December 2022 - Page 6 of 7 -

Marico to acquire personal care brands “Purité de Prôvence” and “Ôliv” in Vietnam

Marico Limited (BSE: 531642, NSE: “MARICO”) has announced that it’s wholly owned subsidiary, Marico South-East Asia Corporation (MSEA), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Beauty X Corporation. Beauty X owns female personal care brands “Purité de Prôvence” and “Ôliv”, which offer a range of premium and differentiated hair care and skin care products in Vietnam, such as shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, face wash, lotions, among others.

Purité de Prôvence, launched in 2011, honors pure and natural beauty with the know-how and ingredients of Provence, France, which come to life in various fragrances such as lavender, cherry blossom, rose, among others.

Ôliv, launched in 2017, brings the goodness of extra virgin olive oil, combined with other natural ingredients, in its wide range of products for nourishment of hair and skin.

The natural and unique proposition offered by the brands has gained consumer traction and the business is growing profitably.

Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO, Marico Limited, said, “The addition of Purité de Prôvence and Ôliv presents an opportunity to significantly expand our play in female beauty and personal care category and therefore increase our total addressable market in a high growth country like Vietnam. Both brands have established a distinct natural proposition and scaled up profitably in a rather short span of time. We are buoyant about the medium-term prospects of beauty and personal care category in Vietnam and expect to further step- up growth and profitability through investing in brand building and leveraging various operational synergies with our existing portfolio over the next few years.”

Marico to acquire personal care brands “Purité de Prôvence” and “Ôliv” in Vietnam

Ôliv, launched in 2017, brings the goodness of extra virgin olive oil, combined with other natural ingredients, in its wide range of products for nourishment of hair and skin.

The natural and unique proposition offered by the brands has gained consumer traction and the business is growing profitably.

KONE India is Great Place to Work Certified; Third Time in a Row

KONE Elevators India, a fully owned subsidiary of KONE Corporation, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, today announced that the Company has been Great Place to Work® Certified™ for the third consecutive time. This prestigious award is based entirely on the feedback of the employees.

Speaking about the recognition, Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE Elevators India said, “In India, KONE is spread across 50 offices, with more than 5000 employees, all of whom come from different cultures, different languages, which make us so diverse. But it’s due to our strong culture, inclusion and belongingness that, despite being so diverse, our people come to work each day excited to deliver a sustainable, consistent, and successful customer experience. I always believe that ’Dreams Work, When Teams Work’s. Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we owe our success and this recognition to our dedicated teams.”

MP Saravanan, Director, HR & CSR, KONE Elevators India shared, ”We celebrate and thank the KONE family, whose relentless support has enabled us to achieve such an incredible recognition not once, not twice, but three times in a row. Our aspiration is to embed our culture, values and strategy into all our employees’ journeys, our policies & processes, and their development. We have created an inclusive work environment where all employees have equal opportunities to progress & thrive in their careers. This recognition establishes KONE as an employer of choice, creating an exciting work experience for all our employees.”

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make strategic people decisions.

Diversity and inclusion are embedded in the KONE culture and values, and the company is continuously taking steps to build an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity. Recently, during November 7-11, they celebrated Inclusion Week, with a spotlight on many aspects of inclusion, encouraging ideas and showcasing examples of valuing people as their authentic selves. They ensure an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and has the courage to be themselves and speak up. Cultural development and an inclusive way of working at KONE means continuous engagement with everyone.

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(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

ProV Foods partners with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor and food & FMCG industry veteran KS Narayanan to drive brand salience and growth

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor to be the brand ambassador for ProV, industry veteran KS Narayanan to help drive growth and business

BANGALORE, India, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — ProV Foods, a leading integrated commodities conglomerate with a large-scale presence in the dry fruits, nuts, seeds and berries segment, has partnered with celebrity master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and food and FMCG veteran KS Narayanan to inspire Indian consumers to choose healthier snacking choices for nutritious living and sustained well-being.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will be the brand and growth ambassador for ProV and will help develop new value-added ProV branded dry fruits, nuts and seeds products tuned to the Indian palate. KS Narayanan, with his 30+ years of experience in the food and FMCG industries, will help leverage growth, international quality food processing capabilities, and technical know-how on the creation of trademarked ProV products.

According to DP Jhawar, Shalin Khanna & Deepak Agrawal, co-founders of ProV, “There exists a large vacuum in the healthy snacking space in India, especially so in the nuts and dry fruits category and with master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and food industry veteran KS Narayanan, ProV will be able to reach more consumers looking for a trustworthy brand offering them innovative products from natural to flavour augmented healthy snacks.”

