Tata Power Signs PPA for 80 MW Dispatchable Renewable Energy Project to Power Mumbai Peak Demand

• Tata Power Renewables signs PPA with Tata Power Mumbai Distribution to Set up 80 MW Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy Project
• The project will generate 315 MUs of electricity annually, reducing over 0.25 million tons of CO₂ emissions and strengthening India's clean energy goals. 

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), a subsidiary of The Tata Power Company Limited and a prominent player in India’s renewable energy sector, has entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Tata Power Mumbai Distribution for a contracted capacity of 80 MW Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) project.

A dispatchable renewable energy project refers to a renewable energy system that can reliably deliver electricity on demand, even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.

The project will integrate advanced solar, wind and battery storage systems to enable reliable energy dispatch during peak demand, thereby strengthening grid stability.

The project, to be completed within 24 months, is expected to generate approximately 315 million units (MUs) of electricity annually, mitigating over 0.25 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. A key feature of this initiative is the commitment to a 4-hour peak power supply, ensuring at least 90% availability during peak demand hours to support the growing energy needs of Tata Power Mumbai Distribution.

This project will play a pivotal role in helping Tata Power Mumbai Distribution meet its Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), as mandated by the State's Regulatory Commission.

Once commissioned, the clean energy generated from this project will be seamlessly integrated into Tata Power’s Mumbai distribution network, enabling the delivery of reliable, low-emission electricity to around 8 lakh customers across residential, commercial, and industrial consumers.

This collaboration reinforces TPREL's position as a trusted leader in India's renewable energy sector. With a steadfast commitment to sustainability and innovation, the company continues to drive forward India's mission of a greener and more resilient energy future.

With this addition, TPREL's total renewable utility capacity is 11.3 GW (PPA capacity is 9.4 GW) including 5.7 GW projects under various stages of implementation and its operational capacity is 5.6 GW, which includes 4.6 GW solar and 1 GW wind. Presently, the company's solar EPC portfolio is more than 15.7 GWp of ground-mount utility-scale and over 3 GW of rooftop and distributed ground-mounted systems. TPREL aims to provide energy access to millions of people across the country via its integrated green energy solutions.

Adani Airports Launches ₹20,000 Crore Cityside Development Drive, Anchored by Mega Projects in Mumbai Region

In a bold move to reshape India’s airport infrastructure and revenue model, Adani Airports has unveiled a ₹20,000 crore cityside development programme, with nearly ₹14,000 crore earmarked for large-scale real estate ventures near Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports. The initiative marks a strategic pivot toward boosting non-aeronautical revenues, which the group aims to grow to 70% of total income by 2030, up from the current industry average of 50%.

Mixed-Use Airport Cities Inspired by Global Models

The centrepiece of this transformation is a 240-acre mixed-use development at the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, scheduled to begin operations in October. The first phase, spanning 50 acres, will feature:

• Five hotels with a combined 1,000 rooms
• A high-capacity shopping mall
• Three premium office towers
• Service apartments integrated with hotel facilities

Inspired by global airport cities like Amsterdam’s Schiphol, Zurich’s The Circle, and Sydney Airport, Adani’s model aims to create walkable business districts that serve both travelers and local residents.

Strategic Shift Toward Commercial Real Estate

The cityside programme spans 655 acres across eight airports, but Mumbai and Navi Mumbai will receive nearly 70% of the total investment. According to Amit Grover, CEO of City Side Development at Adani Airports, the goal is to flip the traditional airport revenue model, making retail, hospitality, and real estate the primary growth drivers.

Financing and Growth Momentum

To fund the expansion, Adani Airports recently raised $750 million through external commercial borrowings, aimed at refinancing debt and scaling up its retail, F&B, and duty-free operations. The airport business reported ₹2,715 crore in revenue for Q1FY26, marking a 25% year-on-year growth, driven by higher passenger footfalls and stronger commercial leasing.

Urban Impact and Future Outlook

Industry analysts suggest that Adani’s cityside developments could transform surrounding regions into high-demand real estate corridors, positioning airports as economic and cultural anchors rather than mere transit hubs. The projects are expected to integrate green building standards, pedestrian-friendly layouts, and long-term lease opportunities for corporate tenants and hospitality brands.

With construction advancing rapidly, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are poised to lead India’s evolution toward global-style airport business hubs, redefining how cities interact with transport infrastructure.

Amazon Announces $1.2 Mn Investment to Preserve Mumbai’s Flamingo Habitat, Restoring Mangrove Forests, Removing Plastic Waste and Supporting Local Communities

Amazon today announced a US$1.2 million investment to restore the mangrove forests and mudflats that are critical foraging for Mumbai’s iconic flamingo population. Working with Hasten Regeneration, a social enterprise and developer of ecosystem restoration projects, the investment will fund the clean-up along the settlements on the Thane Creek in Mumbai and plant mangroves in the nearby state of Gujarat. Amazon is supporting the initiative through its $100 million Right Now Climate Fund, which promotes climate resilience, biodiversity, and nature conservation projects in communities where it operates.

The project will tackle plastic pollution by installing a trash boom that blocks plastic waste from entering the Mumbai basin, where more than 1 million migratory birds – among them flamingos and over 180 other species – stop to feed each season. The goal is to remove at least 150 tons of plastic waste and replant the flamingo feeding grounds, including the stopover sites on the way to the nesting areas in neighbouring Gujarat province. The project also aims to improve the quality of life for the slum settlement on the bank of the Thane Creek, who will benefit from a cleaner environment.

Mangroves can sequester and store up to 10 times more carbon per hectare than mature tropical forests, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mangrove planting work will also generate employment and opportunities for the rural community in Gujarat, especially female-led planting companies.

“The preservation of Mumbai's flamingo habitat is paramount, not only for the biodiversity it sustains, but also for the communities whose livelihoods depend on it,” said Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations, Amazon India. “By joining forces with Hasten Regeneration on this landmark project, we aim to safeguard Mumbai’s flamingo habitat for future generations.”

“This collaborative effort between Amazon and Hasten Regeneration is a game changer for the Mumbai basin. The project cleans up the polluted banks of the Thane Creek, which is one of the most polluted waterways in the world. We are also creating a positive social impact, employing women to replant mangroves in critical stop-over sites for the precious flamingos on the way to their nesting grounds,” said Sheeba Sen, co-founder of Hasten Regeneration’s India branch and Director of Alaap.

"This initiative, aligned with the government's goals under the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, will significantly contribute to protecting the habitat of flamingos and other migratory birds by planting 375,000 mangrove shrubs and trees. And with that, it will, over time, build climate resilience for local communities by protecting against storm surges, rising sea levels, and erosion, while also creating multiple sustainable livelihood opportunities” said Shri Mukeshbhai Zinabhai Patel, Minister of Forest and Environment, Climate Change, Water Resources and Water Supply, State of Gujarat.

