As a part of the initiative, Intel India will extend Intel India Maker Lab [its in-house hardware/systems-based startups accelerator in India] capabilities to Israeli startups to support development of products and solutions. In addition, it will provide mentorship, and connect the Israeli startups to India market requirements and opportunities to test and deploy solutions in the India market.
In turn, the Israeli technology ecosystem, which has strong business acumen, specifically with regard to new usage models and future technologies, will make their knowledge and technical capabilities available to the Indian startup ecosystem. This will be accomplished through trainings and workshops.
Dana Kursh, Consulate General of Israel to South India and Nivruti Rai, Country Head, Intel India, & Vice President, Data Center Group, Intel Corporation, signing the MOU in Bengaluru. 23rd May 2018
The collaboration also entails academia involvement through the Israel Center at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore [IIMB], which will provide its students access to engage with both the Indian and Israeli technology ecosystem. IIMB will also help conduct seminars and workshops for entrepreneurs from both countries.
Nivruti Rai, Country Head, Intel India, & Vice President, Data Center Group, Intel Corporation, said
Intel and Israel share a very strong culture of innovation and hunger to innovate. We have continuously strived to deliver cutting-edge technologies that impact the world. Intel is celebrating its 50th year of innovation journey and it is an exciting moment for us to be collaborating with the Israel Consulate to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in both the countries. The natural synergies that exist between the Indian and Israeli ecosystems, will help us drive innovation to deliver solutions for these markets, and for the world.
Dana Kursh, Consulate General of Israel to South India, said
This year marks Israel’s 70 years of “heritage of innovation”, and India has been a key partner on this exciting journey. The Consulate of Israel to South India’s mission is to strengthen the Indo-Israeli bilateral and economic ties. Choosing to sign this MOU with Intel India as a highlight around Israel’s 70th Independence Day will bring us closer to achieving our mission. We are honored to be part of this collaboration that so intrinsically combines the values and strengths of India, Israel and Intel to advance innovation through these two vibrant technological ecosystems. We look forward to working closely with Intel and the India technology ecosystem in this endeavor.
Zinnov, a global management consulting and strategy firm, have released a sequel to its 2016 report on the Domain Name Industry in India, titled, State of the Domain Name Industry in India. The released report is aimed at tracking the Domain Name Industry in India as it is an integral element of the growing Internet ecosystem in the country.
In 2017, the domain name industry in India has grown by 7.1% YoY as compared to 0.9% globally, taking the total industry count to 5.3 million in India versus 332 million globally, as of December 2017. Detailing the findings, the report threw up a few surprising numbers
48% of the total registered domain names in India are used for creating a website,
9-11% of them are used for professional emails,
about 9% of the domains are utilized for creating mobile-enabled websites.
Additionally, the study by Zinnov, when aiming to understand the awareness and adoption of domain names among 200 SMBs across 3 Indian cities, discovered that 75% of the SMBs bought a domain name based on their ‘Company Name, while 85% of the SMBs used digital payment methods [Debit/Credit cards/Net Banking] to purchase the domain names. Over 70% of the SMBs showed a preference for .com over other TLDs. The major reasons for this preference are trust, global standards, and a professional image.
Speaking about the report, Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov,said
Technology continues to be one of the major transformative factors driving the Indian economy. Initiatives led by the Indian government to improve the digital infrastructure and hasten adoption of digital services, coupled with increasing Internet user base and a flourishing base of technology-enabled SMBs, have helped India witness a faster growth in domain name adoption. This has helped India outpace the world in domain name growth over the last few years. With evolving customer mindset and increasing awareness levels about domain names among SMBs, more and more businesses are going online, thus offering a huge untapped opportunity.
In terms of the geographical spread, the study further revealed that the Indian states with a high penetration of Internet users indicate a higher domain name adoption. Maharashtra, Delhi/NCR, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, emerged as the top states, being home to over 50% of the registered domain name business in India.
NXP India, a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, organized the TechStreams TechSummit, a panel discussion on Electric Vehicles- The Game Changer of Future Automobiles. The summit saw participation from eminent automobile industry leaders. NXP’s TechStreams is a knowledge sharing platform that includes events, such as the TechTalk, TechConference, TechTutorial, and Tech Summit to promote the spirit of innovation. In essence, TechStreams is a fusion of four technological streams – Security, New Semiconductor Process Technologies, Emerging Domains and High-Performance Analog Signals and RF Designs.
