Wednesday, October 31, 2018

ITC’s Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates unveils India’s first Ruby chocolate, ‘Fabelle Ruby Gianduja’


Handcrafted by Fabelle Master Chocolatiers, Ruby Gianduja is the modern day rendition of an Italian delicacy from the Napolean era launched in collaboration with Barry Callebaut


Fabelle, the home grown luxury chocolate brand from ITC Ltd, acclaimed for creating unparalled chocolate experiences in the country today, unveiled India’s first ever Ruby Chocolate in the form of Fabelle’s Ruby Gianduja. The announcement took place at a mega event in ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, in collaboration with Celebrity Chef Sarah Todd and Barry Callebaut, world’s leading manufacturer of application chocolates and cocoa products. ITC Ltd partnered with Barry Callebaut to source the exotic Ruby chocolate to craft Fabelle’s Ruby Gianduja. Ruby Chocolate became an immediate global sensation after it was launched in Shanghai, China and caught the admiration of chocolate connoisseurs across the world. In line with Fabelle’s ethos of creating inimitable chocolate experiences, Fabelle is launching Ruby Gianduja as a one of its kind limited edition offering which is set to redefine the Indian chocolate palette ahead of the Diwali festive season.

Ruby chocolates were a path breaking discovery, created 80 years after the launch of White
chocolates as the third type of chocolate besides Dark and Milk chocolate. Ruby Chocolate is made from the Ruby cocoa beans, which are found in Brazil, Ecuador & Ivory Coast. They have a set of inherent natural attributes, including flavour and colour tone, that are unlocked through a unique process, creating the exquisite Ruby chocolate. Ruby chocolates are an intense sensorial delight with its natural ruby colour and unique berry fruity taste which is brought alive as a result of the expert selection and meticulous processing of the ruby beans without adding any flavours or colours.

Gianduja is an Italian delicacy from the Napolean era. Fabelle’s Gianduja, its bestselling product range, is a recreation of this Italian delicacy crafted from rich milk chocolates infused with roasted Turkish hazelnuts. Given its popularity, Fabelle decided to launch Ruby Chocolate in the form Ruby Gianduja which is made from a delicate balance of Ruby Chocolate and Hazelnut paste.

Fabelle's Ruby Gianduja is handcrafted by expert workmen in ITC's state of the art manufacturing factory in Bengaluru and is individually wrapped in specially designed ruby colored tin boxes which exude a regal panache. The limited edition box of 12 cubes of Ruby Gianduja is priced at Rs. 1295.

Fabelle was launched to redefine the Indian chocolate segment by offering Indian consumers experiences that are beyond ordinary. Each Fabelle chocolate enlivens an exquisite alchemy of chocolate and exotic ingredients. Eg: The latest Fabelle Dessert Collection, are truffles inspired by the nuanced taste and texture of all-time favorite desserts like Crème Brulee, Tiramisu, Banoffee Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake and Lemon Meringue. With the launch of Ruby Gianduja, the brand intends to strengthen its position as an expert chocolatier – a pioneer that offers the most unique and world class chocolate experiences to Indian consumers.

Expressing his delight at the launch, Mr. Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive – Foods, ITC Ltd., said “Fabelle was launched in India with the mission to redefine the chocolate segment in the country and I am extremely happy that the brand has already received unparalleled patronage from discerning customers. It is a proud moment for Fabelle Chocolates as we introduce the very first Ruby Chocolates to the Indian chocolate connoisseurs. It has been our continuous endeavour to provide unique chocolate experiences to the Indian consumers and today’s launch is a firm step in that direction.”

He further added “It is said that Milk chocolates with nuts appeals the most to Indian chocolate aficionados and our Gianduja is made of rich milk chocolate and Ivory Coast Cocoa with Turkish hazelnuts, making it one of our best-selling creations. Thus, we have recreated Gianduja with the infusion of Ruby Chocolates to render another extraordinary experience to Indian consumers.”

Sharing his thoughts on Fabelle’s latest creation, Mr. Ben De Schryver, President Asia Pacific, Barry Callebaut said, “Ruby chocolate is a big innovation in confectionery and we are very proud that ITC’s home-grown luxury chocolate brand Fabelle is the first in India to feature this exciting new chocolate. The fourth type of chocolate next to dark, milk and white chocolate, ruby chocolate is a breakthrough innovation developed by Barry Callebaut and is a result of years of R&D efforts. Ruby chocolate has been welcomed by the millennial and premium chocolate connoisseurs alike and has garnered encouraging response in the confectionery market which is unparalleled. As India is becoming one of the fastest growing chocolate markets in Asia, we see ruby chocolate presenting a huge opportunity and in being a key milestone in our growing partnership with ITC.”

Ruby Gianduja will be available across all boutiques at ITC Luxury Hotels in India, from
November 1 st , 2018 onwards.

Where:
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Grand Central, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Parel, Mumbai; 022 67045143
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Maratha, Sahar, Mumbai; 022 61841979
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Gardenia, #1 Residency Road, Bengaluru; 080 66825270
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Maurya, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi; 011 66325360
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Grand Chola, Mount Road, Guindy, Chennai;
044 49065410
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Sonar, JBS Haldane Avenue, Kolkata; 033 2300440
 Fabelle at The Chocolate Boutique, ITC Kohenur, HITEC City, Hyderabad, Telangana; 50008

About Barry Callebaut Group:
About Barry Callebaut Group (www.barry-callebaut.com): With annual sales of about CHF 6.8
billion (EUR 6.3 billion / USD 6.9 billion) in fiscal year 2016/17, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut
Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products – from
sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings,
decorations and compounds. The Group runs close to 60 production facilities worldwide and
employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of about 11,000 people. The Barry Callebaut
Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and
professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or
caterers. The two global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are
Callebaut® and Cacao Barry The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate
the norm by 2025 to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It
supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate
future.

About ITC Foods:
ITC's branded packaged foods business is one of the fastest growing foods businesses and the third largest foods company in India, driven by the market standing and consumer franchise of its
popular brands - Aashirvaad, Sunfeast, Bingo!, Yippee!, Kitchens of India, B Natural, Mint-o,

Candyman and GumOn. The Foods business is today represented in multiple categories in the market - Staples, Spices, Ready-to-Eat, Snack Foods, Bakery & Confectionery and the newly introduced Juices & Beverages. ITC's Foods brands delight millions of households with a wide range of differentiated, value-added products developed by leveraging ITC's in-house R&D capabilities, deep consumer understanding, knowledge of preferred Indian tastes, agri-sourcing & packaging strengths, and an unmatched distribution network.

