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News

Hyderabad to be host of the largest gathering of plumbing, water, sanitation, and building industry experts from around the globe – from November 21st to 23rd

Hyderabad, November 12th, 2024…..The 30th Indian Plumbing Conference, the largest-ever gathering of the Plumbing industry, will be held in the city this month from November 21st to 23rd at Hitex.

The theme of the conference will be Water-The New Currency

The theme emphasizes water’s vital role in sustainability and climate action, promoting initiatives like Green Credits and Water Credits to support India’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. This conference aims to enhance water management, inspire innovation, and foster economic resilience by encouraging water-efficient technologies and aligning with national carbon reduction targets.

The conference will be organized by the 31-year-old Indian Plumbing Association (IPA), an NGO and an apex body of plumbing professionals in India.

Shri D. Sridhar Babu, Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications, Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest, and Shri Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, will be the guest of honour.

The Keynote Speaker will be Mr. Søren Nørrelund Kannik-Marquardsen, Commercial Counsellor, Head of the Trade Council New Delhi & Regional Coordinator for South Asia, Embassy of Denmark in India

1500 plus delegates from across India and abroad will participate. Eighty exhibitors to showcase their products and services. More than 8000 visitors are expected to visit the conference cum expo.

The conference will host engaging technical sessions and panel discussions, including Water—The New Currency; Moving Towards Net Zero Water in the Built Environment; Water—Revitalizing the Heritage; High Challenges for High-Rise Buildings; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene and Water Scenario in the Hospitality Sector

The conference will feature distinguished speakers, including Shri. Avinash Mishra, Chairman, Water Audit Council & Former Adviser, NITI Aayog; Dr. Rama Kant, Deputy Adviser (PHE), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Prof. Srinivas Chary, CEO, WASH Innovation Hub and Centre Director, ASCI; Shri. Stanley Samuel, Founder, Eco Soft PTE, Singapore; Shri. Nitin Bassi, Senior Program Lead, CEEW; Shri. Rahul Sachdeva, Senior Program Manager, NIUA; Shri. Goutam Reddy, Vice Chairman, RE Sustainability Ltd; Smt. Charu Thapar, Executive Director-Property and Asset Management, Asia Pacific JLL; Shri. HC Vinayaka, Vice President, Technical EHS and Sustainability, ITC; Shri. Prem Thakur, VP Technical Services, IHCL (Taj Group); Sh. Valluri Srinivas, CEO, Synergy Infra Consultants

The conference will have knowledge-sharing sessions on water management in built spaces such as Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and others.

Elaborating on how significant this conference is to Hyderabad Sanjay Bhilare, Chairman of the Hyderabad Chapter said it has blooming and robust real estate recording rapid growth. Infrastructure projects are flourishing, and there is a need for robust plumbing systems, water, waste management, recycling of treated water, and rainwater harvesting. Good plumbing not only ensures the longevity of our buildings but also enhances the quality of life for residents and communities, he added.

We will launch the Telugu version of ‘A Guide to Good Plumbing Practices’. It will be a Plumbing Engineering handbook, Sanjay said.

By 2030, India will have less than half of the total water demand. As per a NITI Aayog report, by then India will be able to supply 744 billion cubic meters of water against a demand for 1,498 billion cubic meters — a shortfall of over 50 percent. In recent incidences, we have seen Bengaluru and Chennai experiencing Day 0, Gurmit Singh, National President of IPA added.

“Day Zero” is the situation when a city’s water supply is almost completely depleted. When “Day Zero” is reached, taps run dry, and municipalities may enforce water restrictions and rations, Gurmit Singh, the Past National Chairman of the Indian Green Building Council. He is an expert on water conservation and reclamation. His domain knowledge includes achieving water use efficiency, water treatment, wastewater treatment, water refining, sewerage treatment, protection and preservation of water bodies, water audits, plumbing methods, and practices.

In the domestic water sector, the loss of water on account of leakages in mains, communication, and service pipes and valves is approximately 30 to 40% of the total flow in the distribution system, he added

India’s Increasing Water Footprint

Virtual Water Trade: India’s water footprint is also linked to the virtual water embedded in the goods it imports and exports. For instance, exports of water-intensive goods, such as rice, cotton, and sugar, indirectly lead to water depletion in regions that produce them, even if those regions are not consuming the water directly.

