Month: October 2022

~ Launches India’s first EV born SUV BYD – ATTO 3 ~

The world’s leading new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD today inaugurated its first passenger vehicles showroom in Gurugram and eleventh outlet in India. The showroom located in Gurugram is managed by Kristan BYD.

The showroom was inaugurated by Mr. Somil Nijhawan, President & CEO – Kristan BYD,    Mr. Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of Electric Passenger Vehicle Business, BYD India, in the presence of senior officials of BYD India and Kristan BYD.

Kristan BYD will provide access to BYD’s pure electric vehicles with high-quality services for its consumers in Gurugram. With considerable experience in the automobile industry, Kristan BYD has extensive reach with its business covering neighbouring regions.

Spread across 2002 square feet, equipped with ultra-modern set-up with provision of charging about 100 EVs at any given point of time, the showroom has well-trained technicians, service equipment, service bays, a customer lounge and a showroom display floor, offering customers the best in-store experience.

Mr. Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of Electric Passenger Vehicle Business, BYD India, said, “Close on the heels of announcing the launch of our premium electric SUV, BYD-ATTO 3, India’s First Sporty Born E-SUV, we are thrilled to announce our eleventh showroom in the country in Gurugram. With India's first electric highway between Delhi and Jaipur coming up, one of the landmark green initiatives in the country's EV mobility sector, we are happy to be a part of this by adding our EV dealership in Gurugram and serving customers over here.”

Mr. Somil Nijhawan, President & CEO – Kristan BYD, said, “BYD is shaping the future of premium mobility, globally, as well as in India.  As a brand, we are on a journey to create the future of premium mobility, sustainable, meaningful, and focused on people´s needs. The complementarity of sustainability and digitalization will produce amazing opportunities and start a new era of electric mobility. We will make the difference by the way our products perform & the comfort it provides. The future is electric, and Kristan Auto is staying consistently true to its strategic alignment by partnering with BYD to provide the discerning customers the best in terms of exclusive services, technology and safety in EV mobility.”

AAmaze, operating as an integral component of the Account Aggregator ecosystem, will provide AI-based solutions for credit scoring, cash flow-based lending, personalized savings, and money management for users even with no prior credit history

This investment will help in making the Korean-headquartered pizza brand among the fastest-growing pizza chains globally

Korea-headquartered pizza brand GOPIZZA has raised INR 200 cr. (30 Billion Korean Won) in a Series C funding round co-led by GS Ventures, CJ Investment, Mirae Asset Securities, NCORE Ventures, Woori Bank, Capstone Partners, Big Basin Capital, DS Asset Management, and Pureun Investment. The fresh capital will be utilized for aggressive expansion plans in the country, backed by new-age robotic and AI technologies. 

 

From L to R – Jae won Lim, Global CEO and Founder & Mahesh Reddy, CEO India- GOPIZZA

GOPIZZA is known for its one-person, oval-shaped, fire-baked pizza with quick serving speed and affordable price. With 160 outlets across South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, India, and Hongkong. In India, the brand has 15 outlets and opening its first store in Hyderabad next month. The brand aims to reach 25 outlets by the end of 2022 and more than 100 stores by 2023. The single-serving pizza brand will also introduce its patented in-house technology – The GOVEN, an automatic pizza oven, the 'GOBOT' a cooperative robot, and the 'AI Smart Topping Table' to ensure timely, standardized quality and service to customers at all outlets.

Buoyed by the inflow of new capital, Mahesh Reddy, CEO, of GOPIZZA India, says “The funding raised will allow us to massively scale our operations across the country and further cement our position in the Indian market in an aim to become the pan-India market leader in the segment. Our expansion plan is to launch 100 stores by 2023. The funds will also be deployed to bring the brand’s famed technology to all outlets in India providing speedy, superior quality pizzas that GOPIZZA is known for and loved by customers worldwide.”

The brand’s strategy in India since inception has been tailored to the tastes of the market with a localized menu, different from that of Korea and Singapore. In the next few years, GOPIZZA will establish outlets in Pune, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and some key Tier 2 cities including Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Kochi. Globally the brand will foray into new markets of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and United States.