ITC's uncompromising commitment to the health and safety of its consumers ensures adherence to the highest levels of quality, safety and hygiene standards in manufacturing processes and in the
supply chain. All ITC-owned manufacturing units are Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) certified. The quality performance of all manufacturing units is monitored continuously
online. Going beyond process control, ITC ensures that quality standards are scrupulously adhered
to while choosing ingredients that go into the preparation of its food products.

The business continues to invest in every aspect of manufacturing, distribution and marketing to
ensure that it can leverage emerging opportunities and fulfill its aspiration of being the most trusted provider of branded packaged foods in the country. ITC's Foods business also exports its
products to the key geographies of North America, Africa, Middle East and Australia.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

GAIL's Star Studded crusade against Air Pollution #BringBackTheBlueSkies Commences with the new peppy 'HawaBadlo Anthem V Mix''


Digital stars Amol Parashar and Sarah Hashmi have come together, lending their on-screen chemistry to the brand new music video for the newer, cooler and futuristic avatar of the one year old 'HawaBadlo' anthem. Bollywood singers Harshdeep Kaur and Javed Ali have sung this new Hawa Badlo Anhtem. The Master of Ceremonies for the press conference announcing the launch of this music video was RJ Anuraag Pandey, host of breakfast show 'Picture Pandey' on Fever 104 FM. Also, present were Nalini Malhotra, General Manager (Corporate Communication) GAIL (India) Limited and Protiqe Mojoomdar, Co-Founder & Producer, Handyyman- the Content partner of the 'HawaBadlo' campaign.
The press conference also witnessed the commencement of #BringBackTheBlueSkies, a campaign dedicated to 'Turn Back time to better environments and bluer skies that we were once used to', through perceptible action, change in our lifestyle choices and behaviour towards the environment.
According to a CSE Report Air Pollution is one of the biggest killer that is responsible for thousands of death every year and GAIL has been instrumental in putting up a fight against pollution, educating the masses on the malice of air- pollution and how it affects people.
In light of this alarming situation, GAIL has been supporting HawaBadlo, an independent people's movement started more than two years ago, aimed at propagating sustainable mind-set change at individual level, which collectively establishes an extensive community change for greener and cleaner tomorrow for us and generations to come.
Amol Parashar, the star of web series like Home and Tripling, addressing the Press Conference said, “Not only is this a very exciting project for me but also gives me a chance to connect with the youth of the country for a noble cause. I also am glad I got to experiment with my look, and play a much older man for the first time! HawaBadlo is a signature social media movement against the havoc of air pollution and I am excited and very happy to be a part of this initiative.”
Sarah Hashmi, of Dil Dhadakne Do and Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi fame, while addressing the press conference said, “This campaign is timely, necessary and pointing to the young change-makers to recognize this fatal menace called Air Pollution. Was surprised to learn how many people are losing their lives to it every year. I am happy to get a chance to be a part of this video with Amol and hope that it will be useful in creating the requisite connect with the youth through social media platforms.”
The new video called TURN BACK TIME - HawaBadlo V Mix - is produced by HANDYYMAN and has been co-written by Tanvir Ghazi (Pink) and Protiqe Mojoomdar (Halkaa, I am Kalam, Ishqeria) and the music is by Bishakh Jyoti.
Nalini Malhotra, General Manager (Corporate Communication) GAIL (India) Limited said, “The new HawaBadlo musical video is targeted at the masses and youngsters who are being asked to bring about change in the air by their respective efforts. The campaign is in line with GAIL's commitment to improve the air quality with collective societal effort.” she further added, “Through this music video we kick start our campaign #BringBackTheBlueSkies which intends to inspire masses & youngsters to take positive steps against air pollution, a global killer and to bring about change in lifestyle and adopt nature friendly fuels like natural gas in our daily lives.”
The 'HawaBadlo' Campaign is supported by GAIL and has been instrumental in involving citizens to bring about small but meaningful changes in their lives to fight the menace of pollution. The cases of chronic obstructive lung disease have almost doubled over the past 25 years, causing seven million deaths annually across the world, of which 3.8 million deaths are caused by household or indoor air pollution. The 'HawaBadlo' campaign is thus the need of the hour and in many ways supports our Government's Swachh Bharat Mission and its effort towards Natural Gas based economy.
Protiqe Mojoomdar, Co Founder & Producer, Handyyman said, “It's a matter of great pride for us to be a part of this award-winning campaign, and it's the one year anniversary for us and the HawaBadlo anthem! We are excited at the launch of this new video, which is a part of the effort to make HawaBadlo more relevant, contemporary and a youth movement for essential change. This time, we have added a touch of romance and the hope for a happy utopic future to the video; it's the same song but with a new arrangement that the young audience will like. So let's spread this and together, let's Bring Back The Blue Skies!”.
The Press Conference displayed the music video starring Amol Parashar, digital star, of Traffic, Home, Ready to Mingle, It Happened in Hong Kong, Wildstone & Pepsi ads fame with Sarah Hashmi, who has starred in Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi, Dil Dhadakne Do, Girliyapa and Blush. The music video is expected to generate a lot of excitement post its launch and this will flag off the launch of GAIL India's vocal campaign #BringBackTheBlueSkies across digital media, along with a live interactive event and 'Time Machine' installation next month.
'HawaBadlo'Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/HawaBadlo

About HawaBadlo Initiative
GAIL's commitment to the environment is an integral aspect of its corporate value system and is firmly entrenched in its mission statement. As a young progressive brand, GAIL is committed to deliver a better tomorrow for all our stakeholders where progress and environment can go hand-in-hand. Supporting the HawaBadlo Initiative was another step towards building a sustainable environment for the country and creating a meaningful difference. The objective of HawaBadlo is to gather resources in form of KNOWLEDGE, NETWORK, INNOVATION & OUTREACH to come together on a single platform to protect human health and country from the effects of Air Pollution.
About GAIL (India) Limited
GAIL is India's leading natural gas company with diversified interests across the natural gas value chain of trading, transmission, LPG production & transmission, LNG re-gasification, Petrochemicals, City Gas, E&P, etc. GAIL is expanding pipeline network by 4000 kms. at an investment of about
Rs. 20,000 crores to operate over 15,000 kms by 2020. GAIL commands 75% market share in gas transmission and has a Gas trading share of over 50% in India.

