Paytm Gold is now available as cashback

Bangalore 20th July, 2017  : Paytm now enables customers to get their cashback as Paytm Gold. This will combine the spending & saving experience with an asset that is close to the hearts of Indians. Paytm Gold bought from MMTC-PAMP is stored in their 100% secure insured lockers at no additional cost to the customer. The company aims to encourage the habit of saving each time they spend, thus achieving long-term wealth creation for its users. Accumulated gold can be delivered or sold back to MMTC PAMP instantly.

Launched in April, Paytm Gold has been attracting thousand of customers, making the platform the country’s largest jeweler in terms of footfall within days of launch. More than 60% customers are choosing to buy and accumulate gold according to their budget instead of selling or requesting delivery, without worrying the heavy fees for gold storage in physical lockers. To accelerate this rapid adoption, the company is now servicing all pin-codes, making the product available at every nook and corner of the country. This will enable every Indian, irrespective of location and income level to save in Paytm Gold.

Krishna Hegde, Snr. Vice President – Paytm said, “We have observed that many of our customers were shopping and converting their cashback into pure gold. To encourage this trend further, we are introducing cashback as Paytm Gold. Now you can save gold for long-term wealth creation irrespective of location or income level. That means, whether you are shopping online, paying utility bills or buying movie/travel tickets, you can earn pure gold kept for free in MMTC-PAMP’s secured lockers. This will transform the way the Indian consumer saves.”

 Mehdi Barkhordar, Chairman at MMTC-PAMP India said, “Our partnership with Paytm is built on the foundation of making it easier for every Indian to buy, store and redeem highest quality gold. Launching cashback as Paytm Gold is a natural extension for us, as it would allow every customer to put aside a portion of their money every time they are transacting. This money would then be converted into pure gold purchased from and stored in MMTC-PAMP lockers with complete flexibility in redemption. We believe this is the largest number of customers a jeweler has served in this country in such a short period.”

Paytm Gold has made it accessible for every Indian to buy, store and sell pure gold instantly. The product has witnessed huge interest across cities and towns from Burdwan, Dhanbad, Warangal, Kanchipuram to Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Customers at more than 8,000 pincodes have chosen Paytm Gold as their preferred savings instrument. On the Paytm platform, customers can buy 24K 999.9 Gold from MMTC-PAMP (India’s only Internationally Accredited Refinery) instantly and store it in the country’s most secure, 100% insured lockers at no additional charge. Consumers can buy gold for as little as Re. 1, democratizing access to a wider set of customers as it will make investing in gold more affordable.

 About Paytm:
Paytm is India’s largest mobile payment & commerce platform. With the current user base of more than 225 million, Paytm is on a mission to bring half a billion Indians to the mainstream of the economy using mobile payment, commerce and recently launched Payment Bank. Paytm is founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, and is the Consumer brand of India’s leading mobile internet company One97 Communications.  Paytm is headquartered in the National Capital Region, India. The company’s investors include Ant Financial (Alipay), Alibaba Group, SoftBank, SAIF Partners and Mediatek.

Airbus Bizlab Season 2 Bengaluru Launched

Bengaluru, 20 July 2017 – Airbus BizLab announced the successful culmination of its second season through a flagship event in Bengaluru. At the event, the start-ups who were selected to work with different Airbus teams in India and across the world over the last six months showcased their concept models and ideas of transforming the aerospace sector.

 The season two was launched in January 2017 in the presence of the then French Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Jean-Marc Ayrault. It had received 137 applications from nine countries. All the five selected start-ups – Neewee, Stelae Technologies, EFLIGHT, SYmbosim and Qualitas Technologies have today either started working with Airbus or are associated with the aerospace sector.

 The event was attended by Bruno Gutierres – Head of Airbus BizLab, Pierre de Bausset – President and MD at Airbus India, Srinivasan Dwarakanath – President, Commercial Aircraft at Airbus India and Siddharth Balachandran – Airbus BizLab Leader, India. The importance of B2B start-ups across various sectors was also discussed over a panel discussion.

