Friday, January 31, 2020

MVSTF launches unique initiative to boost rural livelihoods

1.मोबाइल व्हॅन कॉप शॉप.jpg

·       Launches mobile co-op shop in Kharghar & Thane

 In a bid to promote sustainable livelihoods, Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation (MVSTF) launched the first co-op shop and mobile van co-op shop at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai recently.
The aim is to create opportunities for self-Help Groups and farmers from remote parts of Maharashtra. The products are mainly agricultural and non-agricultural produce from tribal areas of the state. This initiative will provide the farmers a direct access to the larger markets without any third-party involvement. This would help framers getting good price for their produce. This is for the first time where self-help group products will get backward and forward linkage throughout the year.

In the first phase the products such as organic honey, Charoli, Golambi, Tarota Coffee, Soya Coffee, organic rice, brown rice, Ambadi jelly, Ambadi powder, Bajri & Jowar will be sold from various villages from districts like Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Nandurbar, Yavatmal & Akola The market for the SHG products is limited only to the local market or occasional events. However, the Co-op Shops create the year-round market for the SHGs. The products will be kept and traded in the Co-op Shops. The products are mainly agricultural and non-agricultural produce from tribal areas.

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This initiative will encourage people from rural Maharashtra to set up and sustain new & small businesses and enhance their income outside the farm earnings. MVSTF always has been at the forefront active catalyst of women empowerment through SHG strengthening in villages, this initiative will provide them market linkages, both backward and forward.

Also, good quality of the products will be directly taken from farmers and SHG members supply to consumers through coop shops.  The farmers of the state will get proper prices for the farming and will also get relief from this scheme. MVSTF has introduced coop shop scheme in Maharashtra, the schemes have got tremendous response in urban area. Due to this initiative, urban families will get fresh farm produce at cheaper rates while providing farmers getting a better price for their produce. The scheme is successfully implemented under the Atal Mahapanan Vikas Abhiyan and coop shops have been started so far in Thane & Palghar.

MVSTF in association with Bori Budruk farmers Producer Company initiated the Co-op shop.  The mobile van is the initiative by MVSTF and Suyash Agro Ayojak, Farmers Producer company with collaboration with Maharashtra Cooperative Development Cooperation. The co-op shop has a wide range of products such as organic honey, charoli, golambi, tarota coffee, soya coffee, organic rice, brown rice, ambadi jelly, ambadi powder, bajri, jowar products from Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Nandurbar, Yavatmal, Akola, Jalna, gram Panchayats.

Speaking about the unique initiative, Ramnath Subramanian, CEO, MVSTF who inaugurated the first co-op shop said “We hope this initiative will nudge the farmers and SHGs to set up and sustain new small businesses and enhance their income outside the farm earnings. This is the first Co-op shop and we are planning aggressively on coming up with more numbers of shop in other cities soon.”

Consulate General of Sweden and Red Dot Foundation promote ‘Sustainable and Inclusive Urbanism’ at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2020


·         The initiative includes a Photo-exhibition, Panel discussion & Heritage Walk along with several partners near Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, Fort
·         Starts from 1st Feb to 9th Feb 2020 at Max Mueller Bhavan, Fort

The Consulate General of Sweden, Mumbai in collaboration with Red Dot Foundation, Swedish Institute and Millefotto will be participating in the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival from February 1st to 9th to increase awareness about ‘Sustainable and Inclusive Urbanism’. They will jointly host a Photo-exhibition, Panel discussion and Heritage Walk that will highlight challenges in the unequal urban landscape and discuss solutions to enable equality, accessibility and inclusivity in our cities.

Anna Lekvall, Counsel General of Sweden in Mumbai said, Every human has the right to live with dignity irrespective of socio-economic or physical challenges. The Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai is glad to partner with Red Dot Foundation and Kala Ghoda Arts Festival to highlight the importance of building sustainable and inclusive cities to ensure equality and accessibility for all.”

Elsa Marie DSilva, Founder CEO of Red Dot Foundation said, “We are excited to partner with the Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai to discuss important issues like access and inequality that impacts the quality of urbanism. By 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities and this will put a strain on the existing infrastructure. Therefore, it is important to have these conversations so that we plan for the future whilst learning from the past in order to not leave anyone behind irrespective of gender, ability or economic status.”

The initiative kickstarts with a photo exhibition from February 1 to 9, 2020 which will highlight two important inequalities observed in an urban setting: the very tangible result of socio-economic disparity in Mumbai and the inaccessibility purview of Indians and Swedes with disabilities.

The socio-economic urban inequality is being represented by the Mumbai version of Photographer Johnny Miller’s globally renowned ‘Unequal Scenes’ project. Commenting on his well-acclaimed work, Johnny Miller said, “Mumbai is a city of contradictions and this was evident from the aerial scenes that exhibited exceedingly sharp contrasts between single-story slums and developed areas. The project aligns itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically in the fight against extreme inequality, climate change, and sustainable cities and communities. Through this initiative, I hope to provoke a positive dialogue which can begin to address the issues of inequality and exclusion in a constructive and peaceful manner.”

‘The need to provide accessibility in urban settings is being depicted by the Swedish Institute’s ‘AccessAbility’ project that features portraits by Sunil Thakkar (Indian photographer) and Marcus Marcetic (Swedish photographer). It explores the personal stories of Indians and Swedes with disabilities, describing their dreams, sorrows, joys, jobs, families and loved ones. It further tells how they cope in inaccessible environments to live independently. Commenting on the project, Sunil Thakkar said, “The project aims to increase awareness about the need for accessibility and inclusivity so that all citizens can live with dignity.”