Niramai expands availability to 3 more cities Privacy aware breast cancer screening now available in Hyderabad, Mysore and Mumbai

Artificial intelligence-based health-tech company Niramai is set for a national expansion with three breast cancer screening centres in Hyderabad, Mysore and Mumbai. In Hyderabad, Niramai offers exclusive breast cancer screening centre in Lumbini Jewel mall.  While, in Mysore and Mumbai it has collaborated with Brindavan Hospital and Way2Health Diagnostics respectively.

The breast health screening technology developed by Niramai is unique as it is non-touch, non-invasive and non-radiation based. Their privacy-aware test for preventive breast cancer screening that was available only in Bangalore, Pune and Dehradun is expanding its reach to multiple cities.

The core technology developed by Niramai called Thermalytix, uses a high resolution thermal sensing device and a cloud hosted analytics solution for analyzing the thermal images. Their SaaS solution uses big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning for reliable, early and accurate breast cancer screening. The innovative methods used in Niramai’s solution have led to multiple US patents and their novel algorithms have also been peer-reviewed in international scientific conferences. Niramai’s technology detects breast cancer at a much earlier stage than traditional methods or self-examination.

Dr Geetha Manjunath, CEO & CTO, Niramai, said, “Accessibility to high quality preventive care is critical to reduce breast cancer deaths in the country. We believe this can be achieved through partnership and collaboration. Our goal is to enable regular breast health check for all women in India in an affordable and accessible way”.

In Hyderabad, Niramai unveiled first of a kind exclusive breast cancer screening centre in partnership with Murata Business Engineering (India) Pvt Ltd (MBEI) and Big Edge Solutions & Technology India Pvt Ltd.  This health centre, named UmAnG, is situated in Lumbini Jewel mall and will be a boon to women who want to be sure of their breast health in a friendly environment without having to visit a hospital for the same.

Dr Karun Malhotra, Managing Director, MBEI, said, "We focus on healthcare solutions using electronics as a platform that are reliable, easy to use, affordable and digital. Niramai’s solution has all these advantages, and they have a great vision to transform the adoption of breast cancer screenings. Big Edge Solutions team has shown exemplary commitment towards execution of the vision of the first UmAnG center in Hyderabad”.

Dr Ravindranath K, Director, Brindavan Hospital, Mysore, said, “We are happy to associate with Niramai. The cutting edge technology of Niramai gives accurate and fast screening reports and is privacy aware”.

Dr. Rachna Tardeja, Consultant Radiologist & Founder Director, Way2Health Diagnostics, Mumbai, said, “We are excited to partner with Niramai to make breast cancer screening easily accessible to all women, since it is non-touch and non-invasive, who otherwise generally shy away from it”.

Niramai was co-founded in the year 2016 by Dr Geetha Manjunath and Nidhi Mathur, both of who have vast experience in developing disruptive innovations for Indian as well as global markets. In 2017, they raised seed funding led by pi Ventures, with participation from Ankur Capital, Axilor Ventures, 500 Startups and Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal.

Website: http://niramai.com/ 

IFAT India 2018: Indian environmental market in motion

¡  India in search of environmental solutions
¡  Trade fair in Mumbai saw a strong surge in the number of exhibitors and visitors
¡  7449: A record number of visitors attended the show
¡  Co-hosted by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM)
¡  Buyer – Seller Forum Debuted at IFAT India 2018
¡  In 2019: IFAT India expands its footprint also to Delhi
 Relieving landfills, winning drinking water, making greater use of waste water—from October 15 to 17, at IFAT India 2018 in Mumbai, the environmental technology industry devoted itself to the challenges of the Indian subcontinent. The focus was on water, sewage, solid waste and recycling. The record attendance of 7499 visitorsproves: the demand for environmental solutions in India is increasing.
 Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München, states,“The Indian environmental market is gathering momentum. Topics such as seawater desalination, treatment of industrial wastewater and the expansion of the waste disposal systems are moving the industry in the country.”
 Bhupinder Singh, CEO of the organizer Messe Muenchen Indiaspeaks of an excellent trade show result: “242 exhibitors (2017:184) unveiled their latest solutions and technological developments for the environmental technology industry spread over 11,000 square meters of exhibition space. This healthy growth rate of 40 percent has showcased India’s potential with regards to environmental technologies.”
 The countries with the most exhibitors includedGermany, USA, China,Korea and Switzerland. IFAT India’s new Innovation Pavilion,a joint booth for international environmental projects,offeredtheideal platform for international technology transfer and for establishing contacts to potential customers.
 Another premiere at the show was the Buyer Seller Forum with the aim to bring together technology providers and buyers. The forum was an ideal framework for individual business meetings that the IFAT India organizers had arranged. Mr. Pravin Singh, Marketing Manager, Andritz Technology Ltd was enthusiastic: “The Buyers Seller Forum is an exceptional platform to meet, interact and understand the potential customers. It creates a win-win situation for buyers and sellers.”
 Exchange at expert level : The industry not only exchanged information at the booths, but also in the supporting program. How can India solve the acute lack of water? How can the public and the informal sectors work together more closely in waste disposal? The topics were tailored to the market requirements of the subcontinent. The workshops, panel discussions and specialist presentations were conducted by many partner associations of IFAT India and its parent trade fair IFAT in Munich, Germany.
Many new supporters, including national and international associations, participated at the show. Mr. Claus Mertes, General Manager, DME (German Association for Desalination)expressed:“IFAT India was an excellent opportunity to get a deeper insight into the current developments in the desalination market of India.”The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) was co-host of this event for the very first time.
 Mr. Rajeev Kuknur, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, MCGM: “We are glad to be co-hosting IFAT India 2018 as it is one of the most effective trade fairs in the industry for environmental technologies. This is one of the best ways to choose the latest technologies for our future needs.”
 IFAT India 2019 in Mumbai and in Delhi Based on industry need there will be two editions of IFAT India in 2019: IFAT India will take place from October,16 to 18in BEC, Mumbai and from December 5 to 7 in NSIC Grounds, New Delhi.
 Mr. Bhupinder Singh concluded,“IFAT India 2018 has demonstrated again that India is not only in urgent need, but also in search of environmental technology. With an additional event in Delhi, we aim to fulfil this demand, to achieve closer proximity to the North Indian industryand to the political levels.” 
 More information on IFAT India 2018 is available at www.ifat-india.com.  


