Category: Records, Global

GLOBAL: Infosys enters a five-year collaboration with Kansas, U.S. based ‘Spirit AeroSystems’ to Boost Aero Structural Services

IT services major Infosys on Wednesday announced a five-year agreement with Spirit AeroSystems, the manufacturer of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defence platforms and business or regional jets.

The IT company will collaborate to provide aerostructure and systems engineering services for product development of commercial, business jet and emerging aircraft programs, and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit has facilities in the US, UK, France, Malaysia and Morocco.

As part of this engagement, Infosys said it will offer end-to-end product development services, including design engineering, sustaining engineering, systems engineering, stress engineering, manufacturing engineering, and repair and maintenance. 

“Our longstanding collaboration with Infosys means we are well-positioned to co-innovate on critical stages of product development. This strategic agreement will leverage mutual synergies to accelerate the development of sustainable aerostructures and services across our commercial and aftermarket business segments,” said Sean Black, Senior VP and Chief Engineer, Engineering and Technology, Spirit AeroSystems.

Infosys collaborates with 7 of the top 10 global aerospace companies.

Jasmeet Singh, Executive VP and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, “Aerospace and defence organisations need to rapidly reinvent their digital foundation.”

The company has been investing in aerostructure engineering and next-gen technologies like artificial intelligence and the cloud.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD: Bengaluru’s ‘Clay Seed Ganesha Campaign’ sets a new Guinness Record for ‘Most Number of People Sculpting with Modelling Clay simultaneously’

People from various age groups join hands to sculpt 3,308 idols

The clay seed Ganesha campaign, organised by Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava and Shree Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, in association with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Rotary Bangalore Parisara, claimed to have set a new Guinness World Record for ‘the most number of people sculpting with modelling clay simultaneously’ on Sunday at National College Grounds in Basavanagudi. Although the initial goal was set to create 10,000 Ganesha idols, only 3,308 idols could be created, making it to the records book.

“We are elated because we have broken our own record that we had created three years ago. We would like to do this more and more. We couldn’t reach our desired number, but I’m glad that we could set a new benchmark,” said Nandish Mariyappa, managing trustee of Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava.

The campaign saw over 3,000 people from various age groups and professions joining hands to sculpt their personal Ganesha idols. Idol-making materials such as clay, sculpting popsicle sticks, plant seeds, and water were provided at the venue. Many professional artist volunteers were also assisting participants. The live screening of the sculpting procedure by an artist was also organised. Seeds of plants such as tulsi, ashwagandha, sunflower and other flowering plants were provided for embedding within the idols. QR codes were also allocated to individual idols.

“We are so happy about the Guinness record. It’s a milestone for the KSPCB because we had planned to execute this systematically and create awareness about environmental pollution. We have all created our green Ganapa and seed Ganapa. This has been a success not only because of the record but also because of it being environment friendly,” said Shanth A. Thimmaiah, KSPCB Chairman. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INVESTMENT INTO INDIA: BUSINESS & ECONOMY/ IT & eCommerce: Japanese Company Rakuten Opens Office in Bengaluru.

Rakuten India is a global product and innovation centre for Tokyo-based Rakuten Group that focuses on electronic commerce and online retailing.

Rakuten India, a global product and innovation centre for Tokyo-based Rakuten Group that focuses on electronic commerce and online retailing, has opened an office in Bengaluru to grow its customer base in India.

Rakuten’s new office is situated near Cubbon Park. The 20-storey building, Rakuten-Crimson House, has office space of 3 lakh sq.ft. with a capacity to accommodate over 3,000 persons.

The office is expected to enhance the company’s capability for deep-tech innovation and R&D in e-commerce, fintech, content and entertainment, as well as AI in computer vision, speech, and natural language processing (NLP).

“India is and has been central to our growth strategy. Our new R&D centre will build on the high value-added engagements that Rakuten has been delivering from India in deep tech and product innovation,’‘ said Yasufumi Hirai, CIO, CISO, Group Executive Vice President of Rakuten Group, Inc.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INDIA OVERSEAS: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Opens Office in Kuala Lumpur to Explore Business Operations both in Malaysian and all of Southeast Asia

HAL’s new office in Kuala Lumpur would take up the market promotion of the company’s range of products and services not only in Malaysia but also all of Southeast Asia.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will set up an office in Kuala Lumpur to tap business opportunities in Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asian region, the PSU said in a statement on Thursday.

The new office is expected to help the public sector firm to explore business around Fighter Lead-in Trainer (FLIT) LCA and other requirements of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) like Su-30 MKM and Hawk upgrades, as per HAL.

“It will reinforce the commitment of India in supporting the Malaysian Defence Forces and industry for sustainable aerospace and defence landscape in Malaysia,’‘ said a company communique.

According to HAL, the company had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Malaysia in October 2021 for the supply of 18 FLIT LCAs against a global tender issued by RMAF.

The final winner of the tender is expected to be declared soon by Malaysian authorities and LCA Tejas stands a fair chance of selection in the bid as it meets all the parameters sought by RMAF, as per the release.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS, MARTIAL ARTS: Mangaluru’s Samhita Alevooraya Wins Silver Medal in ’14th International World Taekwondo Championships 2022′, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

State minister of education B C Nagesh has congratulated over the phone Samhita Alevooraya, first PUC student of Sharada College here who won silver medal in the world Taekwondo championships.

The education minister who telephoned Vasudev Bhat Kunjathodi, the parent of Samhita residing at Kadri here, congratulated the student. He appreciated the encouragement provided to the student in the sport and said that he will inform the chief minister about her.

Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik also telephoned and congratulated the student for her achievement and said that it is an inspiration to other students.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL, GCC : SPORTS, MOUNTAINEERING: 8-yr-old Ayaan Mendon, Dubai-based NRI, becomes the Youngest in GCC to Climb Mt Kilimanjaro Peak on August 04 and holds Indian Flag

Eight-year-old Ayaan Mendon from Mangaluru became the youngest person in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa on August 4.

On the morning of the August 4, Ayaan stood against the sign reading ‘Uhuru Peak’ in bold, holding the Indian flag after finishing a eight-day hike to Kilimanjaro.

Ayaan Mendon is from Mangaluru who resides in Dubai. He is currently studying at the North London Collegiate School Dubai. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro has been on his bucket list since he was six. Wanting to be part of a former hike with his parents to Mount Elbrus and being young, he was promised to be taken on for the next hike.

On a practice hike in Nepal, he did very well, which gave his parents the confidence to take him to Kilimanjaro. There starts the planning and preparation for Kilimanjaro.

The training was not easy. Ayaan loves to train with his swimming squad (Proactive Academy) and his trainer (Coach Tariq) for boxing and other workouts. Ayaan is very energetic and is always ready for adventures. Ayaan had trained himself for two years unknowingly that it was to achieve this feat.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY / ACQUISITION: William Penn, India’s leading Brand for Premium Writing Instruments Acquires ‘Sheaffer’, the 110-year-old Iconic American Manufacturing Company of Writing Instruments,

William Penn, India’s leading brand for premium writing instruments and lifestyle accessories recently acquired Sheaffer, the 110-year-old iconic American manufacturing company of writing instruments, mainly known for their luxury fountain pens.

In 1907, Walter A. Sheaffer invented an ink-loading system for fountain pens and W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated in the US on May 16, 1913 and grew to spread its footprint in over 75 countries. With the Sheaffer ac quisition, William Penn has become a global brand.

Founder and Managing Director of William Penn Nikhil Ranjan, who is a Mysurean, always believed in the power of the written word. After getting a mechanical engineering degree in Mysuru, Nikhil thought out-of-the-box and founded William Penn in Bengaluru in 2002, to introduce the beauty of fine stationery. He launched a line of luxury stationery and soon, his business flourished. Today,  William Penn is also credited with bringingthe fountain pen and ink back from the brink and reclaiming its rightful place in fine writing. B.C. Thimmaiah of Star of Mysore spoke to him about the acquisition and what it means to William Penn. —Excerpts:

Star of Mysore (SOM): What do you have to say about this acquisition?

Nikhil Ranjan: Well, we have been in the business for the last 20 years and until now, we have been the retailer and distributor of global brands. This is an opportunity for us to own a global brand and that’s a big step for us. This allows us to design and market products across the world because Sheaffer is an iconic brand, it is a 110-year-old brand present in 75 countries. We will have a footprint in those countries and it is a huge leap.

We also believe that as a company which is home-grown, out of India and being a global brand, having the opportunity to design and market products to have an impact around the world is what excites us.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: COMMONWEALTH GAMES (CWG2022) : Bengaluru-based Ace Shuttler 21-year-old Lakshya Sen Creates History, Wears the Crown of Champion by Winning Gold in the Badminton Men’s Singles Category

From bronze to silver and now gold, 21-year-old ace shuttler Lakshya Sen has etched his name in history at the Commonwealth Games 2022 with the crown of champion in the Men’s single category.

A gold at the Commonwealth Games debut and beating a world champion with a stunning comeback after losing the first game narrowly, and the exhaustion vanished giving way to exhilaration for Lakshya Sen who has travelled from Birmingham to Hyderabad and finally, Bengaluru. The golden boy of the Men’s single badminton, Sen was given a rousing reception with a live band playing the dhol.

Before heading home, Sen went to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where he was coached by the champion Prakash Padukone, who was the first to win a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, and forme r national champion Vimal Kumar. For a champion, the place where he hones his skills is always sacred, and Sen was extremely grateful to his coaches for his victory by pummelling Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong.

fter that, I will resume training for the world championship,” says the 21-year-old, who hates ice baths which help athletes recover. What does the champ do when he is not following a gruelling training regime or thrashing opponents? Like anyone his age, Sen hangs out with friends.

“Since I stay far away from the city, I have to plan out my day when I catch up with friends. I also love playing on my playstation and watching thrillers,” says Sen, who moved to Bengaluru from Uttarakhand, when he was about nine to fulfil his ‘lakshya’ of becoming a champion shuttler.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE, MOVIES : The 12th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022 (BISFF): Short films, big impact

With 250 short films selected from over 90 countries, the ongoing Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022 offers two new categories on women-centric movies, and disabilities.

Brevity, experimentation and different varieties of storytelling in the visual medium often grips the audience quicker. Bengalureans are watching some of the best films in the 12th edition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) which will continue till August 14.

The festival is dedicated to master filmmaker Satyajit Ray to celebrate the Oscar-winning director’s birth centenary, as the poster of Pather Panchali pays homage to his legacy. More than 3,000 submissions poured in for the prestigious festival from across 90 countries, of which around 250 films have been shortlisted. Among the directors, 23 per cent are women.

The platform has been coveted by young and amateur filmmakers to make a mark in the hearts and minds of discerning audiences, and more importantly, mingle with the achievers of the field, to absorb constructive criticism and feedback. BISFF has come a long way in identifying and nurturing young and talented filmmakers. “It’s been a good reception.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)