PayHuddle® Solutions, a payment consulting organization, has been accredited to provide D-PAS consulting services to its customers worldwide by Discover® Global Network.

This accreditation makes the Bengaluru-based tech firm a part of a select group of companies who have proven they have the expertise to offer consulting guidance and support to Discover clients and partners.

With this accreditation, PayHuddle® can expand its consulting offer to provide guidance on D-PAS end-to-end testing for Discover Network, Diners Club International® and PULSE®.

This is a significant development in the company’s consulting service activities and it matches with its expansion plans worldwide.

“We are very excited to be accredited by Discover Global Network to provide D-PAS consulting services. This will allow Discover clients and partners to leverage the extensive knowledge of our consultants,” said Prakash Sambandam, CEO of PayHuddle®.

“At PayHuddle®, we have been providing consulting services to acquirers and issuers in the South Asian region very successfully. This accreditation adds to our offerings and now our customers can leverage our additional expertise on D-PAS and bring their solutions to market faster and better,” Sambandam added.

As a D-PAS consulting service provider, PayHuddle® is accredited as having expertise in D-PAS acquirer certification and deployment of contact and contactless terminals for payments and transit solutions.

The company also provides pre-certification consulting to acquirers when they are looking at migration to EMV.

According to Indranil Chakraborty, Innovation Head at PayHuddle®, “We began this journey last year, and the few months of interaction with Discover Global Network has completely convinced us of the potential that it offers us at a global level. This accreditation empowers us to immensely diversify our service offerings and expand our market reach as well.”

PayHuddle® offers pre-certification consulting, simulators, live test analyzers, and certification services for the entire payment ecosystem. fii-news.com

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Tata Communications has been selected by global OTT solutions provider BlaBla Connect to underpin a first-of-its-kind OTT service that integrates its existing mobile wallet and voice services together with borderless connectivity.

As a result, BlaBla Connect subscribers will enjoy peace of mind while on the move through seamless access to over 64 million secure hotspots in over 160 countries – integrated through one mobile application.

With Tata Communications Wi-Fi+, BlaBla Connect can address the security risks and hidden costs sometimes associated with accessing unsecure public Wi-Fi networks.

Through this added feature, app subscribers can automatically connect to pre-determined secure hotspots with a single sign-in experience and no hidden charges – no matter where the subscriber is in the world.

According to Ericsson Consumer Lab, roamers are not purchasing travel packages as often. Instead, they are turning off their phones while away resulting in missed calls and messages, a struggle to find open Wi-Fi hotspots and overall frustration at the lack of connectivity.

This is why 7 out of 10 travelers with smartphones find Wi-Fi calling appealing. Thus, adding Tata Communications Wi-Fi+ to the BlaBla Connect app keeps travelers connected.

“BlaBla Connect will be the first OTT voice and mobile wallet provider to offer bundled voice and data services globally.” said Ragheb ElSergani, Chairman, BlaBla Connect.

“This latest development supports our global growth ambitions by helping us ensure that our customers can enjoy a seamless, secure and reliable experience, thanks to our partnership with Tata Communications and its established global network presence,” said ElSergani.

This partnership is the latest example of how Tata Communications is helping to enable a truly global, borderless mobile experience for people and things. It is underpinned by Tata Communications’ global network which today connects 4 out of 5 mobile subscribers and carries 25% of the world’s Internet routes. fii-news.com

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Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya in the North East, has been selected as 100th Smart City, taking the total proposed investment to Rs.205,018 crores.

So far, 99 cities were selected under the Smart Cities Mission.

Previously, 20 cities were selected in January 2016, 13 cities in May 2016, 27 cities in September 2016, 30 cities in June 2017 and 9 cities in January 2018.

With the selection of Shillong, the total proposed investment in the finally selected 100 cities under the Smart Cities Mission would be Rs.2,05,018 crores.

Meanwhile, Surat Smart City Selected is being given a ‘City Award’ for showing great momentum in implementation of projects especially in the categories of urban environment, transport and mobility and sustainable integrated development.

Nine awards in three categories, i.e., Project Award, Innovative Idea Award and City Award have been announced under the India Smart Cities Awards, which was launched on 25 June 2017.

