Tag: Managing Director

News

AMP Capital establishes energy transmission platform in India with Sterlite Power

Dec 30, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Anuraag Srivastava, #CFO Sterlite Power, #Head of India, #Infrastructure Equity at AMP Capital, #Managing Director, #Pratik Agarwal, #Sharat Goyal, #Sterlite Power

Hyderabad: Global investment manager AMP Capital has established a 50/50 partnership with Sterlite Power Transmission Limited (Sterlite Power) for the development of energy transmission projects in India. This marks the first investment in India for AMP Capital’s global infrastructure equity strategy.

AMP Capital and Sterlite Power will each invest an initial amount of approximately USD 150 million in the development of four transmission projects, and have put in place debt financing, which represents a total capital outlay of around USD 1 billion. These projects have a circuit length of nearly 1800 kilometres of transmission lines across the Western, Southern and North Eastern regions of India. They will provide the critical infrastructure required for evacuating power from multiple renewable energy generation projects and will strengthen the power delivery infrastructure in the country.

The partners may in the future contribute further capital for new inter-state transmission projects which are expected to be tendered by the government of India. Therefore, the partnership has the potential to reach an overall investment size of USD 500 million.

Transmission infrastructure has underpinned the rapid growth seen in the generation capacity of India over the last decade. This growth has been led by renewable energy, where India is rapidly becoming recognised as a global leader, having surpassed its ambitious Paris Agreement targets with 38% of generation capacity currently from clean energy. The Indian power market still has huge potential for expansion, with low relative per capita power consumption in the country. Due to years of underinvestment in transmission capacity there is significant demand for investment, and the Indian government has been actively promoting the participation of the private sector in transmission line development through the continued implementation of supportive regulatory reforms.

Sterlite Power is a leading developer of transmission projects with a robust execution record across India and Brazil. It has won a third (by tariff) of all inter-state private transmission projects awarded in India under competitive bidding since 2011, and has successfully established its unique asset flip business model across both markets. Sterlite Power has completed and sold nine transmission assets to date in India.

Sharat Goyal, Head of India, Infrastructure Equity at AMP Capital said: “AMP Capital and Sterlite Power believe that this is a unique partnership bringing together operational and investment expertise to support the hitherto under-invested construction phase of power infrastructure in India. Our investment will create a pool of valuable transmission assets, with long-term contractual arrangements and a robust payment security framework, which are extremely attractive to yield-seeking investors.

“India is a key target market for AMP Capital and we have dedicated time and resource to finding a compelling investment opportunity suited to our clients. This investment capitalises on the opportunity presented by the Indian infrastructure sector at this time, as well as benefitting from policy initiatives like Infrastructure Investment Trusts (INVITs) which have created transparent, market-driven exit opportunities for investors willing to invest capital in the development of greenfield infrastructure projects in India.”

Commenting on the transaction, Anuraag Srivastava, CFO Sterlite Power said “We are delighted to enter into a partnership with AMP Capital – a leading global infrastructure private equity firm. This investment is another testimony of continued trust reposed on us by the investor community.”

Pratik Agarwal, Managing Director, Sterlite Power said: “We are driven by our core purpose to enable access to reliable power while minimizing the impact on climate change. The world is undergoing a clean-energy revolution and India is leading this effort with its mammoth target of 450GW by the year 2030. Sterlite Power will contribute towards this noble cause by creating the required transmission infrastructure so that green energy can reach the most underserved households. We are happy to have like-minded partners like AMP Capital who believe in our core purpose and in our model of sustainable development.”

AMP Capital was advised by Citigroup (financial), PwC (commercial and tax) and AZB (legal). Sterlite was advised by Moelis & Company and Credit Suisse (financial), Khaitan & Co (legal), and EY (tax).

 

 

News

Vindhya Organics resumes operations and lays a roadmap to overcome the recent setback due to an accident!

