Acer Launches New Predator Triton and Helios Series Gaming Notebooks

Bengaluru, 28th May 2021 : Acer today announced several additions to its gaming portfolio with Predator notebooks, a mouse and a new 5G CPE router. The all-new Predator Triton 500 SE and the Predator Helios 500 notebooks have been updated to include up to the new 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processors and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop GPUs, plus a hoard of premium features like Acer’s 5th Generation AeroBlade™ 3D Fan Technology for better cooling, DTS:X™ Ultra audio, Intel® Killer™ E3100 Ethernet Controller, Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650, and the PredatorSense device management software.
Predator Triton 500 SE Gaming Notebook

The Predator Triton 500 SE (PT516-51s) is a “special edition” notebook designed for gamers who want a machine capable of getting through both the latest AAA games and the work day. Powered by up to an 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 Processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU and up to 64 GB of 3200 MHz DDR4 memory, the notebook offers more than enough gaming power—but at just 19.9 mm (0.78 in) thin with up to 12 hours of battery life[[1]] and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus technology, gamers can easily slip it into a backpack or squeeze in a bit of work between matches. The notebook’s sleek, clean appearance means that it could even double as a work laptop for professionals that enjoy gaming, and with up to 4 TB of high speed PCIe Gen4 storage, it has plenty of space for games, footage and the odd spreadsheet or two.

“With Acer’s innovation powered by the 11th Gen Intel® Core™ H-series processors, they push the limits on laptop performance for amazing gaming experiences. Supporting frequencies up to 5 GHz, new PCIe Gen 4 for the fastest graphics and storage access, and incredibly fast connectivity based on the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4 technologies, Acer has created a stunning platform for gamers,” said Kim Algstam, GM & Director, Enthusiast Laptop Innovation Team, Intel.

Whether playing games or watching films, players will appreciate the Predator Triton 500 SE’s 16-inch 16:10 display with an 87% screen-to-body ratio and three panel options, including a 165 Hz WQXGA LCD display; a 165 Hz WQXGA Mini LED panel with 1250 peak nits and 100% coverage of the sRGB color gamut; or a 240 Hz WQXGA IPS[[2]] PolarBlack panel with a 3 ms response timeand 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut for an even smoother gameplay experience. Just under the notebook’s all-metal[[3]] chassis, a suite of thermal management technology ensures that everything runs cool. The Triton 500 SE employs Acer’s Vortex Flow cooling design, featuring a triple fan cooling system, including a 5th Generation custom-engineered AeroBlade™ 3D Fan, five dedicated heat pipes for the CPU and GPU, plus strategically placed intake and exhaust vents that continually draw in cold air and expel hot air.

An Intel® Killer™ E3100 Ethernet Controller, Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650, and Killer™ Intelligence Center provide gamers with the low latency and reliable connection necessary to clear out the online competition, while PredatorSense™ allows gamers to monitor their system, overclock the computer’s GPU and adjust fan speed with different modes such as quiet, extreme or turbo. As a final touch, the notebook’s full range of USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, including dual Thunderbolt™ 4 Type-C ports which support DisplayPort and a SD 7.0 card reader, provides players with plenty of room for all their peripherals.

Predator Helios 500 Gaming Notebook

The Predator Helios 500 (PH517-52) boasts up to an overclockable 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU and 64 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz memory, giving players more than enough power to take on all of the latest titles, while a pair of PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 and one SATA HDD means that the notebook has plenty of space for the next generation of games, too. Furthermore, a choice of displays lets players get the most out of this hardware. Depending on their preferences, users can equip the 17.3-inch Helios 500 with a 4K Mini LED 120 Hz display powered by AUO AmLED technology that supports full-array local dimming and is comparable to VESA Display HDR™ 1000, allowing for top-of-the-line color saturation and contrast, or AUO’s superfast FHD 360 Hz display rocking a 3 ms response time for the smoothest image possible.

All of this power is supported by a suite of premium cooling technology, including Acer PowerGem™[[4]], a custom-engineered technology made from a metal-alloy polymer that sits on top of the CPU and serves to distribute the heat it generates throughout the device. Acer's Vortex Flow technology leverages two fans, including a 5th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D Fan, to redirect airflow to critical components and boost performance during heavy gaming sessions. Users can use PredatorSense to enable Predator Pulsar lighting and customize light bars[[5]] to personalize their keyboard via per-key RGB backlighting. Additionally, the WASD keys can be enhanced with Acer’s Racing keys or MagForce keys, which feature MagTek mechanical switches to make keypresses function like a controller’s joystick, giving players precise control over their avatar’s movement.

To give players even further control, the Helios 500 includes multiple ports: one HDMI 2.1, one mini-DP 1.4, two USB Type-C Thunderbolt™ 4, three USB 3.2 Gen2 ports that support offline charging, and one RJ45 port. An Intel® Killer™ E3100 Ethernet Controller, Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 and Killer™ Intelligence Center provide gamers with better connectivity and lower latency, while features like DTS:X Ultra audio and 3D simulated surround sound allow for an even more immersive experience. Additionally, optional Intel® Killer™ DoubleShot™ Pro 5G combines the power of 5G[[6]],[[7]] with Intel® Killer™ Ethernet and Wi-Fi products for blazing fast gaming experiences no matter how users stay connected. Intel® Killer™ DoubleShot™ Pro 5G can smartly route[[8]] important gaming traffic to the fastest network connection available for fun, seamless gameplay.

Predator Connect X5 5G CPE Router

The Predator Connect X5 5G CPE is the first Intel Killer-compatible 5G CPE in the world, capable of providing 5G connectivity at up to an impressive 4.7 Gbps[[9]]. Designed with the needs of gamers in mind, a dedicated onboard GAME Port allows for the fastest uncompromised throughput. Furthermore, users can connect up to 256 devices via the X5’s Wi-Fi 6 capabilities to game, stream and share content without any slowdowns.