Exporting Water through Agriculture: India exports millions of tons of rice annually, which has a huge virtual water cost. 1 kg of rice requires around 3,000 liters of water to produce. Thus, India is, in a sense, exporting water to other nations through its agricultural exports, even as it faces its water crises.

The 30th Indian Plumbing Conference provides an important platform to discuss solutions and innovations that can help secure the future of water, ensuring its availability for all.

Water as an Economic Asset: Like money, water has intrinsic value. Its availability or scarcity can directly influence local economies, trade, and livelihoods. Communities that effectively manage water can gain a competitive edge.

Necessity of Reuse: As demand for water increases and sources become strained, water reuse and recycling are no longer optional—they are critical to sustainability.

Circular Economy Approach: Treating water as a “resource to be reused” fits well within the circular economy model, where the goal is to maximize the utility of resources—water being a prime example.

Plumbing’s Role in Water Efficiency

Plumbing Innovations: Advanced plumbing systems, such as low-flow fixtures, sensor-operated taps, smart water metering, and efficient pipe networks, are essential to both reduce water wastage and enable reuse.

Leak Detection and Prevention: Plumbing systems can be equipped with leak detection technology to prevent water loss, which accounts for a significant amount of water wastage in urban infrastructure.

Awareness and Best Practices: Plumbing professionals and the industry at large must play an educational role, in promoting water-efficient practices to the public and industries.

70 percent of communicable diseases spread through bad quality of water

News

Seminar on 1000 days experience of child welfare program at India Habitat Centre

Sep 18, 2024 by Mansi Praharaj 0 Comments #Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul, #Health and Family Welfare Department, #Mice Emporio India, #NGO Vikramshila, #NITI Aayog, #the District Magistrate of Koraput, #Tripti Gurha, #Van Leer Foundation

The foundation of children’s development is laid in childhood: Tripti Gurha

New Delhi: The implementation of NITI Aayog’s ambitious program, “First 1000 Days of Life in Aspirational Districts Program,” an important national seminar was organized today at the Tamarind Hall of India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, in collaboration with NGO Vikramashila and Van Leer Foundation.

The purpose of this seminar was to share the experiences gained from the program started in the Koraput district of Odisha and Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh in the year 2022. In the seminar, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Tripti Gurha said that parents should take special care of their children because the foundation of children’s development is laid in childhood.

Many officials, including NITI Aayog, the Health and Family Welfare Department, and the District Magistrate of Koraput and Fatehpur, participated in the program. NITI Aayog member Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul also shared his experiences and talked about taking special care during the first thousand days of children. The purpose of this national seminar was to bring together doctors, academicians, pediatricians, policymakers, government officials, and civil society organizations.

During this, success stories were shared to raise awareness about this program. The organizers said that possibilities of taking this initiative forward in other districts of the country are also being explored. NGO Vikramshila and Van Leer Foundation were the special contributors to this event. The organizer of the program, Mice Emporio India, expressed hope that the brainstorming session in the program will bring new awareness to the understanding of the thousand days.

News

Dastur Energy recognized with the Decarbonization Excellence Partner Award

Jul 1, 2024 by Mansi Praharaj 0 Comments #5th edition of the Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress (GRPC 2024)., #Atanu Mukherjee, #carbon capture, #carbon management., #CEO Dastur Energy, #clean energy technology company, #clean energy transition, #Dastur Energy, #Decarbonization Excellence Partner" award, #Downstream India Excellence Awards 2024., #Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress (GRPC 2024), #Governing Council of The Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress (GRPC 2024), #Hotel Le Meridien., #hydrogen, #India, #Indian downstream Oil & Gas industry, #industrial decarbonization, #industry leaders, #innovation, #M. N. Dastur & Co. (P) Ltd., #management, #New Delhi, #NITI Aayog, #North America, #Organizations, #Research, #technoeconomic, #Technology, #the Middle East, #the United States Department of Energy, #thought leadership, #United States Trade, #United States Trade and Development Agency., #utilization & sequestration

01st July 2024: Dastur Energy, a leading clean energy technology company, has been named winner of the “Decarbonization Excellence Partner” award by the Governing Council of The Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress (GRPC 2024) & Organizers of the Downstream India Excellence Awards 2024.

The Award recognizes Dastur Energy’s significant contributions towards enabling industrial-scale clean energy transformation by offering deep expertise across the industrial decarbonization value chain including – renewable energy, clean fuels like hydrogen, production process changes, and carbon capture, utilization & sequestration. Dastur Energy’s team of industrial decarbonization, technoeconomic, regulatory, and project risk experts deliver – a cost-effective strategic approach that is designed to deliver significant business impact while enabling clean energy transition and carbon management.