Dec 29, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Managing Director, #Mr D.N. Reddy, #Vindhya Organics Pvt. Ltd.

Hyderabad: Vindhya Organics Pvt. Ltd., announced the resuming of operations at its Bolaram facility, which met with an accident recently. Vindhya Organics is more than ever committed to environmental, health and employee safety standards and reaffirms its resolve to quickly normalize the operations and set the company on the path to success, says Mr D.N. Reddy, Managing Director, Vindhya Organics Pvt. Ltd.

The Company has initiated thorough investigation to identify the root cause of a reactor catching fire during the layer separation process on December 12th, 2020 and is proactively taking necessary preventive actions. During the accident, fire extended to a production block leading to significant damage in it. The other 2 production blocks are safe and intact. While there were no fatalities, eight people experienced physical injuries, of which six had minor injuries and were discharged from the hospital, while the other two are recovering fast and will be discharged in a couple of days. The company extended complete support to the injured employees including covering their hospital and incidental expenses.

Education, News

Challenges for Primary School Kids in the Changing Education System

Dec 29, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Ankit Kapoor, #City Montessori School, #Delhi, #Dr. Narjeet Kaur, #Head Mistress Guru Harkrishan Public School, #HOD, #Lucknow, #Managing Director, #Mrs. Sushma Rajkuamr, #Ms. Ritika Anand, #Pratham Test Prep, #St. Mark’s Sr Sec Public School, #Vice Principal

New Delhi:  The Education Leaders Confluence 2020 (ELC) organised on “Challenges for Primary School Kids in the Changing Education System”, the confluence was organised by Pratham Test prep, the confluence focuses on holistic development and has also restructured and re-engineered modules to cater to children right from middle school to help them understand the importance of aptitude building.

The ELC 2020 constitutes a series of talks and discussions, conducted to hear out the experts and discuss various issues and opportunities available in the education sector. Even though India has made significant progress on access to schooling and admissions in primary education, the on-going pandemic has brought new challenges in front of the education system especially in India where we are still in the process to learn and improve. The low levels of learning remain the biggest challenge for the state and the central government.

ELC 20 was aimed to bring thought leaders together and bring to light various aspects of the education system and the need to uplift society. The discussion was graced by eminent panelists that included, Dr. Narjeet Kaur, Head Mistress Guru Harkrishan Public School, Delhi, Mrs. Sushma Rajkuamr, HOD, City Montessori School, Lucknow, and Ms. Ritika Anand, Vice Principal, St. Mark’s Sr Sec Public School, Delhi.

“COVID-19 has provided us the opportunity to sow the seeds of creating a more empathetic, humane population that our primary students need to be educated in such a way. There is a paradigm shift witnessed in the education sector in India for the last few months due to the pandemic. The teachers had to adapt to e-learning leaving the traditional way of teaching. Many teachers were reluctant of this adaption, but there was no way out and the result was new innovative ways to teach to make the class engaging and interesting.” Said Ankit Kapoor, Managing Director, Pratham Test Prep.

In India there are several challenges related to the student-teacher ratios, infrastructure, and lack of training amongst teachers. In India, the government has to think of ways and mediums to provide teacher training so that overall development is provided to the students.

“Education is the process that aids learning, acquiring knowledge and skills to one’s character. In testing times of pandemics, the mode of education has changed by the advent of new technologies. The rise of affordable internet has made education easy and accessible to every corner of the world and the Interactive learning approach has made the availability of education at the comfort of our home.” Said Dr. Narjeet Kaur, Head Mistress Guru Harkrishan Public School, Delhi

The use of technology in education will change the way teachers teach and students learn, but not wash away the need of teachers for a student. Guru Drona was in possession of an indestructible sword along with innumerable arrows in his quiver. Likewise, the Gurus of today have technology as one of the arrows or probably it’s their invincible sword!”