The initiative also entails a panel discussion on February 7, 2020 that will highlight the current challenges and discuss possible solutions for making Mumbai a sustainable and inclusive city. The panelists include Ms. Anna Lekvall, Consul General of Sweden in Mumbai; Dr. Sangita Hasnale, Assistant Commissioner - Planning, MCGM; Ms. Prathima Manohar, Founder and CEO - The Urban Vision; Mr. Nilabh Nagar, Urbanist and Architect, Hafeez Contractor; Mr. Suhas Karnik, Honorary Secretary, National Association of the Blind (NAB) and Ms. Elsa Marie DSilva, Founder and CEO - Red Dot Foundation (Moderator).
The initiative concludes with an informative heritage walk on February 8, 2020 with the objective of analyzing the current architecture of Mumbai’s most important heritage precinct and towards actively planning, designing and utilizing urban spaces in the most sustainable way. This walk will start from Asiatic Library and will conclude at Flora Fountain.

‘Reactive’ model for urbanisation unsustainable; leading to urban sprawl, low-density suburbanization: Knight Frank India Report

Transport infrastructure key to decluttering and expanding urban centres, says report

In its latest report, global consultancy Knight Frank says that the future of urban centres in India lies in creating long term and sustainable transport infrastructure. The report titled “India Urban Infrastructure report” traces the current impact of rapid urbanization and says that proper planning and infrastructure development is the mantra to mitigate and minimize environmental and growth conflicts to a great extent and to ensure that cities sustain their growing population without exacting too great a toll from the environment.

Urbanisation is widely recognized as the best solution to deal with the world’s population growth as
infrastructure can be focused and optimized, to deal with the requirements of a dense population.
Urban planning is critical to plan appropriate infrastructure that is sufficient for the population and
minimizes the impact of urban development on the environment. It also dictates the quality of life that the residents will enjoy or must endure in a city.

Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said, “Urban centers essentially
concentrate economic activity and enable the resident population to participate in the country’s growth story. While urban planning has evolved as a discipline globally, it has generally not kept pace with the rate of urbanisation. The current model of urbanisation is more reactive rather than proactive, especially in the developing countries, and results in urban sprawl and low-density suburbanisation that substantially increases the cost of delivering infrastructure to a more dispersed population. This has a negative impact on the environment as it is energy-intensive and consequently contributes dangerously to climate change.”

Investments in infrastructure often occur once the population has already moved into a large extent and the authorities do not have enough time to plan future capacity or execute projects to adequately
address existing concerns. The current issues faced by almost all urban centres in India include:
- Poor quality of air – This has increasingly becoming one of India’s largest concern as it is leading to ill health and diseases impacting general productivity. The sources of air pollution are largely considered to be vehicular emissions and continued use of fossil fuels releasing large amount of carbon compounds in the air.
- Lack of potable water – Many large cities of India are facing issues of availability of potable water due to lack of availability from proper sources as well as depletion of natural sources. This is prominent in rapidly urbanized locations like Gurugram and Bengaluru.

- Lack of sanitation – Overcrowding has also created issues of sanitation in the cities which are, despite the efforts of the government, prone to open defecation and poor waste management. With existing infrastructure falling short in treating and cleaning the systems, the lack of sanitation is leading to further contamination of potable water sources like nearby rivers, lakes and sea.
- Insufficient solid waste management – Another challenge faced commonly by almost all urban centres in varying degrees is the lack of the civic system to address the solid waste generated by the urban centres. As per estimates, 115,000 tons of municipal solid waste is generated per day in India. It is estimated that the solid waste generated in small, medium and large cities and towns in India per capita per day is about 0.1 kg, 0.3–0.4 kg and 0.5 kg, respectively. The estimated annual increase in per capita waste quantity is about 1.33% per year.
- Limited transport infrastructure – One of the challenges leading to the breakdown of urban centres is the limited amount of public transport infrastructure and lack of connectivity of suburban and satellite locations to main economic centres in the cities. This has been leading to people, especially migrant population to look at living within city limits, even in compromised conditions.

India has long been counted amongst the fastest growing economies of its size, but the recent
slowdown has casta shadow on our GDP target of USD 5 trillion by 2025. The Finance Ministry’s
Economic Survey of 2019 had concluded that India needs to spend 7-8% of its GDP or USD 200 billion annually on infrastructure to meet its growth targets. The government’s decision to invest nearly USD 1.5 trillion in the next 5 years (or USD 300 billion annually), is a measure of its commitment to revive economic growth.

Shishir further added, “Creation and sustenance of urban centres is critical to ensure that India’s
economic goals are reached in the correct and planned manner. It would be imperative for Indian cities to work on decluttering the city by creating auxiliary centres to its existing economic nodes. We feel that this can be done with the help of creating a robust transport system that will allow locations to grow as alternative economic centres pulling settlers away from the existing locations. Having said that, the growth has to be planned and incentivised for companies to take space in locations other than established commercial areas.”

The report makes a special mention of the transport infrastructure growth in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and identifies 28 locations as the next real estate growth corridors in the city as a direct outcome of the infrastructure development. Primarily, the result of approximately 250 km of Metro lines and 70 km of road projects cumulatively worth over Rs 1.8 trillion at various stages of construction in the region. The extent of real estate traction in the resulting locations has been evaluated based on the current disadvantaged connectivity, availability of land for greenfield development or the redevelopment potential that the catchment offers.