Intel® Killer™ Intelligence Center empowers gamers with the ability to fine tune their data downlink and uplink speeds based on their priority preferences, assigning some applications higher network precedence than others. The Intel® Killer™ Prioritization engine can also automatically detect and adjust optimal prioritization settings for many games, apps, and websites to deliver a better online experience. The Predator Connection Manager further allows users to monitor and adjust their 5G data usage to suit their gaming and media consumption needs. Integrated Trend Micro Home Network Security provides enhanced cybersecurity for networked devices by examining and managing network traffic, helping to protect users’ privacy and data.

Powered by a quad-core 2 GHz ARM Cortex processor with 1 GB DDR4 and 1 GB Flash memory, the Predator Connect X5 5G CPE is equipped with a dedicated GAME LAN port, one standard LAN port, one WAN port, USB, a SIM card port, a set of Main and Div TS-9 Antenna ports, and WPS for added security. An onboard USB port provides an extra level of flexibility, allowing users to store, transfer, and share documents within the local network by attaching external storage drives.

Predator Connect D5 5G Dongle

Designed for mobile PC gamers, the Predator Connect D5 5G Dongle is an accessory that unleashes the potential of a computer’s built-in Intel® Killer™ Network Solution via a USB 3.1 Type-C port. On top of providing blazing fast 5G speeds[5] and enabling a computer to be used as a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, the dongle prioritizes bandwidth allocation and reduces latency in order to improve a user’s overall gaming experience. Onboard active cooling ensures the device maintains optimal levels of performance. More technically inclined users can utilize the Predator Connection Manager to monitor network connections and modify throughput to suit their needs, and the dongle can be used with Intel® Killer™ DoubleShot™ Pro 5G for dual connectivity.

Predator Cestus Gaming Mouse 335

The Predator Cestus 335 is an ergonomic gaming mouse with a PixArt 3370 sensor and 2,000 Hz polling rate, allowing every movement, shot or heal to be placed with pinpoint precision. It features five color-coded DPI levels, capping out at 19,000 DPI, allowing players to easily set and cycle between sensitivity thresholds. For navigating content outside of games, a hyper-fast scroll button allows users to browse the web and scroll through forums at super speeds.

The mouse has 10 programmable buttons in total, letting gamers quickly eliminate opponents without having to rely on keyboard hotkeys. These buttons can be configured into five profiles, quickly adjustable by accessing the QuarterMaster application, making it possible to store different layouts for different game genres.

Pricing and Availability

The Predator Triton 500 SE (PT516-51s) will be available in North America in June starting at USD 1,749.99; in EMEA in July starting at EUR 1,999; and in China in June, starting at RMB 14,999.

The Predator Helios 500 (PH517-52) will be available in North America in August starting at USD 2,499.99; in EMEA in June starting at EUR 2,499; and in China in August, starting at RMB 39,999.

Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via www.acer.com.

Acer Announces the Swift X, Featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs on a Thin-and-Light Design

 Bengaluru, 28^th May 2021 :  Acer today introduced the Swift X, the newest member of its popular Swift line of notebooks. Designed to take ultra-portable PC design to the next level, this ultrathin-and-light laptop boasts an AMD Ryzen^™ 5000 Series Mobile Processor^[3] with “Zen 3” architecture^[3] and the latest NVIDIA^® GeForce RTX^™ 3050 Ti Laptop GPUs^[3].  

“Acer’s new notebook models are designed to offer consumers the widest possible choice of high-performance, ultraportable computing devices,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “Professionals need a clean-looking notebook that is compact enough to take with them throughout the day, but it also has to be powerful enough to run multiple resource-intensive programs at once. With every device we make, we’re always pursuing that balance.” 

“Powered by the highly-efficient and extremely powerful AMD ‘Zen 3’ core architecture, the Acer Swift X delivers impressive battery life in a high-performance and ultraportable design,” said Saeid Moshkelani, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Client Business Unit, AMD. “We are proud to collaborate with key partners like Acer to deliver premium, no-compromise solutions for content creators, streamers and creative professionals.” 

Thin, Light and Powerful  

The new Acer Swift X (SFX14-41G​) notebook represents a new segment within the Swift portfolio, the first of its series to come powered with discrete graphics, all at an impressive 1.39 kg (3.06 lbs)[^3]. Its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, based on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, combined with up to an AMD Ryzen^™ 7 5800U Mobile Processor and 16 GB of RAM offers creative professionals such as video editors or photographers plenty of power. True to the Swift family, all this hardware has been fitted into a metal chassis just 17.9 mm (0.7 in)^[3] thin.  

The productivity capabilities of the Acer Swift X are further enhanced by up to 2 TB of SSD storage, allowing all of a user’s work to be taken with them, and a fast-charging 59W battery that offers up to 17 hours^[1] of use.  

Vibrant Color Representation 

The Swift X features a 14-inch FHD IPS[^2] display with an 85.7% screen-to-body ratio, 300 nits^[3] brightness and 100% sRGB^[3]—enough for editing 4K video or getting photographs just right. A plentiful array of ports including full-function USB Type-C ensure ultra-fast data transfer, video streaming and battery charging, facilitating this process, while Wi-Fi 6 means faster overall connectivity.  

The notebook also includes a fingerprint sensor for more secure sign ins through Windows Hello, AI-enhanced noise suppression for smoother video calls, and Acer BlueLightShield technology to help lessen eye strain during long editing sessions. 