IFAT worldwide
Messe München´s competence in organizing environmental-technology events is demonstrated not only in the world´s leading trade fair for the sector, IFAT, but also in a range of other international trade exhibitions around the world. The spectrum encompasses IFAT Africa in Johannesburg, IFAT Eurasia in Istanbul, IFAT India in Mumbai, and IE expo in Shanghai. With IE expo Guangzhou there is now also a regional edition of the trade fair, focusing on the market in South China.

Messe München
Messe München is one of the leading exhibition organizers worldwide with more than 50 of its own trade shows for capital goods, consumer goods and new technologies. Every year, a total of over 50,000 exhibitors and around three million visitors take part in more than 200 events at the exhibition center in Munich, at the ICM – Internationales Congress Center München and the MOC Veranstaltungscenter München as well as abroad. Together with its subsidiary companies, Messe München organizes trade shows in China, India, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, Nigeria, Vietnam and Iran. With a network of associated companies in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America as well as around 70 representations abroad for over 100 countries, Messe München has a global presence.

Monday, October 29, 2018

MedGenome expands its presence in Mumbai by taking over Centre For Genetic Health Care

Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers


MedGenome, India's premier genomics based research and Diagnostics Company, today announced that as part of its growth plans, it has taken over the management and operations of the Centre For Genetic Health Care (CGHC) in Mumbai. It will henceforth be called MedGenome- Centre For Genetic Health Care (CGHC).

CGHC, a leading genetic centre, accredited by NABL and CAP and offering cytogenetic and FISH tests in pediatrics, prenatal, reproductive genetics and haematological oncology segments, has been at the forefront for providing Genetic counselling services. With this take over, it will be able to provide patients with a wide range of molecular tests across all the specialties like Reproductive, Neurology, Nephrology, Oncology, Cardiology, ENT, Endocrinology, Ophthalmology, rare diseases etc.  This will empower clinicians with validated and actionable clinical information to make effective treatment decisions for their patients. This will also bring a lot of synergy providing a unique opportunity for doctors and patient to leverage each other strengths.
MedGenome-CGHC will now have cross functional team comprising of experienced medical geneticists, scientists and bioinformatics etc, who can leverage knowledge and depth on patient scenarios with large amount of curated content for enhanced reporting. The centre will boast of a larger pool of genetic counselors with enhanced depth and experience across multiple therapy areas, latest techniques for testing such as Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology and access to internationally accredited laboratory with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

Speaking about the centre Dr. Hema Purandarey, Founder, CGHC said, “Genetics plays an important role in clinical practice right from prevention of genetic disorders by screening, diagnosis and management. About 60% of pregnancy losses, 2-3% of all neonate and 50% of childhood deafness, blindness, mental retardation and 1 to 10% of all malignancies are directly due to genetic factors. We are glad to associate with MedGenome to offer the most advanced molecular genetic tests that help screen, diagnose and manage such genetic disorders.”

Unfortunately many have the misconception that genetic diseases affect only a small portion of a population hence isn’t regarded as a problem. However, the reality is that, India with its high population, diverse cultural, religious and social backgrounds coupled with high birth rates and practice of consanguineous marriages in certain regions carries a heavy burden of genetic disorders. Almost 500,000 cases of children are born with genetic disorders every year and various studies suggest that chromosomal abnormalities occur with a frequency of 1 in 166 births in India. There is also a high incidence rate of Down syndrome (trisomy of chromosome number 21) with 1 in 800 births. These statistics are alarming. Genetic screening coupled with genetic counselling is hence the need of the hour that can identify at risk cases to make informed decisions about further testing. Genetic Disorders can present in any stage of life – fetal to adulthood and most of them are preventable.

“We are keen on expanding our reach and serving more patients. With CGHC now being managed and operated by MedGenome, it will add many clinical tests especially in the prenatal segment (Karyotyping, FISH tests etc)  to our growing test list and we would be able to offer more comprehensive solutions to the clinicians. Genetic testing today has eased the process of diagnosing the disease for the clinicians, thus reducing the trial and error methods. This has indeed augmented the quality of life and care. With increase in awareness and government intervention, genetic tests can be made accessible and affordable to maximize the benefit for all”, saidDr. VL Ramprasad, COO, MedGenome.

About MedGenome
MedGenome (http://www.medgenome.com) is a leading genomics driven research and diagnostics company, with a mission to improve global health by decoding the genetic information contained in an individual's genome. Its unique access to genomics data with clinical and phenotypic data provides insights into complex diseases at the genetic and molecular level to facilitate research in personalized health care. MedGenome is the market leader for genomic diagnostics in South Asia and a leading provider of genomics research services globally.

The company currently offers more than 400 genetic tests across key disease areas, such as pediatric diseases, neurology, cancer, hematology, endocrinology etc. at its CAP certified lab in Bangalore, including Exome sequencing, Liquid Biopsy for cancer, Carrier Screening and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. MedGenome is also a founding member of GenomeAsia 100K, an initiative to sequence 100,000 Genomes in Asia, and provide a unique resource for genetic research in the world.

CGHC : Centre for Genetic Health Care (CGHC) formerly birth defect centre, a pioneer Genetic Centre in the country, was established in Mumbai in the year 1981 by Dr Hema Purandarey to offer Genetic Counseling and Laboratory services in the country under one roof. Centre for genetic HealthCare is registered under Pre Conceptional Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act 2003 and is also accredited by National Accreditation Board for Calibration and Testing Laboratories (NABL) since 2002 and College of American Pathologist (CAP) since 2010.

CGHC is now a part of Medgenome Labs Ltd .

Foodpanda expands to 50 cities; becomes India’s most widespread food delivery network

~ As part of its rapid expansion plans, aims to be in 100 cities within a month ~


·       
Foodpanda’s delivery network is now live in all major cities across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra


 Food Panda, India’s fastest growing food delivery company,today announced the launch of its delivery network in 30 additional cities, taking its presence to 50 cities across the country. Penetrating deeper into various states, Foodpanda’s delivery network is now active in cities such as Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Dehradun, Allahabad, Varanasi, Surat, Vadodara, Aurangabad, Bhopal to name a few.Foodpanda targets to be in 100 cities by the end of November.