Jae Won Lim, Founder, and CEO of GOPIZZA, says, “Owing to our great performance in the last few years, we are delighted to announce a big round of funding. India is a key market for us and a majority of the investment will be directed to the Indian market where we plan to expand to more than 100 stores by 2023. We are very excited to bring the Korean vibe and our state-of-the-art food technology to the fastest-growing market in the world.”

GOPIZZA’s first outlet in the country opened in Bangalore in 2019 offering one-person pizzas of superior quality at competitive prices. The brand has previously raised 20 million USD in funding from Woori Bank, Capstone Partners, Big Basin Capital, DS Asset Management, and DSC Investment. 

 

In 2016, 27-year-old Jae Won (Jay) Lim started serving tasty, one-person-sized pizzas from a food truck on the premise that pizzas could be inexpensive when eaten by an individual alone. Spurred by the immense popularity of these oval-shaped pizzas, he established his first outlet in South Korea in 2017 and since then GOPIZZA has seen explosive growth in 5 countries with over 160 stores. The Korean brand, with its unique take on pizza, now aims to make people consider it a single-serving dish, with a goal to expand to more than 300 locations in the next 2 years making it a truly global pizza chain. 

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Medanta- The Medicity is one of the leading institutes focusing its efforts to create awareness around the increasing trend and effective management of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

 

AMR also known as antimicrobial drug resistance, occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi etc.  change in such a way that the medications used to treat infections they cause are rendered ineffective. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats facing humanity.^[i] In 2019, The Lancet, a medical journal revealed that such resistance directly caused approximately 12,70,000 deaths worldwide[ii].  India has one of the highest rates of AMR in the world, and according to government’s data released in 2019 these infections claim lives of close to 7,00,000 Indians annually [iii].

 

“AMR is a growing threat across the world and in India and we as Healthcare Professionals/Clinicians are working together towards combatting the alarming rise of AMR associated infections. While the hospital infection control teams ensure that all precautions are taken, the problems usually extend beyond basic hospital hygiene and control measures. Antimicrobial stewardship programs have been implemented in our practices however, it is critically important to create awareness regarding understanding the impact of over prescription of antibiotics for the rising concern at large. We must also work towards strengthening the knowledge and evidence base through continuous surveillance.” commented, Dr Yatin Mehta, President, Sepsis Forum of India; Past President, Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine and Chairman – Critical Care, Medanta – The Medicity.

 

AMR infections usually require the use of second line and third line treatments which can cause serious side-effects, such as organ failure and prolonged care and recovery, which could go on for months. The overall misuse and overuse of consumption of antibiotics which should only be used to treat the most serious infections like difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, and poor infection prevention and control, increase the spread of AMR. This rise in mortality and morbidity due to AMR infections is very alarming and the WHO and CDC have suggested that steps can and should be taken at all levels of society to reduce the impact and control the spread of resistance. Individuals, policy makers (government), healthcare professionals and the healthcare industry should all collectively contribute towards reducing the incidence of AMR infections.

 

While there is no standardized region wise data on resistance rates, a few reports from hospitals and communities suggest that the overall resistance level is increasing by 5 to 10% every year for broad-spectrum antimicrobials which are highly misused.[iv]  A data analysis done by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) between January 1 and December 31, 2021, found a sustained increase in drug-resistant pathogens, resulting in difficulty to treat certain infections with available medicines.[v] This is a major concern because a resistant infection can spread to others and potentially impose huge costs to individuals and society.[vi]

 

Mr. Shyamakant Giri, Managing Director & President, India Business and Emerging Markets, Amneal Healthcare said “As industry patrons, it is also our responsibility to develop or collaborate in developing platforms which help in preventing transmission of hospital infections and antimicrobial drug resistance. Uniport is a first-of-its-kind closed IV technology platform that is being manufactured by Amneal for India, in India. This will set new standards for delivery of IV solutions in the country. The INICC (International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium), recommends use of closed infusion systems for administration of clinical treatments in hospitals. The government of India has taken several measures to control the rise of AMR in India, we look forward to partnering with stakeholders like Medanta to reduce this burden by increasing access to this innovative technology for advanced care.”