 Commenting on the success of the second season, Bruno Gutierres said, “We are thrilled to have worked with such exciting start-ups in season two. It is re-assuring to see the potential and quality of entrepreneurs in the Indian start-up ecosystem. We are hoping to create more opportunities for start-ups to work in the aerospace and defence sectors.”

 Apart from working with the start-ups in the cohort, Airbus BizLab in India will soon be launching a community of B2B start-ups working in areas such as Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Electric Propulsion, Factories of the Future, Space Tech & Solutions, Image Processing, Cyber Security, IOT & Robotics.

 Elaborating the importance of the community Siddharth Balachandran said, “Every season we can accelerate only five or six start-ups but we keep receiving adhoc requests from Airbus teams globally checking if we have a start-up working on a specific problem that they face. So, from now on, we will have a ready pool of registered start-ups in the community to pick from. We will also organize regular events for the community to help these start-ups better understand the world of Aerospace & Defence.”

 Bizlab is a part of Airbus’ innovative strategy to bring together start-ups and Airbus “intrapreneurs” to work and speed up the transformation of their innovative ideas into valuable businesses. Through its six month “acceleration programme” for early stage projects, Airbus Bizlab gives access to a large number of coaches, experts and mentors in various domains.

 The call for applications for Season three in Bengaluru is now open and BizLab is inviting interested B2B startups to apply for the acceleration program.


Selected start-ups from Season 2:

Neewee from BLR – developed a solution “procuSense” which helps companies identify bottlenecks, optimize/improve performance from their supply chains – currently pursuing pilots in Airbus globally

Stelae Technologies from BLR – created Artificial Intelligence software which transforms unstructured content into structured, searchable and indexable output – partnered with Tech Mahindra to propose a digitilisation project for Airbus

SYmbosim from BLR – specializing in the accelerated design of composite materials/structures – currently in discussion to run a pilot with one of the Airbus teams

eFlight from BLR – integrates flight planning, filing & logging for business aviation pilots – signed a partnership with one of the Airbus subsidiaries
Qualitas Technologies – a Machine Vision and Deep Learning start-up that automates visual processes in manufacturing – recently delivered a pilot for an Airbus team in Toulouse and is awaiting the final nod for implementation

Kids welcomes Peppa Pig to Bangalore

Bangalore, 15^th July, 2017:  Viacom18 Consumer Products, the consumer products arm of Viacom18, welcomed the internationally acclaimed character of Peppa Pig and her brother George, to India. The show - Peppa Pig, started to air in India on Nick Jr. from December 2016 along with fast growing video on demand platform Voot and rapidly gained a massive following among tiny tots and their parents in India; following which, Viacom18 is enhancing the viewer’s experience further by providing an exclusive meet and greet with their favorite characters across the city and exclusively at a Hamley’s outlet in Bangalore.

The two toons, Peppa and George visited Honeybeez Play School and amused the kids with their presence and also exhibited their wide range of attractive and kid’s friendly merchandise. The preschoolers watched episodes of Peppa Pig, learnt interesting lessons, played exciting games, participated in creative activities and had lots of ice-creams while having a lot of fun. The kids also won Peppa Pig themed products from Peppa herself and their joy knew no boundaries.

To magnify the celebration, Viacom18’s consumer arm, in association with international toy brand Hamley’s, are also hosted a ‘Peppa Pig Welcome Party’ which kick started in Bangalore. Kids across all age flocked to the Hamley’s store and experienced the joy of meeting their most loved characters. Moreover, they also took part in an array of activities such as- maze games, Peppa Pong games, coloring contests and even a magic show. Kids in Bangalore had an unforgettable day and carried back with them bag full of memories and Peppa Pig merchandise.