The Award, held in association with the Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress (GRPC 2024), recognizes industry leaders and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in thought leadership, management, research, technology, innovation, and overall operations in the Indian downstream Oil & Gas industry.

Atanu Mukherjee, CEO Dastur Energy, expressed his gratitude for the award, stating, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award which recognizes our commitment to developing innovative solutions that enable the transition to a sustainable future.”

The award was announced and conferred during the ceremony and networking reception held on June 27, 2024, at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi, as part of the 5th edition of the Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress (GRPC 2024).

Dastur Energy, a subsidiary of M. N. Dastur & Co. (P) Ltd., has been successfully delivering industrial-scale clean energy transition and carbon management solutions for companies in the ‘hard to abate’ sectors in North America, the Middle East, and India. In addition, the company has been closely associated as a partner and thought leader enabling pioneering projects funded by governmental entities like – NITI-Aayog, the United States Department of Energy, United States Trade and Development Agency.

Business

Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog & India’s First Funding Show Horses Stable Launches Premiere Edition of Junior Category for Young Entrepreneurs

Jun 9, 2022 by Agency 0 Comments #Atal Innovation Mission, #Horses Stable, #NITI Aayog, #young entrepreneurs

Following the resounding success of the first three seasons, Horses Stable, a show that taps into the hidden potential of brilliant entrepreneurial talents from India, today launched the ‘junior season’ of the show in association with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.

The ‘Horses Stable-Junior’ focuses on nurturing the young entrepreneurs and empowers the budding start-ups to pitch their innovative ideas to seek guidance and grants for their future business ventures from an experienced panel of horses.

Sharing his thoughts on the collaboration with Horses Stable, Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog said– “Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog is pleased to be associated with the vision of Mr.Suniel Shetty and Mr. Prashant Agarwal to launch the junior category that will encourage the blooming talent and push forward to the growth and development of India, as it aligns with the objectives of AIM, NITI Aayog. The vision also corroborates to the ‘Make in India’ concept and will only fuel the process of grooming and nurturing the next generations.”

Adding to the thoughts, Dr.Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director-Atal Innovation Mission said, “Horses Stable Junior marks an important step in the journey of India’s innovation ecosystem at the school-level. We have witnessed a great deal of entrepreneurship coming from the students of Atal Tinkering Labs, with students as young as ten years owning a start-up, and many in their teens on their second or third. Horses Stable Junior goes well beyond ATLs by offering a platform to ALL schools and students of India. With today’s launch, I am very eager to discover how the youngest of our citizens are engaging to take our nation forward.”

Horses Stable, an unscripted and non-fiction show is created, and conceptualized by Group CEO of Horses Productions Private Limited-production house of the show Horses Stable Prashant Agarwal, under the mentorship of entrepreneur and star-actor Suniel Shetty. This flagship series is supported by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. With the launch of its Junior season, Horses Stable, deemed as India’s largest business funding show, is promoting the culture of starting young on the entrepreneurial journey and providing a robust platform to hone their business ideas.

Commenting on the same, Prashant Agarwal,said – “It is my vision to set up a platform for the young potential entrepreneurs and I’m glad to have the backing of celebrated actor Suniel Shetty as our host and mentor. We are grateful for NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission’s unwavering support as this collaboration will take the platform to a large audience, who are already a part of the innovation ecosystem in India. The roaring success of the past seasons has encouraged us to bring forth a never seen before concept for junior entrepreneurs. The concept behind the initiative is to shape the future of their idea, through the guidance of experienced and able minds in the ecosystem.”

Expressing his views, Suniel Shetty, Celebrated actor, entrepreneur, Host & Mentor added– “I learned business early. Hands on – taught the value of dal, atta, chawal, dosa, and the price of hard work. The learnings stick in your head longer the earlier you’re pushed into it. It’s the same for business. Today’s kids are brighter at 2 and 5 than we were at 12 and 15. So why not give them a chance? After all, they are our future. And I want the next Bezos, Jobs, and Gates to come from India.”

The application process for the show has begun on 08^th June 2022on the official website of Horses Stable. The age category for application is 10 to 17 years old.