About Knight Frank
Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank has more than 19,000 people operating from over 512 offices across 60 markets. The Group advises clients ranging from individual owners and buyers to major developers, investors and corporate tenants. For further information about the Company, please visit www.knightfrank.com.
In India, Knight Frank is headquartered in Mumbai and has more than 1,400 experts across Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Backed by strong research and analytics, our experts offer a comprehensive range of real estate services across advisory, valuation and consulting, transactions (residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, land &
capitals), facilities management and project management. For more information,
visit www.knightfrank.co.in

Tissue Nanotransfection Technology Will Emerge As a Game Changer in the Near Future



~ Dr. Pradeep Mahajan conducted a session on new age medicine, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapy at Amity Institute of Biotechnology~

~ StemRx Biosciences Solutions Pvt. Ltd joined hands with Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Navi Mumbai, for a one day International seminar~

To help people get rid of various fatal diseases, StemRx Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd., in association Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Navi Mumbai, organized a one day International seminar on how technologies like Tissue Nanotransfection, bone marrow transplant, organ transplant, and umbilical cord blood transplantation can change the future course of various diseases like cancer. Along with Dr. Pradeep Mahajan, many other dignitaries like Dr. Chandan K. Sen, Director, Indian Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering , Indiana University, USA, Dr. M. Gopinath, Principal Scientist, CFTRI, Mysore, Dr. Satyandra Katewa, Head, Department of Paediatric Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Jaipur, Dr. Sunali Khanna, Nair Hospital, Mumbai, Dr. Deepa Bhartiya, Senior Scientific Officer, NIRRH, Mumbai, and Dr. Neetin Desai, Director, Amity Institute Of Biotechnology, graced the event and conducted informative and educative sessions.  

Today, the Indian healthcare sector is growing at a brisk pace. With the help of advanced medical technologies, it is now possible to treat diseases with efficacy. The technological advancements are changing the very face of medicine. Thus, to help people tackle a number of ailments StemRx Biosciences Solutions Pvt. Ltd tied up with Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Navi Mumbai. The motto behind this seminar is to educate, inform, and make people understand that there is a cure for their diseases. More than 300 participants including the students, gynecologists, and government authorities were present for the seminar.

Dr. Pradeep Mahajan, Regenerative Medicine Researcher, Mumbai explained, “The seminar highlighted how technologies like Tissue Nanotransfection, bone marrow, transplant, organ transplant, and umbilical cord blood transplantation can help treat various diseases like cancer, and infertility. I conducted a session on how new age medicine, regenerative medicine, and cell-based therapy can be a good option for people to tackle cancer, autoimmune diseases, urinary problems, neurological disorders, spinal cord injuries, and weak immune systems. Cell-based therapy can solve the majority of diseases without having conflicts. The newest technology Tissue Nanotransfection is going to create a revolution in cell-based therapy. I am honored, proud, and will look forward to many more associations with Amity in the near future.”

Thursday, January 30, 2020

IADVL organizes DERMACON 2020 on World Leprosy Day : A platform to tackle issues related to skin diseases


On World Leprosy Day, IADVL (Indian Association of  Dermatologists Venereologists & Leprologists) the country’s premier institute of Dermatologists announced the inauguration of its 48th Annual National Conference DERMACON 2020 in Pune.
 
The 4-day conference beginning from 30th January 2020 to 2nd February 2020, will witness doctors and the medical fraternity addressing Derma led grave diseases like Leprosy, Vitiligo and abuse of steroid based medicines. In the year 2005 India leprosy was eliminated from India and today shockingly due to the resurgence of disease we are home to 66 per cent of cases global. In other words, two out of every three new global leprosy cases are detected in India. IADVL which is the second largest dermatologist association, today on World Leprosy Day took a pledge to spread awareness and work towards the eradication of Leprosy in India. DERMACON is one of IADVL’s initiative which is an annual event to educate and communicate the people about the disease.
DERMACON will also addressed the lack of awareness and abuse of steroid based ointments, medicines which are being purchased over the counter from medical or general stores. In the recent years India has reached a pandemic where such skin diseases have become steroid resistant and more and more cases are being reported. This year’s conference will be attended by globally renowned doctors (31 International Faculty and 400 + Indian faculty), where they will be sharing their expertise and knowledge.
 
In 2005 WHO had declared that India is fully eradicated of leprosy, but shockingly with 66% of the cases prevailing in India, sadly our country is the capital of Leprosy. With the aim to eliminate the disease, IADVL is working towards many initiatives and one of the key focus is on educating the society.
During today’s discussions it was revealed that in Maharashtra itself there are Sixteen thousand new cases reported every year out of which 4500 cases are from Nagpur itself.  The active districts where leprosy is widespread are Thane, Raigad, Vidharbh and Palghar, there are cases reported because of the tribal belt. The resurgence was reported first in UP in 2012 with 20000 new cases followed by Bihar with 18000 new cases every year.
During the inauguration of DERMACON 2020, Dr. P Narasimha Rao, IADVL President said
“It is time we face the harsh reality that Leprosy is coming back, and it can be tackled only by collaborative efforts. To make India truly Leprosy Free – we all need to have a correct understanding of leprosy and compassion toward those with the disease. It is only then that Leprosy patients will seek treatment and will be able to live with respect in the society. Leprosy is not a disease of the past, it is still an ongoing issue therefore, on World Leprosy Day 30th January 2020, we at IADVL pledge to work towards Mission Leprosy Free India”.
 