In 2023, Amazon announced a US$15 million investment from the Right Now Climate Fund to support nature-based projects in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Amazon has launched three projects in India including this one, supporting the Centre for Wildlife Studies to plant 300,000 trees in the Western Ghats on the border of tiger and elephant habitat; and working with ICLEI South Asia to launch a network of 75 school gardens to support urban biodiversity and combat child malnutrition, with the aim of providing 15 million meals for children in India’s municipal schools.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit aboutamazon.in and follow @AmazonNews.

Blackstone, Panchshil to Set Up India’s Largest Hyperscale Data Centre (500 MW) With $2.41 Bn Investment

Blackstone Group and Panchshil Realty are collaborating to develop India's largest hyperscale data center in Navi Mumbai. This ambitious project will have a capacity of 500 MW and will be powered by up to 65% renewable energy. The data center will span 14 buildings, covering over 3 million square feet.

This marks a significant Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) following Blackstone's recent agreement with the Maharashtra government at Davos.

The Blackstone-Panchshil data center will be located in Navi Mumbai, specifically in the Ghansoli area, adjacent to Reliance Corporate Park. It will span 14 buildings, covering over 3 million square feet.

The project involves an investment of over Rs 20,000 crore (approximately $2.41 billion USD). The data center will have a capacity of 500 MW, making it the largest hyperscale data center in India. Up to 65% of the data center's energy needs will be met through renewable sources, making it a significant step towards sustainable infrastructure.

Panchshil Realty's subsidiary, Gramercy Info Park, has acquired nearly 50 acres of land for Rs 900 crore, including consideration, levies, and charges.

The data center will cater to hyperscaler companies specializing in high-performance computing, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data-intensive applications. This project is poised to significantly enhance India's digital infrastructure and aligns with the country's growing demand for data storage and processing capabilities.

Interestingly, in January it was reported that Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries is planning to build the world's largest data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The facility is expected to have a capacity of 3 GW, significantly surpassing the current largest data centre, Microsoft's 600-megawatt site in Virginia.

This Blackstone-Panchshil project marks the first significant FDI following Blackstone's recent agreement with the Maharashtra government at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Blackstone is making a significant move in the AI revolution by investing $25 billion in a data center empire. This initiative includes the $10 billion acquisition of QTS in 2021, positioning Blackstone as a major player in the data center market. The expansion aims to meet the growing demand for computing power driven by advancements in AI.

However, this expansion comes with challenges, such as the enormous power requirements of these data centers, which could strain existing power grids and raise environmental concerns. Additionally, the economic impact of these data centers is unevenly distributed, leading to community divisions over the benefits and drawbacks of having vast industrial parks filled with computers.

Union Minister Amit Shah Inaugurates NUCFDC Corporate Office in Mumbai to Strengthen Urban Co-operative Banks

The National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) has officially inaugurated its Corporate Office in Mumbai. The Honourable Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah, virtually inaugurated the NUCFDC Corporate Office on the sidelines of the inaugural event for the International Year of Co-operatives 2025 in Mumbai.

The event was attended by a distinguished group of dignitaries, including Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Co-operation; Shri Eknath Shinde and Shri Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra; and Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary of the Ministry of Co-operation.

The inauguration of the NUCFDC office marks a significant step toward modernizing the Urban Co-operative Banking (UCB) sector. The event was attended by Laxmi Dass, President of NAFCUB; Ajay Brahmecha, President of the Maharashtra Federation; Satish Marathe, Central Board Member of the Reserve Bank of India; Uday Joshi, President of Sahakar Bharati; Milind Kale, Director of NAFCUB and former Chairman of Cosmos Bank; Gautam E. Thakur, Chairman of Saraswat Co-operative Bank; and Kantibhai Patel, Vice-Chairman of the Gujarat Federation, along with several other prominent leaders from the UCB sector.

Emphasizing the multidimensional benefits that the NUCFDC will provide to Urban Co-operative sector Honourable Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, said

The principle of Co-operation Among Co-operatives will be implemented across the country in the coming days. The Umbrella Organization will integrate activities such as digital banking, mobile banking, online transactions, and international trade with Urban Co-operative Banks. All financial dealings of co-operative institutions will be conducted through co-operative banks. By implementing this principle nationwide, we will achieve significant success, leading to the economic self-reliance of the co-operative sector.

Shri Jyotindra Mehta, Chairman of NUCFDC, spoke on the occasion, describing the inauguration as a pivotal moment in the transformation of the UCB sector

The establishment of this new office for the Umbrella Organization marks a major milestone in driving inclusive growth. NUCFDC is dedicated to providing essential resources to this vital segment of the country's financial ecosystem. We are committed to fostering the development of UCBs and addressing the key challenges they face. 

The NUCFDC has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a non-banking finance company (NBFC) and, once it achieves a paid-up capital of ₹300 crore, can approach the RBI to become a self-regulatory organization (SRO) for the urban co-operative banking sector, with functions prescribed by the RBI. Positioned to play a crucial role in the digital transformation of UCBs, NUCFDC aims to equip these institutions with the necessary tools to succeed in an increasingly digital and competitive financial landscape. As the umbrella organization for UCBs, NUCFDC's focus will be on modernizing these institutions, integrating essential financial services, and aligning them with the operational standards of commercial banks. The goal is to enhance customer service, strengthen sector stability, and ensure compliance with the Banking Regulations Act.

The organization’s operations will include providing capital, secured credit lines, refinancing loans, and offering emergency liquidity support to UCBs facing short-term financial difficulties. In addition to funding, NUCFDC will also focus on non-fund-based services aimed at enhancing the technological infrastructure of UCBs. This will include the rollout of a shared IT platform offering a comprehensive suite of services. Furthermore, NUCFDC will provide treasury management, payment and settlement services, and other operational solutions to improve the capabilities of UCBs. It will also offer training, consultancy, and HR support to ensure UCBs are well-equipped to navigate evolving regulatory and market demands, laying a solid foundation for the future growth and resilience of the co-operative banking sector.

Adani to Invest $2 Bn in Building Jio World Like Convention Centre

Adani Group has announced plans to invest $2 billion in building an International Convention Centre (ICC) near the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport. This new convention center aims to rival Jio World in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.

The convention center will be located near the Navi Mumbai airport, providing a locational advantage with better connectivity compared to Jio World.

In February this year, Adani Realty had won a 24-acre reclamation redevelopment project near the Bandra-Worli sealink. The project includes around 6-8 million square feet of residential, commercial, and retail development, including a 25,000-seat convention center.

At present, the Jio World Convention Centre is the city's largest, with a total area of about 1 million sq. ft.

ICC, the convention center, will have a 5-star hotel with 275 rooms with total indoor area of about 1.2 million sq. ft, with 0.3 million sq. ft of space for vehicle parking and other purposes.