Cool, Quiet Editing 

Built with heavier work sessions in mind, the new Swift X leverages a fan with fifty-nine 0.3 mm blades and a pair of D6 copper heat pipes to optimize its thermal efficiency. A number of other innovations also improve the notebook’s cooling efficiency: an air inlet keyboard design expels around 8-10% more heat than a standard keyboard, and a stereo ring with an inclined plane sitting along the top of the fan delivers up to a 5-10% improvement in airflow.  

Price and Availability 

The Acer Swift X (SFX14-41G​) will be available in North America in June starting at USD 899.99; in EMEA in Summer 2021 starting at 899 EUR; and in China in Q3’21, starting at RMB 6,499. 

 

Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via www.acer.com. 

About Acer 

Founded in 1976, Acer is one of the world's top ICT companies with a presence in more than 160 countries. As Acer evolves with the industry and changing lifestyles, it is focused on enabling a world where hardware, software and services will fuse with one another, creating ecosystems and opening up new possibilities for consumers and businesses alike. Acer's 7,500 employees are dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale, and support of products and solutions that break barriers between people and technology.  

Acer Updates Its ConceptD Creator Notebooks with 11th Gen Intel Core H-series Processors, NVIDIA RTX Professional Laptop GPUs, and 16-inch Displays

 Bengaluru, 28^th May 2021 : Acer today announced refreshes to each of its ConceptD creator notebook lines. All have been updated to include the new 11th Gen Intel^® Core^™ H-series processors and a range of GPU options, including the NVIDIA^® GeForce RTX^™ 30 Series Laptop GPUs and the latest NVIDIA^® RTX^™ Professional Laptop GPUs powered by the NVIDIA Ampere architecture. They’re backed by the NVIDIA Studio ecosystem, as well as exclusive driver technology that enhances creative apps for optimal levels of performance and reliability.  

The new ConceptD 5 notebooks also include a 16:10 16-inch display, providing enough space for content creators to view their videos and edit tracks without having to resize taskbars or hide preview windows 

“Our innovative ConceptD PC line has been extremely well received by content creators around the world,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “We’re pleased to expand our offerings, working with Intel and NVIDIA to support extremely talented creative professionals with even more powerful tools that bring efficiency, value and usefulness to their workflows.” 

ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro Notebooks 

Designed for 2D and 3D design workflows, Acer’s all-metal ConceptD 5 notebooks (CN516-72G) pair the new 11th Gen Intel^® Core^™ H-series processors with up to an NVIDIA^® GeForce RTX^™ 3060 Laptop GPU. A  ConceptD 5 Pro (CN516-72P) is also available, featuring either the NVIDIA^® RTX^™ A5000 or NVIDIA^® RTX^™ A3000 Laptop GPU, for creators looking for best-in-class performance and capabilities. The RTX A5000 Laptop GPU empowers creators with the ability to bring ray tracing and AI to the largest rendering, 8K editing, and multi-app workflows. 

With up to 64 GB of DDR4 3200 Hz memory and 2 TB of PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSDs in RAID 0, they provide all the power and storage creators need for handling 4K video, multiple monitors or 2D and 3D software rendering applications. Acer’s Vortex Flow, a triple-fan cooling layout (including a 5^th Gen AeroBlade 3D Fan), is strategically organized to provide additional cooling to the CPU and GPU, allowing a bit more performance to be eked out under particularly demanding workloads. 

Complementing all this power is a beautiful 16-inch 3K (3072x1920) PANTONE^®-Validated display that supports 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, plus a color accuracy rating of Delta E<2. Its narrow bezel design provides an 87% screen to body ratio, while a 16:10 aspect ratio offers many benefits to professional creators. When compared to the more widely used 16:9 ratio, it is noticeably taller, giving creators more screen space for monitoring videos or utilizing multiple tracks without having to hide taskbars or resize preview windows. 

The notebooks include a broad array of connectivity options: dual USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt^™ 4 support, HDMI 2.1, an SD card carder (SD7.0), and more. A silent keyboard and touchpad designed for noise reduction removes one further small distraction that could interrupt a user’s creative flow, and the 6-inch wide Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass touchpad features a fingerprint reader for more convenient and secure logins.  

ConceptD 7 Ezel Convertible Notebook 

The ConceptD 7 Ezel (CC715-72G), Acer’s flagship convertible creator notebook, has been updated to include the powerful new 11th Gen Intel^® Core^™ i7-11800H processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU. A  ConceptD 7 Ezel Pro (CC715-72P) is also available, featuring up to an Intel^® Xeon^® W-11955M processor and NVIDIA^® RTX^™ A5000 or A3000 Laptop GPUs for creators desiring even greater performance in professional applications and support. 

Paired with up to 2 TB PCIe SSDs and up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory, it is an ideal choice for creators who typically handle large files and often use multiple applications at once. In addition, the newest models include dual Thunderbolt^™ 4 ports that offer 40 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth, quicker transfer speeds, and the ability to connect up to five Thunderbolt devices—all with only one port. Lastly, a new ultra-responsive Corning Gorilla Glass touchpad makes navigation smooth and effortless. 

Other key features include a brilliant 15.6-inch 4K PANTONE-Validated touchscreen display that covers 100% of the Adobe^® RGB color gamut and has a color accuracy rating of Delta E<2. Its adjustable display is enhanced by Acer’s innovative Ezel Hinge design which combines the familiarity and comfort of a traditional laptop with float, share, pad, stand and display modes that facilitate efficient and productive collaboration. It also includes a Wacom EMR pen, highly valued by artists who rely on the precision of a digital pen for sketching, animation and 3D modeling. 