With its expansion to 50 cities, Foodpanda’s delivery network is now the largest in the country, with more than 125,000 delivery partners attached to the platform. Over a 150 million Indians reside in these 50 cities cumulatively, who will now be able to access the best of food experiences from around them on the Foodpanda app. Foodpanda is also the first food delivery platform in thirteen of these fifty cities including the likes of Ajmer, Bikaner, Mathura, Rajkot, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Meerut.

Pranay Jivrajka, CEO at Foodpanda India said, “We are thrilled about our expansion to 50 cities across the country; becoming the only food delivery platform to be present in these many cities across India. While our network now covers all metropolitans and major tier 1 & 2 cities across the country, we are excited about introducing the superior food experience we bring, delivered to the doorsteps of millions of first time customers in these un-served cities! We continue to expand rapidly and aim to be present in at least a 100 cities in a month’s time as we remain focused on building India’s largest and most preferred food experience platform.”

He further added, “Foodpanda has also fully integrated onto the Ola platform, leveraging deep local insights around cities and customer preferences. We believe that this rapid geographical expansion will give us the opportunity to create a differentiated food experience for a billion Indians across the country!”

Non-metropolitan cities like Chandigarh, Indore, Lucknow, Jaipur and Nagpur have emerged as the fastest growing markets for Foodpanda since launch, further validating the massive need for a superior food experience in cities like these. In the next phase of expansion, the Foodpanda delivery network will look to gain momentum in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
  
 Foodpanda is India’s foremost food experience platform serving foodies since 2012. As part of India’s largest mobility platform - Ola, we cumulatively reach out to over 150 million consumers across the country. With an enhanced focus on local innovation, technology, and delivery logistics, we are redefining the experience for every one of our stakeholders viz. customers, delivery partners, and restaurant partners. Foodpanda is also India’s fastest growing food delivery platform, processing over 300,000 orders a day from 25,000+ restaurant partners across the country with the largest food delivery network of 125,000+ Delivery Partners!

Friday, October 26, 2018

Boston Limited, to deliver a cloud-based media processing service in partnership with vScaler

Boston Limited, in partnership with vScaler will demonstrate how to deliver an optimized cloud-based media processing service on IP infrastructure for broadcast and media companies at Broadcast India 2018, including a live showcase of a visual effects pipeline.
Broadcast and media production companies are under enormous competitive pressure, thanks to greatly-accelerated digital workflows. The ingestion, editing, processing and delivery of media is occurring at an ever-increasing rate (1080p, 4K, 8K), and includes vast asset libraries which will only continue to grow. As a result, broadcast workflows rely on secure, reliable, high-performance infrastructure, content distribution, access to applications and collaboration.

vScaler is a cloud eco-system that has been optimized for broadcast and media services.  vScaler provides a comprehensive software framework that transforms traditional video preparation and delivery architectures into a fully integrated set of cloud-native functions, accelerating time to market for new broadcast and over-the-top (OTT) services. 
Unifying the entire media processing chain, from ingest through to delivery, vScaler allows content creators and pay TV operators to launch new video channels fast, and to run simpler, leaner operations. 

At Boston we recognize that legacy media processing solutions — purpose-built, fixed function hardware or proprietary software-based “virtual appliances” —can’t keep up. Such monolithic solutions are expensive to purchase, time-consuming and costly to integrate, and ultimately inflexible in their design —limiting service providers’ ability to control costs and adapt to rapidly evolving customer demands. By enabling speedy development and scale out of new services, our vScaler platform lets providers stay in step with customer demands and helps keep offerings competitive. 

At Broadcast India, Boston will demonstrate its cloud-based IP infrastructure running a visual effects pipeline by leveraging NVIDIA GRID accelerated virtual machines running rendering software for broadcast workflows. The team will showcase distributed rendering (running the rendering process across more than one machine or render farm), software defined storage as well as GPU and vGPU acceleration - all orchestrated under a single management console.

vScaler CTO David Power comments “vScaler helps media organizations to maintain a dedicated control Centre for operations, while their applications, servers, storage & networking can exist anywhere in the world. Implementing a secure IP infrastructure across the whole production environment enables more agile and dynamic content creation, while realizing cost savings that come with a standards-based approach”.

With its in-built scale-out storage architecture, the Boston and vScaler solution provides the freedom to apply and extend the workflow. This helps lower cost whilst enabling content creators and distributors to grow their storage namespace globally and on-demand. In-turn this means media organization with multiple global locations can share assets, collaborate on content creation and editing, and distribute assets between sites.

Utilizing container-based applications, latest generation GPUs or virtual GPUs and remote editing workstations, Boston provides instant access to data and accelerated applications from anywhere while eliminating media shipping costs and large data transfer.

About vScaler
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Yemen youth gets new life in Pune


Universal Hospital doctors successfully execute one of the unique spinal cord transplantation in Pune