The upcoming convention centre spanning 1.5 million sq. ft, will be able to accommodate 15,000-20,000 people. It will be owned and managed by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, despite of the fact that most of Adani's real estate projects are owned by Adani Realty.

The development will feature hospitality, corporate meeting spaces, and retail areas, creating a comprehensive ecosystem around the new airport. This investment is part of Adani Realty's broader strategy to expand its real estate footprint in Mumbai and other cities.

This ambitious project is expected to transform the area into a major hub for large-scale events, exhibitions, and social gatherings.

The MICE market (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) is a significant segment of the travel and tourism industry. The global MICE market was valued at $802.59 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2024 to 2030. By 2032, the market is projected to reach $2,309.4 billion, registering a CAGR of 11.6% from 2023.

The Asia Pacific region, including India, is expected to experience the fastest growth due to increasing government support and infrastructural development.

Yashobhoomi, developed by the India International Convention & Exhibition Centre (IICC) Ltd, is India's largest convention and exhibition center. Located at the border of Delhi and Gurgaon in Dwarka, New Delhi, it offers state-of-the-art facilities for hosting national and international events.

Yashobhoomi has a 3,500 square meter banquet room equipped with high-spec audiovisual systems. It has an 8,000 square meter digital display visible from all sides. Totaling 51,000 square meters, these halls can be divided into four sections for simultaneous events. It has India's largest auditorium with a seating capacity of 6,000.

Yashobhoomi is part of a larger smart city project driven by the Government of India, aiming to create a comprehensive ecosystem for events, exhibitions, and entertainment.

About the Jio World Convention Centre, it is located in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai and is one of India's premier venues for exhibitions, conventions, meetings, and social events. The convention center spans 1,03,012 sq. m., making it one of the largest in India. The center includes 25 meeting rooms and 2 business lounges, all equipped with cutting-edge technology.

The center is LEED Platinum certified, featuring an intelligent parking management system, over 5,000 dedicated parking spaces, and charging stations for electric cars.

The largest convention center in the Asia-Pacific region is the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai, China. It boasts an impressive 3.38 million square feet of exhibition space, making it one of the biggest in the world.

The Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre is a world-class venue located at 1 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore. It offers 100,000 square meters of available floor space, making it one of the largest and most versatile convention centers in the region. The center can cater to events ranging from 10 to 10,000 people, with various customizable spaces.

Google in Advanced Talks to Acquire 22.5-acre Land in Navi Mumbai for Its 1st India Captive Data Centre

Google is in advanced negotiations to acquire a 22.5-acre land parcel in Juinagar, Navi Mumbai, for its first captive data center in India, reported Economic Times.

The land, owned by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and currently leased to Gramercy Trade Industries, is valued at approximately Rs 850 crore. This move is part of a broader trend where tech giants are establishing hyperscale data centers in India, driven by the post-pandemic digital boom and the country's strategic location.

 

These colorful pipes are responsible for carrying water in and out of our The Dalles, Oregon data center. The blue pipes supply cold water and the red pipes return the warm water back to be cooled.

Early this year, Adani Enterprises Limited, the flagship company of the Adani Group, and the Government of Maharashtra had signed an MoU to set up 1 GW hyperscale data infrastructure in the state at an investment of ₹ 50,000 crore, over the next 10 years.

The establishment of a Google data center in India is expected to have several positive impacts on services for Indian users:

Improved Performance: Local data centers can reduce latency, leading to faster access to Google's services.

Data Localization: With data stored locally, users may experience improved privacy and data protection, aligning with India's data laws.

Enhanced Reliability: A local data center can offer better reliability and uptime for Google's services.

Support for Digital India: It aligns with the government's push for digital services and can enhance the overall digital infrastructure.

Economic Growth: It may contribute to local economic growth through job creation and infrastructure development.

Overall, this move is likely to enhance the user experience and support the growing demand for Google's services in India.

Tata Power Achieves A Milestone of 1000 Green Energy-powered EV Charging Points in Mumbai

Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies and electric vehicle charging solutions providers, has made a notable stride towards sustainable mobility by transitioning over 1000 of its EV charging points in Mumbai to being powered by green energy.

With over 10000 EVs and growing four-wheelers on the roads, Mumbai is rapidly embracing e-mobility. To support this growth, Tata Power is spearheading the development of an extensive EV charging infrastructure throughout the city. Currently, Mumbai is equipped with over 1000 green charging points out of which 44 are public, 385 are in residential societies, 58 are across commercial locations such as malls, hotels, workplaces, etc, and 531 are fleet charging points. Their presence at strategic locations ensures convenient access for EV owners.

Moreover, the network also extends along major highways, facilitating seamless intercity travel for electric vehicle users. Tata Power has been providing EV charging services to players like Everest, CAB-E and also has EV charging points at prominent residential societies like Rustomjee Oriana, Rustomjee Elanza, Lodha The Park, Kalpataru Pinnacle, Lodha Primero, The Reserve by Runwal across the city.

To encourage intercity travel along popular routes, Tata Power has installed over 19 fast charging points on the Mumbai-Pune highway and about 26 fast charging points on the Mumbai-Goa (via Pune) highway. Tata Power's dedication to enhancing nationwide EV charging accessibility is evident through its comprehensive network that spans over 475 cities and towns, offering a variety of charging solutions tailored to meet the needs of home users, public and semi-public, and bus fleets. With more than 73,000 home chargers, 5,300+ public, semi-public, and fleet charging points, and 690+ bus charging stations, Tata Power is at the forefront of driving the transition towards environment- friendly transportation.

Tata Power has outlined an ambitious plan to expand its green energy footprint to an additional 4000 charging points across Maharashtra, in a phased manner. This expansion aims to not only extend the reach of accessible EV charging solutions but also to ensure that these facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy sources. This initiative is aligned with Tata Power's ‘Sustainable Is Attainable’ movement, positioning the company as a pioneer in the shift towards a greener future.

By focusing on renewable energy sources for EV charging, Tata Power is not just facilitating eco-friendly transportation but is also setting a benchmark for sustainability in the energy sector. This strategic move is poised to inspire a nationwide paradigm shift, encouraging other states to adopt similar green initiatives.

Tata Power Lights up 27,000 Homes with Green Power in Mumbai; Resulting in 270 MUs of Green Power Consumption Equivalent to Offsetting 200 Kiloton of CO2 Annually

• Sets a new norm in sustainable celebrations with 6,274 consumers adopting Green Power during the festive season
• Tata Power installs 1.25 lakh smart meters in the city to encourage energy efficiency and conscious consumption of electricity; aims to cover all its 7.5 lakh consumers by FY25

Tata Power, the first power utility in Maharashtra to offer a green power tariff, inspired over 27,000 Mumbai consumers to switch to renewable energy.