The Innovative Idea award is being given to a project/idea particularly remarkable for its innovative, bottom-up and transformative approach towards achievement of sustainable integrated development.

Joint winners in this category are Bhopal for their Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and Ahmedabad for Safe and Secure Ahmedabad (SASA) Project.

The Project awards are being given to most innovative and successful projects in seven categories that have been completed by 1 April 2018.

The Projects are:

PMC Care from Pune under ‘Governance’ category,
Smart Place Making from Pune under ‘Built Environment’,
Smart Class rooms from NDMC and Jabalpur, Smart Campus from Visakhapatnam, Lighthouse from Pune under ‘Social Aspects’ category,
B Nest Incubation Centre from Bhopal and Conservation of Rajasthan School of Arts from Jaipur under ‘Culture and Economy’ category,
Public Bike Sharing from Bhopal, Pune, Coimbatore and Waste to Energy Plant in Jabalpur under ‘Urban environment’ category,
Integrated Transit Management System (TMS) from Ahmedabad and Surat under ‘Transport and Mobility’ category and
Smart Water Management through SCADA from Ahmedabad under ‘Water and Sanitation’ category. fii-news.com

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Tenders will be called on sewerage projects in Bihar’s Munger, Hajipur, Begusarai and Bhagalpur by the end of this month.

This was decided following a review of projects under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in New Delhi on 19 June 2018.

NMCG Director General, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, reviewed 29 projects that are at various stages of implementation and were sanctioned at a cost of Rs.4,942.13 crore.

Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared for projects at Supaul, Madhepura, Samastipur, Arwal, Gopalganj, Bagaha, Lakhisarai and Jamui.

These projects will be taken up on Kosi, BurhiGandak, Mahananda, Sone, Gandak, Kiul and Bagmati tributaries of Ganga.

Mishra exhorted the contractors to expedite the work and keep to the projects timelines and deadlines. fii-news.com

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Tech pact signatories.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society for the second phase of the technology business accelerator Xlr8 Andhra Pradesh (Xlr8AP).

Xlr8AP is a joint venture between Innovation Society of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, FICCI, and IC2 Institute of the University of Texas at Austin.

The agreement was signed in Vijayawada on 19 June 2018.

XLr8AP aims to establish a world-class technology innovation ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh through training, advanced capacity-building for innovators and entrepreneurs, and, incubation and acceleration of tech companies.

The initiative also assists in the mobilisation of venture capital and provides access to the global networks of both FICCI and IC2. Select qualifying tech companies looking at the global marketplace are co-located at Austin.

Xlr8AP trained 132 startups in its first phase thereby creating over 1,000 new jobs and paid internships, aiding next-generation entrepreneurs to learn high-impact entrepreneurship ‘from the inside’ and solving real societal and business challenges through innovation.

Over US$3.4 million in incremental revenue and more than 200 commercial deals in various stages of development are in the works as a result of the initiative. fii-news.com

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India has raised its long-term target to install 30-GW of offshore wind power generators by 2030, up from 5-GW by 2022 and responding to a recent keen interest seen from both the domestic and global industries.

The New & Renewable Energy Ministry announced the target on 19 June 2018 but acknowledged challenges and difficulties in installing large wind power turbines in open seas.

The decision follows the industries’ keen response to a recent call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the first 1 GW offshore wind project in the country.

Offshore wind power would add a new element to the already existing basket of renewable energy for the country.

The Ministry had noted in the National Offshore Wind Policy of October 2015 the potential of offshore wind power in the country.

Preliminary studies have indicated good wind potential for wind power both in southern tip of Indian peninsula and west coast.

Two regions where preliminary studies are conducted are off coast of Gujarat and that of Tamil Nadu.

For precise wind quality measurements one LiDAR has been installed near Gujarat coast which is generating data about quality of off-shore wind since November 2017.

Encouraged by quality of offshore wind, a private sector player has also installed LiDAR in Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat for offshore wind resource measurements.

Plans are afoot to install more of such equipment in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Surveys to understand the oceanographic and sea bed condition within identified zones off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have been planned.

Globally, about 17 to 18 GW of offshore wind power capacities have been installed in countries such as UK, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands & China.

Recent years have witnessed fall in offshore wind tariff in some of these markets.