Your greatest challenge is also your greatest opportunity – proving these famous saying doctors from Universal Hospital successfully completed spinal cord reconstruction surgery and gave a 22-year-old a new lease of life. A team of four doctors from Pune, led by renowned orthopaedic Dr.  Anant Bagul successfully executed one of the rarest surgery. A surgical procedure was performed on 22-year-old Yemen national Mansoor Mohammad Hussain– who was injured due to bullet shot which hit him in his neck while he was serving the Yemenese army in the ongoing civil war. The impact of bullet was such that it paralysed his entire body majorly impacting the upper side of it. Mansoor who was shoot six months back was referred to Dr. Bagul. Mansoor, whose health was in a very bad state six months back, has shown excellent improvement in sensation and muscle power. 
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In the first of two operations conducted on Mansoor, surgeons removed patient's mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow and they transplanted the stem cells and growth factors harvested impregnated on a scaffold graft into the spinal cord defect, which had been cut through in gunshot bullet injury . They had just a few drops of material to work with - about 500,000 cells. The doctors believe the stem cells provided a pathway to enable fibres above and below the injury to reconnect, using the nerve grafts to bridge the gap in the cord. The team led by Dr. Anant Bagul was more than ably supported by Dr. Anand Katkar, Dr Shrinivas Shintre, Dr. Sachin Kaushik, Dr. Dipak Poman and Dr. Manoj Bansode respectively.
Dr. Bagul, Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon at Universal Hospital, who led the team of doctors during surgery, said, “It's amazing to see how regeneration of the spinal cord can save lives. This is something that was never thought off and was impossible for many years. I would like to thanks my team who really worked hard round the clock and gave all their best in such a critical surgery. I would also like to thank the patient Mansoor Mohammad Hussain who showed tremendous amount of patience and will power which helped us achieves successful execution of one of the most unique operations in India.”
 Speaking about the post-surgery results in detail he said, “The patient is showing excellent recovery and since surgery has regained muscle mass, sensations and movement mostly on both upper and lower limbs. This is the evidence that the recovery is due to regeneration, as signals from the brain controlling muscles travel down through the spinal cord. Post the surgery MRI scans suggest that the gap in the cord has closed up following the treatment.
He further added, “This has given us  a huge boost and I am confident that in future our team at the Universal Hospital would be prepared to consider patients from anywhere in the world who are suitable for this kind of a therapy. They are likely to have had an injury where the spinal cord has been cleanly severed.”

Vigilance Awareness Week 2018 29 th Oct 2018 to 3 rd Nov 2018

       
            Vigilance Awareness Week, 2018 is being observed from 29 th  October 2018 to
3 rd  November 2018 by Maharashtra Postal Circle across all the Post Offices in its 6 Regions
at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Goa.

            The theme envisioned by Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) this year is
‘Eradicate corruption- Build a new India’ ( भ्रष्टाचार  मिटाओ –नया भारत बनाओ). Vigilance
Awareness Week will be observed in all the Post Offices across Maharashtra Circle with the
key strategy to fight against corruption by collective participation of staff of Maharashtra
Postal Circle and our esteemed customers.

            Post Offices of Maharashtra & Goa with their emotional bonding with the people
based on the faith and trusted service delivery will be contributing in this endeavour.
Following activities will be undertaken for staff and customers during Vigilance Awareness
Week.

1) Integrity Pledge on 29.10.2018.
2) Workshops/ Vigilance sensitisation programs for employees and citizens/youth
at different public touch points viz. Schools, colleges, gram panchayats etc.
       3) Distribution of pamphlets to public.
       4) Display of hoardings/banners at prominent locations of public interface.
       5) Arrangements of Gram Sabhas and educating people at field level about preventive 
           vigilance.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Canon India demonstrates groundbreaking technology and innovation at Broadcast India Show 2018


Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers



Canon Launched Cinema EOS C700FF and showcased other Cinema EOS and professional video cameras along with its range of Cine lenses


 Canon India, one of the leaders in the digital imaging space, unveiled the Cinema EOS C700FF at a leading industry platform Broadcast India Show 2018. Organized at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai from 25 th -27 th October 2018, Broadcast India Show is a must attend event for the Film and Infotainment industry in India.


Inaugurated by Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President & CEO, Canon India and Mr. Eddie Udagawa - Vice President - Consumer Imaging & Information Centre, the stall exhibited a prolific range of Cinema EOS range, professional video cameras and Cine lenses. The attraction of the stall was Canon’s new Full Frame Cinema EOS camera C700FF ideal for motion picture, premium TV production and Web series. In the professional video cameras range it was XF 705 which is the newly launched model.



Speaking about Canon’s participation in Broadcast India Show 2018, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi,
President and CEO, Canon India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Innovation being an essential pillar for us at Canon
India, we have always brought to forefront supreme imaging solutions for our customers. We are
delighted to continue our association with the Broadcast India Show, an opportune platform to
showcase some of our best technology in the Cinema EOS range and Professional Video cameras
range to the customer community and further receiving first hand feedback from them. This will be a
step further to fortify our foothold in the flourishing cinema business in the country. Encouraged by
the overwhelming response received during the previous years, we are looking forward to engage,
connect and collaborate with newer audiences at the show this year.”

Sharing his thoughts, Mr. Eddie Udagawa, Vice President, Consumer Imaging and Information
Centre, Canon India said, “At Canon India, we have always strived to delight our customers with the
latest innovations and marvels in the imaging space. As a premium platform for the broadcasting
and cinema industry, Broadcast India Show has always enabled us the opportunity to garner market
insights and showcase our technology advancements.”

He further added, “This year we will be showcasing our new Full Frame Cinema EOS Camera C700FF ideal for motion pictures, premium TV production and Web series. The camera’s full frame sensor provides higher resolution, produces footage with shallower depth of field with 35mm sized sensors and is capable of 5.9K RAW recording up to 50/60 frames per second. We would also showcase our new launched Professional Video camera XF 705 with cutting edge XF-HEVC recording format and advanced 12G-SDI interface for 4K UHD HDR production. Through our expansive product portfolio, we endeavour to empower filmmakers to accomplish higher levels of quality and detail to their stories.“

CANON SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
1 HarbourFront Ave, #04-01 Keppel Bay Tower, Singapore 098632
Tel : (65) 6799 8888 Fax : (65) 6799 8882 www.canon.com.sg

Brief Detail on new products

1. Canon Cinema EOS C700FF
Canon’s new EOS C700FF top-end digital cinema camera features a full –frame CMOS sensor
designed to meet extensive range of production needs. The camera’s full-frame sensor provides
higher resolution and produces footage with shallower depth of field with 35mm sized sensors,
giving filmmakers a variety of creative options. Capable of 5.9K RAW recording up to 50/60 frames
per second with the optional Codex CDX-36150 recorder, the EOS C700FF can also record ProRes and XF-AVC up to 4K to internal CFast cards. When over sampling 5.9K in 4K/UHD recording moire is suppressed and noise graininess improved, resulting in higher quality video compared to native 4K image capture. Both EF and PL mount models are available, with the EF mount option including Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology for precision focusing that can be crucial when recording in high resolution.

