Tag: Bengaluru First

GLOBAL / NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: INFORMATION TECHNOLGY: Bengaluru’s Infosys Only Indian Firm in TIME Magazine’s World’s Best 100 Companies list

The list, curated by TIME and Statista, is dominated by global Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet and Meta Platforms which were the top four companies on the list.

IT major Infosys is the only Indian company featured in TIME Magazine’s top 100 ‘World’s Best Companies 2023’ list, dominated by Big Tech.

The Bengaluru-based professional services firm has been ranked 64th spot in the top 100 list.

“Infosys has been featured in TIME World’s Best Companies 2023 list. We are among the top 3 global professional services firms and the only brand from India in the Top 100 global rankings,” the company said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The list, curated by TIME and Statista, is dominated by global Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Meta Platforms which were the top four companies on the list.

Other top companies in the coveted list are Accenture, Pfizer, American Express, BMW Group, Dell Technologies, Louis Vuitton, Delta Air Lines, Starbucks, Volkswagen Group, General Motors, Ford and others.

The list is based on a formula of revenue growth, employee-satisfaction surveys, and rigorous environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG, or sustainability) data. Big Tech had a tough year, laying off tens of thousands of workers since January.

But the world’s biggest tech companies are also the ones doing best for investors, employees, and the planet.

“Microsoft, for example, the top company in the global rankings, made $72 billion in its most recent fiscal year, a 63 per cent increase from 2020, while also reducing overall emissions by 0.5 per cent,” said TIME.

Accenture, based in Dublin, had the highest ESG ranking of any company on the list.

“The rankings show just who dominates the world economic order, with fast-moving tech and business-services companies unseating the manufacturers and consumer-goods companies that once drove the global economy,” the magazine said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: September 15th: Millions participate in Karnataka Govt’s Event of ‘Reading Constitution’s Preamble’as a part of ‘International Day of Democracy’ Celebrations

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said anti-Constitutional forces are trying to destroy the Constitution and implement Manusmriti again. He called on the state to be alert and aware about this.

The Karnataka government on Friday organised a mega event of reading the Constitution’s preamble as part of the ‘International Day of Democracy’ celebrations, with tens of lakhs of people participating in the programme from the country and abroad at the same time.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led the celebrations, along with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and several other guests, by reading the preamble in Kannada from the grand steps of ‘Vidhan Soudha’ here with a large number of school students and others joining in unison in front of them.

In June, the Karnataka government made it mandatory for all students of schools and colleges, whether government, aided or private, to read the preamble daily.

It also made it compulsory to have a portrait of the preamble of the Constitution put up at all government and semi-government offices in the state.

Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah said the government has fulfilled four of the five ‘guarantees’ (pre-poll promises of the Congress) and “walked the talk”.

“Protection of the Constitution is the duty of every citizen – Our Constitution opens with We the people of India. If the wishes of the Constitution are not effectively understood and followed, it is not possible to build an equal society,” the chief minister said.

As per the aspiration of the Constitution which calls for equal society and highlights secular principles, Siddaramaiah said his government has implemented schemes for the prosperity of all and their purpose was to return money back to the public to improve their lives.

“Our government has implemented programmes for the prosperity of all, as per the aspirations of equal society and secular principle of the Constitution,” he said.

The chief minister said anti-Constitutional forces are trying to destroy the Constitution and implement Manusmriti again.

He called on the state to be alert and aware about this.

“Destroying the Constitution and enforcing Manusmriti means 90% Indians will be forced back into slavery,” he said and warned that a lot of conspiracies are going on for this.

Siddaramaiah said that after the adoption of the Constitution, the democratic system was officially implemented in India.

“The democratic system has been formed in our land since the time of Buddha and Basavanna (12th-century social reformer). The debates held in the Parliament during the promulgation of the Constitution seem to reflect the importance of our Constitution and the mindset of the opponents of the Constitution,” the chief minister added.

Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, and several other Ministers and Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma also attended the event.

Mahadevappa had said on Wednesday that nearly 2.28 crore people from all walks of life within the country and abroad, have registered to read the Constitution’s preamble.

“From within the country and abroad, 2, 27, 81,894 people have made online registration. We had expected 5 or 10 lakh people to register, but this has become a movement,” Mahadevappa had said.

He had said that those from corporate, private, government and banking sectors, people from industries and NRIs from several countries have come forward to participate, and have registered.

“The intention is to make people, especially the youth, understand the idea of the democracy and the Constitution, and thereby they know the main purpose of the preamble, to lead a life with dignity, freedom and equality,” Mahadevappa added.

The Social Welfare department had said that anyone who wants to read the Constitution on the same day (September 15) and at the same time of the main event, and get a participation certificate issued by the Government of Karnataka, needs to register.

On September 15, they can upload a video or picture of them reading the preamble, upon which they will be approved to download participation certificates from the same website, it said.

The minister spoke about the importance of making it mandatory to read the preamble at all formal functions of the state government, besides all schools, colleges and educational institutions.