“The mundane ways of teaching will be out-dated and it will offer real-life learning opportunities that will diminish what is taught in the classrooms and the real-life requirements. The traditional methods will see a transformation. Technology is not here to replace the teacher who was, is, will be the GURU- Dispeller of Darkness.” said Ms. Ritika Anand, Vice Principal, St. Mark’s Sr Sec Public School, Delhi

Highlighting the importance of vernacular content, the confluence also laid stress on the new and variety of content as a resource to quality education and learning. Since it seems difficult for some schools in rural areas, there is a dire need to focus on the quality of content where the platforms are devoid of it.

“2020 has been a year when teachers and teaching came into focus. Big gains have happened in terms of methods, attitudes & relationships. As we now begin to prepare for returning to school, I sincerely hope that all the positives are sustained and schools and teachers are valued for the service they give to society”. concluded Mrs. Sushma Rajkuamr, HOD, City Montessori School, Lucknow.

Business World, News

S&P Global CSA 2020 announces ABFRL as Asia’s `Most Sustainable Company’ in Textile, Apparel & Luxury Goods Industry

Dec 29, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Managing Director, #Managing Director of ABFRL, #Mr. Ashish Dikshit, #Mr. Edoardo Gai, #SAM a part of S&P Global

Hyderabad: Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), the powerhouse of fashion and retail sector is positioned as Asia’s `Most Sustainable Company’ and globally ranked 8th in the Textiles, Apparel & Luxury goods Industry for its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance in the 2020 edition of S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The CSA methodology is used, among others, to select the companies for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director of ABFRL said, “We are delighted that ABFRL has been positioned first in Asia and 8th Globally in Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Industry category based on S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2020. These rankings reflect our commitment towards enhancing economic, governance, social, and environmental initiatives at ABFRL. Over the past decade, ABFRL has been a pioneer in driving sustainability to the forefront of the Fashion and Retail Industry. As a responsible Organisation, we aim to provide thought leadership and accelerate the sustainability drive in the industry.”

Mr. Edoardo Gai, Managing Director, SAM a part of S&P Global said, “We congratulate Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited for achieving the highest score of all Asian companies in the Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods Industry and a global industry rank of eight, based on the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) 2020. This is a reflection of being a sustainability leader in your industry. With a record number of companies participating in the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment, this sets your company apart and rewards your continued commitment to people and planet.”

Every year the S&;P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment methodology is used to assess global companies and ranks the companies based on their ESG performance. ABFRL score was reflection of its virtue of vision, continuous efforts, commitment and efficient sustainability work in the areas of the corporate governance & economic, environmental and social dimensions.

Business World

MIMI Homes, A Premium Interior& Home Décor Brand Unveils New Collection

Dec 27, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Managing Director, #MIMI Homes, #Mimi Jumabhoy

Put the finishing touches to your home with the newly launched “home décor accessories and fashion-forward furniture” collection by MIMI Homes. The premium interior and home décor brand’s latest collection is designed with elegance and sophistication, giving you unmatched comfort and unrivaled contemporary style.

Boasting bold designs, elegant shapes in seasonal hues, the conspicuous home décor accessories collection features distinctly structured rich neutrals, eclectic designs, and aesthetic statement pieces. MIMI Homes collection also has a wide range of trendy upholstery furniture including sofas, beds, coffee tables, consoles, bookshelves, bar units, etc.

Featuring ivory and gold accessories, statement marble detailing, and warm walnut woods, all pieces in the collection are created with meticulous attention to detail and high-quality workmanship to make each piece one of a kind. The stunning interior and home decor pieces fit into any aesthetic and would bring a sense of serenity into your home.

Add a statement to the center of any lounge with a sleek and stylish table from MIMI Homes. Pair the sofa with a side table worthy of attention with one of the beautiful options. Go contemporary with a unique antique side table made by reused wood and iron legs or go for the inverted trapezoidal table with marble top and an iron base coated in a gold coffee table – each just as striking as the other. Mimi Jumabhoy is the Managing Director of MIMI Homes. Hurry! now is the perfect opportunity to change up your space to make it more like your style.

