Tuesday 1 October 2019

World Tourism Day: IHCL Reaffirms Its Commitment to Give Back to The Industry and Society


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- Ahead of World Tourism Day, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company,takes pride in its steadfast commitment to the growth of the industry. Travel and tourism has gone beyond from just being attractive destinations to being an important economic growth contributor. Tourism is integral to any nation’s prosperity as it not just propels jobs, exports and foreign exchange earning but also enables allied enterprises, livelihoods and celebrates the heritage and culture of the destinations its serves.
Since 2007, IHCL's Building Livelihoods Programme has directly trained and certified over 30,000 youth who have dropped out from schools from identified remote areas, urban slums and tribal belts in association with State Industrial Training Institutes, Non-Governmental Organizations, TISS School of Vocational Education and Tata Strive amongst others; with over 85 per cent of these trained youth securing immediate job placements in the hotel and service industry. A large number of these youth come from socially backward communities.
IHCL currently runs 14 Skill Development Centers in partnership with Tata Strive to anchor capability-building; thereby creating a much larger indirect impact through training faculties and by supporting several other vocational training institutes through this partnership in regions such as J&K, the North-East, UP, and so on. The company also offers a three-years Bachelors in Vocational Education Programme in partnership with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences at 15 of its hotels across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Goa.
Committed to the ethos of Tata Affirmative Action, IHCL also focuses on enabling employability and entrepreneurial opportunities for socially backward communities and tribal groups through its CSR and business supply chain. The company, through its brands and businesses procures goods and services from social impact enterprises and artisans across several destinations supporting over 1000 families and 100 artisans’ livelihoods.
Regarded as the custodian of Indian hospitality, IHCL continues to invest in building industry-relevant talent pools with an aim to develop and support deserving youth and their families, while bridging the employability gap and contributing to the overall sustainability of the industry.

Achievement: Tricity School Dikshant Becomes NASA STEM Innovation Lab Outpost- The First One in India


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- Dikshant School’s ‘Think Lab’ has become the first lab in the country to be recognized as an official NASA STEM Innovation Lab Outpost. Dikshant School will also be the first International outpost for NASA STEM Innovation Lab. Under the tie up Dikshant students will interact with engineers/scientists of NASA STEM Innovation Lab and discuss about different projects. Students will also submit their ideas with NASA STEM Innovation Lab and start working on these. This will in turn motivate the students to do pioneering & innovative work in the field of space science & technology and other fields too.
The details about the collaboration between Diskshant & NASA STEM Innovation Lab were announced by Troy D. Cline, STEM Innovation Lab Director, NASA Space Science Education Consortium Flight Center (NSSEC), NASA Goddard Space Science Center, Washington (DC) and Mitul Dikshit Chairman of Dikshant  School here.
Speaking on the occasion, Mitul Dikshit said that it’s our privilege that our Think Lab will be first in the country to be recognized as official NASA STEM Innovation Lab Outposts. This indeed will give students a great exposure to know about science & space more deeply and submit their innovative ideas to such a prestigious center. This will unleash students' entrepreneurial spirit & ignite the curiosity of young minds.
Troy D. Cline said that STEM Education offers a chance for students to make sense of the world rather than learn isolated bits and pieces of phenomena. It will provide access to the online resources and content available at NASA STEM Lab to students of Dikshant. The expertise from NASA STEM Innovation Lab will help the partner school to carry out projects.
He added that the Platform will provide the opportunity to students to submit their innovative ideas/projects to NASA STEM Lab Innovation Lab, this will help students learn innovation skills & sculpt new ideas.
It is noteworthy that the 'Think Lab' set up at the Dikshant Global School  by Smart Circuits Innovation provides facilities to students like an infrastructure to create projects related to space & satellite technology, soldering, sensors, single-board microcontrollers & microcontroller kits for building digital devices, Raspberry Pi - a tiny computer that students can use to learn programming in a fun way, practical projects, 3D printers, internet of things - which means the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices , drones , robotics , wood and carpentry work, lathe machine work, drilling work, hand and power tools for projects etc.

