Ltd. They respectively presented technical papers on sustainable- mobility: emerging new raw materials scenario, role of rubber industry in environment sustainability and end of life: Tyre Management. The session was moderated by Mr P K Mohamed, Chief Advisor – R&D, Apollo Tyres.

The second presentation-session was conducted on Technology & Environmental Challenges. In this session, Dr D Balakrishnan, General Manager, Ashok Leyland Ltd presented on the Challenges pertaining to commercial vehicle tyres. Another expert, Dr Cyrille Roget, Innovation and Scientific Communication Director, Michelin (Europe) shared his thoughts on Sustainable Mobility: Technology Trends & Development. Mr Anand Kulkarni, Vice President (Product Line EV), Tata Motors Ltd presented on ‘Tyre Requirement for EVs – Future Perspective. The second presentation session was moderated by Mr Renji Issac, VP (R&D) and Technology, CEAT Ltd.

As aforementioned, SIAM-ATMA and ITTAC will continue the endeavours and organize one more remaining session due under the Road Safety Advocacy Tri Series on the “Regulation and Sustainability” in October 2021.

Business

TREHAN IRIS on Setting the Architecture for India’s Next-generation social, retail & leisure spaces

Sep 11, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Executive Director, #Mr. Aman Trehan, #Trehan IRIS

Established in the early ‘50s, Trehan IRIS has over six decades of unprecedented experience in the construction field, recently participated in Shopping Centres Next exhibition held at Grand Hyatt, Goa.

Shopping Centres Next 2021 event brought together India’s leading businesses and professionals to connect over the objectives of profitably mix shopping centres with the digital age. From conceptualizing the design to implementation, creating an engaging lifestyle experience for consumers to innovative things architecture can do for India’s next-generation, was discussed at length. This collaborative ecosystem will thrive new technologies to set revolutionary retail spaces transformation.

When asked about the innovative things Mr. Aman Trehan, Executive Director, Trehan IRIS is planning to do at Iris Broadway mall, he elaborated that “a lot of innovative things have been adopted by the brand, today most of the malls are based on the concept of contemporary designs with added elements of classic architecture. These innovative architects provide a cohesive character that helps unify the mall visually. We’re also Inviting space for fine dining restaurants along with fast-food chains to adopt new generation technologies to satisfy our shoppers. Recently we’ve signed up with Hamleys and McDonalds to complement the tenants. Also, organising special entertainment events on festive occasions to have a positive impact on shopper’s experience”.

He further expressed his experience at SCN 20201 “It was great to hear so many leading business tycoons and professionals sharing their varied perspectives on the outcomes of future retail real estate as an asset class to elevate the vibrancy of the malls. The overall experience with the panelists which had many renowned and accomplished names was enormous. I believe, that this level of cooperation results in best outcomes.”

Consumers are becoming more mature in demanding a luxurious lifestyle. Therefore, it has become a top priority for social, retail & leisure spaces developers and architects to design the property innovatively to attract customers. The architect of a shopping mall can transform the whole shopping experience into a social event. Adapting new technologies through the architectural sector is the answer to provide a luxurious experience to the next generation shoppers.

Business

National Eye Donation Fortnight: India sees sharp drop in corneal transplant by 52% during COVID-19

Sep 8, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Dr Rakesh Shah, #EBAI Chairperson - West Zone & Ophthalmologist / Eye Surgeon, #ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, #Executive Director, #Mr. Nikkhil K Masurkar

Delhi- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) approximately 15 million people in India are blind, out of the 45 million people across the world. Also, the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) estimates that every year around 25,000-30,000 new cases of corneal blindness occur in India. Blindness is a major health concern for India and its prevalence is further exacerbated by low availability of eye donors. In most cases, corneal blindness is curable with corneal transplantation.

Corneal transplant, a surgical procedure to replace part of your cornea with corneal tissue from a donor, has reduced by approximately 52% during COVID-19 pandemic. When the COVID-19 outbreak began last year in March 2020, corneal tissue retrieval was temporarily halted, putting corneal transplants on hold. According to EBAI (Eye Bank Association of India), the number of corneal transplants has reduced to 12,998 between April 2020 to March 2021, while 27,075 corneal transplants were conducted in the previous year.

India requires a minimum of two lakh eye donations annually however, the present number stands at a meagre 45,000. Supporting the National Eye Donation Fortnight which is observed from 25th August to 8thSeptember every year, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals is organising a series of activities across India to create about the importance of eye donation and to motivate people to donate their eyes after death.

ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in the Ophthalmic ENT segments across India and other countries has created an online website https://www.pledgemyeyes.org/in collaboration with the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI). Through this website anyone can pledge their eyes from the comfort of their home in just 2 simple steps and make a visually impaired person’s life brighter.

Supporting the cause, Mr Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, said, “Eyes donated by a person can help restore vision in 2 corneal blind people. Lack of awareness and myths associated with eye donation prevents people from donating their eyes.Any person can donate their eyes irrespective of sex, age, religion or blood group. Therefore,on the occasion of the National Eye Donation Fortnight, we urge people to come forward and pledge their eyes. Out of 15 million blind people in India, 6.8 million have corneal blindness, with vision less than 6/60 in either of the eyes. Near about 1 million people are blind in both eyes, and this bilateral corneal blindness can be reversed. Eye donation usually takes place only after the person is deceased, and with the consent of the family, so it is important that not only the person pledging the eyes is aware of its importance but the entire family is educated about the needs to do the same too.”