News

Capri Global Capital Ltd appoints Mr. Raj Kumar Ahuja as Group Chief Financial Officer

Dec 24, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Capri Global Capital Ltd, #Group Chief Financial Officer, #Managing Director, #Mr. Raj Kumar Ahuja, #Mr. Rajesh Sharma

Hyderabad: Capri Global Capital Ltd (CGCL), a diversified NBFC focusing on MSME lending and housing finance has appointed Mr. Raj Kumar Ahuja as its Group Chief Financial Officer. The appointment has come into effect from December 15, 2020.

A finance professional with nearly 30 years of experience in a multi-product environment of varied industries, Mr. Ahuja will be leading the financial operations at CGCL while optimizing the strategic expansion of the business. His wide-ranging knowledge of procurement & commercial, legal, compliance risk, legal, secretarial, audit, strategic and regulatory aspect would contribute to achieving the business goals of the company. He would be based out of the head office in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Speaking about the appointment, Mr. Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, Capri Global Capital Ltd. said, “Mr. Ahuja has the well-suited experience for what we need at this point in our growth trajectory. His extensive and diversified financial expertise, strategic guidance, and commitment to strengthening the financial health of the business will make a strong contribution to our company. We are pleased to welcome Mr. Ahuja to our leadership team.”

He has diverse experience across IT, Bio-Med, Consumer Electronics, Media, Telco VAS, Bank, Financial Services & Fintech industry. His multi-dimensional skills in managing Finance & Operations role focusing on investor relations, analytics, operations, mergers, financial structuring, fund raising and other sub-functions like planning, controllership, compliances and tax, has positively impacted business performances during his previous stints. Before joining CGCL, Mr. Ahuja has served as Senior Group President & Group Chief Financial/Strategic Officer at Yes Bank. Earlier, he has worked with Reliance Jio Infocomm, FINO PayTech, One 97(PayTM) Communications, Star India Pvt Ltd, Wipro Technologies, NXP Semiconductors and American Express at various key positions.

News

Lionsgate Extends Contract of Rohit Jain with Expanded Responsibilities in Asia

Dec 23, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Lionsgate, #Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, #Managing Director, #Rohit Jain

Hyderabad: Global content leader Lionsgate announced the contract renewal and promotion of Rohit Jain to be Managing Director, South Asia and Networks – Emerging Markets Asia.

With the promotion, Jain is responsible for shepherding growth across all of Lionsgate’s South Asian businesses and expanding the Starz premium subscription platform throughout the emerging markets of Asia.  He joins a group of dynamic and entrepreneurial Indian executives taking on expanding regional and worldwide roles within their global companies.

Since Lionsgate opened its first office in India in 2018 under his leadership, Rohit has spearheaded the growth of its Asian operations by launching the Lionsgate Play streaming service across multiple Emerging Asian markets including India, establishing strategic partnerships with major telco’s, broadband services, OEM’s and global streaming platforms. He has also been instrumental in establishing a robust South Asian licensing and distribution business to strengthen Lionsgate’s footprint in the region.

“Rohit is an entrepreneurial and innovative executive who has gotten our Indian operations off to a great start with the successful launch of Lionsgate Play,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.  “He has created a forward-looking blueprint for growth in one of the world’s most important territories.  As he expands our streaming initiatives into additional Emerging Asian markets, he will be an important part of moving our global platform forward.”

“This is an exciting time for all of us at Lionsgate as our newly launched SVOD service has received a phenomenal response from Indian viewers,” said Jain.  “The entrepreneurial culture at Lionsgate, a global company with the soul of a start-up, is what keeps me excited. I am thankful to Lionsgate’s visionary leadership team for creating this wonderful opportunity.”