A special initiative for Green Power adoption was launched this festive season encouraging consumers to opt for clean and green power to illuminate their homes. The initiative was a resounding success with 6,274 new consumers opting to become green champions.

The Green Power movement led to ~270 MUs of green power consumption which is equivalent to offsetting 200 kilotons of carbon emissions annually. Our 3,576 consumers belonging to the 0-100 unit's category, are leading this energy transition with delight and setting the perfect example for consumers in other categories to adopt Green Power for the future.

At a marginal cost over and above the existing tariff, consumers are empowered to choose the proportion of renewable energy in their consumption, ranging from 25% to 100%. Tata Power is committed to sourcing green power for its consumers from its wind and solar plants across the country.

"Tata Power is a leader in the Distribution domain, with approximately 13 million consumers across the country. We have launched several sustainable initiatives like Green Tariff, ESCO services, Smart Metering, DSM programs et al to encourage consumers to opt for energy efficiency and conservation. Our Mumbai consumers are a shining example of how green practices can be made mainstream. Their collective commitment towards Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) will encourage others to follow suit." Said Mr Sanjay Banga, President, T&D, Tata Power.

With its consumers, Tata Power is co-creating a legacy of sustainability and innovation and transforming the power distribution landscape in the country with its green energy solutions and services.

"We are thankful to our Mumbai consumers for always being our partners in our green initiatives. With 27,000 and growing green consumers and 1.25 lakh smart meters installed, we are well-poised to becoming a leader in green power supply and smart metering in the city. " said Mr. Nilesh Kane, Chief- Mumbai Distribution, Tata Power.

Tata Power aims to install smart meters for all its 7.5 lakh consumers in Mumbai by FY25. The smart meters enable energy efficiency leading to cost savings for its users. The consumers can access real-time data of power consumption and analytics through a web portal and a mobile application. They can also opt for either prepaid or post-paid metering without any additional charges.

It is worth noting that Tata Power was the first utility in Maharashtra to offer a green power tariff to its consumers, as approved by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) in its order dated April 2021. Tata Power Mumbai Distribution is committed to providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable power to its consumers and stakeholders.

Archana Khosla Burman takes over as the Chairperson of Mumbai Chapter of FICCI Ladies Organisation

To Lead the Mumbai chapter for the year 2023-24 based on the overarching theme of Democratizing Access with Awareness, Skill and Opportunity

The Mumbai chapter of the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) announced the appointment of its new Chairperson, Archana Khosla Burman, for the year 2023-24 through the national change of guard ceremony held annually at FICCI House, Delhi. The chapter marked its 20 years of operations last year in an illustrious celebration that saw participation from key women leaders.

Archana Khosla Burman -  Chairperson - FICCI FLO Mumbai

Archana Khosla Burman is a Founder Partner of VERTICES PARTNERS, one of the leading corporate law firms headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Gurugram and Bengaluru. Her practice areas include Corporate Commercial Law, Venture Capital and Private Equity Investments.

Passionate about Women Empowerment, she has introduced unique but fundamental initiatives to promote good work practices for women. These include #MenstruationMatters and Period Leave that hold international importance within the narrative of women empowerment. She also works closely with organisations to empower women and mentors and advises budding and seasoned entrepreneurs on several startup and investment forums. Archana sits on the advisory board of several start-ups and new age entrepreneurial ventures.

On her appointment, Archana Khosla Burman, said, “FLO is a reservoir of varied and powerful impact programs that make tremendous contribution to the women empowerment narrative. Honoured to take on the chairperson role of Mumbai chapter, we have a trifecta mission of Women & Youth Entrepreneurship, Upskilling and Social-economic development to further the cause of all-round, advancement of the region under the overarching theme of Democratizing Access with Awareness, Skill and Opportunity”

Outlining her goals for 2023-24, she said, “This year, we aim to engage with more women and youth in urban, rural, as well as underprivileged sections of the society through deeper experiential initiatives. We are bringing special focus on facilitating a level-playing field for women and girls with barriers; making entrepreneurship a reality for women at all levels of the society, starting right from the youth; and the rural holistic development for encouraging socio-economic participation at each level of the society. We also aim to transform the lives of women and youth in the rural areas through vocational training, awareness on sustainable farming practices, health & wellness drives, as well as awareness drives on legal rights and duties.”

Archana has also announced her core committee members, which constitute of Senior Vice-Chairperson, the National Film Award Winning Designer, Neeta Lulla, Vice-Chairperson and entrepreneur in the STEM field, Pooja Arambhan, , Treasurer, Chief Business Strategy Officer in the FinTech space, Upasna Batra, Secretary, social entrepreneur, Seema Saroj, Joint Treasurer, entrepreneur in lifestyle segment, Sheetal Desai, and Joint Secretary, a social impact maker, Heena Shah.

Archana has been associated with FICCI FLO for the past several years and has curated various initiatives like 360-degree impact programs for Incubation & Mentorship and startup entrepreneurs. As a core member at the FICCI FLO national level, she is a part of a high-power team that promotes women in the business eco-system as both, FLOpreneurs i.e., women entrepreneurs as well as FLO Angels, i.e. angel investors. In 2021, Archana was selected to lead the FLO National Startup Cell cohort as the National Head of Programming and Collaborations for two consecutive years. She also led the Virtual Incubator portfolio responsible for signing MOU’s with various external accelerators and relevant players in the field. In the past, she has spearheaded Startup Caravan, a workshop series for new and aspiring entrepreneurs curated by FICCI FLO Mumbai and Vertices Partners.

Archana has been recognized as Forbes Top Lawyers in Private Equity, Venture Capital, Joint Ventures and M&A and awarded ET Leaders of Change 2021 as the country’s leading lawyer in PE & VC, Women Leading in Business and Women Change Makers by ET powered by Femina 2021 and Top Under 40 Alternative Investment Professionals by AIWMI. She has also been featured in Asia Legal Business (Thomson Reuters) 40 Under 40 Top Lawyers List in Asia Pacific Region and the 40 under 40 Rising Star by Legal Era. She has also been featured by ALB in Women in Law and has been awarded as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 by Indian Women Convention.

PropTech Strata Raises INR 76 Cr for its Biggest Asset in Mumbai Metropolitan Region

• Introduces Phase II asset in MMR; to raise total of INR 170 crores in four phases
• After successful closure of Phase I, Phase II launched valuing at INR 53 crore
• Investors will earn a gross entry yield of 9.1 % p.a. and targeted IRR of 12.7% p.a.
• The phase II asset is spread across an area of 39,000 sq. ft., which is pre-leased for 6.5 years with a tenant lock in period of 5.5 years
• With this asset, Strata to cross an AUM of INR 900 crore in 2023
• This asset is expected to provide the target multiple of 2X

Strata, India’s leading proptech enabling fractional ownership in commercial real estate (CRE), has launched Phase II of its 21st asset valued at INR 170 crores. Of the total value, Strata has facilitated investors to raise INR 76 crore including Phase I & II. The asset that spans over 39000 sq.ft. is an office asset situated in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The property will provide a gross entry yield of 9.1% and a targeted IRR of 12.7%. It is expected to provide 2X returns during the total investment tenure including rental yield and capital appreciation. It has been pre-leased for a period of 6.5 years and has a tenant lock in period of 5.5 years.