 

Amneal Healthcare, subsidiary of NYSE-listed Amneal Pharmaceuticals, announced its commercial operations in India recently. Uniport is a safe IV with multipurpose single port bag offering a versatile and adaptive closed-infusion system. The Uniport bag introduces several technological advancements for optimum utilization like self-collapsibility, easy to squeeze, transparency for clear visibility.

Education, Retail, Automobile, Banking, Healthcare and Employee Engagement to lead Metaverse adoption

With the market size predicted to reach nearly ~$1.3 trillion by 2030, Metaverse, today is one of the fast-growing technological domains. To discuss the future business opportunities and innovations in the Metaverse ecosystem, eminent industry leaders and stakeholders convened at the first-of-its-kind Metaverse Conclave, organized by Meity – NASSCOM Centre of Excellence, in association with K-Tech.

 

The event also witnessed the launch of the ‘Metaverse: Entering Into a New Reality’ report, which highlights the development stages of the metaverse ecosystem, its challenges and future business opportunities. The report also elaborates on the current state of the market, important milestones, and players in the Metaverse universe, showcasing key use cases and industry case studies.

 

Sharing his views, Eske Bo Knudsen Rosenberg, Consul General, Denmark, said, “Metaverse is definitely an area that we are looking into. We are working towards how we connect the interesting things of the Metaverse ecosystem with that of India and together create interesting opportunities for the future.”

 

Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, said, “Through the metaverse, we are igniting a new wave of immersive experiences in our personal lives, redefining how we collaborate at work and generate new ideas faster and more effectively as well as connecting the physical and digital worlds to drive us forward into the world of industries. As we move forward on this journey, startups, large corporations, governments, and industry bodies will need to ensure that the metaverse stays and grows sustainably as a safe, secure and open ecosystem.”

 

Discussions around the importance of Metaverse adoption across enterprises, industries, start-ups, and sectors, including manufacturing, health, fashion, marketing, and education, among others were some of the key highlights at the conclave. The day-long event further outlined the opportunities and challenges for tech start-ups in the age of Web 3.0 and Metaverse as well as how their adoption can enable India to become a global technology and development hub.

 

Shankar Venugopal, SVP, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “The automotive industry is transitioning, from IC-based engines to electric vehicles. What it means is ensuring reskilling at scale, focused collaboration across the globe to accelerate new product development and getting close to the customers involving them to co-create products. In all this, I believe Metaverse has great potential and can actually enable all these three in a smart and effective manner.”

 

Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO, NASSCOM Centre of Excellence, said, “Metaverse is an emerging technology where so much interest and work is happening across the board. Its use cases are not only limited to training, retail, or education but metaverse is now being adopted across manufacturing and healthcare as well. We are working with the ecosystem to increase awareness, create more applications and bring key technologies like AI, IoT and Metaverse together, to make a bigger impact.”

 

The event witnessed participation from over 400 delegates and stakeholders of the ecosystem including, large tech and non-tech enterprises, builders, innovators, investors, consultants, and key participants from the academia, to collaborate and exchange ideas for driving and leading the Metaverse revolution in India. Speakers at the event included various Industry leaders like Anil Menon, CIO, Lulu Group; Nirav Parikh, CIO, MFL; Shilpa Shree Nayak, Director – Head Data and Open Innovation, Natixis, Rajesh Mirjankar – Managing Director & CEO, Kiya.AI; Nirupam Srivastava, SVP, Hero MotoCorp; Surbhi Gupta, Head of Digital, ACC Ltd.; Dr. Yasha Pandit, Director, PWC; Karan Singh, Managing Director, ACG; Amit Doshi, CMO India, Brittania; Avinash Deepak, Senior Vice President, Airtel, among others.

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Sydney interstate Removalists

SYDNEY, Oct. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Over the coming weeks, thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes despite a brief pardon from mother nature. It has been reported that more than 100 flood warnings have been issued across NSW as floodwaters continue to rise, making most interstate removalists service very difficult according to City Removalist Chief Operation Manager “Jack”.