News

Forevermark unveils two exclusive solitaire rings from upcoming signature Icon Collection

Dec 23, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #De Beers - India, #Managing Director, #Sachin Jain

Mumbai: December 22, 2020 – For all brides and grooms to-be, there is nothing more romantic in the run-up to their wedding than the glint of a sparkling diamond solitaire ring that tells the world their iconic love story. To give couples a chance to seal this once-in-a-lifetime promise of a lifelong commitment this wedding season, Forevermark has especially unveiled two exclusive solitaire rings from its signature Icon Collection that will launch in 2021.

These rings will be exclusively available at the retail outlets of eight Forevermark Jewellers in Mumbai. Customers who buy any of these two iconic solitaire pieces between December 23, 2020 and January 24, 2021, can take home a Forevermark diamond gifted by the brand with each purchase. Customers who purchase these rings during the stipulated period will be proud owners of an exclusive piece of iconic jewelry from a yet-to-be released elite and much-anticipated collection.

“We wanted to do something really special this wedding season and so we made these rings from our much-awaited Icon Collection to go live in 2021, exclusively available for a short span of time. Couples will want to buy these timeless, versatile, and contemporary solitaire rings that showcase exquisite craftsmanship because the rings will tell the world their unique love story. To make things convenient and quick, our customers can virtually try-on and pick their favorite rings before they visit the store for a final booking thereby cutting down time spent at the store,” said Sachin Jain, Managing Director, De Beers India.

Each of these timeless and elegant ring designs are available in three carat sizes — 0.25, 0.50 and 1 carat and are crafted with beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced diamonds and set in 18K rose, yellow and white gold.

These distinctive statement rings are aptly named after the globally recognized Forevermark icon, which was originally designed to capture the romance and brilliance of a starry South African night sky, combined with the outline of a diamond; two everlasting symbols of forever. Forevermark has gone one step further to make the iconic proposal even more memorable for the couple with a personalized named jewelry box to store your beautiful jewellery.

Each ring will come with a Forevermark Grading Report from the De Beers institute of Diamonds. Forevermark diamonds are hand-selected for its beauty and rarity; each is genuine, untreated, and natural; each diamond has a unique inscription number and identification card bearing the assurance of it being rare and responsibly sourced. Less than 1% of the world’s natural diamonds are worthy of this inscription which is a promise that the diamond has been carefully selected to meet Forevermark’s standards of quality and integrity.

Available at:

Om jewellers – Ground Floor, Shangrila Apartments, Lokmanya Tilak Rd, near Borivali Station, Borivali West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400092. Or call at 86579 90236

Anmol jewellers – Shop No. 2, Kakad Palace, Turner Rd, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050. Or call at 98205 00476

Kundan – G3-G7 Center Square,near Ramjharukha Apts, S.V Rd, Andheri West,Mumbai 400058. Or call at 96198 94940

Joyalukkas, Mulund – 360, Degree Business Park, LBS Marg, Mulund West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400080. Or call at 022 21647100

Joyalukkas, Andheri – Landmark Building, Ground, New Link Rd, Andheri West, Andheri, Maharashtra 400053. Or call at 022 68195800

Joyalukkas, Vashi – Platinum Technopark, Behind Raghuleela Mall, Bhagwan Mahaveer Rd, Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 400705. Or call at 022 2781 3500

Malabar Gold – Landmark Building, G1 Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai- 400053. Or call at 022 2674 1916

Waman Hari Pethe – Cosmos Court, S.V. Road, Opp IOC Petrol Pump, Vile Parle (w) Mumbai – 400056. Or call at 70456 69729

TDF – Satra Plaza, Next to Mercedes Showroom, Sec- 19 D, Palm Beach Road, Navi Mumbai 400703. Or call at 9920764212

Goldsmith – Dharam Palace, 9, N S Patkar Marg, Gamdevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400007. Or call at 97733 96529

Business World

OpenText announces $1M USD Donation to Fight Food Insecurity

Dec 15, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Isaac Rajkumar, #Managing Director, #OpenText India