Mahindra and Ford Announce a Joint Venture: To Drive Profitable Growth in India and Emerging Markets


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- Mahindra & Mahindra Limited and Ford Motor Company have signed a definitive agreement to create a joint venture that will develop, market and distribute Ford brand vehicles in India and Ford brand and Mahindra brand vehicles in high-growth emerging markets around the world.
Mahindra and Ford will form a joint venture, with Mahindra owning a 51 percent controlling stake and Ford owning a 49 percent stake. Ford will transfer its India operations to the joint venture, including its personnel and assembly plants in Chennai and Sanand. Ford will retain the Ford engine plant operations in Sanand as well as the Global Business Services unit, Ford Credit and Ford Smart Mobility.
The joint venture is the next step in the strategic alliance forged between Ford and Mahindra in September 2017 and is expected to be operational by mid-2020, subject to regulatory approvals. The joint venture will be operationally managed by Mahindra, and its governance will be equally composed of representatives of Mahindra and Ford.
The joint venture will be responsible for growing the Ford brand in India and exporting its products to Ford entities globally. Ford will continue to own the Ford brand, and its branded vehicles will be distributed through the current Ford India dealer network. Mahindra will continue to own the Mahindra brand and operate its own independent dealer network in India.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group said that Mahindra and Ford coming together is a testament to the long history of cooperation and mutual respect between the two companies. Our combined strengths–Mahindra’s expertise in value-focused engineering and its successful operating model, and Ford’s technical expertise, global reach and access to future technology – are a potent recipe for success. At its core, the partnership will be driven by the shared values of both companies, which are focused on caring for our customers, associates and our communities.
Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company said that Ford and Mahindra have a long history of working together, and we are proud to partner with them to grow the Ford brand in India. We remain deeply committed to our employees, dealers and suppliers, and this new era of collaboration will allow us to deliver more vehicles to consumers in this important market.
Jim Hackett, Ford president and CEO said that at Ford, our purpose for 116 years has always been to drive human progress, and that won’t change. But to continue to do that, we need to evolve with new and faster ways of not only delighting our customers around the world but also solving their very different needs. Strong alliances like this play a crucial role in assuring we continue to achieve our vision while at the same time staying competitive and delivering value to our global stakeholders.  
The joint venture expects to introduce three new utility vehicles under the Ford brand, beginning with a new midsize sports utility vehicle that will have a common Mahindra product platform and powertrain.
Another area of focus for the joint venture will be electric vehicles. Ford and Mahindra will collaborate to develop vehicles to support the growth of sustainable mobility across emerging markets.
Driving greater economies of scale across the automotive value chain including sourcing, product development and access to relevant technologies, the joint venture is expected to achieve enhanced efficiencies to strengthen the Ford brand in India. In addition, the joint venture will be a catalyst for growth for the Ford and Mahindra brands in emerging markets, which are growing at double the rate of the global industry.
The joint venture will use the Ford brand distribution network in emerging markets to extend support for export of Mahindra products, in addition to Ford branded vehicles. Exports today form about 7 percent of Mahindra’s auto business revenues and its products are exported to South Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Chile, among other nations and areas.

d2h Skill Introduced on Amazon Alexa in India


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- With an aim to further enhance the TV viewing experience for its d2h customers, Dish TV India Limited, the world’s largest single-country DTH Company has launched a Skill for Amazon Alexa in India. Say, “Alexa, enable d2h” and start using the skill to explore a vast world of entertainment, discover movies, sports and music, using only your voice.
d2h skill will allow subscribers to use voice commands through Alexa to surf a wide range of content and get  up-to-date information of their d2h account.With d2h skill, subscribers will be able to set reminders for their favorite programs, get recommendations on trending programs, access to d2h account details, register ‘call me’ request, do basic trouble shooting and lot more though Alexa enabled devices.
Highlighting benefits of d2h skill for Alexa, Anil Dua, Executive Director & Group CEO, Dish TV India Limited, said that voice enabled search and information access is the cutting edge of home entertainment today. We are excited to bring the convenience of voice control with Alexa for our d2h customers. This launch reaffirms our commitment of always offering the latest and the most relevant technology to our d2h customers to make their viewing experience world class.
The d2h Alexa skill can be used by anyone with an Amazon Echo smart speaker or other devices such as headphones and speakers with Alexa built-in. The skill can also be accessed through the Alexa app available on iOS and Android. With more functionality and additional features in the pipeline, customers will be able to do much more through the d2h skill.
Dilip R.S., Country Manager for Alexa Skills and Voice Services, Amazon India said that using voice commands with Alexa to access entertainment and control smart home is like a magical experience. Many customers share that they enjoy the simplicity and ease of getting all kinds of entertainment, from videos, music to games, by just asking Alexa. The television is usually the centerpiece of common areas at home where families come together. We are extremely happy to see Dish TV India embrace voice technology for enriching the TV viewing experience with the d2h Alexa skill.