ConceptD 3 Ezel Convertible and ConceptD 3 Notebooks 

Acer also updated its ConceptD 3 line, which includes 14-inch convertible (CC314-72G) and traditional (CN314-72G) designs. A ConceptD 3 Pro (CN314-72P) and ConceptD 3 Ezel Pro (CC314-72P) are also available, both featuring up to an Intel^® Core^™ i7 processor capable of reaching 4.6 GHz and NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU. 

All of the ConceptD 3 form factors and sizes have been updated to include an 11th Gen Intel Core H-series processor. Commercial and consumer models will ship with various graphics options to suit a variety of workloads and specialties, including the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. All include a PCIe Gen 4 SSD and a Thunderbolt^™ 4 port with power delivery enabled for super-fast charging. 

This series offers powerful specs and creator-focused features at mid-range price points. The convertible models include Acer’s innovative Ezel Hinge, allowing them to be used in various modes, as well as a touchscreen display and AES pen. All ConceptD 3 notebooks include FHD (1920x1080) Pantone-Validated displays with 100% sRGB coverage and a color accuracy rating of Delta E <2.  

Pricing and Availability 

The ConceptD 5 (CN516-72G) will be available in North America in August starting at USD 1,999.99; and in EMEA in July starting at EUR 2,199. 

The ConceptD 7 Ezel (CC715-72G) will be available in North America starting at USD 2,499; in EMEA in October starting at EUR 2,699; and in China in October, starting at RMB 29,999. 

The ConceptD 3 (CN314-72G) will be available in EMEA in September starting at EUR 1,299. 

The ConceptD 3 Ezel (CC314-73G) will be available in North America in December starting at USD 1,599.99; and in EMEA in September starting at EUR 1,499; and in China in September, starting at RMB 12,999. 

Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via www.acer.com. 

About Acer  

Founded in 1976, Acer is one of the world's top ICT companies with a presence in more than 160 countries. As Acer evolves with the industry and changing lifestyles, it is focused on enabling a world where hardware, software and services will fuse with one another, creating ecosystems and opening up new possibilities for consumers and businesses alike. Acer's 7,500 employees are dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale, and support of products and solutions that break barriers between people and technology. 

HCL to vaccinate 100% of its 350,000 India-based “employees and their families”

 Bengaluru, 28^th May 2021 : HCL, a leading global conglomerate announced that it has planned capacities for vaccinating 100% of its India-based, eligible employees and their families with the first dose before June 30, 2021. HCL (including group companies HCL Technologies, HCL Infosystems and HCL Healthcare, and Shiv Nadar Foundation and its institutions) has already vaccinated more than 25% of its eligible workforce with at least one dose. HCL is investing over Rs 100 crores to ensure free vaccination services for employees and their families, as well as the third party vendor personnel working with the organization. HCL plans to have administered approximately 700,000 doses (including two doses per person) by the end of the drive.  

To provide employees safe and convenient process for receiving the vaccination, HCL has enabled on-premises vaccination centers. It has been conducting vaccination drives since March 24, offering employees the opportunity to get inoculated at clinics managed by HCL Healthcare and at HCL’s campuses in Noida, Lucknow and Chennai. It is also in the process of making more centers operational in a phased manner.  

Apprao VV, Chief Human Resources Officer, HCL Technologies said, “At HCL we are taking all necessary initiatives to ensure the safe vaccination of employees and their family members as well as third party vendor personnel who have supported us in keeping our business running in these difficult times. With the ongoing pandemic, we believe that vaccination is possibly the strongest way to fight COVID-19. We are working round the clock to provide the best support to our employees and their families at every stage. Our top-most priority is to vaccinate all our employees and their families as quickly as possible and we have planned to achieve this goal by end of June.”  

HCL is in discussions with vaccine manufacturers and top-tier hospitals, to provide COVID-19 vaccination support for its India-based employees. To encourage vaccination adoption and raise awareness about the program, it is running comprehensive communication campaigns targeted at employees. Additionally, it is also working with partner NGOs to support communities where it operates with vaccine registration process, along with providing relevant information regarding COVID-19, as approved by government authorities.    

Ensuring health and wellbeing of all stakeholders continues to be the top priority for HCL. It is; therefore, constantly evaluating and proactively monitoring the situation as well as providing all necessary support to employees and their families, vendors and clients.   

#TakeCareHCL continues to be active in spreading awareness among employees about the pandemic and a variety of specific initiatives available to help employees and their families. HCL’s dedicated COVID-19 portal, which has provided one-point access for any emergency, is regularly enhanced with additional information on safety, support facilities and resources. 

AU Small Finance Bank rolls out the most "comprehensive employee well-being programme"

 Bengaluru, 27^th May 2021 : Extending a timely helping hand up to the families of employees who succumbed to Covid, AU Small Finance Bank has added certain key benefits to its three-pronged Prevention-Cure-Security (PCS) programme, making it one the most comprehensive employee welfare scheme among all the banks. This scheme aims to provide financial, medical and educational assistance to its employees and their families.  

The bank will provide monetary compensation equal to 50 per cent of the deceased employee’s fixed salary to the family for two years with a maximum cap of Rs. 5,00,000. Another important step taken by the bank is allowing the vesting and exercise of unvested ESOPs of deceased employees which can be exercised by the heir. Both these measures aim to provide support to the families of employees who succumbed to Covid. 

Additionally, the educational expenses of the deceased (due Covid and any other reason) employee’s children (up to two) will be borne by the bank on need basis till they complete graduation. Under this scheme, the bank will disburse Rs 5,000 every month per child for pre-graduation and Rs 10,000 per month per child during graduation. This education corpus will be sponsored by Sanjay and Jyoti Agarwal Foundation and the employees of AU Bank. The immediate family members of employees who have succumbed to Covid on or after April 1, 2021 would be eligible for all these benefits.  