2. Professional Video Camera XF 705
Canon’s first professional video camera with the new XF-HEVC file format, enables the recording of
internal 4:2:2 10-bit UHD (HLG/PQ) files to SD cards, plus output a 4K UHD signal over a single 12G-SDI interface or ethernet connection. A 1.0-Type CMOS sensor and DIGIC processor produce
professional 4K UHD 50P images in 4:2:2 10-bit, utilising Canon’s new and efficient XF-HEVC file
format for smaller files that can be recorded direct to SD cards. Multiple recording formats are also
supported including XF-AVC and high frame rates up to 100P. XF 705 can record internally in two
HDR formats, using HLG or PQ and features extensive HDR assist functions that aid the user to
control the exposure for HDR shooting. Alternatively, for less time-critical productions, Canon
Log3/BT.2020 support enables flexibility in a HDR Post-Production workflow. Image capture starts
with outstanding optics and Canon’s L-Series lens delivers this in a compact, 3-ring, 15x wide angle
zoom that incorporates a 5-axis IS, designed for exceptional 4K UHD capture.

The other major products which was showcased at the Broadcast India Show 2018 was
1. Cinema EOS Range: Cinema EOS C300 Mark II, Cinema EOS C200, Cinema EOS C100 Mark II
2. Professional Video Camera Range: ME20-FSH (Multi purpose production camera), XC 15, XA
11, XA 15, XF 405, XF 305 and MM100
3. Cine Lenses: Zoom Lenses, Cine Servo Lenses and Block lenses

CANON SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
1 HarbourFront Ave, #04-01 Keppel Bay Tower, Singapore 098632
Tel : (65) 6799 8888 Fax : (65) 6799 8882 www.canon.com.sg

 Canon Group : Ever since its foundation in 1937, Canon is guided by the “Kyosei” philosophy of living and working together for the common good. Canon strives to create and deliver world-class products, becoming a top global corporation by diversifying into new business fields throughout the world. Focusing on optical technologies, Canon produces office equipment, consumer and professional imaging devices, network cameras, healthcare and industrial equipment. Through the close connection between its global head office in Tokyo and regional headquarters in America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and regional headquarters in Japan, Canon combines its global and local operations organically. In 1996, Canon launched its Excellent Global Corporation Plan with the goal of serving the society with advanced technologies and becoming a trustworthy and responsible corporate citizen. The year 2016 is the first year of Phase 5 of the Plan. Currently, Canon boasts a strong global presence of 367 subsidiaries all over the world, supported by 197,673 employees. (Data as of December 31, 2016)

Canon India Pvt. Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pvt. Ltd., is a world leader in imaging
technologies. Set up in 1997, Canon markets over 200 comprehensive range of sophisticated
contemporary digital imaging product and solutions in India. The company today has offices and
warehouses in 14 cities across India and employs over 1000 people. Canon has over 500 primary
channel partners, 14 National Retail Chain partners, and over 6000 secondary retail points. Canon
India till date has opened over 250 retailer stores accredited as “Image Square” across 100+ cities in
the country. Canon India’s service reach extends to over 583 towns covering 17,622 PIN codes across
India - which comprises of 191 Camera collection points, 17 Camera repair centers, 246 Printer
repair centers, 162 Copier, Scanner and Large Format Printer Sales & Service dealers. (Data as of 20th September 2018)

In sync with its corporate tagline- ‘Delighting You Always’, reinforced by World class technology,
Canon offers an extended product portfolio, including copier MFDs, Managed Document Services,
Fax-Machines, Printers, Document and Cheque Scanners, All-in-ones, Digital Cameras, DSLR’s,
Cinematic Imaging Products, Camcorders, Cable ID Printers and Card printers catering to the multiple market segments of consumer, SME, B2B, Commercial, Government & PSUs. In 2017, the imaging leader recorded a double digit growth.

JSW Steel delivers highest ever half yearly EBIDTA of `10,011 Crores

 JSW Steel Limited (“JSW Steel” or the “Company”) today reported its results for the Second Quarter and the Half Year ended 30th Sep, 2018 (“2Q FY2019” or the “Quarter” and “1H FY2019” or the “Half year”).

Key highlights of the quarter:

Standalone Performance:
 Crude Steel production: 4.18 million tonnes, up by 6% YoY
 Saleable Steel sales: 3.96 million tonnes, up by 1% YoY
 Revenue from operations: `19,669 crores, up by 28% YoY
 Operating EBITDA: `4,802 crores, up by 64% YoY
 PAT: `2,284crores, up by 170% YoY

Consolidated Performance:
 Quarterly Saleable Steel sales: 3.91 million tonnes lower by 1% YoY
 Revenue from operations: `21,552 crores, up by 25% YoY
 Operating EBITDA: `4,906 crores, up by 62% YoY
 PAT : `2,087 crores, up by 150% YoY
 Net Debt to Equity : 1.46x and Net Debt to EBIDTA : 2.35x

Operational Performance:
The details of production and sales volumes are as under:
(Million tonnes)

Particulars 2Q 2Q %YOY 1H 1H %YOY
FY2019 FY2018 Growth FY2019 FY2018 Growth
Production: Crude Steel 4.18 3.94 6% 8.30 7.86 6%
Sales:
- Rolled: Flat 2.87 2.83 1% 5.60 5.40 4%
- Rolled: Long 0.89 0.86 4% 1.76 1.61 9%
- Semis 0.20 0.24 -17% 0.43 0.42 2%
Total Saleable Steel 3.96 3.92 1% 7.79 7.43 5%

Standalone Financial Performance:
The Company recorded a growth of 28% YoY in revenue from operations for the quarter which
stood at `19,669 crores, primarily driven by higher steel prices. Despite an increase in costs of key
inputs like iron ore, coal, energy prices, electrodes, refractories and ferro alloys, operating EBITDA
for the quarter surged by 64% YoY to `4,802 crores and EBITDA margin stood at 24.4%. The net
profit after tax increased by 150% YoY to `2,284 crores.

The net gearing (Net Debt to Equity) stood at 1.30x at the end of the quarter (as against 1.21x at the
end of Q1 FY2019) and Net Debt to EBITDA stood at 2.22x (as against 2.20x at the end of Q2
FY2019).

Subsidiaries’ Performance:
JSW Steel Coated Products: During the quarter, JSW Steel Coated Products registered a production volume (Galvanised/Galvalume products) of 0.46 million tons and sales volume of 0.45 million tonnes. Revenue from operations and Operating EBITDA for the quarter stood at `3,144 crores and `88 crores respectively. It reported a Net Profit after Tax of `13 crores for the quarter.