Dr. Kiran Godse, President Elect (IADVLreiterated the fact that “There is a lot of stigma and isolation which is associated with leprosy which is very harsh for the patients and their families have to endure it. Patients are abandoned not just by the society but their families as well and in India it’s very sad to see that even the law doesn’t show any compassion towards them. Today, through the efforts of research and science, leprosy is a curable disease if detected early and for that the drugs are also distributed free of charge. Fearful of being diagnosed, people often do not go to a clinics or hospital because of the stigma related to the disease. This therefore is one of the biggest obstacles to early diagnosis and treatment thereafter.”
 
“Despite the fact that early diagnosis is 100% curable and prevents further deformity and spread of the disease, the fact that leprosy can be treated with drugs, just like other diseases.  The people who are suffering, continue to face discrimination to the extent that they are separated from their families; children are unable to attend school; a few lose their jobs; and a few who have missed out on the chance of getting married.  Even after their recovery they are still termed as ‘ex-leprosy patients’ and are looked down upon, said Dr. Anil Patki, Leprosy Specialist Pune”
 
"Though leprosy is claimed to be eliminated, the continued occurrence of new cases and static new case detection rate in the country for the last fifteen years post elimination (2005) is a matter of great concern. There is a need for strengthening referral systems, identifying the magnitude of clinical problems like reactions, nerve damage and deformity and their early management specially after stopping treatment in order to contain the morbidity associated with the disease in the community. Evaluation of chemoprophylaxis as a strategy is important and so also monitoring and surveillance of drug resistance at national level, said Dr Vivek Vasudev Pai, Director, Bombay Leprosy Project”.
 
Dr. Narendra G Patwardhan, Organizing Chairman (DERMACON 2020) addressed the abuse of steroid based medicines and said “Corticosteroids, also known as steroids, are anti-inflammatory medicines used for a range of conditions. These are present in some creams used as fairness creams, combination drugs, antifungal, anti-bacterial combination, these irrational combinations are prescribed by family physicians, pharmacists without understanding the dangerous impact of steroid use.”
 
Dr. Dhanashree Bhide, Scientific Chairman (DERMACON 2020) further added that “The widespread misuse of skin creams and lotions that contain steroids in India is harmful and out of control. Indian doctors are witnessing a pandemic of adverse effects induced by topical corticosteroids. These steroid creams and lotions can lead to substantial and permanent damage, especially on thin skin, such as on the face and groin. Side effects include pigmentation and breakdown of the skin, small and widened blood vessels on the skin, as well as bacterial and fungal infections. Misuse can also lead to resistance of infections that can make these difficult to diagnose and treat”.
 
Dr. Pradyumna Vaidya, Organizing Secretary (DERMACON 2020) spoke about developed countries where topical corticosteroids are available strictly by prescription and sale thru any other medium is restricted. These should be used judiciously, for appropriate indications and duration and only if prescribed by qualified Dermatologists.  He further added “Citizens, as well as doctors of all specialties, need to be informed and educated about safe use of topical corticosteroids. Government needs to implement a strict policy for its dispensing, approvals and prescription given by respective authorities.  Even qualified medical practitioners in India are ignorant about rational prescribing therefore, we at IADVL appeal to the government to ban these "irrational combinations".
 
DERMACON 2020 is one of its kind in terms of magnitude and one of the largest events ever held in Pune by the Dermatologist Association of Maharashtra. Vama Events Pvt ltd has worked hard for 2 years for successful implementation of this 4 days of such a large event.
 
Medwiz Healthcare Communications has partnered to execute patient initiatives, patient charters, social media outreach and unique Global peer to peer real world evidence discussions in Derma TV studios.

The Singing Violin of India Kala Ramnath and Indian percussionist Sivamani mesmerize the audience with their maiden performance together at Siddhivinayak Temple’s Maghi Mahotsav


The thousands of devotees who visited Siddhivinayak Temple’s Maghi Mahotsav were left spell bound with the first musical performance of duo Kala Ramnath and Sivamani.

Ganesh Jayanti also known as Maghi Ganeshotsav is an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Ganesha is celebrated every year with great excitement at the Siddhivinayak Temple. To add to the auspicious celebration , Kala Ramnath and Sivamani came together and performed for the audience. The jugalbandi between the two created magic and the whole place was mesmerized in the beautiful vibe and music created by both.

Speaking at the occasion, Kala Ramnath said, “It is a pleasure for me to perform with Sivamani anna. He has time and again reinvented himself . He knows how to connect with audience across ages and genres and for a musician. I am here today , thanks to my beautiful audience and there is no bigger blessing than the love we get from our people.”

Recently acclaimed percussionist Bickram Ghosh collaborated with Kala Ramnath for his latest album “Paper Boats”which features some of the most accomplished artistes from across the globe, from Greg Ellis to George Brooks. Ghosh has scored the music for the 7-track album; Paper Boats was released recently worldwide.

Ms Ramnath has performed at Sydney Opera House, Queen Elizabeth Hall
London, Carnegie Hall, New York, Palais De Bozar, Brussels, Theatre De Laa Ville, Paris, North Sea Festival, Cape Town, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Australia, Tropen Museum Amsterdam, to name a few.

About Kala Ramnath
Kala Ramnath is an Indian classical violinist. She belongs to the Mewati gharana. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Academy Puraskaar in 2016, Rashtriya Kumar Gandharva Sanman in 2008 and the Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar in 1999. Composition of Kala Ramnath featured in the Grammy Award-winning album “In 27 Pieces”.  She is a featured artist in the Grammy nominated album ‘Miles from India’ . Kala is Recognized as one of the fifty best instrumentalists of the world by the prestigious ‘Songlines’ Magazine. Kala is the first Indian violinist to be featured in the violin Bible, ‘The Strad’.