With its extreme proximity to Mumbai, this asset is strategically located in India’s largest transit oriented development landscape of Seawoods Grand Central. This landscape features a wide range of Grade-A office spaces, residences, malls and an integrated Seawoods-Darave railway station which offers easy connectivity to the entire MMR region. Navi Mumbai, is one of the largest planned townships in the country and has a well-connected national rail & road network along with an upcoming international airport. Equipped with conducive infrastructure including large corporate parks, upcoming business compounds and skilled workforce; the city is definitely one of India’s prime destinations in terms of growth.

Commenting on the launch, Sudarshan Lodha, Cofounder & CEO, Strata Property Management, said, “We are delighted to return to one of the most sought after locations of MMR with our second and highest valued asset amidst the fast paced and strategic development of the region. After successfully funding over 20 assets across the country, this 21st asset is expected to generate 2X return on investment for investors. Having said that, this asset is a perfect example of these efforts bringing a seamless combination of strategic location, high quality property and an international heritage tenant making it an optimum investment opportunity for investors looking to invest into the ambitious city of dreams.

With adding an AUM of INR One crore every day in 2022, in the new year, we aim to bring in more assets across high demand sectors like warehousing, hospitals, data centres making Strata one of the leading alternative investment platforms offering fractional ownership into CRE. We aim to reach an AUM of 1100-1200 crores by the end of this fiscal. ”

In its efforts to encourage retail investment in Grade A, state of the art commercial properties in India, Strata has launched multiple premium assets across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hosur, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Pune, etc.

Strata, since its inception has been continuously striving towards creating a strong new asset class of fractional ownership in India, thus democratising the high end, limited access CRE investment. Due to these efforts, Strata has successfully proven to win the stanch confidence of over 50000 users and 2500+ active investors. With approximately 25% of NRI investor base, Strata is helping encourage foreign investment in Indian real estate. Strata is backed by institutional investors like Kotak Investment Advisors, Gruhas Proptech, Sabre Investments Elevation Capital, Mayfield and PropStack.

About Strata Property Management

Strata is a tech-enabled real estate investment platform that allows investors to own and sell fractions of pre-leased, Grade-A commercial properties like office spaces, warehouses, industrial assets, etc. With more than 700+ Cr in AUM, over 35,000 members, and 2000 investors, it is India's leading platform for fractional ownership in commercial real estate.

It is funded by marquee investors, Kotak Investment Advisors, Gruhas Proptech, Elevation Capital, Mayfield India, and others.

Sourcing Commercial Real Estate and offering it on an easy-to-use online platform, Strata aims to democratize CRE, making it accessible for a much larger investor base, as well as bringing transparency and simplicity to CRE investments with its data-driven asset selection and single window platform to invest in assets across the nation.

https://strataprop.com/

Mirae Asset Acquires Grade-A Warehousing Space in India

Mirae Asset Credit Opportunities Fund, a category II AIF has made its maiden acquisition of a logistics facility spread over a 10-acre land in Bhiwandi near Mumbai Transaction advisors ANAROCK Capital craft win-all warehousing deal in top growth corridor. 

Mirae Asset Credit Opportunities Fund has announced its outright acquisition of a pre-leased Grade A industrial asset at Bhiwandi, MMR for INR 130 Crs. The industrial property, housed in the 160-acre K-Square Integrated Industrial Park and spreads over 9 acres, has been acquired from Prakhhyat Group.

As Mirae Asset Investment Group’s first acquisition under its India-focused funds allocation for high-grade Indian real estate opportunities, this transaction marks a rare instance where a foreign institutional fund has been able to secure a foothold in the prominent warehousing and industrial market of Bhiwandi. Mirae Asset has multiple business entities across Financial services in India, including a successful Mutual Fund business.

Jun Young Hong, Director, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt. Ltd., states that this acquisition is perfectly aligned with the Firm's vision of investing in top-grade commercial leased properties in India. "We are also exploring opportunities at office acquisition deals including IT parks, corporate offices besides logistics & industrial space. We continue to be bullish on Indian economy and the real estate sector in India,” he says.

With a total leasable area of over 3 lakh sf, this asset houses an incumbent tenant, Rhenus Logistics, a global logistics services provider headquartered in Germany with operations across Europe, Asia, and South America.

"We congratulate Mirae Asset Investment Managers on this highly strategic acquisition," says Sandeep Bagla, Director - Prakhhyat Group. "This warehousing space will deliver a massive competitive advantage. Such Grade-A warehousing assets have a multi-faceted beneficial impact on operational efficiencies and are aligned to international standards. Global investment groups will increasingly identify and secure such superior assets to ramp up their presence in India."

ANAROCK Capital Advisors acted as the transaction consultants for the deal. Shobhit Agarwal, MD & CEO - ANAROCK Capital, says, "We are privileged to have secured this high-octane acquisition for Mirae Asset Group, which has astutely identified a highly strategic asset in one of West India's most prominent growth corridors for industrial and logistics industry. Bhiwandi commands approx. 16% share among the top 10 micro-markets, now dominating the Grade A warehousing space. Due to an increase in demand, such Grade-A warehousing assets will witness anywhere between 15-20% of annual growth over the next 3-4 years."

Post the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian warehousing industry has gone from a sunrise sector to full-blown supernova status. Underpinning its tremendous growth potential in the future is rapidly rising demand from 3PL and e-commerce companies, and across sectors like retail, FMCG, manufacturing, and electronics.

DevX Launches 2nd Co-working Space in Mumbai

• The 2nd centre is spread across 30,000 sq feet
• Total Assets Under Management – 7 Lakhs Sq feet
• Pan India presence with 25+ Centres across 11 cities
• To double India portfolio by investing Rs 60 crore

DevX, Gujarat’s largest Managed Office Space provider, today announced the launch of it’s 2nd Coworking space in Mumbai – a 30,000 sq feet, 400 seater centre in Andheri East. DevX will further augment this with additional 50,000 sq feet within next 1 year. To further expand it’s national presence, DevX plans to double it’s India portfolio by investing Rs 60 crore., 

Recently feted as Gujarat’s leader in the Managed office space segment, DevX is a co-working space cum accelerator founded in September 2017 by 3 entrepreneurs Rushit, Umesh Parth (the RUPaiyya trio as they are known in the ecosystem) and one listed entity: Dev Information Technology Ltd. The company was envisioned as a Startup Accelerator focussed on nurturing innovative startups by providing them with all requirements. Positioning DevX as an equal partner in growth, the company supports through their allied strategic partnerships and services. The different initiatives of DevX are thus structured to build synergies, enabling cross-pollination of ideas as a means of collaborative growth and development. The company’s initiatives address different requirements across the value chain.