The bank also has brought in a new initiative under the ‘prevention’ aspect wherein employees will be allowed to enroll their parents in Group Mediclaim Policy mid-term. 

These benefits will be in addition to the support the bank already has been providing through life insurance, medical insurance, and other statutory benefits such as interest free salary advance, paid Covid leaves, and additional financial support for medical emergencies. 

“We stand in solidarity with the world for the global loss of lives and livelihoods that it suffered in the last year. We have introduced the Prevention-Cure-Security (PCS) programme for our employees to provide financial aid and assistance to them, as our key sustainability initiative, this year. With the second wave of Covid-19 cases across India, we have seen many families left with no medical or financial assistance. While we understand that no financial help can compensate for the loss of loved ones, it is important for us as an organisation to stand together with the families to help them cope with their grief and prepare for a better tomorrow,” said Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank. 

The Bank is taking proactive steps to enroll and will also pay the annual insurance premium for the first year on behalf of those employees who are not covered in any schemes including staff on third party payroll in programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri SurakshnaBima Yojana. 

In view of the rising number of Covid positive cases in the country, the bank has set up a separate cell within the HR Department for Employee Welfare, Wellbeing and Happiness to assist with proper isolation infrastructure, quality food, transportation and medication requirements. 

 

About AU Small Finance Bank: 

AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU Bank) is a scheduled commercial bank and a Fortune India 500 Company. Starting its journey from the hinterlands of Rajasthan, today AU Bank is the largest Small Finance Bank with a deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban markets that has enabled it build robust business model facilitating inclusive growth. With 25 years legacy of being a retail focused and customer-centric institution, AU started its banking operation in April 2017 and as on 31^st March 2021, it has established operations across 744 Banking Touchpoints while serving 20.2 Lakh customers in 15 States & 2 Union Territories with a talent base of 22,484 employees. The Bank has a net worth of ₹6,275 Cr, deposit base of ₹35,979 Cr and net advances of ₹ 34,609 Cr. AU Bank enjoys the trust of marquee investors and is listed at both the leading stock exchanges viz. NSE and BSE. It has consistently maintained a high external credit rating from all major rating agencies like CRISIL, ICRA, CARE and India Ratings. 

Renowned Numerologist Mr J. C. Chaudhry launches the “JC Nummerro App” to provide predictions to Individuals and Corporates

 Bengaluru, 27^th May 2021 : Noted Numerologist, Mr. J C Chaudhry, Chairman, Chaudhry Nummero Private Limited has launched the ‘JC Nummerro App’ combining 35 years of his experience in the field of Numerology. The app provides valuable insights and close-fitting predictions based on various numerology based parameters like psychic number, destiny number, name number, ruling number, etc. 

The App is available for download from Google and Apple Playstores in Android and IPhone versions respectively. 

Numerology is regarded as one of the most predictive sciences revealing the hidden correlation between the numbers and what is happening in one's life. The major advantage of the knowledge of numerology is to save time and take safety measures when bad times are anticipated. With the help of these systems, predictions are made for the person's past, present and future.  

The JC Numerro App aids the users with benefits like daily prediction, monthly prediction, yearly prediction, a better understanding of oneself, the best year for investment and more.  

Through this app, one can also know about your lucky and unlucky numbers and dates, compatibility with life partner, children, company, residential address, city, country, mobile, vehicle number, lucky gemstone. The app also provides insights according to the Chinese numerology i.e. Lo-Shu Grid helping people discover which numbers are missing and getting repeated in your grid and provides remedies for their effects. 

One can not only book personal consultation with Mr J C Chaudhry via the “JC Nummerro App” but can also book business consultation for your company’s numerological audits and can find out the compatibility of a person with his/her existing business partner or with a person, he/she is planning to make his/her partner in business. 

While commenting on the launch of the app, Mr. J C Chaudhry, Chairman, Chaudhry Nummero Private Limited said, ‘Numerology is an ancient practice and provides very fast and accurate predictions about an individual. This application is a culmination of my 35 years of experience in the numerology field. Making use of technology, we would like to reach to a wider audience to help them solve their queries and provide essential remedies to rectify the uncertainties of one’s future. We hope that this application will prove to be beneficial for the masses and will bring in peace and tranquility in their life.’ 

*************************** 

About Mr. J. C. Chaudhry 

MD & Chairman- Aakash Educational Services Limited 

Chairman, Chaudhry Nummero Private Limited 

 

Mr. Chaudhry is a Numerologist par excellence. He has authored 2 books on numerology- “Advanced Numerology” & “Practical Numerology”. These books are an outcome of his 35 years of experience in numerology. He also received an appreciation award as a keynote speaker on “Role of Numerology in Business Growth & Personal Life” by Indo- European Business Forum. His informative videos on Numerology has garnered millions of views worldwide. His channel on YouTube has 542,405 subscribers and 81,530,016 views as on date.  

 

Mr. Chaudhry is an eminent author and influencer. His interest in other allied fields such as Vastu Shastra, Gems & Stones, Meditation, Motivation, have encouraged him to write other books such as “ABC of Vastu Shastra”, “Fundamentals of Vastu”, “You and Your Gems”, “Mudra- Healthy life at your fingertips”, “Success – Few Steps Away”, “Rungs of Ladder”, “Nature – The Best Cure”, “Chakras”, “Meditation & Subconscious Mind” and a book on quotes – “I think” made him multi-disciplined person, natural motivator, Vastu expert, numerologist and also expert in connected fields. 

 

About JC Nummerro App 

 

Numerology is one of the predictive sciences that reveals the hidden correlation between the numbers and what is happening in one's life. This science is usually based on relationship between different numbers like psychic/ date number, life path/ destiny number, name number, ruling number, etc. The major advantage of the knowledge of numerology is to save our time and take safety measures when bad times are anticipated. With the help of these systems, predictions are made for the person's past, present and future. 