Acer launches New ConceptD and ConceptD Pro Family series in Mumbai

Designed especially for professional and amateur creators and demonstrates a new chapter for creativity

 ConceptD and ConceptD Pro is a new brand of premium high-end desktops, notebook PCs, and monitors designed for professional and amateur creators
 The ConceptD 500 high-end desktop has an 8-core and 16-thread 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900K processor that hits up to 5.0GHZ, and up to NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 GPUs
 ConceptD and ConceptD pro series notebooks feature professional precision with its 100%
Adobe® RGB gamut, PANTONE® Validated 4K display with Delta E <2 color accuracy.
 ConceptD 9 and ConceptD 9 pro comes with Delta E <1 color accuracy.
 ConceptD laptops and desktops featuring NVIDIA® GeForce/Quadro RTX™ GPUs are designed
not only for professional creators but also AI engineers and software developers
 ConceptD series work in peace with the custom-engineered cooling of a 4th Gen Aeroblade™ 3D fan, which runs at under 40db—the equivalent of a library room
 ConceptD CP3 monitors feature 27” IPS displays with 4K UHD resolution, backed up by color
technologies that ensure vivid, true-to-life color reproduction

Acer India, one of the largest technology brands in the world, today launched its most powerful ConceptD series for both consumer and commercial uses in Mumbai. The new ConceptD brand is a collection of high-end desktops, notebooks, and monitors optimised for today's professional creators such as graphic designers, filmmakers, engineers, architects, and developers.

The New Concept D series boasts of 10 products which includes ConceptD 500 Desktop, ConceptD 3, 9, 7 and 5 Notebooks, CP3 Monitor, ConceptD 9 Pro, 7 Pro, 5 Pro and 3 Pro. Since the product line-up is designed for creators, these new laptops under the Creator series come with NVIDIA®
GeForce/Quadro RTX™ GPUs delivery and up to 9th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, built for peak
performance and long hours of uninterrupted use. As part of the RTX Studio laptop program,
ConceptD Pro series notebooks with NVIDIA Quadro RTX GPUs are among the first notebooks to
support real-time ray tracing and advanced AI capabilities.

Addressing the launch Harish Kohli, President & Managing Director, Acer India said, “We want to start the year on a high note with the launch of our new ConceptD family in Mumbai for our
customers. The ConceptD product portfolio was designed to give creators the tools to focus on the
creative process and create beautiful things. As the groundwork of a full line of creator products,
we’ve conceived PCs with high-performance processors and graphics that can handle extreme
workloads, and put them inside quiet, minimalist designs to inspire creators to release their creativity.”

Chandrahas Panigrahi, CMO and Consumer Business Head, Acer India said, “We are thrilled to
announce our new ConceptD product range in Mumbai. ConceptD is a fresh approach to computing
that overcomes the barriers between people and technology and enables creators to unleash their full potential. The entire series provides the best premium performance and platform technologies for creators to speed up workloads and enable them to do their best work.”

ConceptD Creator series features and pricing
ConceptD high-end desktop, notebooks and monitor come in a gorgeous, timeless design, featuring
pure-white or matte-black finish, with amber-colored keyboard backlighting, and a clean and thought-out design aesthetic that lets creative professions focus on the design process.

ConceptD 500: High-end Desktop with NVIDIA Graphics for the Enterprise Studio The ConceptD 500 high-end desktop feature a range of NVIDIA GPUs up to the Quadro RTX™ 4000, enabling high-end visual effects rendering, complex 3D modeling, simulations, as well as AI and deep learning development. It houses a processor up to 9 th gen Intel® Core™ processor, up to 64 GB

RAM and 1 TB SSD with up to 2TB HDD. The high core count brings load times down and multitasking to the extreme while achieving enterprise-class reliability, stability, and security. NVIDIA’s latest Creator Ready Drivers bring enhanced app support and performance for studio applications such as Autodesk® Arnold, Unreal Engine and REDCINE-X PRO®, accelerating creator workflows for video editors, graphics designers, animators and 3D artists, photographers and broadcasters alike.

Price and Availability:
Price: INR 99,999 onwards
Availability: E-Store and Acer Malls – From January 2020
ConceptD CP3 Monitor for Creators
Creators need color accuracy beyond what most mainstream monitors can offer, and thus Acer
created ConceptD CP3 UHD monitor. Featuring a remarkable color accuracy of Delta E <1 and a
modern slick, black finish with a wood-patterned base, these new PANTONE Validated 4K UHD
displays provide professional color accuracy with Delta E <1 and 90% DCI-P31. The monitors also come with up to 144Hz refresh rate providing you with a seamless experience. Enjoy pristine HDR images with VESA DisplayHDR™ 400 Certification and eliminate visual artifacts with this NVIDIA® G-SYNC® Compatible, 3 display.

Availability: E-Store and Acer Malls – From January 2020
ConceptD Series Silenced Notebooks for Inspiring Creativity
ConceptD notebooks feature elevated color accuracy, silent processing, and come in three different
form factors. ConceptD 9, 7, 3 and 5 creator notebooks feature the ConceptD timeless design, and
4K UHD IPS PANTONE® Validated displays. Covering 100 percent of the Adobe® RGB color gamut, creators can be sure that their colors are as accurate as possible. With a wide color gamut, displays achieve an impressive color accuracy of as low as Delta E <1. These creator notebooks stay quiet with Acer’s 4th gen AeroBlade™ 3D Fan with a noise reduction mechanism that emits less than 40 db of noise — equivalent to the sound level of a library — while maintaining high computing and graphics performance.