ABOUT VIACOM18 CONSUMER PRODUCTS:

Our mission is to create a unique brand experience for fans of all ages by bringing Viacom 18’s most favorite brands and characters like MTV, Roadies, South Park, Colors, Nickelodeon along with a growing portfolio of acquired third party brands like FC Barcelona, Peppa Pig to name a few to life through innovative and exciting merchandise.

Viacom18 Consumer Products is a significant player in the fast growing and evolving licensing and merchandising business with its diverse portfolio. By creating exciting and engaging products we aim to bring alive our brands and characters in the lives of our fans. Through various associations, Viacom18 has cut beyond the conventional L & M categories giving the consumers a slice of its.

At Viacom18 Consumer Products, we aim at continuously creating enchanting products to reach out to infants, tweens, teens and young adults by being a part of their everyday lives.

ZIPPO SHINES BRIGHT AT THE 6TH EDITION OF BANGALORE OPEN AIR!

Bangalore, July 3^rd 2017 – More than 1500 music lovers from across India came together to celebrate and enjoy pulsating rock and metal music, at the 6th season of the Bangalore Open Air music festival. Hosted at the lush Royal Orchid Resort and Convention Center, the festival witnessed some of the best talents from both Indian and International bands.

An exciting highlight of the festival was the Zippo Flame Art which was setup at the venue. Symbolizing the passion and love for rock music, the flame art created fun and magical moments for the artists and the crowd, which they won’t forget for years to come!
The festival goers also got to witness the Zippo Encore area in all its glory! From unleashing their creative spirits at the ‘Zippo Custom Contest’, to trying their luck at the ‘Zippo Wheel of Fortune’ and celebrating their inner-passion through face-painting, the Zippo Encore Area had an activity for everyone. The attendees also had a chance to find their perfect Zippo windproof lighter from the host of exclusive collectibles available. 

Videocon’s GST Summit empowers consumer electronic traders in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, June 24^th , 2017: Videocon, a major consumer electronics and DTH company, along with ASSOCHAM and CEAMA, organized a GST Summit for traders where the implications of the proposed ‘one nation-one tax’ were discussed. The summit also addressed doubts raised by consumer electronics retailers. The Bengaluru chapter of the ASSOCHAM CEAMA GST summit powered by Videocon and Videocon d2h was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Shri. R.V. Deshpande, Honourable Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Karnataka. The seminar was also addressed by Shri. Narayan Swamy, Commissioner - Service Tax, Bengaluru.

Bengaluru is one of the 200 cities where Videocon plans to spread awareness and impart knowledge about GST, to consumer electronics trade partners. The national rollout of the ASSOCHAM-Videocon GST Summit in Delhi was welcomed by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Honorable Union Minister of State for Finance, Government of India. He commended ASSOCHAM and Videocon for organizing the summit for the benefit of the trader community.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Vishal Sharan, Sales Head, Videocon, said, “We are committed to welcome GST and bring everyone in the consumer electronics industry within its ambit. The objective behind organizing this summit was to equip our trade partners in Bengaluru with complete knowledge of GST and prepare them for its implementation. Videocon has always taken initiatives to ensure the welfare and growth of the industry.”

Being a responsible corporate house, Videocon is committed to serve the industry and all its stakeholders. The company recently launched a digital helpline for retailers, GST@vgmail.in, where consumer electronics retailers can email their queries with regards to GST. Videocon will endeavor to respond with the help of experts within 48 working hours.

GST Summit received a tremendous response from traders in Bengaluru. Consumer Electronics retailers, utilized the platform to clarify all their GST queries.

About Videocon Group

Videocon Group is a global business conglomerate with a strong presence in Household Consumer Goods, Mobile Handsets, DTH, Retail, Oil & Gas, and the Power sector. Videocon group has constantly leveraged a culture of innovation to develop a range of market re-defining products.

Photo Caption- Shri. R.V. Deshpande, Honourable Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Karnataka rolls out the ASSOCHAM VIDEOCON GST Summit for traders in Bengaluru. Shri. Narayan Swamy, Commissioner - Service Tax, Bengaluru was also present on the occasion.