Commenting on the partnership, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, “Having seen the growth of the packaged food categories over the last two decades, I strongly feel the time is ripe for upgradation of the nuts and seeds category from the largely unorganised/loose segment to the packaged, branded value-added format assuring consumers of consistent quality. Nuts and seeds are known for their health benefits and have been used in traditional Indian homes from time immemorial. The advent of 'on-the-go' healthy snacking has led to rapid innovations in flavours, coatings, form and packaging thereby delivering products that meet the needs of the present-day consumer. The young and dynamic team at ProV with over 100 years of cumulative experience in sourcing commodities is well placed to capitalise on this tremendous opportunity as it unfolds.”

Food industry expert KS Narayanan said, “Over the last two decades, we have witnessed the rapid pace of commodities being branded in the FMCG space. Today, consumers are placing a far greater emphasis on health, hygiene and quality and thus, the opportunity for a branded product is immense. Branding offers trust, which enables consumers to move up the value chain. An important food category that has largely remained in the unorganised sector is nuts, seeds, dry fruits and berries. This category presents an excellent opportunity for innovation, for nuts and seeds are considered a healthy snack that offers wholesome goodness in addition to being a staple in the kitchens. As an 'on-the-go' snacking product, it also provides ample scope for value addition – I believe ProV is doing all the right things to be the brand that transforms the landscape of this category in the country.”

ProV stands for Protein in every bite, loaded with multivitamins that are vegan, natural, healthy and naturally cholesterol free. It focuses on three essential pillars of success – Quality Produce, Farm to Table Approach and a Multitude of Convenient Choices for Consumers The wide range of products is available on www.provfoods.in and at all the leading e-commerce and quick commerce sites and has a significant offline presence in modern trade and general trade stores.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

Add new colours to your new year as the iconic Vespa introduces 4 new vibrant additions

Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd, the 100% subsidiary of the Italian Piaggio Group and maker of the iconic Vespa and sporty Aprilia range of scooters has announced the launch of four new vibrant colours for the Vespa SXL variants. These new colours are Midnight Desert, Tuscany Sunset, Jade Streak and Sunny Escapade.

A new limited edition Vespa SXL Sport in the new colours of Midnight Desert, Tuscany Sunset and Sunny Escapade is being introduced and the Vespa SXL Racing 60s will flaunt a new colour of Jade Streak in addition to the exiting White. The standard Vespa SXL models will now be available in two more new colours of Midnight Desert and Tuscany Sunset.

Speaking on the new colour launch, Mr. Diego Graffi, Chairman and MD, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., said, “We are excited to introduce the Vespa with refreshed style and vibrancy after receiving overwhelming response from our Indian customers. Vespa is not just a scooter but an icon of Italian lifestyle and legacy which has received great love from India. With the new color portfolio of Vespa, we aim to give our customers a plethora of choices to select the best variant for them which matches their personality and to offer new riding experience which would amaze our riders.”

The new colours of the Vespa SXL varients are available from 1 December 2022 across all dealers in India.

ISRO and Social Alpha Sign MoU to Establish SpaceTech Innovation Platform

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Social Alpha today signed an MoU to launch SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN), India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem. A one-of-its-kind public-private collaboration for start-ups and SMEs in the space industry, this novel partnership is a significant step forward in providing further stimulus to India’s recent space reform policies and will work towards identifying and unleashing the market potential of the most promising space tech innovators and entrepreneurs in India. SpIN will primarily focus on facilitating space tech entrepreneurs in three distinct innovation categories: Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications; Enabling Technologies for Space & Mobility; and Aerospace Materials, Sensors, and Avionics.

ISRO and Social Alpha have announced SpIN, India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem

“Space applications cut across various domains from earth to the sky. Innovative technologies are expected to bring a paradigm shift in utilising space applications to maximise the economic, social, and environmental benefits for the larger society. I wish the SpIN platform would create a level playing field for various stakeholders to collaborate and contribute to the space ecosystem in the country,” says Shri. S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO.

According to the Economic Survey Report 21-22, there are now over 100 active space start-ups in India – the number of start-ups in this sector has more than doubled in the last year alone. Through this partnership, ISRO will support the creation of an open innovation and scale-up platform for all space ecosystem stakeholders and promote active collaboration to make early-stage space start-ups successful. This also marks the entry of Social Alpha in the area of space tech, a vertical that has the potential to grow manifolds and introduce innovations that can directly impact millions of lives and livelihoods.

“Space science, technology, and data have the potential to contribute to various Sustainable Development Goals with high-impact applications in ensuring food security, reducing disaster risks, preventing humanitarian crises, and monitoring natural resources. At Social Alpha, we have stayed committed to our goal of bringing breakthrough innovations to the social sector with applications across climate, health, and livelihoods, and this partnership with ISRO will significantly strengthen our ability to create impact,” says Manoj Kumar, Founder, Social Alpha.