 

This “JC Nummerro App” is the result of 35 years of practice of numerology by Mr. J C Chaudhry. The app provides you with insightful and all close-fitting predictions based on various numerology based parameters like psychic number, destiny number, name number, ruling number, etc. This app aids the users with benefits like: 

 

1. Daily Prediction: This part conveys what kind of work is suitable for you on a particular day. This will assist you in planning the suitable work for that day. 
2. Monthly Prediction: This part conveys how will be your current month and what are the lucky dates in that month for you. This way you can focus on the things that matter and plan beforehand against any obstacles. 
3. Yearly Prediction: This part conveys how will be the current year for you and which months and dates are lucky for you in every month. Instead of worrying and wondering about what year has in store for you, relax and get started with reading your yearly numerology forecast and plan your year ahead. 
4. Numerology About Yourself: In this section you will find out your psychic number (also known as birth date number), destiny number (also known as life path number), name number and how are the relationship amongst them. You will know about your lucky day, lucky colour, lucky dates and the dates that are required to be avoided. Get to know about your lucky years, your key characteristics, all about their vibrations, effects and influence on your life concerning love, family, career, finance and health. This section also reveals about the best year for investment, your lucky gemstone and lucky zone in the city for you. 
5. Numerology about your Relationships: This part reveals about your relationship with your life partner and your child. You will identify if the vibration of the relationship between your name and your date of birth is friendly or not. Also, know your lucky name numbers that will vibrate pleasantly with your date of birth and the alphabets that can be added in your name to make it a lucky name number. 
6. Numerology About your Compatibility: Here you can check your compatibility with your company, residential address, country, city, mobile number and vehicle number. You can also check compatibility between your child name and his/her date of birth. 
7. Book an appointment with Mr. J C Chaudhry: Have a face to face meeting or virtual meeting with the renowned numerologist, Mr. J C Chaudhry, and get guidance about your future. If you’re planning to start a new venture, get proper guidance and know about nitty and gritty as per numerology and take proper steps for attaining success. 
8. Numerology audit of Company: Get numerological audit done for your company and find out about the lucky and unlucky people in your organization so that you can accordingly plan strategy.  
9. Chinese Numerology about yourself: Learn about yourself as per Chinese numerology i.e. Lo-Shu Grid. Discover which numbers are missing and getting repeated in your grid. Learn about remedies for and their effects. 

Ecom Express launches ‘Ecom Cares’ to support kin of employees in case of untimely demise

Bengaluru, 26th May 2021 : Ecom Express, a leading technology enabled end-to-end logistics solutions provider to the e-commerce industry, today announced its Ecom Cares program under which an array of financial and non-financial assistance schemes have been rolled out for the family of employees in case of their untimely demise, owing to COVID or any other reason. 

 

Announcing the program, T. A. Krishnan, Co-founder and CEO, Ecom Express, says, ‘As a people-centric organization, our endeavour has been to provide constant support to all our employees and their families through various measures and initiatives in these challenging times. Losing a family member is a great setback and no family is immune to the impact of such an event. Ecom Cares is our commitment to the affected families that in case of an unfortunate event of the demise of an employee, we will do our best to help them get back on their feet. Our aim is not just to provide the much-needed relief to our employees and their families in the current pandemic situation, which we pray gets over soon, but to continue delivering care and strength through our evolving measures even in the years to come.’’ 

  

Ecom Cares would entail the following benefits: 

 

1.    Financial Assistance: The beneficiary will receive the monthly salary of the deceased employee for a period of 2 years. This benefit will be provided over and above the existing Death Benevolent Fund (DBF) scheme of the Company which provides a one-time lumpsum amount to the family of the deceased. 

 

2.    Compassionate Employment: In case of death or permanent total disability of an employee, Ecom Express would provide employment to one dependent family member such as spouse, child or a sibling, nominated by the employee. The employment will be provided basis qualification and skill of the beneficiary. The company, however, will also provide focused training for capability development into the role that the beneficiary receives. 

 

3.    Education for children: Under this policy, Ecom Express will cover the expenses towards education of two children of the deceased, upto class 12^th. In case the children are not of school going age, they can be enrolled for this benefit once they reach that age. 

 

The policies of this program are meant for all employees retrospectively starting 1^st April 2021.  

 

Ecom Express has also rolled out various COVID relief measures to help employees battle the challenges posed in recent times by the second wave of coronavirus. These include: 

• Procurement of oxygen concentrators for employees and their families. 
• Creating in-house developed web portal for employees to find relevant leads to critical COVID related resources, such as oxygen cylinders, ICU beds, hospital list, vaccination alerts, and so on. 
• Free vaccination for all employees. 
• Facilitation of RT-PCR and other COVID related tests. 
• Tie-ups with service providers for virtual medical consultations, discounts on online medicine and lab-testing, etc. 
• Free transportation of essential items for employees and their families using Ecom Express network.  
• A dedicated helpline service for employees to seek any information related to COVID Care initiatives provided by the Company. 

 

Besides ensuring the safety and security of its employees and their families, Ecom Express is working round the clock to ensure that all the assistance and support is provided to them on priority. 

 

About Ecom Express: 

Ecom Express Private Limited is a leading end-to-end technology enabled logistics solutions provider to the Indian e-commerce industry. Headquartered in Gurugram, Ecom Express was incorporated in 2012 by T.A. Krishnan, Manju Dhawan, K. Satyanarayana and late. Sanjeev Saxena with their 100+ years of cumulative experience in the Indian logistics and distribution industry. Ecom Express has its presence in all 29 states of the country and operates in over 2650 towns across 27,000+ PIN-codes in India. The company is the first private logistics company in India to envision a full-state coverage strategy, offered in 20 states including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Through this deep reach strategy, the company has a capability to deliver to over 1.2 billion people, i.e., 92%+ of India’s population. 