Speaking on the launch, Mr Umesh Uttamchandani, Co-Founder – DevX said, “Launching our 2ndrd centre in Mumbai helps us deepen our penetration and reaffirms our core values of offering world-class office infrastructure with an immersive experience. We are proud to have global firms like Tim Hortons, IEX, QX Global & Germin8 at the 2nd centre, helping us setting standards for the segment to aspire to. With our stated business goal of being the partner of choice for GCCs & ODCs, I am excited about the future of the Industry. Growth-centric corporates are increasingly opting for managed workspaces, which perfectly meshes with our philosophy of offering best-in-class work-space experiences at competitive pricing. With 20 centres across India, DevX will double it’s India portfolio by investing 60 crore.”

Reaffirming these views & commenting on their experience, Mr Navin Gurnaney, India CEO, Tim Hortons, said, “We are really excited to be at DevX centre for the vibe, world class facilities and immersive experience it offers. At Tim Hortons we are very enthused, selective and possessive about the work environment, culture and vibe – which the DevX team absorbed & delivered on- totally! From this Mumbai centre we look forward to expanding rapidly across India”.

Opining about their experiences, Mr Chandresh Panchal, Senior Vice President - Employee Services, QX Global, said, “For us at QX Global it was like coming home, when we decided to have a new Mumbai office. We are already there at DevX centres in both Ahmedabad and Noida, so it was a natural fit for us. We are excited to partner DevX in our 3rd team location with them and look forward to continued world-class experiences here”

Putting it in perspective, Mr. Satyanarayan Goel, Chairman and MD, Indian Energy Exchange, stated: “Managed workspaces offer futuristic solutions for organisations to optimise resources and focus on building their business. I am confident that the world-class facilities and infrastructure provided by DevX centre will enhance our team’s coordination and collaboration, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction.” As a core part of the ecosystem, DevX also provides, round the year, a platform for industry, academia, professionals and companies to hold hackathons, seminars, events etc…to address trends and issues. The company is planning further expand and thus consolidate it’s pan-India presence by 2022 end."

About DevX:

DevX is a co-working cum accelerator envisioned to provide world-class, best-in-breed services to its clients. Firmly rooted in the ethos of collaborative growth through partnerships, DevX offers immersive accelerator services across the value chain.

Russian Logisticians will Talk About Convenient Transport Solutions at the TrafficInfraTech Expo 2022 exhibition in Mumbai

Logistics companies from the Novosibirsk region of the Russian Federation will take part in the International Exhibition on Transport and Transport Technologies "TrafficInfraTech Expo 2022", which will be held on 11/16/2022 - 11/18/2022 in Mumbai (India).

Novosibirsk exporters will present promising industry solutions in the field of logistics at a separate stand. The delegation of the Novosibirsk Region will include representatives of: AllianceTransTorg LLC, Scientificcoin LLC, VED Agent JSC, Eurosib Terminal Novosibirsk, VM TRANS LLC, SASCO Logistic LLC, Lugros LLC, Union of Transport Workers , freight forwarders and logisticians of Siberia (STELS). The delegation will be headed by Lev Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Novosibirsk Region.

The exhibition will present complex solutions for the transportation of goods in all directions of the Russian Federation, the Far East, China, and the countries of Southeast Asia. Stand participants are ready to demonstrate their capabilities in integrated transport and logistics services, transportation in various formats: accelerated container trains, euro trucks, sea transportation, additional services for export - import to / from China, Korea, India, integrated outsourcing of foreign economic activity, logistics and customs outsourcing.

The exhibition will present automotive pistons with a unique coating, paid by microarc oxidation.

We invite everyone who is interested in new solutions for cargo transportation to visit stand A22, participate in b2b meetings and find out about partnership opportunities. The organizer is the Ministry of Economic Development of the Novosibirsk Region of the Russian Federation. 

Source: RaillyNews

Ronnie Screwvala and Indu Shahani Come Together to Form India’s Premier SkillTech University – Atlas

Stellar Advisory Board to power New Age Degrees & Careers for Jobs of the Future

Launched on Independence Day 15th August 2021 - and having had its first Advisory Board meeting on Republic day 26th January 2022 - ATLAS SkillTech University - Maharashtra’s first - is a new addition to the city of Mumbai, situated in the heart of the city’s commercial district, with a vision of global excellence.

Yesterday its Advisory Board met to spell out the vision, scale and ambition to make this a premier institution in India in the next 4 years. The Advisory Board is a who’s who of corporate and education leaders worldwide. Deepak Parikh (HDFC) as Chairman, Dr. Indu Shahani (Founding President ATLAS), Ronnie Screwvala & Mayank Kumar (upGrad), Ram Raghavan (Colgate), Keshav Murugesh (WNS), Karan Singh (Bain), Vivek Pandit (McKinsey), Jamil Khatri (KPMG), Anant Goenka (CEAT), Anjali Bansal (Avana), Aryaman Birla (Aditya Birla group), Sanjay Gurbaxani (Mondelez), Prof Russ Winter (NYU-Stern), Prof Tim Marshall (RMIT), & Carol Kim (Parsons).

Guided and buoyed by the National Education Policy - ATLAS has committed to creating a world-class outcome in curriculum, academic excellence, and experiential learning in five very critical and future-ready verticals namely: (A) Design & Creativity (B) Digital content & gamification (C) Media & Communication (D) Digital Technology and Data (E) Management and Entrepreneurship. The founding batch which commenced in August last year has students from across 22 States - 50% of them came from Maharashtra. Applications for the year about to commence have seen a resounding interest and should cross 10,000 from which the batches will be shortlisted and selected. The generous ATLAS Scholarships Program will enable highly meritorious students from all walks of life to achieve their dreams.

To support this, ATLAS now has over 150 Faculty members that are slated to double over the next 18months. Over 400 Education institutions and schools refer their students to ATLAS and no less than 250 corporates will come to Campus for placements, career options and other tie-ups.

upGrad has committed INR 150Cr (USD 20 Million) in the first phase to build out ATLAS SkillTech University - a not-for-profit - and will continue to support its growth in the years to come.

“Our joint vision is to see ATLAS in the top 5 Universities in the country, a centre for global excellence and we are committed to build and to upskill our young adults for the careers of tomorrow as India heads into the Fourth Industrial Revolution - where innovation and Creativity not labour arbitrage will be at the core,” said Ronnie Screwvala Co-founder and Chairperson of upGrad.