In line with the partnership announcement, SpIN has launched its first innovation challenge. Early-stage start-ups for developing solutions in areas of maritime and land transportation, urbanisation, mapping and surveying, disaster management, food security, sustainable agriculture, environmental monitoring, and natural resources management among others are encouraged to apply.

The selected start-ups and innovators will be able to access both Social Alpha’s and ISRO’s infrastructure and resources as per the prevailing guidelines. They will be provided active handholding in critical areas including access to product design, testing and validation infrastructure, intellectual property management, go-to-market strategy, and access to long-term patient capital, among other technical and business inputs. Applications are open from December 6, 2022, to February 6, 2023.

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(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

Microland Recognized as a Leader for the Third Consecutive Year in the 2022 Gartner(R) Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services

BENGALURU, India, LONDON and SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — For the third consecutive year, Microland has been named as a Leader in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services. Microland has been recognized for its Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision in this space.

Microland Recognized as a Leader for the Third Consecutive Year in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services

In the post-Covid world, Microland has enhanced its approach to network transformation and management by shifting its focus to User Experience and User Productivity. The new user-centric network management methodology optimizes productivity, experience, and security through a persona-based access policy, on-demand business application-specific prioritization, and enhanced operations by leveraging Automation, AIOps, and Analytics. We believe that our redefined focus and innovations to enrich User Experience through intelligent network operations have led to increased customer satisfaction and have resulted in us being positioned as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services.

Our solution suite called Microland Intelligent Network Experience (m.i.n.e.) provides wing-to-wing network services from consulting and assessment to transformation services as well as managed services. The m.i.n.e. suite of solutions covers key next-gen networking technologies including SD-LAN, SD-WAN, SASE, OT Networking, SDN for Datacenters, Cloud Networking, and Private 5G. The m.i.n.e. suite is supported by a one-of-a-kind unique platform, called Network Assurance Platform (NAP), our in-house developed transformation accelerator and operations excellence platform.

Robert Wysocki, Senior Vice President and Global Client Solutions Leader – Networks & Cybersecurity at Microland said “We are extremely thrilled to be positioned as Leaders in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services for a third consecutive time. We believe this recognition serves as an acknowledgment of our continued commitment towards an innovative approach to move away from infrastructure-based Network Management to User-Centric Network Management and this recognition by Gartner re-confirms the faith our clients have in us due to our relentless focus on innovation, optimization, and ability to drive efficiencies.”

To know more about the recognition, please visit: https://www.microland.com/analyst-insights/leader-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-managed-network-services-2022

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Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

Pyramid Infra, Gurugram’s Leading Realty Company, Delivers 3000+ Units; Plans Foray into Luxury Segment

Gurugram leading affordable housing developer, Pyramid Infratech, has recently crossed the landmark figure of delivering more than 3000 units comprising residential and commercial projects. Besides, the company is in the process of delivering 3500+ units. The company has also recently made a foray into the luxury segment.

With most of its projects located in the fast-developing sectors of Gurugram, the company, within a short period, has emerged as one of the most reputed real estate companies in the city. It has 14 residential and 10 commercial projects spread over 6 million sq. ft. of land. Out of which, the 3 residential and 3 commercial projects have been delivered. At present, 3 million sq. ft. additional land area is under execution. Some of the company’s completed projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are Urban Homes at Sector 70A, Urban Homes II at Sector 86, and Urban 67A at Sector 67A.

Says Ashwani Kumar, Pyramid Infratech, “Pyramid is known for making a substantial difference in affordable residential spaces. Our commitment to quality, timely delivery and excellence has won us our customer’s goodwill. Our efforts have also been variously recognised by the government and won us major urban housing projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna. Buoyed by our success, Pyramid is also making an active foray into the luxury segment.”

As the company is reaching out with its portfolio of diverse projects, Pyramid Infratech is implementing the latest technology-based solutions to provide a cutting edge to its marketing and sales team. It is actively using digital media to reach out to its prospective customers. The company is also scouting for locations for its new projects. Besides, it also plans to launch new group housing and plotted development projects in the next year.

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(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

Locus Launches Delivery Linked Checkout, A First-Of-Its-Kind Integrated Capability Enabling Retail Businesses to Achieve Profitability in Last-Mile Logistics

Latest addition to the company's Dispatch Management Platform allows businesses to offer a range of choices in delivery speeds and channels to their customers

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Locus, a leading-edge technology company solving for excellence in last-mile logistics, today announced the launch of Delivery Linked Checkout (DLC), a first-of-its-kind integrated capability that enables retail businesses to achieve profitability in their last-mile logistics. By deploying this new feature, retailers can deliver orders on customer-preferred timelines while maintaining optimal capacity and service efficiencies.