Shri Pradeep Dhoot welcoming Shri. R.V. Deshpande, Honourable Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Karnataka at ASSOCHAM Videocon GST Summit in Bengaluru. 

LtoR: Shri. Narayan Swamy, Commissioner - Service Tax, Bengaluru; Shri. R.V. Deshpande, Honourable Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Karnataka; and Shri Pradeep Dhoot

OnePlus5 Launch in India

Mumbai, June 22, 2017 – OnePlus today introduced the OnePlus 5, the latest in its lineup of premium flagship smartphones. With this new device, OnePlus is further demonstrating its mission to share the best technology with the world.

The OnePlus 5 features the highest resolution dual-camera system on a smartphone today for clearer photos than ever before. Dash Charge, OnePlus’ industry-leading charging technology, gives users a day's power in half an hour. The Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 platform, coupled with up to 8 GB of RAM, provides a smooth user experience at a lower power consumption rate. The OnePlus 5 also supports 34 GSM network bands, giving users seamless connectivity around the world.

“The OnePlus 5 showcases our obsessive attention to detail and our focus on delivering the best user experience possible,” said OnePlus Founder and CEO Pete Lau. “We have applied this approach to all aspects of the OnePlus 5. For example, the dual camera provides some of the clearest photos in the smartphone market today and gives users more control to take stunning photos in all conditions.”

Commenting on the partnership, Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Category Management, Amazon India, said “Reiterating our long-term exclusive partnership with OnePlus since 2014, we are thrilled     to offer our customers exclusive access to the World’s Highest Resolution Dual Camera Smartphone OnePlus 5. Customers across the country can now enjoy fast and reliable delivery of OnePlus 5 at their doorstep. Amazon.in has successfully brought the flagship OnePlus smartphone devices to Indian customers, and are now thrilled to offer the latest OnePlus 5. This will be available for purchase starting Rs. 32,999 exclusively on Amazon.in. Smartphones are one of the fastest growing product lines and have repeatedly been one of the top selling categories on Amazon.in.”

Attention to Design and Details
At 7.25 mm, the OnePlus 5, available in Midnight Black and Slate Gray colors, is the thinnest OnePlus flagship ever. The aluminum unibody features a continuous hard line around the edge of the phone. The Horizon Line, a key element of OnePlus design, casts one half of the phone in light and the other in shadow, offering an elegant, streamlined appearance. The minimalistic design is further reinforced by a new crescent-shaped antenna that blends seamlessly into the top and bottom edges of the phone. Rounded corners and edges makes the OnePlus 5 feel more comfortable in the hand.

Dual Camera. Clearer Photos.
The OnePlus 5 features the highest resolution dual-camera system on a smartphone today. A tailor-made 16 MP sensor is supported by a 20 MP sensor with a telephoto lens to accurately determine the distance between the sensor and objects in the environment. A large f/1.7 aperture allows for faster snaps and helps compensate for stuttering to improve image stabilization.

In Portrait Mode, the two sensors work together to create a focal separation between faces and backgrounds, while a custom software algorithm makes your subject clear and well-lit. This results in a professional depth-of-field (bokeh) effect that keeps faces sharp in front of a blurred backdrop. Smart Capture combines optical zoom with multi-frame technology to let you zoom in with greater clarity, while Fast AF uses the dual-camera system to more accurately calculate depth to speed up auto-focus by up to 40 percent.

The all-new Pro Mode gives smartphone users powerful DSLR features such as ISO, white balance, shutter-speed, focus and exposure modification, as well as an on-screen histogram and RAW image file support for complete control of post-shot editing.

A Day’s Power in Half an Hour
First introduced with the OnePlus 3, Dash Charge is the fastest charging solution on the global market. A quick half-hour charge gives the OnePlus 5 enough power for the day. By carrying more current and shifting the power management from the handset to the adapter to keep the phone cooler during charging, Dash Charge can continue to fast charge the OnePlus 5 even when using GPS or playing graphically intensive games. The 3,300 mAh battery also lasts up to 20 percent longer than the OnePlus 3T.