Amidst Pandemic IIM Sambalpur achieves "100% placement with multi fold increase in recruiters across sectors in its flagship MBA program"

 Bengaluru, 26^th May 2021 : IIM Sambalpur, the hand-crafted IIM and one of the most promising and dynamic management institutions among the new generation IIMs of the country, witnessed close to 140 companies visiting the campus this season with prominent participants and recruiters such as Nielsen, Reliance Retail, Ramco Systems, Tech Mahindra, Mindtree, Amul, Vedanta, HCL, SBI Life, Tata Steel BSL, Accenture, IBM, BYJU’s, Infosys, ICICI Prudential, Trident Group, Bajaj Allianz, ZS Associates, Deloitte India, KPMG, Ernst & Young, etc. The graduates were offered a myriad of lucrative roles across Marketing, Sales, BFSI, Operations, Consulting, Analytics, ITeS and bagged highly coveted roles in Fintech, E-Commerce, FMCG, and so on. With more than a 90% increase in the companies visited for recruitment, IIM Sambalpur set new standards and surpassed its previous placement records. This season recorded the highest annual CTC offered at INR 26.4 LPA, with the top 25% CTC at INR 14.91 LPA.  

 

                                                 

Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, stated, “IIM Sambalpur has yet again bettered its previous records and will continuously strive to exceed expectations of all its stakeholders. Despite the current market dynamics, we are proud of our students who have achieved this feat owing to sheer hard work and dedication. I congratulate our graduating students on receiving such coveted employment offers. These demonstrate the high value of the blended pedagogy imparted at IIM Sambalpur and our students' remarkable skills and capabilities. We would like to extend sincere gratitude to the esteemed recruiters for partnering with us and reposing faith in the quality of talent and its distinct academic culture.” 

 

Additionally, IIM Sambalpur is proud to announce the successful completion of 100% Summer Placements for the sixth batch (2020-22) of its flagship MBA program. With more than 110 companies participating in the on-campus Summer Internship placement process for a batch strength of 157 students, this year concluded with one of the best placement seasons beating previous years' records. The institute has witnessed a highly coveted pool of first-time recruiters and the noteworthy mentions are Google, Adani Ports, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bank of Baroda, IMCD India, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, DSM Group, IBM, Justdial, Tata Steel BSL, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), V Guard, ICICI Bank etc. among many others. The influx of recruiters saw an increase this year providing opportunities in multiple domains like Advertising, Apparel, Automobile, BFSI, Chemicals, Consulting, Consumer Goods & Services, E-Commerce, Edu-tech, Financial Services, FMCG, Insurance, IT/ITES, Mining, Pharmaceuticals, and Retail. This year the highest stipend offered was INR 1,70,000 domestic and the top quartile of the batch received an average stipend of INR 72,511. The top half of the batch secured an average stipend of INR 56,644 wherein the average and median stipend of the whole batch stood at INR 48,222 and INR 47,700, respectively. This year also saw a sharp increase in companies of Automobile, E-Commerce, and Pharmaceutical industries visiting the campus with a considerable percentage of students getting offers from these organizations.  

 

Speaking about Summer Placements, Prof. Diptiranjan Mahapatra, Placement Chair, IIM Sambalpur, stated, “The speed at which our students received the offers are unparalleled and phenomenal. The outcome bears testimony of the recruiters’ continued trust in exceptional talent and academic excellence at IIM Sambalpur. With changing times, Consulting, BFSI, FMCG, IT/ITES, and Edu-Tech emerged as most sought after and lucrative amongst others with more than 50% of the batch opting for these industries. IIM Sambalpur would like to thank its various stakeholders including the recruiters for reposing faith in the institute, its students, and its distinct academic culture. With such strong support and collaboration, we wish to continue our journey of harnessing talents at IIM Sambalpur and providing students with the best opportunities to excel.”  

 

IIM Sambalpur with its core values of Innovation, Integrity and Inclusiveness is focused on nation-building and is committed in their goal of contributing towards the development of the country.  

 

About Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur: 

Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur is one of the most promising and dynamic management institutions among the new generation IIMs of the country located in Sambalpur, Odisha, India. IIM Sambalpur was established by MHRD, GOI in 2015 and was declared as an Institute of National Importance as per the IIM 2017 Act. The Institute is already taking positive steps since its inception as a place for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Experiential Learning. Located amidst hills and rivers surrounded by a large number of big manufacturing industries, IIM Sambalpur currently offers full-time Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Ph.D. programs and more courses to be added in the near future. In terms of maintaining better gender diversity and providing a unique experiential learning pedagogy called "Flipped Classroom”, IIM Sambalpur ranks as one of the best among all other IIMs. The institute became a pioneer among IIMs of the country in conducting part of their admission process and term examination through an online proctoring system and the institute will conduct all their examinations through the same online proctoring system henceforth. The foundation stone of the permanent campus of IIM Sambalpur was laid by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 2nd January 2021. 

Airtel takes another step in "delivering the best network for customers" in Karnataka

Bengaluru, 24th May 2021 : Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider said that it has upgraded its mobile network in Karnataka to deliver the best network experience for its customers.



Airtel has deployed an additional 11.2 Mhz spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band along with advance network software tools across its network in the state to significantly bolster high speed data capacity. The deployment will strengthen an already superior network for Airtel customers across the state. It will enable improved network availability and data speeds along with better coverage inside homes and buildings in cities and urban areas. The deployment also allows Airtel to offer wider coverage along highways and rail routes as well as increase footprint in villages as more people access high speed data services.