“The world of work has evolved dramatically, altering the prominence and hierarchy of education as well as skills, across the globe; calling for a highly agile and resilient workforce. Our unique model and industry integrated location will enable ATLAS to become a globally ranked urban innovation university bringing together renowned faculty, learning companies and talented students to deliver resilient education & transforming our students to responsible leaders of tomorrow,” says Dr. Indu Shahani, Founding President and Chancellor, ATLAS SkillTech University.

ATLAS has some of the most meaningful relationships with the world’s leading institutions - Parsons School of Design (NY), Vancouver Film School, London School of Economics (LSE), Kings College (UK) and University of Arts London, to name a few.

upGrad - started in 2015 - is a pioneer in the online education revolution, focused on powering career success for a global workforce of over 1.3 billion. It is one of the few Integrated LifeLongLearning Tech Companies in the world - spanning the college learner to the working professional from the age group of 18-50years and across Undergrad courses, Campus & JobLinked Programs, Studying Abroad, short form to executive programs to Degrees, Masters and Doctoral - with a learner base of over 2 million across 50 countries and over 300 Univ partners & a robust enterprise business with a client base of 1000 companies worldwide.

upGrad’s Global Learning Engine rests on four pillars - (a) its large repository of original & owned content and IP - (b) its own best-in-class proprietary tech platform - (c) its high touch human-led delivery service backed by coaches & mentors - and - (d) an 85% course completion track record, backed by a further 80% career outcomes guaranteed performance.

Already termed Asia’s higher EdTech leader it has offices in the UK, US, Middle East, India, Singapore & Vietnam and presence in many more countries.

Cybersecurity Leader Trend Micro Opens New Office with CoE in Mumbai

Trend Micro accelerates business growth with the opening of new office in Mumbai

To be the world's first anti-microbial facility that uses BioZone technology

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today opened its new office in Mumbai, India. Located in Bandra Kurla Complex, the 6879 sq ft office space has a Center of Excellence (CoE) and Executive Briefing Center (EBC). With the launch, Trend Micro aims to expand its cloud business in India and also grow its incident response and local support team. The company aims to continue its current focus on BFSI and specific areas in government including defense and state data center.

The new Trend Micro office is designed to create a unique environment and ensure best in class services for its employees, with major investments in infrastructure. Equipped with cutting-edge and fully integrated technology, the facility is designed to accommodate future needs, suitable for video conferencing for both collaborative and remote work, particularly post-pandemic. The style of the building has been enhanced with the help of BioZone technology, to create the world's first anti-microbial facility.

Mr. Nilesh Jain, Vice President, Southeast Asia and India, Trend Micro said, “This year has been a great year for us. Our new Mumbai office supports our customers and, it reiterates our commitment to India market and the cybersecurity industry. We see many enterprises in India taking the lead in technology advancements and staying ahead of the global market curve, including cloud adoption. This in turn provides more business opportunities for us to invest in this market. It also allows us to look at India as a place to launch strategic initiatives that include hosting Cloud One data center and XDR data lake, building our Managed XDR Center of Excellence for SOC partners, nurturing the cybersecurity talents in India through CPITS Program, developing our AMEA regional channel team in India etc., to scale up our operations across other regions and industries."

Mr. Vijendra Katiyar, Country Manager, India & SAARC, Trend Micro said, "We are happy to announce the launch of our state-of-art office space that reinforces our commitment to India market. Further to our existing Cloud One and XDR data centers, we also plan to setup a local support center in India to address the cybersecurity issues and concerns of our customers. With significant investments made in the cloud business, we will ramp up hiring and continue building the team. As our customers are the backbone of our company, we are bound to cater to their needs and meet their requirements."

Keeping in mind the user experience, Trend Micro office is built around a strong design concept, to create a new workspace language. The design provides flexibility for users by providing workspaces to fit diverse activities including lounges, phone booths and workstations. The primary idea of the office interior is to provide users with the diverse and flexible office space breaking away from the monolithic and boring office. Hence, the design strategically weaves the feeling of comfort and homeliness with formal office setting. The combination of all of these elements allows for a wide range of activities throughout the day, making the office more efficient and enthusing for its employees.

As a cybersecurity leader, Trend Micro has been continually receiving many industry accolades and recognition globally. The company is named a Leader Once Again in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms. It is also a Leader in the Forrester New Wave™: Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Providers, Q4 2021 report as Trend Micro Vision One receives the highest score in Current Offering category in XDR Evaluation. IDC ranks Trend Micro as #1 in Workload Security market share for the third consecutive year, in the Worldwide Hybrid Cloud Workload Security Market Shares report, June 2021.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.

Mumbai's SPJIMR listed among Top 50 in FT Global Business School Rankings

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S P Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) became the only privately run Indian B-School in the top 50 ranks in the Financial Times (FT) 2020 business school rankings. This places SPJIMR in a coveted list of leading global players in management education.

SPJIMR featured at rank 36, tied with the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, in the 'Financial Times Masters in Management (MIM) 2020', which is a ranking of the top management masters programmes worldwide.

The FT MIM features full-time masters programmes offered by schools that are accredited by AACSB or EQUIS. The SPJIMR ranking came for its Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), the two-year, full time, residential MBA-equivalent that is the Institute's oldest programme.

The FT MIM list for 2020 released on Monday (Sep. 28) is the 16th edition of the ranking by the Financial Times, which describes itself as "one of the world's leading news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy". The London, UK-based FT is a part of Nikkei Inc. of Japan, which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.

FT said its rankings are calculated using two separate surveys, one completed by the participating business schools and the second by alumni who finished their Masters programmes in 2017.

Only five Indian B-Schools feature in this year's FT MIM ranking. SPJIMR is the only private Indian school to feature in the list of the top programmes in the world. The other four Indian Institutes are IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Bangalore and Udaipur.

Said Dr. Ranjan Banerjee, Dean, SPJIMR: "We have followed our own path. Curriculum relevance, a high degree of industry integration, and a strong focus on value education and experiential learning have set us apart. The FT ranking places a lot of emphasis on alumni performance in industry, and is thus a validation of our approach. We will continue to learn, innovate and get better."

Dr. Renuka Kamath, Associate Dean - Academic Services and External Relations, added, "It was only a matter of time before this happened. It has helped to continue building on what we believe in: our philosophies of influencing practice and value-based leadership."

The FT MIM introduces the ranking to students in these words: "Whether you are looking for a full-time MBA or a two-week course to improve your management skills, the Financial Times rankings list the best management programmes available."

The FT ranking should help further build the international visibility and attractiveness of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S P Jain Institute of Management and Research. This will add new elements of diversity at the Institute and in the student-base of many programmes that SPJIMR offers at its two locations - one at Mumbai (Andheri West) and a centre at Delhi (Kasturba Gandhi Marg).