Business World

Zypp Electric supports “Shoonya” – Zero Pollution Delivery campaign, a Joint Initiative by NITI Aayog and RMI

Nov 20, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Akash Gupta, #CEO, #Clay Stranger, #Co-Founder & CEO of Zypp Electric, #MD, #Mr. Amitabh Kant, #NITI Aayog, #RMI

Zypp Electric, India’s leading EV-based startup in last-mile delivery supports Shoonya – a Zero Pollution Delivery campaign aims at reducing pollution in India, a Joint Initiative by NITI Aayog, the public policy think-tank of the Government of India and RMI by accelerating the deployment of electric vehicles for final-mile deliveries.

Logistics is growing day by day with the increase in the demands of the goods in a short span of time. To fill this gap NITI Aayog with RMI has started a campaign called Shoonya. Shoonya aims to fully electrify last mile deliveries. The vision of the campaign is to build awareness and demand for zero pollution delivery among consumers. With Shoonya, Zypp Electric will recognize and promote industry efforts towards fleet electrification. It will set the last mile delivery sector on a pathway to 100% electrification by 2030.

Zypp Electric has organised the largest EV Flag Off ceremony in participation with Shoonya campaign today i.e. 18th November 2021 in Delhi. The Chief Guest of the event was Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.

On the inclusion of Zypp Electric in the campaign, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said “Shoonya presents a unique opportunity for start-ups like Zypp Electric to set an example for the freight sector to go green. Everything which is committed to green mobility is committed to a shared and connected world. It is also committed to clean pollution in Delhi and also committed to providing better livelihood to the citizens and to the delivery people in India. And, therefore Zypp is a unique role model for others to emulate. When we started Shoonya alongwith RMI sometime back, our intention was to ensure that the last mile delivery is all done by electric vehicles, so that not only will this clean up the air, not only this will provide better connectivity, not only will this ensure a better livelihood for the gig workers of today but this will help us transition from combustion to a shared connected electric world and therefore our belief is in Niti Aayog our belief is that if we will be able to do last-mile connectivity to the electric vehicles then this movement will spread and it will serve as a huge lesson for others and then others will emulate last mile connectivity and replicate the electric vehicle. We provided a long support through the fame scheme through the fastest option of electric vehicles. I am confident that the start-up community will lead India’s EV revolution by electrifying final-mile distribution.”

Through this event, Zypp Electric showcased its mission of sustainability and greener future. In this event, Zypp Electric will flag off a large fleet of EV bikes with delivery executives as a mark of EV adoption.

Clay Stranger, MD, RMI said “The urban delivery sector has the highest potential for full-scale electrification amongst all use cases. Through the Shoonya campaign, we are engaging the entire ecosystem to increase consumer awareness for zero pollution deliveries. I congratulate Zypp for taking a lead in accelerating EV adoption.”

Zypp Electric is India’s leading EV last mile logistics company and aims to build the world’s largest EV logistics tech fleet ecosystem for a sustainable future. Zypp Electric is on a mission to reduce carbon emissions through its largest electric scooter fleet and electrify last mile logistics, this aligns perfectly with the Shoonya campaign and sees Shoonya as a great partner in this mission.

Speaking on the partnership with NITI Aayog for this unique initiative Akash Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO of Zypp Electric said “We are extremely proud to announce to support this unique initiative – Shoonya, a Zero Pollution Delivery campaign, which is launched by NITI Aayog and RMI. The main aim of this partnership is 100% electrification of the delivery of goods and services through EV that will not only help to curb air pollution but also to reduce the cost of last mile deliveries and increase driver earnings. We at Zypp Electric aim to reduce carbon emissions through its largest electric scooter fleet and by electrifying last mile logistics, this aligns perfectly with the Shoonya campaign. With Shoonya and Zypp coming in together, we are sure that we will achieve this mission together faster and save the planet.”

Business, News

Amazon India announces increase in storage capacity of its fulfilment network by close to 40%

Jul 15, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Akhil Saxena, #Amazon, #Amitabh Kant, #APAC, #CEO, #Customer Fulfilment Operations, #MENA & LATAM, #NITI Aayog, #VP

National: Amazon India today announced its plans to expand its fulfilment network in India, with close to 40% increase in its storage capacity over last year. With this expansion, Amazon.in will have more than 43 million cubic feet of storage capacity, across 15 States, supporting around 8.5 lakh sellers across India. The expansion is in line with Amazon India’s continued efforts to heavily invest in the country and create tens of thousands of direct and indirect work opportunities. Amazon India’s overall fulfilment network will be spread across a floor area of more than 10 million square feet, more than the land size of 125 football fields, housing millions of products from a notebook to a dish washer.