Legrand India Inaugurates Its State-of-the-Art Experience Centre- Innoval in Chandigarh


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- Legrand India, a global leader in electrical and digital building infrastructure inaugurated their eight state of the art experience centre Innoval in Chandigarh today. Innoval will host its India group company products – Legrand, Numeric & Valrack. Globally Innoval’s are present at France, Greece, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Dubai, and made its first-timeentry in the Asia Pacific region with its launch in Mumbai, India followed by its successful launches in Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Dehradun, Coimbatore, Kochi and its first voice controlled experiential center in Bangalore. The company is now all set to amaze the Chandigarh market with its experiential centre launch today. 
Innoval is Legrand’s global brand of product showcases. The name Innoval is a reflection of Legrand’s brand value of developing ranges of innovative products (Valley of Innovation).The narrative at Innoval is based on the concept of ‘Source to End Usage’, where the products are arranged in relation to each other and according to where they fall on the energy and data distribution grid. Keeping in mind the vastly different profiles of visitors, the products are arranged as per the business verticals, namely - User Interface, Energy Distribution, Structured Cabling, UPS and Cable Management.
The design approach is based on the concept of Designeering. It has all the technicalities of engineering but put forth in an intuitive and easy to understand communication system. With the interactive product displays, fully automated experience, educational infographics and clean minimal visual language, Innoval has been designed to provide its visitors with a hands-on experience that can help them make an informed choice.
Innoval is also built from the perspective of providing training for all players in the electrical trade, from investors to installers. Legrand has been known industry wise for its innovation, value adds to solutions, and in helping these professionals adapt to a constantly changing business. The purpose of Innoval, the Legrand Group's training provider for the residential and commercial markets, is to support all these partners (investors, system integrator, architects, panel builder, end customer etc.) by helping them to acquire new skills in order to better understand the market.  The market is fast growing and there are multiple needs and expectations of customers. With the new generation becoming decision makers the demand for products with innovation, technology has increased.
Sameer Saxena, Director- Marketing, Legrand India said that Legrand has a vast offering of electrical and digital infrastructure products across several business verticals; many of which highly technical to understand. He added that the idea behind Innoval was to break this down for the customer, by curating the products within a framework of an experiential and interactive narrative that is simpler to comprehend. With the launch of eight different Innoval we have successfully taken a step towards B2B experience zone for their customer (in highly technical segment). The same could have been possible due to innovative and creative thought process of worlds and countries leading electrical giant – Legrand.
He further shared that Legrand is world’s leading electrical and digital building solution provider company with global turnover of 5.5 billion Euros. The company enjoys leadership in premium wiring devices as well as MCB in the Indian market. Its products are widely used in residential, commercial, industrial and hospitality industry.  Legrand India takes a further leap with its Smart connected Home offerings. Through its entry in the IoT space it takes a further leap from the brand in its Smart Connected Homes offering, this is the first IOT product in India, with many more to come in future. 