About SPJIMR

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) (http://www.spjimr.org ) is a constituent of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and is ranked among the top ten business schools in India. As a premier school of management, SPJIMR is noted for pedagogic innovations and pioneering programmes, which have helped the Institute stand out for its unique and distinctive path in management education. SPJIMR's mission is to 'influence practice' and 'promote value-based growth'. The Institute currently operates from its 45-acre campus in Andheri, Mumbai, and a campus in New Delhi. To avoid confusing us with any other institution, look for the five strokes logo and the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan association.

With 1 Cr COVID-19 Tests/Month, IIT Alumni Council to Set Up Mega Lab in Mumbai

As part of its effort to fight the COVID pandemic, the IIT Alumni Council on Thursday announced the setting up of a mega lab in the metropolis with a capacity of 1-crore tests per month.

The council also said it will soon start identifying partners for the same through a global competition.

Having launched the first 'Covid Test Bus' in the city earlier in the month, the council also said trials have already begun on two of the supercomputer clusters in the megapolis, which alone has seen more than 35,000 cases out of the close to 1.58 lakh in the country and nearly 2,000 of the over 4,700 deaths in the country so far.

While vaccine is still more than a year away in the best case scenario, the testing capacity has emerged as the biggest challenge. So the focus of the lab is to ensure timely testing, therefore their focus is on detecting, preventing and treating the disease with timely as well as affordable testing.

It can be noted that the council has also set up COVID-19 Taskforce under the chairmanship of K Vijay Raghavan, an IIT Kanpur alumnus and the principal scientific officer to the Centre, with 20 IIT directors as members, along with many other distinguished alumni of the institutes.

"The IIT Alumni Council has decided to set up the largest genetic testing laboratory for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases after consulting global experts in the areas of virology, RT-PCR machine manufactures, test kits, pooling algorithms, AI, machine learning, robotics and microfluidics.

"A dedicated team has already started work on designing the MegaLab Mumbai with a capacity of 10 million RT-PCR tests per month," said Ravi Sharma, president of the IIT Alumni Council.

"The MegaLab will be based on the end-to-end Kodoy indigenous technology stack and will have adequate capacity for testing the entire population of Mumbai for infectious diseases, once a month," he added.

The COVID-19 Taskforce, announced on March 25 itself — the day the first phase of the now-nine-weeks long national lockdown was announced, has various working groups involving over 1,000 dedicated alumni spread all over the world to finding/creating appropriate solutions to fight the pandemic.

Apart from these, the council also set up digital X-ray systems at the Poddar Hospital that uses AI to detect coronavirus for the first time in the country on April 23. On May 1, it also launched the country's first 'COVID Test Bus' in the city and from May 10, it started work on indigenising the test kits.

The MegaLab Mumbai is the latest initiative of the IIT Alumni Council with an aim to design and establish the largest genetic testing laboratory for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases like tuberculosis with an end-to-end capacity to carry out over 1 crore tests a month.

The MegaLab will be based on the end-to-end Kodoy indigenous technology stack, and for implementation, the Kodoy stack is divided in 64 steps from (collection of) virus in the throat to the virus being ultimately zapped/disinfected by UV at the completion of testing in a RT-PCR.

The testing infrastructure will comprise the vehicle mounted automated sample collection stations in cars or cabs and Covid Test Buses, while the MegaLab will comprise robotic contactless sample transport from the vehicles to the testing line with robotic pooling followed by high speed RNA extraction using magnetic bead technology.

The IIT Alumni Council is the largest global body of alumni, students and faculty across all the 23 IITs with over 100 city chapters.

Startup Réseau launches India’s 1st Virtual Thought Leadership Summit Showcasing AI

India's 1st Artificial Intelligence Global Leadership Representing 5 Countries

The Mumbai AI Summit 2020 awaits an explosion of ideas as changemakers gather to script Artificial Intelligence's future growth story

At a time when India is witnessing a mighty surge in Artificial Intelligence Innovation, Startup Réseau announces the launch of India’s 1st Virtual Thought Leadership Summit Showcasing AI – ‘The Mumbai AI Summit 2020'. (TMAIS)

The Mumbai AI Summit is a “LIVE” virtual summit being held on 24th and 30th April 2020, focusing on the future of AI within India and beyond its borders. It is a technology summit highlighting the use-cases leveraging AI to drive change for consumers, enterprise and government stakeholders of the ecosystem.

The virtual summit will also see 10 product showcases from Founders who are disrupting their industry with AI-centric applications.

A key segment of the summit is the release of the ‘India AI Landscape Report’ that features India’s Top-100 AI Startups plotted on the EDGE Framework designed by Startup Réseau.

The TMAIS LIVE Virtual Summit is expecting a total of 1,000+ attendees from 100+ companies, with over 50 speakers, across 23 sessions and 15-hours of “LIVE” content from policymakers, founders, industry leaders, investors and international delegates representing 5 countries from Canada, USA, Denmark, UK, and South Asia.

Artificial Intelligence is projected to add $15.7 Trillion to the Global GDP and increase it by 14% in 2030. From the Indian context, AI has the ability to add US$957 billion, or 15 percent to India's current GDP value by 2035; and to create 40,000 jobs in the short run and 200,000 in the long run. Since January 2019, AI startups in India have attracted close to $900 Mn in venture funding.

Sweta Tiwari, Co-Founder & COO, Startup Réseau says, “At the virtual summit, you will hear from industry leaders, founders and technology evangelists coming together to share some of the best practices, and also tell us what’s next in India’s AI growth story. The current pandemic has brought about several changes that will define our tomorrow, and AI has an important role to play in shaping the future of economies and achieving Vision 2030 goals laid down by the UN."

The Mumbai AI Summit is going to have some top-notch speakers from India and the international circuit - including experts such as Dr. Hugh Hind (from the founding team at BlackBerry), Mads Rydahl (former Head of Product Design at SIRI, acquired by Apple Inc.), Dr. Daya Sindhu (Founder & CEO, Itihaasa Research), Dr.P.Anandan (CEO, Wadhwani AI) and several more acclaimed industry leaders and technology experts.

Jagruti Bista, Project Lead - The Mumbai AI Summit says, “What began as an AI research report, has now taken the shape of a full-fledged online summit. AI is here to disrupt the way we think and act. The EDGE Framework classifies AI on the basis of market size and industry adoption. We have further categorized these startups on the basis of industry, core technology being used and business function where they are applied. It gives a more holistic view of the AI startups ecosystem in India."

For more information on the event, look us up on www.themumbaisummit.com

About Startup Réseau

Startup Réseau is the entrepreneurial venture of professionals from the startup ecosystem, who have earlier successfully built India's top meta-accelerator. The founding team boasts of rich and diverse experience, and a global network of startup ecosystem enablers, founders, investors, corporates, universities , and governments. Built on the founding pillar of #StartupsFirst, "Startup Réseau" is a network of Startups, Enterprises, Capital, Markets, and Services – bringing in a structured interface for enabling unique linkages.