ConceptD 9 - For Demanding High-end 3D Creations
The ConceptD 9 is an ultimate creative power creator ideal laptop for demanding 3D work. It packs
some serious punch when it comes to specifications. Its heavyweight processors take care of
business, while the 4K UHD display brings professional precision with its 100% Adobe® RGB gamut, PANTONE® Validated color fidelity, and Delta E <1 color accuracy. The ground-breaking Ezel™ Aero Hinge gives this device unique flexibility to create and collaborate. The chassis houses a 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor, an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 20801, up to 32GB of DDR4, and two 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSDs in Raid 0. Render large 3D models, edit and export up to 6K videos, do real-time ray tracing, and more. The stylus delivers unsurpassed usability and fast, accurate control with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, so creators can design from scratch, take notes, or highlight key areas during concept discussions.

Price and Availability:
Price: INR 3,59,999 onwards
Availability: E-Store and Acer Malls – From January 2020
ConceptD 7 – Up to Real-time 6K RED Video Editing and Rendering Performance
ConceptD 7 Featuring up to a new 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor for premium notebook performance and NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 2080 graphics with Max-Q Design. It’s easy to carry around, at just 17.9 mm (0.70 inches) thin, and weighing just 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs.). The 15.6- inch UHD (3840 x 2160) 4K IPS, PANTONE Validated display is built for creators, with a wide color gamut of 100 percent of the Adobe RGB color space, and a color accuracy of Delta E <2 for remarkable color precision. Ports include a Thunderbolt™ 3 and MiniDP ports for connecting up to three external
displays and features Killer DoubleShot™ Pro for a strong and reliable WiFi connection.

Price and Availability:
Price: INR 1,79,999 onwards
Availability: E-Store and Acer Malls – From January 2020

ConceptD 3 and ConceptD 5 - Portable Powerful Precision
The ConceptD 3 and ConceptD 5 comes with up to 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processors for the
performance needed to wait less and do more, the new ConceptD 5 comes in both 15- and 17-inch
display options and has been upgraded with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPUs for those seeking power and mobility. It ensures faithful color reproduction with a 100% Adobe® RGB color gamut and a color accuracy of Delta E <2. Achieve more with up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and up to 1TB of responsive NVMe PCIe SSD in Raid 0 and up to 2TB HDD. The ConceptD 3 looks beautifully clean with its optional pristine white finish and runs silently so users can focus on their designs. Its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU provides plenty of power on the go to complete professional creations with speed and accuracy. Both the notebooks come with a 4th Gen Aeroblade™ 3D Fan, which runs at under 40dBA—the equivalent of a library room. Creators can type comfortably in any environment with the warm amber glow of the backlit keyboard.

Price and Availability:
ConceptD 5:
Price: INR 1,09,999 onwards
Availability: Live now on e-store
ConceptD 3:
Price: INR 99,999 onwards
Availability: E-Store and Acer Malls – From January 2020
ConceptD Pro series for peak performance and long hours of uninterrupted use
The ConceptD Pro line-up features 4 laptops, nearly all of which are part of NVIDIA's RTX Studio certification program and target different needs and price points.
ConceptD 9 Pro - Designed for Power and Collaboration
The ConceptD 9 Pro sits at the top of the Pro series and is an innovative creator notebook thanks to
Acer’s CNC-machined Ezel Aero Hinge™. This allows the 17.3-inch 4K display (3840 x 2160) to flip, extend and recline for convenient collaboration between team members. The display is PANTONE-Validated and covers 100% of the Adobe RGB color gamut with unparalleled Delta E <1 color accuracy.
The ConceptD 9 Pro features up to 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processors for premium, multi-threaded
performance and up to NVIDIA Quadro RTX™ 5000 graphics aimed at AI/deep learning, engineering simulations and large animation studios requiring power, flexibility and cross-compatibility. A Wacom® EMR stylus is also included and magnetically attaches to the ConceptD 9 Pro. The stylus delivers unsurpassed usability and fast accurate control with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. In addition to sketching and drawing, users can take notes or highlight key points as they develop concepts together. The ConceptD 9 Pro is part of the RTX Studio program.

ConceptD 7 Pro - Power and Flexibility in a Lightweight Design Shipping with a 15.6-inch 4K display, Acer's ConceptD 7 Pro is designed for powerful on-the-go performance and part of the RTX Studio program. At only 17.9 mm thin and weighing just 2.1 kg, its sleek design makes it perfect for users seeking the best balance between power and portability. It features up to a 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor for compute intensive workloads that demand performance, while powerful NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 GPU options are ideal for data scientists, software developers, engineers and professional design studios who demand power, flexibility and compatibility that is tested with all certified professional software applications. In addition, the ConceptD Palette offers a friendly UI for quickly adjusting preferred color profiles and monitoring system controls.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Air Team Theory By Shekhar Ashok Pawar


Every team consists of KEY performers, who bring glory, as well as negative VIRUSES, who contribute to the poisonous pollution at the workplace. Just like dry air has ten types of gas components, each with distinctive characteristics, every team has different types of teammates with unique characteristics. Want to identify the Nitrogen (N 2 ), Oxygen (O 2 ), Argon (Ar), Hydrogen (H 2 ), Methane (CH 4 ), Krypton (Kr), Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Xenon (Xe) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ) within your team? Check out the Air Team Theory!