Airtel had acquired the 11.2 Mhz spectrum for Karnataka during the recent auctions conducted by the Government of India. With this fresh spectrum, Airtel has the largest spectrum bank of 68.8 Mhz in Karnataka. With its diverse spectrum holdings across 2300/2100/1800/900 bands, the company is well positioned to serve the growing demand for high speed data services and its network is fully ready for 5G.



Sharan Shetty, CEO - Karnataka, Bharti Airtel said, “We are obsessed with delivering a world-class service experience to our customers and continue to invest aggressively in new spectrum and network upgrades at a time when our customers need it the most. Airtel now has the largest spectrum bank in Karnataka and our future ready network is well positioned to meet the surging demand for high speed data.”



Following the pandemic, the adoption of the work from home, online classes, video streaming has witnessed a massive surge. Airtel’s intervention to build additional capacities will go a long way in helping customers stay connected.



Airtel has also deployed advanced network technologies and tools such as pre-5G Massive MIMO, 4G Advanced and Carrier Aggregation to step up high speed network capacity and coverage.



Airtel has over 3.03 crore customers in Karnataka and its network covers 97.5% population of the state.

The Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced its commitment to achieve net "zero carbon emissions"

 Bengaluru, 24^th May 2021 : The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group today announced its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, reinforcing its long-standing strategy of working towards decarbonisation and environmental sustainability across its operations. 

 

The Group’s airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scoot and SIA Cargo, will use multiple levers to achieve this goal. These include investing in new-generation aircraft, achieving higher operational efficiency, adopting low-carbon technology such as sustainable aviation fuels, and sourcing for high quality carbon offsets.  

 

SIA Group has pursued multiple projects in support of its sustainability goals even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, the Group completed the installation of solar panels on all of its office buildings in Singapore. This generates renewable energy that provides up to 18 per cent of its electricity demand, or enough to power around 2,300 four-room apartments in Singapore for a year. 

 

In 2020, SIA rolled out a new regional Economy Class meal concept that offers increased food choices for customers. It features tableware comprising sustainable paper packaging and bamboo cutlery, reducing the amount of single-use plastics in the cabin. This packaging weighs 50 per cent less, helping to lower fuel consumption. Everything from the tableware to the food waste will be sent to an eco-digestor to be converted to refuse-derived energy pellets that can replace fossil fuels and coal. 

 

Mr Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “We have remained focused on our sustainability goals even as we navigated the Covid-19 pandemic. We know that this is also an increasingly important issue to both our customers and staff. With today’s pledge to achieve net-zero emissions, we buttress the SIA Group’s leadership position on this topic and reinforce our commitment to finding ways to tackle our impact on the environment. 

 

“Today, the most effective and direct way for an airline to materially lower carbon emissions is by operating a young fleet of aircraft. The SIA Group’s fleet has an average age of under six years, making it one of the youngest in the world. Over the last year, we have retired 45 older aircraft. We will be gradually replacing them with new-generation aircraft that are up to 30 per cent more fuel efficient, and will substantially lower our emissions in coming years. 

  

“However, we can’t achieve our goals on our own. We will continue to collaborate with governments, the airline industry, and partners such as aircraft manufacturers, technology providers, and fuel suppliers, both in Singapore and around the world. We must work together to push the envelope, and find innovative solutions that help us meet our targets on this journey.”  

 

How the SIA Group aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 

 

The SIA Group’s aircraft fleet has an average age of five years 10 months, and it continues to invest in the latest technology. The Group’s order book comprises new-generation models such as Airbus’ A350-900 and A320neo Family and Boeing’s 777-9, 787 Family and 737-8 Max. These aircraft are up to 30 per cent more fuel-efficient and have reduced carbon emissions compared to older models. 

 

There is also a relentless focus on increasing fuel efficiency through improvements in operational procedures. For example, the SIA Group has invested in engineering improvement packages for airframes and engines which help to reduce drag and improve engine efficiency. The Group’s airlines continuously aim to improve fuel productivity through initiatives such as reducing fuel usage through aircraft weight management, and optimisation of flight routes. Innovations in technology and data analytics will also pave the way for more significant improvements, and the Group will continue to engage research institutions to explore such ideas.  

 

Singapore Airlines has been an active member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) since 2011. In 2017, SIA launched a series of green package flights from San Francisco to Singapore that incorporated sustainable aviation fuels, fuel-efficient aircraft and optimised air traffic management measures. In 2020, SIA worked with Stockholm’s Swedavia Airport to uplift sustainable aviation fuels on flights departing from the city. These activities have helped to improve the Group’s understanding of the logistics and procurement of renewable fuels. SIA is actively working with partners and stakeholders to explore opportunities to scale up the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels across our network. 

 

Beyond reducing direct emissions, carbon offsetting can play an important and complementary role. The SIA Group is a participant in the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which seeks to cap the industry’s growth in carbon emissions from 2020. While offsetting is particularly important in the mid-term, it is also expected to remain relevant in the long run to mitigate residual emissions. In order to secure high quality carbon offsets, the Group will continue exploring pathways through partnership that will allow us to source high quality carbon offsets. 

 

As the SIA Group embarks on this journey towards net zero emissions by 2050, it will continue to collaborate with like-minded partners to develop a robust sustainable aviation fuel supply chain and carbon market. This includes working together with stakeholders in Singapore to develop a holistic decarbonisation plan, which complements Singapore’s goal of strengthening the country’s air hub and maintaining its competitive advantage into the future. 

 

Further details on SIA’s sustainability initiatives can be found in the backgrounder and on our website.