With this expansion, Amazon India has more than 60 fulfilment centers and more than 25 specialized sites dedicated to Amazon Fresh selection for daily essentials and grocery, across India. The launch of 11 new fulfilment centres and expansion of 9 existing ones across States such as Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat,Assam, Rajasthan,Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, is designed to deliver a smarter, faster, and more consistent experience for its customers and sellers across the country. Some of these new fulfilment centres will be operational ahead of Prime Day 2021 and all new fulfillment centers will be operational before the festive season, enabling customers to have what they need delivered at their door step.

Buildings across Amazon India’s fulfillment network are designed with state-of-the art technology and efficient building systems that minimize energy usage. The buildings have on-site and off-site solar panels, which produce solar power. Most buildings are also designed to be net water zero with multiple initiatives such as rainwater collection tanks, recharge wells to replenish water into aquifers, sewage treatment plants, and ultra-low water efficient fixtures. Fulfilment centres are also being designed to make these work places accessible to people with disabilities as Amazon India continues to hire a diverse workforce and make the work place more inclusive.

Akhil Saxena, VP, Customer Fulfilment Operations, APAC, MENA & LATAM, Amazon, said“The rapid expansion of our fulfilment network accelerates on our commitment to serve and empower small and medium businesses in India and customers. With the increased storage capacity of 43 million cubic feet, we will continue to seamlessly cater to the growing demand of our customers, while offering a better experience with wider selection and faster delivery. This expansion will also provide a fillip to the ancillary businesses who support us including those involved in packaging, logistics, and transportation, amongst others, while creating meaningful work opportunities across the country.”

Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, said: “E-commerce has played a crucial role throughout the pandemic by supporting people, small businesses, and creating thousands of local job opportunities. I am happy to see the focussed investments by Amazon across Indian states in building and scaling the state-of-the art infrastructure. This will play a critical role in supporting MSMEs jump-start from the economic disruptions of COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate their journey towards being digital entrepreneurs. The future is digital & our MSMEs must become drivers of this growth. My best wishes to all the Indian MSMEs & Amazon for being committed to the agenda of building a dynamic, vibrant and resilient Digital India.”

Amazon has created one of the most advanced fulfilment networks and sellers in India have been benefitting from Amazon’s expertise in fulfilment, reliable nationwide delivery, and customer service. When using Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA), sellers across India send their products to Amazon’s FCs and once an order is placed, Amazon picks, packs and ships the order to the customer, provides customer service and manages returns on behalf of the sellers.

Amazon India places tremendous value and focus on the well-being and safety of its people across its fulfilment network as everyone faces the challenges associated with COVID-19. Recently, Amazon India announced the completion of more than 130,000 vaccinations for its associates, employees, and their dependents through vaccination events hosted in partnership with leading healthcare providers across several cities.

All customers on www.amazon.in and the Amazon mobile shopping app have an easy and convenient access to over 200 million+ products across hundreds of categories. They benefit from a safe and secure ordering experience, convenient electronic payments, Cash on Delivery, Amazon’s 24×7 customer service support, and a globally recognized and comprehensive 100% purchase protection provided by Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee. They can also enjoy Amazon.in’s guaranteed next-day, two-day delivery and standard delivery on products fulfilled by Amazon.

News, Technology

DigiBoxx offers 26 GB of free storage to users for taking #SwadesiStorage pledge this Republic Day

Jan 29, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Arnab Mitra, #CEO, #DigiBoxx™, #NITI Aayog, #Shri Amitabh Kant

New Delhi: DigiBoxx, India’s first digital asset management platform has announced the #SwadesiStorage pledge on the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day. Users who sign-up starting 26th January, 2021 will be eligible to avail the special offer valid for the Republic Day week along with the pledge to support indigenous products and services. All users who take the pledge during the Republic Day week will be given 26 GB free storage space.

DigiBoxx was recently launched by Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, last month. He had signed up for an account, making him the first user of DigiBoxx. It is India’s only ‘Made in India’ digital SaaS product created since India’s Independence. It is committed to the Government of India’s vision of #Aatmanirbhar Bharat #VocalforLocal and is in line with India’s national security and data localization priorities. DigiBoxx provides storage options for businesses as well as individual users. It provides an easy and secure way to store all the files in one centralized location.