US Plate and Pipe Mill:
The US based Plate and Pipe Mill facility produced 80,241 net tonnes of Plates and 19,877 net
tonnes of Pipes, reporting a capacity utilization of 34% and 14%, respectively, during the quarter.
Sales volumes for the quarter stood at 75,179 net tonnes of Plates and 19,884 net tonnes of Pipes.
It reported an EBITDA of $5.50 million for the quarter.

Consolidated Financial Performance:
JSW Steel’s consolidated Revenue from operations increased by 25% YoY to `21,552 crores for the
quarter. Operating EBITDA increased by 62% YoY to `4,906 crores, implying a margin of 22.8%.
The Net Profit after Tax for the quarter increased by 150% YoY to `2,087 crores, after incorporating
the financials of subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates.

Net debt during the quarter increased, mainly due to consummation of the previously announced
acquisitions, increase in working capital due to higher volumes and prices, and impact of currency
depreciation. The Company’s Balance sheet continues to remain strong with consolidated Net gearing (Net Debt to Equity) at 1.46x and Net Debt to EBITDA of 2.35x at the end of the quarter.

Merger and Acquisitions update
Pursuant to the Corporate Insolvency Resolution process under the Insolvency Bankruptcy Code,
2016 initiated on 18 July 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal ('NCLT') on 24 July 2018 approved (with modifications) the resolution plan submitted by the consortium of JSW Steel Limited and AION Investments Private II Limited. The consortium completed the acquisition of Monnet Ispat & Energy Limited (“MIEL”) through their joint venture Creixent Special Steels Limited (“CSSL”) on 31 August 2018. The impact of the Resolution Plan has been given effect to on the acquisition date. Consequently, MIEL has become a Joint venture of the Company. MIEL has a steel plant in Chhattisgarh with Blast furnace and DRI facility of 1.5 MTPA.

On 24 July 2018, the Company through its wholly owned subsidiary in Italy, JSW Steel Italy S.r.l,
completed acquisition of 100% shares each of Aferpi S.p.A (“Aferpi”) and Piombino Logistics S.p.A
(“PL”) and 69.27% of the shares of GSI Lucchini S.p.A (“GSI”) (collectively referred to as "Targets") for a consideration of Rs. 482 crores (Euro 59.90 million) towards acquisition of equity shares and Rs. 100 crores (Euro 12.38 million) towards acquisition of loans provided by the erstwhile shareholders of the target.

Projects and Capex update:
The following projects are likely to be commissioned in Q3 FY2019
 Coke oven plant of 1.5 MTPA at Dolvi
 Tin Plate with capacity of 0.25 MTPA at Tarapur
 Pipe conveyor project at Vijayanagar for iron ore transportation
All the other key projects viz. augmenting crude steel capacity at Dolvi works to 10.7 MTPA,
revamping and capacity up-gradation of BF-3 & capacity expansion of CRM-1 complex at
Vijayanagar works, modernization-cum-capacity enhancement at downstream facilities of JSW
Steel Coated Products and strategic cost savings projects are progressing satisfactorily for
commissioning as per schedule.

Corporate Updates
With the objective of simplifying the corporate structure and enhancing operating efficiencies, the
Board of Directors of the Company at their meeting held on October 25, 2018, considered and
approved the Scheme of Amalgamation pursuant to sections 230 - 232 and other applicable
provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, providing for the merger of its wholly owned subsidiaries,
Dolvi Minerals and Metals Private Limited, Dolvi Coke Projects Limited, JSW Steel Processing
Centres Limited, and JSW Steel (Salav) Limited with JSW Steel Limited.

The Company is in the midst of implementing and pursuing multiple organic as well as inorganic
growth opportunites. With the objective of further strengthening the Balance Sheet of the Company,
the Board of Directors of the Company have considered and accorded an in-principle approval for a
rights issue of upto Rs 5,000 crores.

Outlook
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trimmed CY 2018 global growth forecast to 3.7% (from
3.9%) citing that growth is becoming less balanced. The US economy continues to grow
underpinned by strong labour markets, fiscal impulse from tax cuts and enhanced government
spending. The Euro area growth remains above trend, but rising political uncertainty and trade fears pose risks to the growth prospects. Japans’s growth outlook is strong on the back of rising investments, budgetary support and healthy private consumption. China’s growth rate continues to
soften in an orderly manner despite concerns over moderation in external demand and regulatory
tightening of financial sector. Fiscal and monetary policy measures are underway to avoid any hard
landing.

However, firm crude oil prices, strong US Dollar and escalating trade measures pose risks to the
growth outlook. The World Steel Association (WSA) has upgrade its global finished steel demand growth estimates for CY 2018 to 2.1% from 1.8%, primarily due to higher real demand growth from China (revised up from 0% to 2%). Even world ex-China demand is estimated to grow by 2.1% in 2018. However, increasing trade tensions, volatile currency movements and uneven growth are increasing uncertainty for sustainability of global steel demand growth.

In India, a strong momentum in government spending on infrastructure is driving the increase in
Gross Fixed Capital (GFC) formation. Consumer demand continues to drive vehicle production and
consumer durable volumes. Rural demand momentum continues to remain firm underpinned by
higher disposal income and higher Minimum Selling Price (MSP) for the agriculture products. The
IIP and manufacturing PMI has moderated in recent months given headwinds from higher input
prices. The interest rate cycle has an upward bias with rising input prices and robust domestic
demand. However, high oil prices, surging inflation, deficit rainfall and tight liquidity conditions
continue to pose risks to growth outlook. FY2019 growth outlook remains underpinned by momentum in government spending and consumer demand

India’s Q2 FY2019 crude steel production grew by 4.2% YoY, while the apparent finished steel
consumption grew by 6.8%. WSA has also increased India’s steel demand growth estimates for CY
2018 to 7.5% from 5.5% on strong infrastructure spend and growth in consumer demand for
automotive and white goods.

 JSW Steel is a part of the diversified US$ 13 billion JSW Group, which has a presence in Steel, Energy, Infrastructure, Cement, Ventures and Sports. JSW Steel is the leading integrated steel
company with an installed steel-making capacity of 18 MTPA in India. JSW Steel’s plant at Vijayanagar in Karnataka, is the largest single location steel producing facility in the country with a capacity of 12 MTPA.