Hyderabad: OpenTextTM (NASDAQ: OTEX), (TSX: OTEX), today announced a combined donation of $1 million USD to food banks in OpenText communities around the world. As part of the initiative, the company announced a donation of $55,000 USD (4 million INR) to the Hyderabad and Bengaluru chapters of United Way, an NGO affiliated to United Way Worldwide. Over and above the funds OpenText already contributes to good causes in India through its CSR program and through which United Way is an existing beneficiary, this additional donation will help further United Way’s mission in Hyderabad and Bengaluru to enable communities to improve lives by addressing local priority issues, including the provision of food and household supplies to those most in need.

“The demand for food banks has never been greater, and we wanted to do our part to meet this heightened and historic need,” said OpenText CEO & CTO Mark J. Barrenechea. “This holiday season, OpenText teams in 58 communities around the world are supporting local food banks to help ensure everyone has enough to eat. These communities support OpenText every day, and we are grateful to be able to support them in turn.”

“Covid-19 has undoubtedly thrown a big challenge to the world,” commented Mr Rajesh Krishnan, Executive Director, United Way Bengaluru. “United Way Bengaluru has been working at ground level to meet the needs of communities affected by the pandemic. We are obliged to have OpenText hand holding us in this initiative. With OpenText’s support, we were able to provide aid to communities from government facilities by donating required medical equipment for the treatment of Covid-affected patients. OpenText also supported children and migrant workers across the city with hygiene and food ration kits. We are thankful for their continuous support in promoting positive change in society.”

Isaac Rajkumar, Managing Director, OpenText India, added, “For over 10 years, our operations and employees in India have been an important part of the OpenText success story. At this time of need, it is gratifying that we are able to extend our support for the local communities.”

These donations will help food banks provide up to 4 million meals to individuals and families in 21 countries around the world. More information and a full list of the organizations supported is available on the OpenText Voyager Fund page.

This is the first donation of the OpenText Voyager Fund, an extension of the OpenText Voyager Program launched in 2020 to strengthen the OpenText community of customers, partners and employees. The OpenText Voyager Fund will identify key needs in our communities and support local partners in addressing them.

“The OpenText Voyager Fund will work with local partners to make a difference in the communities where we live and work,” continued Barrenechea. “We’re grateful that our first contribution will address the real challenge of food insecurity during this important time of year, and we look forward to continuing to work with our local partners in the months and years ahead.”

News

Now sing along with Carvaan Karaoke

Dec 15, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Carvaan Karaoke, #Managing Director, #Mr. Vikram Mehra, #Saregama India

Mumbai: Whether you fancy good old retro classics of Lata Mangeshkar or the best of Mohd Rafi, nothing brings out the unapologetic singer in you like a good old karaoke evening. Betting on new technology and a 100-year legacy, Saregama turns a new leaf with the introduction of Carvaan Karaoke offering yet another entertaining and engaging product experience. Carvaan Karaoke comes with an inbuilt screen which glides upon smoothly to display song lyrics. It does not require any external set up and is an easy plug and play.

Carvaan Karaoke comes with 1000 pre-loaded Karaoke tracks, 5000 evergreen Hindi songs and 280 + music & non -music based podcasts to suit interest of every member of the family. It supports other functions like FM/ AM/ BT/ Aux out & HDMI connectivity as well. It comes with two mics with eco control. If one wishes, the lyrics can be projected on TV or projector via HDMI. This comes at a perfect time where most people are still home restricted due to pandemic and missing out on party fun. Carvaan karaoke is just apt for house parties this festive season.

It is extremely simple to operate, portable and looks premium in rich metallic red colour.

Talking about the latest launch, Mr. Vikram Mehra, Managing Director, Saregama India said, “Carvaan Karaoke is a complete one stop solution for all retro music lovers. Not just listening to evergreen songs but singing along with family and friends from the comfort of your house is a priceless experience.”