India has set onshore wind target of 60 GW and has installed 34 GW of solar of 100-GW target by 2022. fii-news.com

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Open offices are a new-age commercial spaces trend which is catching up across the globe, including in India, writes Sukhdeep Aurora, Chief People Officer – ANAROCK Property Consultants.

Improving wireless technology to suit changing business requirements is truly an enabler for this transformation.

Millennials and globe-trotters today account for a large and ever-increasing share of the Indian working population – they operate on a very collaborative wavelength and are, by and large, not at home in the traditional cubicles model that so far defined most Indian office spaces.

To cater to the evolving mindset of a Gen Next workforce – and to achieve better productivity and employee retention – an increasing number of progressive firms are now transforming their offices into trendy, happening, open spaces that promote innovation and collaboration.

Advantages of the Open Office Culture:
Employees can interact and collaborate easily, which not only improves productivity but also fosters a stronger sense of camaraderie.
Colleagues can discuss and seek advice without scheduling formal meetings.
Collaborative offices are vibrant spaces that emit positive energy and therefore uplift the innovation quotient.
Making the spaces where employees spend a significant portion of their day more vibrant and energetic makes them look forward to hitting the office.
Open offices reduce the cost of construction as walls, cubicles, etc. are no longer needed.
Improved flow of air and light reduce operating costs in the long run.
Open offices make for better utilization of spaces so that they can accommodate more employees.

The Indian open office trend was spearheaded by IT/ITeS firms. This is not only because many of the above advantages are central concepts to their success, but also because they are populated by young people who are fully-aligned with this concept.

By now, many other corporate businesses have followed suit and open offices have become the latest rage in commercial spaces across India Inc.

Apart from the above-mentioned advantages they offer, there are also various critical rationales at play when Indian corporates adopt the open office plan.

With rising property costs, many firms have been consolidating offices to achieve better economies of scale. More corporate spaces are being developed as open offices because their superior design and structure promote innovation and convey an attractive youthful ethos.

Striving towards Global Standards

Global IT giants like Google and Facebook have taken the concept of open offices to an entirely new level. The transition is a lot more gradual in India – here, New Age office concepts must tactfully coexist with more traditional ones before they eventually can replace them.

Also, there is no doubt that the open office format is not suitable for each and every conceivable business. However, the need for change is very apparent, and corporate India is waking up to it.

In the constant quest to attract and retain qualified and highly collaborative millennials and younger professionals, many companies are now revamping their brand strategies to depict a more youthful and inclusive image.

These efforts include repurposing existing office spaces to display alignment with progressive office environment concepts. We are witnessing this trend in a variety of business fields which have collaboration and youthful, tech-savvy talent as their cornerstones for success.

More and more businesses are embracing the benefits of open offices, and this concept has become a key success tool for fostering a young and enthusiastic workforce brimming with energy and enthusiasm to create something path-breaking. Innovative open offices help to attract and retain such talent.

Open Offices – Investments, Not Added Costs

The new type of open offices may seem to be capital intensive due to the vibrantly designed interiors, cutting-edge facilities, break-out areas and other innovative workplace design factors. However, in the long run, open offices are more cost-effective not only in terms of reduced cost of operations but also via improved employee retention.

Also, the reduced use of walls, cubicles, meeting rooms, etc. can actually compensate for the fit-out costs while simultaneously rendering the office vibrant and ‘happening’.

While the overall demand for modern offices is robust in the larger cities, many successful companies are also looking to expand into the smaller cities. Land and development costs are lower in tier II/III cities and developing built-to-suit open office spaces in such cities makes a lot of financial sense.

The Perfect Brand Entrenchment Medium

Land and development costs will always play a role in decisions of what kinds of offices to deploy or occupy. However, another factor is the brand standing of large company chains.

Large corporates want to be known for an excellent working environment regardless of where they open up or expand into and consider a certain consistency across the board important.

This is why standardized open office plans are usually not city-specific but brand-specific choices, even including the company’s brand colours in the overall office design.

The psychology of brand colours is well-known – they play an important part of creating a strong and lasting brand impact, and the potential-laden canvas that an open office format affords cannot be ignored.