Meanwhile, in view of the mega event, Bengaluru Traffic Police also issued an advisory suggesting diversion of vehicles to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

ASIA RECORDS: INDIA & KARNATAKA: SPORTS / CRICKET: India vs Pakistan: Kohli, Rahul Record Highest-ever Partnership in Asia Cup History

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul registered the highest-ever partnership in the history of Asia Cup during the Super 4 match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul registered the highest-ever partnership in the history of Asia Cup during the Super 4 match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.

The Indian duo had a sedate start and took a couple of overs to settle down before they began their onslaught. They ended up scoring 233 off 194 deliveries, nine higher than previous record-holders Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez. They help India reach a daunting 356/2 in their 50-over quota.

On the way to this record, Kohli became the fastest batter to reach 13,000 ODI runs. He took just 277 innings and betterd the record of fellow Indian great Sachin Tendulkar (321 innings).

Highest partnerships in Asia Cup history:

PlayersRunsWicketTeamOpposition
Virat Kohli-KL Rahul233*3rdIndiaPakistan
Mohammed Hafeez-Nasir Jamshed2241stPakistanIndia
Younis Khan-Shoaib Malik2143rdPakistanNepal
Iftikar Ahmed-Babar Azam2145thPakistanBangladesh
Ajinkya Rahane-Virat Kohli2133rdIndiaPakistan

source/content: sportstar.thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: GLOBAL HEALTH & PHARMAEUTICALS: Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Appointed Member of Court of Regents at Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Biocon Ltd and Biocon Biologics Ltd Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been appointed as Regent of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSed), a Biocon release said on Thursday.

On her appointment as the latest member to the College’s Court of Regents, Mazumdar-Shaw said: “I am humbled and deeply honoured to be appointed Regent of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. As the oldest surgical college in the world with just under 30,000 members in 100 countries, the RCSed has been championing the highest standards of surgical and dental practice by providing high quality medical education. I look forward to contributing to the College’s mission and advancing the frontiers of surgical excellence.”

The Court of Regents comprises a group of distinguished and accomplished individuals in their field who provide the college with advice and expertise.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is a prestigious Scottish medical association which was founded in 1505 by Royal Charter granted from King James IV. It is the oldest surgical colleges in the world with nearly 30,000 members in 100 countries, and about half of them are from overseas, touching every stage of the career path from medical students to consultants.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: FIRST : Bengaluru’s First Underground Electric Transformer inaugurated at Malleshwaram

The idea behind the underground electric transformer is to ensure the safety of people and to maintain the aesthetics of India’s garden city.

Bengaluru’s first underground electric transformer was inaugurated at Malleshwaram on Tuesday by the city’s civic body and electricity board together. The idea behind the underground electric transformer is to ensure the safety of people and to maintain the aesthetics of India’s garden city.

Karnataka energy minister KJ George said that the government is planning to install more such underground electric transformers in the city, which are usually seen on the footpath or on the side of a road. He said, “#Bescom will eventually convert all the HT overhead lines to underground cables in Bengaluru city. This will also convert the complete system which includes distribution transformers, ring main units, feeder pillar boxes, etc into an underground system.”

The minister also said that this will help the BBMP and BESCOM to provide better service, as they do not need to dig the road or block the traffic during any maintenance works. “This adds to the overall safety of the environment, encouraging the citizens to use footpaths without any hassles since they’d be free from interruption during maintenance works of overhead cables and related equipment. This would also keep the electrical equipment insulated from drastic climatic changes such as cold, heat and rains,” the minister added.

The minister also reiterated that there is a need to avoid the visual clutter in Bengaluru, which is visited by the people from all over the globe. He also said, “More than anything else, smart underground distribution infrastructure is not only innovative, it also removes a significant amount of visual clutter and improves the looks of the urban area.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HEALTH SERVICES: Tele-NICU launched to Improve Ambulance Services for Newborns in Bengaluru

The ambulance will be facilitated with essential services such as infant incubators, heart and lung monitors, high-frequency and conventional ventilators etc.

With the aim of improving neonatal care services in the state, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao launched Manipal Ambulance Response Service – Neonatal Care on Wheels (MARS-NOW) in Bengaluru on Friday.  MARS-NOW was launched to provide comprehensive neonatal transport services in Bengaluru and its outskirts.

The ambulance will be facilitated with essential services such as infant incubators, heart and lung monitors, high frequency and conventional ventilators, nitric oxide administration, blanket warmers and advanced vehicle suspension for a smooth journey enhancing patient comfort. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) will help babies survive better, Rao said, adding that the government is open to working with the private sector to ensure the best treatment at the lowest prices possible. Manipal Hospital launched a helpline (080-22221111) service which other less facilitated private hospitals also can use, to transfer children via MARS-NOW.

The programme will expand as a hub and spoke model in Karnataka later extending services to government-run institutions too, Rao said. Doctors explained that the first few hours and days of a newborn’s life are critical, especially for pre-term babies or other medical conditions, and regular transportation could lead to new complications.