“In India there are almost 70 lakh patients suffering from corneal disease, 12 lakh patients require corneal transplant and 2 lakh are suffering from corneal blindness in both the eyes, so immediate corneal transplant is required for them. In India, before covid, we used to get around 55-60 thousand eye donations and we successfully completed 30-35 thousand corneal transplants. Every year 35-40 thousands new patients suffer from the same issue. Our goal is to achieve at least 1 lakh eye donations per years, so that more corneal transplants can be done, around 50-60 thousand. India can do better in this and have the potential to lead the entire South Asia. We need to encourage and motivate the people in our society towards the importance of eye donation. If we all come together for this noble cause, then achieving1 lakh corneal transplant/harvesting is not that difficult.” explained Dr Rakesh Shah, EBAI Chairperson – West Zone & Ophthalmologist / Eye Surgeon.

To create increasing awareness and motivation of eye donation in India, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals has come up with a YouTube channel “EYEHealth” where eye donation appeal videos by prominent doctors are uploaded. The videos are also available in different languages so as to help people from different regions of the country gain knowledge about the significance of eye donation.

Dr Shah also informed that even when patients die of other ailments like heart disease, in non-Covid deaths, there are some suspicions on whether Covid infection is present in the cornea. RT-PCR testing takes time but we are on the side of caution. Number of corneal donation comes down to zero whenever a Covid wave peaks.

ENTOD is conducting two virtual program under the aegis of EBAI west zone on 3rd and 5th Sep’2021 for the general public to talk about eye health and emphasize on the need for everyone to donate their eyes.

Business, News

Advance Lead-Acid Battery – a pathway for India’s renewable energy needs

Aug 28, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Executive Director, #India Lead Zinc Association, #Indian Battery Manufacturers Association, #Mr. L. Pugazhenthy

New Delhi: Mr. L. Pugazhenthy, Executive director, India Lead Zinc Association said, “India consumes an estimated around 1 million tons of used lead-acid batteries for recycling economy each year and about 25-30% of this goes to the informal operators. Lead-acid batteries have the largest share; it is an energy source, affordable battery, and a dependable and reliable product. Batteries are used to store and supply electricity to electric vehicles, street lights, automotive, railway, inverters, telecom towers, and solar energy when grid power fails“.

A webinar on Advance Lead-Acid Battery was organized by India Lead Zinc Association (ILZDA) supported by Hindustan Zinc in association with the Indian Battery Manufacturers Association (IBMA) and India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). The webinar underlined the imperative need of growing requirement of energy storage in the market.

The dignitaries during the webinar deliberated on sustainability and recyclability of lead Batteries, presented a perspective on ALAB space in green energy storage, explored advanced Lead Acid Battery ecosystem and thoughts on incentivization schemes for manufacturers and dealers. Market overview of lead-acid battery and its subsequent scope was also presented while discussing applications of advanced lead-acid battery as hybrid or standalone, Sustainable operations & technologies for lead processing.

Lead-acid batteries (lead-carbon batteries) are the first battery technology used in energy storage. It is an extensively used energy storage system due to its proven safety, performance, low cost, and excellent recycling capabilities. Compared to other technologies, a lead-acid battery is built to handle consistent load requirements in a very cost-efficient manner. As lead is 100% recyclable, the lead-acid battery is completely developed with a robust recycling capacity of more than 3 million pa in India. Lead-acid batteries can be found in a wide variety of applications, including small-scale power storage such as UPS systems, starting, lighting, and ignition power sources for automobiles, along with large, grid-scale power systems. They have a long lifetime and low costs compared to other battery types.

India is one of the highest consumers of Lead-acid batteries. Recycling of used Lead batteries is essential to ensure the need for sustainable development.

Energy conservation isn’t a new notion. Owing to concerns regarding the environmental impacts of fossil fuels and the capacity and resilience of energy grids globally, there have been some continuous efforts to fetch solutions on storing the energy. Energy storage has now become a necessity as it can address the irregularity of solar and wind power. It can also tackle the huge alterations in demand, aiding in making the energy grid more receptive and thus diminishing the need to build back up power plants.

The dignitaries present at the event were, Mr. Subhankar Chakraborty, Senior General Manager (R&D), Exide industries Ltd; Mr. Rahul Prithiani, Director, Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL); Dr. Alistair Davidson, Director, Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) and Mr. Amlan Kanti Das, Sr. Vice President-Battery Operations, R&D, Luminous Power Technology Pvt. Ltd. and Manoj Soni, VP, Business Excellence, Sustainable Operation & Technologies for Lead Processing, Hindustan Zinc.

There have been various Lead Battery implementations carried out previously across the world. Narada Power Source had partnered with energy storage operator, Upside Group, in a 16 MW frequency regulation project for the German power grid. The 25 MWh frequency regulation installation was connected to the local utility grid providing electricity to the area. A 20MWh lead-carbon battery by China Shoto Energy Storage stores and provides electricity generated by the PV panel directly into the Chinese grid. This battery system can provide 30 MW of solar power and can reach 4,000 cycles at 70% depth of discharge. The 1MW off-grid solar system, located in the mountains of Bamyan, Afghanistan, uses lead batteries curated by Crown Battery. This project provides 24-hour power to 25,000 homes, businesses, hospitals and government officers for this central mountainous region. The lead batteries are built with a capacity of 38 strings at 4,500 Ah 48 V DC.

According to India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), the Indian energy storage market is expected to grow to 70 GW by 2022. Consequently, there is a vast scope for advanced storage technologies in the new applications, along with the opportunity for existing technologies. Lead acid batteries are the most used form of battery for most rechargeable battery applications.

The lead-acid battery has many advantages for automotive and many other uses: they have a large current and surge capability, which is ideal when being used to start internal combustion engines. Advance lead-acid battery as standalone or hybrid holds a crucial role in achieving India’s future energy needs as it is the most cost-effective and recyclable that will assist in India’s transformation in the renewable energy sector.

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