PNB to organize Customer Outreach Initiative on October 5 & 6


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- D K Jain, Zonal Manager, Punjab National Bank & Convener UTLBC, Chandigarh shared that Bank is going to organize Customer Outreach Initiative on 5th  & 6th  of October, 2019 at Jat Bhawan, Plot No. 2B, Sector 27-A Chandigarh.  This event will not only help bankers in capturing fresh business but will also give them opportunity to build new relationships.  At the same time, this event will also be useful for customers who can avail loan facility from any of bank under one roof.
While addressing the press he apprised that Finance Minister, Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman announced a mega credit outreach plan on 26th September 2019.  She made this announcement after meeting public sector bankers, private sector lenders and financial institutions and also informed that they were not facing liquidity crisis.
He further informed that as per advise of Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India, in order to take advantage of festive seasons, a Customer Outreach Initiative to provide access to credit interalia including for Retail, Agriculture, Vehicle, Home, MSME, Education and Personal Consumer Loan has been planned to be launched in 400 districts identified by Public Sector Banks (PSBs).  The first phase of the Initiative will cover 250 districts across States from 3rd October 2019 to 5th October 2019.  In Chandigarh, one such Customer Outreach Initiative shall be organized by Punjab National Bank on 5th  & 6th  of October, 2019 at Jat Bhawan, Plot No. 2b, Sector 27-A Chandigarh.
In the two days programme, all Public Sector Banks, NABARD, UIDAI, SIDBI and some NBFCs/HFCs will be participating in this Initiative vigorously by putting their stalls alongwith publicity materials of different loan products offered by them. This event will not only help bankers in capturing fresh business but will also give them opportunity to build new relationships.  At the same time, this event will also be useful for customers who can avail loan facility from any of bank under one roof. The expected footfall during these two days event is about 1000.
While giving more detail about the initiative D K Jain said that during the two days Initiative the Mudra and Stand Up India success stories, Display of various products i.e. Retail, Education Loan, Personal consumer Loan, Agriculture loan, Vehicle loan, Home loan  and MSME loan, Savings Bank and BSBD Account account alongwith Aadhaar and mobile seeding forms, All visitors will be assisted to download and use the BHIM on individual mobiles  and Representative from UIDAI will also create awareness and facilitation of Aadhaar enrolment and updation of Aadhaar details for the visitors like activities will also be taken up.

Festive Effect: Developers in TriCity offers Freebies


By Tricitynews
Chandigarh 01st October:- With the onset of the festive season, homebuyers, as well as developers, are looking forward to making the most of it. Following the Shraadh period which is considered inauspicious to book property, Navratri is the time when developers start looking for bumper sales. Starting from Navratra till Diwali, the festive season brings a lot of happiness and optimism in the entire market. With the festivities having caliber to enhance the sales multiple times, developers come up with interesting payment plans, schemes, offerings and freebies to attract buyers and push their selling.
Real estate developers in Chandigarh are offering many discounts and gifts to woo buyers during the Navratras. From gold coins and discounted schemes, developers such as Sushma Group, GBP Group, Motia Group, SBP Group are offering many such freebees on booking/buying property in their projects.
Owing to the festive season, Sushma Group has announced “Sushma Happy Home Celebration” where customers can avail limited period benefits by buying residential projects with Sushma Group. The offer primarily is about getting premium units in non premium price for almost all residential projects, leased and ready to move business spaces in commercial projects of Sushma Group.
GBP Group, one of the leading real estate players of Tri City is showering number of offers across its projects in New Chandigarh, Mohali, Aerocity, Zirakpur, Peer Muchalla, DeraBassi, Kharar, Ludhiana, Nawanshahar and Dharamshala. The group on booking of its property is giving buyers a chance to win a single and couple trip to Dubai. Adding to it the group is offering a gold coin, Double door refrigerator, microwave, 40’’ LED screen and One Plus 7.
Another prime realtor from Punjab, Motia Group, has introduced bumper offer at its project Motia Royal Citi, Zirakpur where a person buying property at the project will not just get free home furnishing worth Rs 5 Lac but will also stand a chance to win a car. Booking at Motia Royal Citi gives a customer a chance to win a gold coin.
SBP Group, another renowned brand in the real estate sector of Tricity is offering various attractive offers for its customers under SBP Home Show in which the group is offering assured gift items with every booking for ready to move in flats, nearing possession and new project launches. The gift items starting from Rs 20,000 include Car, bike, Gold coin, refrigerator, microwave, LED and many more exciting offers.