Smooth Experience
Through a combination of powerful hardware and intelligent software, the OnePlus 5 provides a truly seamless smartphone experience.

The OnePlus 5 takes advantage of the top-of-the-line Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 platform that provides powerful performance while drawing up to 40 percent less power. With up to 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, the OnePlus 5 can run a large number of apps in the background without a single second of lag. The combination of UFS 2.1 and a new two-lane ROM results in 26 percent faster storage performance in everything from installations to loading apps and games.

OnePlus’ custom operating system, OxygenOS, is designed to refine stock Android’s core functionalities with features and optimizations that add value to the user experience. New updates to the OnePlus 5 include Reading Mode, which utilizes an ambient sensor and gray-scale mapping to make reading as comfortable as reading an actual book. Gaming Do Not Disturb Mode allows users to play their favorite games without being disrupted by notifications or accidental hardware button presses. With App Priority, the OnePlus 5 loads your most-used apps more quickly to further improve performance.

Pricing and Availability
The Midnight Black version (8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage) will retail at Rs 37,999. The price for Slate Gray version (6 GB RAM / 64GB storage) is Rs 32,999.

The OnePlus 5 will be available in an exclusive early access sale on Amazon.in on June 22nd 2017 starting 4.30PM. Select users will also be able to experience and purchase the OnePlus 5 at our Pop-up stores across 5 cities in India on a first cum first serve basis: Mumbai: 22nd June, New Delhi on 23rd June, Bangalore and Chennai on 24th June and Hyderabad on 25th June.

OnePlus 5 open sales across all countries begin on June 27, 2017. In India, it will be available for sale on Amazon.in, oneplusstore.in and across OnePlus Experience Stores in Delhi and Bangalore.

NI Showcases Smart Platforms and Tools for the Indian Aerospace & Defence Industry

INDIA, Bangalore – June 21, 2017: NI (Nasdaq: NATI), the provider of systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, hosted the India Defence and Aerospace Symposium 2017 in association with Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries (SIATI). The symposium which witnessed a footfall of 500, was attended by engineers, scientists, managers and professionals in the aviation, space and defence industries and focused on navigation, RADAR, Electronics Warfare, Military Communications, Satellites as well as test rig construction and HIL.

At the event, NI showcased how the design, development and test challenges of the Indian Aerospace & Defence (A&D) Industry can be integrated by smart platforms & tools powered by ready-made technology. The diverse set of industry experts present, shared their ideas on revolution in simulation and test solutions, challenges of RADAR design & test, advanced techniques for phase aligned RF signal generation & acquisition and data acquisition systems for A&D applications.

Commenting on the importance of system design for the Aerospace and Defence industry, Tarun Gupta, Business Development Manager, National Instruments India, said, “India is an established technology hub for engineering services and product development for the global defence market. At National Instruments, it is our endeavor to provide the best-in-class testing solutions for enabling this industry rapidly develop and deploy systems. The India Defence and Aerospace Symposium 2017 gives us a platform to showcase the advanced technologies that can help build modern & reliable automated test systems for the aerospace & defence segments.”

At the event, NI showcased:

·       Smarter approach to system design in Aerospace & Defence

·       Prototyping & Testing modern Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems and RADARs

·       Gigahertz Record & Playback Systems & Using Software Defined Radios (SDRs) for prototyping communications systems for A&D industry

·      Validating and Testing of Avionic Systems & Advanced Techniques for Phase Aligned signal generation and acquisition

·       Architecting Flexible HIL Test Systems for Embedded Controllers & Data Acquisition Systems for A&D Industry

The annual National Instruments Defence & Aerospace event aims to bring together and share domain knowledge and best practices from partners in the Indian Aerospace and Defence industry.