The Panel discussion was a part of the Emerging Domains stream and focused on Electric Vehicles: The game changer of future automobiles. Some of India’s most valued dignitaries attended the discussion that aimed at debating the role and the future of electric vehicles and their disruptive potential for the automobile industry. The day-long event was divided into two panels that witnessed participation from industry experts, such as Sirish Batchu, Head – Advanced Technology, Mahindra Electric Mobility, Subodh Gajare, Senior Solutions Architect, Cisco, Amit Gupta, Group CEO – Automotive Business, Hero Motors, Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, Arun Malhotra, former MD, Nissan, Mohit Arora, Associate Director, Supplier Solutions – India, IHS Markit – Automotive, Atul Arya, Head Energy Systems, Panasonic, Kaushik Madhavan, Director, Automotive & Transportation, Frost & Sullivan and Peeyush Asati, Founder & Managing Director, Vecmocon.
Speaking on the EVs space, Sanjay Gupta, Vice President & India Country Manager, NXP India said
Globally, the EV segment is growing at a double digit every year. It is important to equip the EVs of future with the right technology and infrastructure to fill up the potential that it brings along for nations in general and auto makers specifically. The growth of the EV market presents a massive innovation opportunity around battery, charging and connectivity technologies that will drive newer business models. This process has also been driven in India with an attempt to gradually control pollution, cut oil imports and compete for a slice of the expanding global EV market.
Sanjay Gupta, Vice President & India Country Manager, NXP India
The discussions revolved around the global success stories to drive India as a big market for EVs during the current times and the coming decade followed by the innovations in EVs to ride the future. It was also debated that the India still faces some challenges to EVs while there is immense potential and opportunities to grow the industry from internal combustion engine vehicles to zero emission vehicles. The major hurdle in the way of successful implementation of EV is the charging infrastructure and government’s ambitious plans for a mass scale shift to Electric Vehicles [EVs] will bring electric vehicles on Indian roads in the coming future.
Panel Discussion on Electric Vehicles – The game changer of future automobiles
Here is a glimpse of what the leaders had to say during the summit
Amit Gupta, President & CEO – Group Automotive Business, Hero Motors said
It’s no rocket science that electric vehicles are the future. Modern advances in electric technology are making electric powered vehicles closer to mainstream reality than they ever were. If the progress continues at the current pace, the conventional internal combustion engine powered vehicles may soon go extinct. In terms of the Indian society, a push for the adoption of electric vehicles is the need of the hour. We, at hero are completely prepared for the future and our working along with our partner Hewland, UK on e-transmission from design to cost for OEMs in EU.
EV technology in India is at the inflection point. The Indian Government has to play the role of a catalyst in terms of a clear roadmap, investment in EV infrastructure and subsidy to the final users to kick start it.
When asked about EV policy for India and what we can take/learn from other countries, Mohit Arora, Associate Director, Supplier Solutions – India, IHS Markit – Automotive responded
When we look at EV penetration strategies globally it boils down to ‘every nation to its own’ thereby implying that there is no set formula on policy that India can pick or borrow. Every nation has to adopt policies according to one’s own strengths and weaknesses in line with the entire EV ecosystem. For India, at the moment, our government is in the drafting phase seeking inputs from different nodal agencies and other stake holders.
Subodh Gajare, Senior Solutions Architect, CISCO, said
There will be a few disruptive trends for the future of urban mobility with AI and autonomous cars shaping new business models. Electrification of vehicles will demand innovation in battery and storage technologies for mass adoption.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. enables secure connections and infrastructure for a smarter world, advancing solutions that make lives easier, better and safer. As the world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is driving innovation in the secure connected vehicle, end-to-end security & privacy and smart connected solutions markets. Built on more than 60 years of combined experience and expertise, the company has 31,000 employees in more than 33 countries and posted revenue of $9.5 billion in 2016. For more information, please visit NXP
Ather Energy announced the launch of their charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles [EVs], AtherGrid, which is open to all EVs. The company, known for their intelligent, electric scooter S340, has begun installations of the intelligent and connected charging stations across the city of Bengaluru. Thirty charging points will be set up by the end of May 2018. By the end of the year, sixty charging points will be available in Bengaluru.
With this, there will be a charging station within 4 km driving distance from any point in the city. This is the largest charging infrastructure effort in an Indian city. Installed at malls, cafes, restaurants, tech parks, multiplexes and gyms, they have been selected to cater to both, four wheelers and two wheelers. For this, Ather has partnered with host locations, who have installed Points pro-bono at their premises to offer a convenient experience for all EV owners in the city.
To improve EV ownership experience and increase adoption, AtherGrid and its accompanying app will be offered for free for the next 6 months to all electric vehicle owners. Using cloud connectivity, consumers can find the nearest Point available and navigate to the charging location using the app. Remotely monitoring charge status and integrated payment options offers EV owners a seamless charging experience.