The Air Team Theory compares the characteristics of each teammate type to the characteristics of each gas. It shares scenarios, conversations and behavior patterns of different teammate types. This book also shares the best practices and experiences to effectively lead all the ten types of teammates as one team.

This book is for you if you are either a team member or a manager or a director or from top management or an entrepreneur or a leader working with any type or size of team. Most of you will see yourself and even your teammates in at least one of the teammate types explained in this book. The book will make you smile and even bring different emotions to your face as you recall bitter and sweet instances that have happened at your office. It provides useful recommendations and proven solutions for any leader to increase the productivity of any team using simple tips and techniques.

About the author
Shekhar Ashok Pawar is the Founder & CEO of GrassDew IT Solutions Pvt. Ltd. which is providing cybersecurity assessment and software solution development services worldwide. Born and brought up in Mumbai, he has visited several countries during his career. Apart from GrassDew, he has versatile experience working with five other organizations. He got the benefit of extended team experience while working with different clients across the globe. He has been handling large teams. His articles and interviews are published in many leading magazines. He is also a motivational speaker and has been invited to a few leading entrepreneurship platforms and colleges. He is reachable at shekharpawarmgm@gmail.com

Book Launch
This book got officially launched in SJMSOM, IIT Bombay, Mumbai on 19th January 2020.

Check book launch video - https://youtu.be/C2oG0OhvYh4

This book is an English non-fiction book sharing corporate team leadership experience of the author.

This book will be available in paperback, kindle edition version, ebook format. It will be available in more than 150 countries through various platforms like Amazon International, iBooks, Google Books, Kobo and Ingram.
For next few months this book is also going to be on display at few big book stores of India which are
Title Wave - Mumbai,
Crossword - Pune, Bangalore, Udaipur, Goa, Jaipur and Noida,
Higginbothams - Bangalore and Chennai,
Odyssey - Chennai, Coimbatore and Thiruvanmiyur,
Oxford - Delhi and Kolkata,
and Gangarams - Bangalore.

This 'National Cleanliness Day' Bisleri pledges through #Bottlesforchange


~ Recycle Today for a Better Tomorrow ~

Bisleri's Bottles for Change that aims to educate the citizens about the importance of recycling plastic in our lives has recycled over 5000 tons of plastic since its inception in 2018. This National Cleanliness Day, ‘Bottles for Change’ is all set to educate the citizens of Mumbai about the importance of recycling plastic through their recently launched Mobile App.
The app aims to bring the Citizens and the Plastic Collecting Agents (Kabadiwallahs/NGOs) under one roof. It provides a hassle-free option to the citizens to search and approach a nearby plastic agent to handover their clean plastic which is further sent for recycling. The process helps in the making of products like t-shirts, caps, shoes, bags, recycled benches that are placed across Mumbai by the initiative.
Mr. Santosh DarneHead CSR, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd says, “Cleanliness is important for our health and hygiene. A clean environment promotes positivity and good vibes around us. Plastic recycling is one of the tools in contributing towards a cleaner environment. We at Bottles for Change focuses on every aspect of plastic recycling and have successfully engaged lakhs of citizens in Mumbai. We have hosted workshops across the city that emphasizes on the correct disposal of plastic as we believe, cleaning plastic and segregating it helps us to send it directly for recycling. This National Cleanliness Day, let’s do our bit for a cleaner environment.”
About Bottles for Change:Since its inception, ‘Bottles for Change’ programme has conducted over 200 plastic recycling awareness and collection drives and workshops in corporate offices, housing societies, schools, colleges and other institutions, malls, festive & social gatherings, events, etc. With over 4,800 Tonnes Of Plastic recycled by Bisleri, ‘Bottles For Change’ programme has reached out and successfully engaged 15,00,000 Citizens, 600 Housing Societies, 150 Corporate, 400 Hotels And Restaurants, 200 Schools : 3,00,000 Number Of Students who have actively supported and joined the initiative. 
This program has created a complete value chain. Plastic is picked up right from the doorstep of a citizen and sent to the Recycler without involving any Waste Bins or Dump Yards. THE KEY MESSAGE IS TO CLEAN PLASTIC BEFORE DISPOSING AS CLEAN PLASTIC CAN DIRECTLY GO FOR RECYCLING.

Bottles for Change has been receiving a tremendous response from the citizens and as a gesture of contributing to the society, the team has placed RECYCLED BENCHES at the prominent areas of Mumbai. 

Bottles for Change Websitehttps://bottlesforchange.in/

TieCon Mumbai 2020 The Decade of Startups – Kickstarting the Future

  • TieCon Mumbai 2020 Keynote Speakers focus on Innovation and technology such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning , BlockChain.
  • First time ever at TieCon Mumbai – A startup Expo with more than 150 Startups exhibited their products.
  • EpiCentre of Start up Creation
  • Trillion dollar Digital Economy by 2015
  • Emphasizes on strengthening capabilities and fostering Co-creation.
  • Epitome of Digital Innovation and Economic Transformation
  • Era of Robots, Drones, Star Wars.
The 11th Edition of TiECon Mumbai kick started on an enthusiastic  note with marquee speakers focusing on ways to accelerate growth, drive more intelligent engagement and methods to empower business building ideas. 

Mr Atul Nishar, President, TiE-Mumbai said, “The four principles to accelerate transformational growth are job creation, skilling, training force, ethics and build sustainable business models. Start Ups should align interest with the national interest.”

Held at NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai, the opening day saw sessions with iconic speakers ranging from Deepak Parekh, Narayan Murthy, Mohandas Pai.and many others.  