Arnab Mitra, CEO, DigiBoxx™ commented, “With more than 4 lacs active users since the launch, we are really happy to see the kind of support that we have received from the people. Since DigiBoxx is a ‘Made in India’ product, we decided to celebrate Republic Day in an exclusive way by offering 26 GB free storage to the new users who sign up with us by taking the #SwadesiStorage pledge. We also aim to expand our horizons and encourage the users to ‘Store, Save and Share in India’ and go #VocalforLocal, thus paving a way towards ‘Digital India’ and boost home-grown digital innovations.”

Available in monthly and yearly plans starting with as low as Rs.30 per month, it provides a free account with 2GB maximum file size, and unlimited external collaborations. It consists of a file-sharing feature named ‘InstaShare’ that intends to make the user’s life easier by allowing them to share, large-size documents, high-resolution images, videos, PDFs in real quick time by registering in the app. The feature is highly user friendly and will take just seconds to share any file.

About DigiBoxx™

DigiBoxx™ is an intelligent Indian digital file storage and sharing platform that’s secure, fast, intuitive, and easy on the pocket. With a goal to make digital asset management go vocal for local, we have built a robust technology that’s world-class and yet keeps in mind the flavors of India. DigiBoxx™ is the first of its kind cutting edge indigenous digital asset management SaaS platform introduced in India. It is a tech startup founded and promoted by Arnab Mitra, MD, LIQVD ASIA along with Ashish Jalan and Vivek Suchanti, Concept Group.

Business World

MSMEs to adapt and embrace digital solutions to accelerate growth

Jan 7, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Atal Innovation Mission, #Mission Director, #NITI Aayog, #Shri Ramanan Ramanathan

New Delhi: The emergence of Industry 4.0 has resulted in business processes becoming automated and establishing new productivity benchmarks. With emerging technologies, including AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the cloud becoming more mainstream, the entire business landscape is transforming rapidly.

While MSMEs undoubtedly serve as the backbone of the economy owing to their high share of employment and value-addition, a strong focus on digitalisation and innovation is the need of the hour to sustain and engage in global markets.

At a recently concluded MSME Business Forum session, Shri Ramanan Ramanathan, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, Niti Aayog, said, “India’s MSME sector makes a vast and critical contribution to the country’s economy. With contributions of around 6.11% of the manufacturing GDP, 24.63% of the GDP from service activities, and 33.4% of India’s manufacturing output, India’s MSMEs have the potential to leapfrog and scale new heights by adopting digital technologies.

India is at the crossroads of a new destiny, and every factor works in India’s favour. However, I believe that the potential is much more immense. And today when you look at the overall digital ecosystem that is being built. India has a young population and a fast-rising Internet user base. 65% of India’s Internet users access the Internet every day.”

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative of the Government of India under the Niti Aayog, is committed to creating and promoting an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship nationwide stimulating the growth of a nation of job creators, not just job seekers. To ensure above and scale-up the MSME contribution to the GDP to 50%, AIM has launched over 68 Atal incubators, fostering thousands of Startups, Atal Community Centers in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities in rural India.

To enable community-centric innovations and local entrepreneurship and job creation, ARISE and Atal New India challenges help Make in India innovations in the MSME industry in partnership with ministries.

Thousands of Atal Tinkering Labs across the country aim to create a problem solving innovative mindset in our country’s youth.

These and many other Government Digital India initiatives will enable unprecedented growth of the MSME industry in the years ahead.

“With massive support from the Indian Government for going digital, India is leading the growth in driving digital initiatives. India is the fastest-growing e-commerce market; digital payments have grown at a CAGR of 61% over the past three years. As one can see, undoubtedly, India is one of the biggest markets for digital users. MSMEs can leapfrog to the next level and power India’s economy to a different level by leveraging digital technologies’ power.

Today, the rise of as-a-service models has made technology consumption and adoption extremely affordable. MSMEs can use technologies such as the cloud to roll out digital business models quickly. Additionally, technologies like AI, IoT, Blockchain, and Analytics can be leveraged to their full potential to roll out innovative products and service business models.

The Indian MSME sector stands at the cusp of a new dawn. It has a golden opportunity to springboard to a new level by leveraging digital technologies’ power and potential. For the MSME sector, it is now time to embrace the future, and this is the perfect time to do so!” added Shri Ramanathan.

For the MSME sector, the time is ripe to embrace the future and transform prevailing business challenges, particularly for the post-pandemic economy.