Tarun Mehta [R] and Swapnil Jain [L], Founders of Ather Energy with the Ather Charging Grid
Commenting on the launch, Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy said
Electric vehicles cannot become a viable alternative without making charging infrastructure availability a greater priority. It is critical for us to make public charging convenient and accessible. This is an important step towards increased adoption and acceptance of electric vehicles and in the long run will have a positive effect on the cost of the vehicles themselves.
The number of entrepreneurs and businesses that have come aboard to be a part of AtherGrid is also a testament to the future of electric vehicles. As we prepare ourselves for the launch of the Ather S340, Bengaluru was a natural choice to be the home city for AtherGrid. Range anxiety and the inconvenience associated with charging will not be a deterrent to adoption, as the industry grows.
Ather’s Points have been designed and manufactured in India, keeping in mind the needs of the domestic power grid. Safety features ensure that electricity is drawn only when connected to a vehicle and protects vehicles from overcharging with auto power cut off. Electric vehicles will be protected from under-voltage, over-voltage and over-current. And with an IP55 rated body it is safe to use in any weather.
About Ather Energy
Co-founded in 2013 by IIT graduates – Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather Energy is one the few hardware startups in India. The company designing India’s first truly intelligent electric scooter and is backed by the founders of Flipkart, Tiger Global and Hero Motocorp.
Designed from scratch, the S340 is customized to Indian conditions and riding sensibilities. A top speed of 72 kmph, a range of up to 60 km and an acceleration of 0-40 kmph in 7.3 sec, it’s perfectly designed for the stop and go city ride. Equipped with a 7″ interactive dashboard and an integrated app, it allows for the never-before features like onboard navigation, remote diagnostics and over the air updates for future improvements. What completes the experience is the comprehensive public charging infrastructure being built by Ather Energy, starting with Bangalore followed by Chennai and Pune. For more information, please visit Ather Energy
happn, the leading dating app enabling users to find again and meet the people they have crossed paths with in real life have launched ‘Invisible Mode’ in the app. This added feature gives users the freedom to make their profiles invisible during certain points in the day and allows them to hide their profile from others during scenarios where they might not want to make any new crushes. happn also announced that they have surpassed 10 million users on the app in India within a year of its launch.
The feature is customizable and can be activated for 8 hours or scheduled for certain times throughout the day or the week. The most popular option allows users to set up happn and disable crossovers during working hours [from Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 6:30 PM for example] or late at night when they are at home. Another feature in happn allows users to choose what information they do or do not want to display on their profile. This includes their age, last active date and approximate distance from potential crushes.
Commenting on the development, Ms. Claire Certain, Head of Global Trends, Communications & Media, happn, said
Due to the nature of our app we wanted to offer this option to people who were at odds with always having their profile visible to other users. After discussing with our users, we wanted to enhance and ease the experience of those who prefer to be more discreet about their dating preferences and availability, especially in the workplace. We are happy to help them simply decide whether or not they are in the mood for love and/or new encounter.
It is also heartening to know that India is one of our growing markets and the 10 million users that we have registered in the country is a proof of that. Indian’s growing affinity towards downloading apps has catapulted happn’s growth and it is exciting to know that our users in India are enjoying the experience on the app, using its novel features. We will continue to be consistently focused on providing a hassle-free, seamless, safe and enriching experience to our users to provide them with a platform that encourages real life interactions, connections and meetings.
The feature is now available on the app through the App Store, Play Store and Windows Store. It’s included in the subscription offer, along with the list of people’s profiles who have liked yours.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. have announced an exclusive partnership for the Indian market with Screenz, the most powerful platform for entertainment-based interactivity used by world’s top broadcasters and format owners. The partnership will add to Jio’s existing platform for gamification, which has proven itself time and again, as seen during the on-going Jio Cricket Play Along, where it has enrolled over 65 million unique users already, who are consistently playing the game as well as the Jio Kaun Banega Crorepati Play Along game, where it took KBC to every home and therefore in the common man’s reach.
With this exclusive partnership, Jio Screenz will become the largest platform and one of the only integrated providers of entertainment-based gamification in India. This will empower broadcasters and publishers to create engaging content with robust scalability. The features on this platform are highly adaptable for varied content, allowing for live, real-time interactions between broadcasters and viewers, keeping them watching and engaged.
Jio Screenz platform will provide increased engagement and new advertising opportunities due to its advanced abilities to create differentiated interactions utilizing distinct and specific profiles of individual viewers. Industry experts believe that this dual-screen experience is the next game-changer and will redefine passive advertising on television and mobile.
This is the second such innovative brand-engagement platform launched by Jio in the last few days. Last week, Jio announced the launch of the world’s first artificial intelligence-based brand engagement platform called JioInteract.