The surge in e-commerce deliveries, coupled with the heightened customer expectations for more efficient and predictable delivery options, has added yet another layer to last-mile complexities. Locus' Delivery Linked Checkout feature is a strategic enhancement to its Dispatch Management Platform specifically designed to help retailers unlock new fulfillment capabilities and meet increasing demands quickly. Its key features include:

Optimizing deliveries via capacity-led slot bookings: The feature accounts for available capacity, logistics costs, and business constraints, identifying and offering only the available slots upon checkout for end-consumers. This powers first-attempt and on-time delivery rates.
Multiple delivery window options: By providing a wide range of preferred delivery options across 10-minute, express, 2-hour, same-day, or next-day fulfillment, retailers can satisfy customer expectations and capture a broader set of shopper segments. The feature also incentivizes customer loyalty by unlocking preferred delivery windows for high-value customers.
Customer-friendly post-fulfillment journey: It allows customers to choose alternate dates and times for shipment delivery even after order dispatch. It also enables them to cancel an order via the tracking page, resulting in a positive customer experience.
Route optimization: The feature creates precise delivery schedules by factoring in customer availability, clustering deliveries, and reverse shipments from the same service areas to limit the instances of reattempts and failed deliveries; this helps offset carbon emissions, reduce empty miles, and ensure optimal load capacity. It also gives customers options to choose sustainable delivery time slots that facilitate more carbon-efficient route plans.

“A single bad delivery can completely make or break a consumer's perception of a brand,” said Nishith Rastogi, Founder, and CEO of Locus. “But everything from limited fulfillment capacity, to inefficient route planning, and disconnected systems managing Last-Mile operations continue to put retailers at risk of failed execution. To solidify fulfillment as an impactful point of differentiation, a driver of brand loyalty, and a growth enabler, retailers need to directly connect their logistics operations with the customer experience. Locus' Delivery Linked Checkout, in combination with our Dispatch Management Platform, offers a unique proposition for retailers to secure profitability while enhancing customer satisfaction.”

For more information, visit: https://locus.sh/delivery-experience-management-software/

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

HealthWorksAI Registers 100% Customer Renewal Rate

With upgraded product portfolio and laser focus on customer delight, HealthWorksAI continues on its growth trajectory

HealthWorksAI, an industry-leading B2B SaaS healthcare analytics company today announced 100% customer renewal rate for the year and addition of over a dozen new enterprise clients in 2022. The phenomenal growth trajectory is the result of the company’s initiatives for greater agility in responding to evolving market needs in its wide range of data analytics product portfolio. HealthWorksAI™ is one of the leading healthcare data analytics companies in the US providing healthcare payers with rapid access to actionable insights for expansion in Medicare Advantage.

Arvind Nagpal, Founder & CEO, HealthWorksAI

Research shows that product and provider network design are two of the most important factors in driving enrollments in Medicare Advantage. HealthWorksAI offers a range of analytical product solutions for strategic decision making such as xAI, NetworkIntel, ProductIntel and MarketIntel, which are among the top products that the company offers.

Design of benefits and its impact on downstream metrics like enrollments and profitability is a complex balancing act. In its range of initiatives, for its clients, the company is focusing on going beyond identifying the significant benefits for each market, the solutions can now prescribe the exact costs at which the significant benefits including the supplemental benefits should be offered. These inputs are crucial for payers to optimize its resources to deliver the highest ROI to its beneficiaries

The presence or absence of specific doctors and hospitals are known to be a significant factor in choosing a health plan. As payers design their provider networks, they often drill down to specific physician groups and NPIs. Working on NetworkIntel, the company has enhanced its offerings to include Network Scorecards, Network Compare and NPI Search tools.

The company has successfully onboarded several new-age companies, regional players, host of Blues, and a large national player to its portfolio of clients.

HealthWorksAI has constantly adapted to the growing needs of the customers and worked on enhancing these portfolios as per the changing market dynamics. The company recently released Service Area Expansion (SAE), which provides the ability to objectively decide which markets should a health plan expand into. The decision pivots on the network, plan, and market dynamics of the counties.

Arvind Nagpal, Founder & CEO, HealthWorksAI said, “The market for data analytical solutions is constantly evolving in the healthcare sector and the customer requirements are changing rapidly. As a healthcare analytics company, our job is to upgrade and improve our offerings to remain competitive and relevant in the industry. We have always believed that our best ideas will come from our customers. With our Product First strategy, we are able to quickly translate customer voice into an actionable product roadmap with quarterly release cycles. This strategy has worked in keeping our products ahead of the market and deliver increasing value to our customers. Achieving 100% customer renewal rate is a testament to the success of our Product First strategy. A big thank you to all our customers who have been true partners and source of inspiration in our journey. We have also doubled our team strength in the last 18 months and will continue to hire the best talent that aspires to build products at the intersection of business, math, and technology.”

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(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)