A large pool of MSMEs in India still relies on manual documentation and legacy on-premise IT infrastructure, bound to become obsolete with intense competition and changing consumer behaviours in the coming years.

A shift from a legacy mindset now is a must for business owners to stay relevant and leverage the potential of new tools and systems.

“Digital transformation offers extensive possibilities to SMEs for innovation and expansion. With disruptive technologies becoming more affordable and user friendly, a micro or small business owner can now integrate cutting edge tools to his existing IT framework with little or no help.

With the ability to interact with the data generated by business processes coupled with real-time insights into operations, the MSME segment’s contribution to India’s economy can soar many folds.” said Ravi Nandan Sinha, Director of Development, MSME Business Forum.

The’ Digital Prarambh’ series conducted with the support of MSME enablers like HyLyt, multi-platform information management, and sharing app enabling users to collaborate and methodically store the information they need to make them robust, productive, and profitable and supporting partner Wadhwani Foundation.

About Digital Prarambh:

India’s fast-growing premier business forum, MSME Business Forum and MediaValueWorks (MVW), a leading integrated marketing agency, leads ‘Digital Prarambh’ – an initiative to empower MSMEs to accelerate digital growth. Digital Prarambh ensures continuous engagement with the MSMEs and initiates awareness to help them get back to working usually. Digital Prarambh will have Association & Chambers participation from Regional levels to the National level for outreach.

About MSME Business Forum: https://msmebusinessforum.com/index.php
MSME Business Forum is a network hub of erstwhile corporate executives, investors, and industry experts striving to enhance the MSME and SME proﬁtability. A fast-growing Business Forum with over 250+ subject matter experts. Having served over 3000+ MSME Businesses, the forum goes beyond advising MSMEs and provides them with expert solutions towards Fund Raising, MSME IPO, and Govt. Schemes, Trade Finance and Structuring, IT Solutions, Compliances/Audit/Valuations/Certiﬁcations, Human Resource & Training, Legal assistance, Marketing, Branding and Organizing Events, International JV/Tie-Ups/ Export Promotions.

News

Virtual Incubations, the next level for Start-up Incubation

We have to support incubation centers to develop virtual models to cater to the future needs, deliberated Mr. Manglesh R. Yadav, Innovation Lead, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in a webinar organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on ‘Virtual Incubation’.

Mr. Manglesh R. Yadav while talking about the mission and objective of Atal Innovation Mission and Incubation centers mentioned that our incubation center’s growth is accelerating and we need to support them with the right human resources in the ecosystem to cater to the future needs. We are planning to establish more centers in the smaller towns and tribal areas of the country. Mr. Yadav emphasized that virtual incubations offer a lot of learning opportunities at the global level. We need to build hybrid models for building this eco-system.

Mr. Chintan Bakshi, Chief Executive Officer, Startup Oasis while discussing the impact of the pandemic on the start-up incubation industry mentioned that the pandemic has opened a plethora of opportunities for which we need to change our process of conducting training programs and experience of the incubation centers. Due to the pandemic, there is an increase in virtual mentoring and, international mentors have to ease in mentoring start-ups. There is an increase in the efficiency of backhand processes and we are focusing on making sessions more informative and interactive.

Prof. Harvinder Popli, Director, DPSRU Innovation, and Incubation Foundation shared her insights and views on virtual incubation and its importance. She also gave an overview of the market about the incubation set up and the cross benefits of Virtual Incubation programs that will help the start-ups to get better mentoring, increase their connections and amplify their business via efficient tools and services. She mentioned that there is a need for global entrepreneurs to understand the Indian market and vice versa. Virtual Incubation gives flexibility to mentor more start-ups. We need to identify areas of physical and virtual incubation for different verticals so that the programs can run smoothly.

Dr. P. J. Singh, CMD, Tynor Orthotics Pvt. Ltd mentioned that virtual incubation will be the new normal but physical incubation will always help cater to every small need for the start-ups. In future times, there needs to be a balance between physical and virtual incubation for the better mentoring and growth of the industry.

Mr. Erik Azulay, Director, Alliance for Commercialisation and Innovation Research (ACIR) gave his perspective on the best practices of virtual incubation programs. It can reach everyone with ease in less time involving less cost.

Mr. Ashish Aggarwal, Chairman, Startup Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry while moderating the technical session, mentioned that the objective of the webinar is to understand how virtual incubation will be beneficial to all stakeholders of the industry so that it can benefit the industry in the post-pandemic times. He emphasized that Virtual Incubation needs to be in the smaller towns of the country so that they can be benefits from them as well.