Features of the Jio Screenz platform
Jio Screenz Platform allows a real time two-way conversation between broadcasters and viewers in form of quizzes, polls and votes during a TV show.
It provides an easy to use Content Management System [CMS] that enables broadcasters to design, create and launch interactive engagements.
This can be enabled on any digital App using SDK with support on Android, iOS and Jio Kai-OS
Jio Screenz supports various social networks namely Google, Facebook, Twitter and more.
To ensure a continuous learning and feedback loop, it supports rich data reporting and creates unique profiles for each user, hence enabling targeted advertisement.
About Screenz
Screenz, a portfolio company of The Box Group, is a leading digital entertainment company comprised of an award winning platform and interactive original content. At the core of Screenz is a robust SAAS platform, enabling a real-time conversation between content and viewers. Screenz empowers broadcasters and publishers to manage content and create highly adaptable audience engagement through live, real-time interactions. Screenz has a partnership with Google, and customers such as ABC, Fox, Sony, Globo, Univision and more. For more information, please visit Screenz
Ather Energy, the smart electric two-wheeler start-up, has signed an agreement with Sanmina Corporation, a leading integrated manufacturing solutions company headquartered in San Jose, California, to develop and manufacture key components designed by Ather for its maiden scooter – the Ather S340.
As part of the agreement, Sanmina will exclusively manufacture Ather’s charging system, battery management systems and dashboard at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chennai, India.
Speaking on the agreement, Tarun Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, Ather Energy said
We value a manufacturing partner like Sanmina, with expertise in battery management systems and electric vehicles, who is as excited as we are about this market. In a smart scooter like the S340, integrating the power circuits with each other, the onboard charger and the charging stations is of paramount importance. Sanmina and Ather have designed a system that offers the utmost efficiency with the highest levels of safety.
Commenting on the agreement, Mike Landy, Sanmina’s EVP and COO of EMS for Asia and Europe said
Sanmina is excited to partner with Ather Energy. We are impressed with the sophisticated design and innovative technology in the S340. Sanmina specializes in mission critical products and electronics, and we are proud to collaborate with Ather Energy.
The Ather S340 is slated to launch in Bangalore in June, 2018.
About Ather Energy
Co-founded in 2013 by IIT graduates – Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather Energy is one the few hardware startups in India. The company designing India’s first truly intelligent electric scooter and is backed by the founders of Flipkart, Tiger Global and Hero Motocorp.
Designed from scratch, the S340 is customized to Indian conditions and riding sensibilities. A top speed of 72 kmph, a range of up to 60 km and an acceleration of 0-40 kmph in 7.3 sec, it’s perfectly designed for the stop and go city ride. Equipped with a 7″ interactive dashboard and an integrated app, it allows for the never-before features like onboard navigation, remote diagnostics and over the air updates for future improvements. What completes the experience is the comprehensive public charging infrastructure being built by Ather Energy, starting with Bangalore followed by Chennai and Pune. For more information, please visit Ather Energy
Lenovo, the leading global PC and Smart devices brand launched the new V-series laptops for SMEs and start-ups. The V330 laptop comes with entrepreneur-friendly flexibility features like an ultra-bay drive that can house either an optical drive or an additional battery, a Quick-Charge battery, an elegant spill-resistant backlit keyboard, and both USB-C type and USB 3.0 ports. The V330 also takes care of personal security with ThinkShutter – a physical webcam cover along with a touch-type fingerprint reader.
Commenting on the launch, Ashish Sikka, Director SMB, Lenovo India said
SMEs are the backbone of the country’s economy and are facing a digital crossroad on keeping their existing infrastructure versus expanding on mobile computing to meet the challenging demands of their customers. With the launch of the V series, we want to address our focus towards the next wave of business professionals and entrepreneurs who need affordable computing on the go without compromising on performance or security.
V330 [Prices starting from INR 48,000] – Complete on value and quality without sacrificing performance, the thin, stylish and reliable V330 laptop helps focus on running a successful enterprise. With powerful Intel technology, optimized for security, flexibility, and reliability, the V series is for the no-nonsense business professionals.
Highlights from the V330
Rich visuals – 14″ FHD [1920 x 1080] with anti-glare display
720p webcam with camera shutter
Warranty – International warranty
Replace camera-covering sticky notes with ThinkShutter Camera Privacy physical webcam cover
*The above prices vary basis the configuration. Prices are inclusive of taxes but do not include shipping or options and are subject to change without notice; additional terms and conditions apply. Reseller prices may vary. On-shelf rates may vary by geography and products may only be available in select markets. All offers are subject to availability.