Deepak Parekh shared his journey and learnings. He said, “Age is no bar, All you need is idea, ability, patience and ability.” He advocated the importance of learning by doing philosophy, humility, open door policy and “build life worth and not net worth.” HDFC will soon announce 100 Cr per year fund scheme to invest in startups. 

Keynote Speaker Mohandas Pai quoted, “” AI will dominate the core of next exponential enterprises, rewriting the fundamentals of the establishment and this is the opportunity to capture. Mumbai, being the financial hub and epicenter of action has to lead India. This is an era of Robots, Star Wars.”

Mr Ratan Tata was conferred Life Time Achievement Award TieCon Mumbai 2020.

Narayan Murthy advised the aspiring entrepreneurs to create enterprises with highest standards of integrity, ethics and honesty. Assisted technology will help human beings by making them more productive. 

This year’s theme, ‘The Decade of Startups – Kickstarting the Future’ is designed with the intention to explore, bring forth the most disruptive innovative ideas and nurture with expertise, opinions, access, consultation and resources paving way to aspiring Unicorns. India offers a blockbuster market with digital savvy population and a favorable demographic composition attracting global investors.  
The 2-day forum focuses on tech driven innovation. The other highlights are Pitch room, Start Expo, Masterclasses, Start up Clinic, Co- founder dating.
TiE- Mumbai is Western India’s premium conclave, a melting pot of Start ups with Industry Legends to celebrate innovation. It is a platform of provocative ideas, brilliance, talent, products, brilliance, investments and governance.

Just Human Things and Qyuki launch ‘Overtime’ - The country’s first ‘Alien Invasion Office Comedy’

To be released on 29th January
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What would happen if aliens took over the world and two employees who hate each other and tired of their daily routine are stuck with each other inside their office? Just Human Things along with Qyuki presents Overtime, India’s first ever a rib-tickling tale on alien invasion and about how the end of the world can either bring unlikely people together or tear humanity apart. The five-episode series will release on January 29th, 2020 and is promised to be a laugh riot! Written and directed by Ashwin Lakshmi Narayan, this horror-comedy series features Ramya Saxena– lead coder- and Manoj Bhardwaj– the intern essayed by Ronjini Chakraborty and Harsh Mayar respectively.
‘Overtime’ revolves around two IT employees who try to survive the horror of the outside world as well as survive each other. As human civilization nears it disastrous fate, Manoj, an intern and his not-so-cooperative boss Ramya are left with no option but to stay inside their office and tolerate each other. What follows are moments of humor and uncertainty as both of them explore ways to endure their encounters with mundane tasks as aliens take on planet Earth.
Speaking on the release of India’s first ever Alien Invasion Office comedy, Director Ashwin Lakshmi Narayan says, “Sid and I were thinking of doing something around aliens for a while. It was just a matter of understanding the budgets we had, the audience that only knows Jadoo as an alien, and bearing both in mind making something cool and fun. And then one fine day the idea struck. I thought that if an alien attack were to happen, I would never leave my home or space. If I were to go out into the real world, I will die, the aliens will eat me or looking at them I would surrender. As in why do all movies or shows have these people fighting these creatures. Why not make a show where they are just constantly avoiding them and at the same time dealing with problems like living without Wi-Fi, electricity, entertainment, food and so much more. Will a vegetarian become non veg to survive? Will I do drugs knowing I’m going to die tomorrow? Such things became fun to explore. In the end I think we all came together to try and make a very Indian show, with a western influence.”
Sharing his views on the show, Sidhanta Mathur, Founder, Just Human Things and Co-producer of Overtime shares, “For years I’ve wanted to see a dystopian world in India. I’m heavily inspired by what if situations and how regular people will be affected by it. The idea for an alien invasion being the backdrop is to see what I would do. What would I eat? Would I survive? I think the idea of this while scary is ridiculously funny and we have tried to achieve that balance with Overtime”.

India’s first disaster comedy, Overtime is about Alien Invasion and those people who want to survive and reinvent themselves as the world nears its end. It is about how there is always a ray of hope and a way to move forward even when humanity may not see another tomorrow.
About Just Human Things:
 In our dear, modern world, “being cynical” is the new cool. It’s a very millennial thing to complain about all that’s wrong with life. But somewhere, someone is always telling stories that remind you of hope, joy and positivity. Because as bad as things may be, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. And here we are, trying to hold a magnifying glass to that sliver of a beam.
About Qyuki Media:
Co-Founded by Samir Bangara, A.R. Rahman and Shekhar Kapur, Qyuki is a data-driven new media company which discovers & invests in India’s most influential KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to help them rapidly grow their audience, create content and launch scalable D2C brands. Qyuki also has to its name several premium IPs like ARRived, a singing talent hunt show with A. R Rahman as mentor and Jammin’, a collaboration-focused music show where legendary Bollywood composers and India’s top Internet icons create original tracks. In the English Music space, Qyuki launched NEXA Music, a nationwide talent hunt for English-language with India’s leading automaker, Maruti. In Jan 2020, Qyuki created a breakthrough format of a Fan Festival called EPIC FAM JAM, which brought together India’s biggest Internet sensations across Tiktok and Instagram with superfan meet-ups in thematic mini-worlds of each artist topped with incredible live performances. Some of their other successful IPs include #HaqSeHipHop, a concert series, a podcast with Rolling Stone India, popular digital shows Be The Change with Faye D’Souza and AR’s Super 8, among many others. Qyuki also exclusively manages a host of talent across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.