Business World

Demand for Telemedicine to Rise Post Covid-19: Survey

Oct 6, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Anmol Arora, #Board of Governors (BoG), #Medical Council of India (MCI)., #Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), #Mr. Ayush Mishra, #NITI Aayog, #Tattvan E-clinics, #Telemedicine

The coronavirus pandemic has caused significant disruptions in the healthcare sector and has evidently accelerated the use of telemedicine or virtual medical consultations. In a recent survey, a whopping 70% agreed that telemedicine is going to be the future of healthcare in India. The country’s leading telemedicine healthcare clinic has released some interesting insights about how far this form of medical consultation has been adopted.

The survey saw maximum participation by the millennials. About 53.2% of these were females of all age-groups. News and media coverage of the recent spurt in E-clinics have bode well for virtual medical consultations as about 35% became aware about telemedicine through this medium. A close second, at 31%, were those who came to know about it from their family and friends. Due to lockdown, consumption of news and recent developments increased among people and this has contributed significantly to awareness about telemedicine.

The option to access healthcare facilities remotely for health management purposes by using digital information and communication technologies is driving the growth of telemedicine in a time when people are unable to make physical visits to the doctor.

Overall, the survey reveals a consensus among all that telemedicine is here to stay for long even after the pandemic is over. Majority participants admitted to using telemedicine at least 2-3 times in the past four to five months, with about 40% saying that they used telemedicine the most during the period of lockdown. Post the lockdown, many government hospitals, private hospitals and e-pharmacies have taken to telemedicine. Many corporates also have adopted telemedicine in their employee wellness strategies.

The surge in teleconsultations follows the long-pending telemedicine guidelines which were finally issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in partnership with NITI Aayog and Board of Governors (BoG), Medical Council of India (MCI).

About 60% said they found it relatively easy to book an appointment online for a virtual consultation and given the current times where social distancing is the need of the hour, this is a more beneficial and safer alternative to visiting a doctor in person, which would otherwise expose them to the risk of contracting the virus. The only barrier that many face in this mode of consultation is the availability of doctors, something that is quite understandable in view of the epic proportions of the ongoing health crisis.

According to Mr. Ayush Mishra. CEO, Tattvan E-clinics, “Telemedicine is definitely being used on the frontline amid the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic has forced people to stay at home and cancelled all traditional medical appointments, imposing a new standard of living on every individual – not on just those who became infected. This resulted as an emerging opportunity to implement new technologies and strategies as the field embarked on a new frontier of healthcare. As per the survey, around 70% agreed that telehealth consultations are going to be the new normal of the healthcare sector in India. It is still complicated due to the barriers like education, innovations, language, etc, but the landscape of telemedicine could continue to change, to the betterment of physicians and patients alike”.

A good number of participants agreed that telemedicine makes it a lot easier to avail healthcare during times of disasters and pandemics and are reasonably satisfied with the apparatus in place presently. They find it to be a more reliable and comfortable option as compared to face-to-face consultations, because telemedicine takes care of exigencies – providing timely, last-minute service to chronic patients, eliminating the waiting time for ambulances and the like.

Non-exposure to potentially sick patients and easy access to specialty experts/doctors pan-India emerged as the key benefits of telemedicine followed closely by saving transportation fee and time and more convenient clinic visits. Thus, the survey paints a positive picture for telemedicine in India with the majority conceding to the view that telemedicine will grow exponentially in the times to come and more medicines and other medical services should be made available digitally.

As per the conversation with Anmol Arora, CEO, DocVita, he said “In India, virtual consultations are currently picking up because of the safety they bring to both patients and providers from getting infected. For some specialities, telemedicine is preferred over in-person visits for the anonymity and privacy it offers, like therapy. At DocVita, consultation requests have been growing 2x every month, and 2% of our users have been inviting others to join the platform. While we expect to keep up with the growth in the coming months, we anticipate the emergence of telemedicine as the new normal as people become acquainted with online healthcare services. There are also other reasons behind the rising popularity of telemedicine – reduced travel and a convenient, democratised access to healthcare for all. Besides, 70% of health issues can be diagnosed and treated online, such as issues related to dermatology, nutrition and mental health. Majority of requests on the platform have been for family doctors and dermatologists.”

Tag: NITI Aayog

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