The wild weather conditions that have pummeled much of Australia's east coast in recent days is far from over, with another heavy downpour expected to cause more anguish and sorrow for many NSW residents effecting the Interstate removalists Sydney industry, and delaying many of the Parramatta, all the way to Penrith removalists services.

Moving can be a stressful time when the skies are blue and the sun is shining, imagine the anxiety amongst those who want to move but cannot because they hindered by wild weather conditions, it is a dilemma facing 1000's of tenants and homeowners in New South Wales and beyond.

City Removalist and Storage, one of the market pioneers within the industry have revealed that there has been a significant decline in demand due to interest rate hikes, inflation and now compounded with inclement weather predictions.

According to City Removalist and Storage, not only has there been a decline in local Sydney home removals metropolitan moves, but also interstate relocations where inclement weather conditions have been reigning havoc, pardon the pun, in various parts of Queensland and Victoria.

City Removalist and Storage Operation Manager suggested that even though weather warnings have alarmed a lot of tenants and homeowners from relocating, those wanting to move should not despair as there are a few things you and your removalist can preplan.

City Removalist and Storage suggest that you check the weather forecast, knowing when there is a strong possibility of rain or not is a fundament step in the right direction, choose a day where it is likely that there is a small or no chance of rain. If the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse, stop and take a break while it passes through.

It is also important to make sure the surface is not slippery once inside the home by laying towels or other material will assist both the movers and the customer in navigating and handling the items more efficiently as opposed to a potentially hazardous slippery surface.

City Removalist and Storage have helped 100's of customers move through challenging weather conditions by applying innovative ways, some which have been cited in this article. Even though weather conditions may hamper a potential move, City Removalist and Storage insist that it should not deter you from moving especially when the job is being done by a trusted, well respected, and professional removalist company.

If you want to learn more about the other groundbreaking ways City Removalist and Storage help 100's of customers move safely and effectively, visit their website at www.cityremovalist.com.au.

Initiated by Roche Diagnostics and Apollo Hospitals, the Mega Blood Donation drive was organised across 15+ cities in India

With an aim to encourage voluntary blood donation and emphasizing its role in providing lifesaving safe blood, Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group (TPAG) and Thalassemics India in a multi-stakeholder partnership with Roche Diagnostics India and Apollo Hospitals have kick-started a Mega Blood Donation drive today, i.e., #raktdaanamritmahotsav.

The campaign that targets colleges in 15+ cities invited students of 18 years and above to donate blood at nearby Apollo sites across Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, and Delhi. The campaign would also reiterate the importance of adopting safe blood screening practices to reduce the burden of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in the country.

Speaking about the initiative, Anubha Taneja Mukherjee, the member secretary of TPAG said, “India accounts for almost 10% of the total global incidence of Thalassemia who need regular blood transfusions. Most of them were impacted by the shortage of blood during the pandemic, hence campaigns like #IPledgeRED are extremely important to raise awareness among the youth about the need for voluntary blood donation. Alongside, I would also urge everyone to educate themselves about blood safety screening so that infections like HIV, Hepatitis B&C can be avoided during transfusions.”

She further added, “Keeping in mind the government’s mission of Universal Health Coverage by 2030, providing safe and adequate blood is fundamental to India’s healthcare ecosystem and voluntary blood donation thus becomes an essential component that saves millions of lives across the globe. Initiatives like these not only create the much-needed awareness about safe blood practices like voluntary blood donation and screening methodologies but also reiterated how collaboration with the private sector within the healthcare ecosystem is an obvious way forward to make healthier tomorrow a reality.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), blood donation by 1% of a country’s population is usually taken as the minimum need to meet the basic requirement for blood. India with a population of 1.4 billion requires 14 million units of blood annually. However, this donated blood needs to be screened thoroughly before it’s made available to the general population for transfusion. Patients with thalassemia who require regular blood transfusions to maintain their haemoglobin levels are more susceptible to contracting transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). One of the advanced screening technologies that reduce the risk of TTIs significantly is Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) by helping the blood bank to identify infections within 5 days. Countries introducing the test have encountered a decrease in transmitted transfusion infections due to these viral transmissions.