Open offices are therefore not only investments into workplace comforts, conveniences and productivity, but also into the brand itself. fii-news.com

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Minister Prabhu.

India aims for US$1 trillion of goods and services exports in its US$5 trillion economy by year 2026-27. Citing the export potentials, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has called for services to be captured in the global trading system as it is growing faster than merchandise.

“Such dynamic changes (in exports) need to be captured in the global trading system,” he told the 6th Growth Net Summit, being held in New Delhi on 18-19 June 2018.

The summit was organized by AnantaCenter and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with Smadja&Smadja.

Services trade requires movement of people, unlike merchandise trade, said the Minister.

Indian goods and services exports grew by over 12% over the last one year, he pointed out.

Prabhu also disclosed that the government is working on a comprehensive strategy to boost services exports.

He said US$1 billion will be spent to promote 12 champion services sectors.

For the first time, a strategy of products in new markets is being developed.

Exports are also being promoted in regions like Africa, Latin America and Central Asia, added the Minister.

Noting that the World Trade Organisation was created as part of a rules-based, multilateral, democratic and participatory institution for expanding global trade, he said that countries have recognized the value of global trade for fostering growth and creating jobs.

“India is working with other countries to ensure that WTO remains relevant,” he said.

The summit was organized by AnantaCenter and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with Smadja&Smadja. fii-news.com

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Smart India Hackathon 2018 is proving to be an important vehicle for scouting new ideas and help convert them into products and businesses, said Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar.

He made the observations at the inauguration of 5-day Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2018 – Hardware edition through Video conferencing in New Delhi on 18 June 2018.

“It is our priority to create a conducive environment for innovation and research as prosperity and development of any country is incomplete without it,” he stressed.

“The Government is encouraging opportunities for successful innovation experiments as these are important for economic growth and welfare.

“It is a chance for the students to convert their innovative ideas into various products and eventually help them in their Startup initiatives,” the minister said.

Javadekar assured participants of Hardware Hackathon that this endeavor will be carried forward to a logical end.

Hardware edition is the first of its kind innovative initiative by HRD Ministry to provide national platform to young technical minds of India to showcase their disruptive innovations and creative products which can bring out revolutionary changes in crucial sectors like agriculture, health, clean water, waste management, automotive, smart communication, and education.

The Hardware edition is the sub-edition of Smart India Hackathon 2018.

The Grand Finale of the Hardware Hackathon is taking place simultaneously at 10 prestigious institutions (Nodal centers) across India – IIT Kanpur (Drones theme), IIT Kharagpur (Agriculture theme), IIT Guwahati (Rural Technology theme), CEERI Pilani (Smart Communication theme), CSIO Chandigarh (Healthcare theme), IISc Bengaluru (Smart Vehicles theme), IIT Roorkee (Clean water theme), NIT Trichy (Waste Management theme), COEP Pune (Security theme), and Forge Coimbatore (Import Substitution theme). fii-news.com

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Minister Goyal.

India needs to accelerate the move from commodity-based to higher value production economy, increased pace of digitization and have strong private sector participation in utilities for double-digit economic growth, said Claude Smadja, Founder and Chairman, Smadja & Smadja.

The former managing director for World Economic Forum suggested these three essential requirements for India to satisfy to score double-digit growth at the 6th Annual Growth Net Summit jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Ananta Centre and Smadja & Smadja in New Delhi on 18 June 2018.

His call followed Finance Minister Piyush Goyal’s projection that India may be poised to achieve double-digit economic growth by the fourth quarter of this year.

There was a demand uptick in the economy and the goal of achieving double-digit growth by the fourth quarter of the year is plausible, he said at the summit.

Highlighting the ongoing developments, Goyal said the government is simultaneously dealing with the third imperative of engaging with modern technology such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

In an era of rapid technological transformation, with the emergence of automation, big data and AI, it is critical to address the most compelling challenges in the economy, added Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman, Steering Committee, The Growth Net Summit and Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group.

With India emerging as the fastest growing large economy in the world, India’s role as an economic power has increased, he said.

While the Government has addressed both domestic and global challenges of the economy, it was important for the Government to pass on the costs that they incur in the development process, said Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman, Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd & Chairman, Ananta Centre. fii-news.com

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