Timely action saves infant

A newborn baby suffering from intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a condition wherein a baby does not grow to normal weight during pregnancy was transferred via MARS-NOW to Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road from another private hospital last year. The baby faced multiple health issues immediately after birth, including multi-system inflammatory syndrome with bleeding in the lungs and cardiac issues. Highlighting the need for tele-NICU, doctors said that the baby was already on ventilator support and would not have survived if it had not transferred properly.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATATA: SPACE & TECHNOLOGY: Bengaluru-based Space Startup ‘GalaxEye Space’ Unveils First Drone-based SAR System

Started in 2021, GalaxEye is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta and Rakshit Bhatt.

A Bengaluru-based space-tech startup and the first Indian Earth observation satellite company, GalaxEye Space, inaugurated a high-resolution aerial drone based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system that can perform exceptionally detailed and high resolution all-weather imaging, even amid rainy or cloudy conditions. 

“The in-house developed data fusion technology will deliver unprecedented insights and data from space, empowering satellite constellations to conduct all-weather imaging without succumbing to atmospheric hindrances that plague current single-sensor satellites,” said co-founder & CEO, GalaxEye Space, Suyash Singh. He added that technology opens doors for generating highly detailed images through a compact satellite constellation.

“Upon achieving full operational capacity, this constellation will achieve global coverage within a 12-hour time frame. The capability of constant all-weather, all-time imaging, combined with precise object geometry analysis, holds immense value across diverse sectors such as insurance, precision agriculture, accurate property tax assessment, and the monitoring of utilities like transmission lines, to name a few,” said Singh.

“India is budding with young space startups. Among them, GalaxEye has been able to prove its capabilities in a short period, that too with difficult technologies like SAR,” stated Dr Sudheer Kumar, director, Capacity Building Office, ISRO. “We are keen to see young space talent shaping the future of the Indian space economy,” he added.

“Space technology is currently a very active area having several young entrepreneurs. GalaxEye Space, spun out of IIT Madras, has grown by leaps and bounds since they were incorporated. We are proud of their achievements and look forward to more such ‘Make In India’ initiatives. We shall continue to nurture and support budding entrepreneurs in several ways,” said Dr V Kamakoti, director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

Started in 2021, GalaxEye is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta and Rakshit Bhatt. The startup, spun out of IIT Madras, has inked strategic partnerships and commercial contracts with leading organizations, including US-based space software provider Antaris Inc, XDLINX Labs, Ananth Technologies, and Dassault Systemes. The company is committed to further expanding its partnerships and customer base in the upcoming months, and has submitted a proposal to IN-SPACe seeking support from ISRO to take its endeavours forward.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: SPACE TECHNOLOGY: Udupi Ramachandra Rao (U.R. Rao) – The Man who Built a Satellite in a Shed

Let us shift our attention away from the lander to Chandrayaan-3, the satellite that carried it there, and to the story of India’s satellite dream, which began in 1972 in six rough industrial sheds outside Bengaluru.

Last week, as the Vikram lander descended into a graceful, precise, soft landing on the dark side of the moon, Indian hearts exploded in pride. This week, let us shift our attention away from the lander to Chandrayaan-3, the satellite that carried it there, and to the story of India’s satellite dream, which began in 1972 in six rough industrial sheds outside Bengaluru.

The problem with space technology is that countries guard their knowhow fiercely – there’s very little, and very sketchy, information available in the public domain. In 1966, therefore, Vikram Sarabhai, then director of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) invited one of his former PhD students at Physical Research Laboratories (PRL) Ahmedabad, who had been researching solar cosmic-ray phenomena while working with Pioneer space probes and Explorer satellites at MIT, to return and head the satellite engineering team he was putting together. The brilliant young man who bought into the dream and would later be hailed as India’s Satellite Man was 34-year-old Udupi Ramachandra Rao.

When UR Rao took over the satellite program, he was the only one on the team to have ever seen a satellite. At that time, the satellite engineering team was divided between the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) near Trivandrum, and PRL in Ahmedabad. The untimely death of Sarabhai in 1971 brought Satish Dhawan to the helm of ISRO (INCOSPAR became ISRO in 1969). Unwilling to give up his job as Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Dhawan negotiated for ISRO to move to Bengaluru, providing the perfect opportunity for Rao, who had spent his boyhood in Ballari and the little village of Adamaru in Udupi, to decide to move the satellite centre here as well.

It wasn’t easy. The unionized labour force at TERLS went on the warpath, refusing to allow any equipment to be moved out. In Bengaluru itself, premises had to be found. At first, the IISc gymkhana was co-opted; later, the Karnataka government offered Rao a few sheds at the brand-new (read: entirely lacking facilities) Peenya Industrial Area outside town. In a dazzling feat of jugaad, involving thermocol, vinyl, and, presumably, duct tape, one of those dusty, asbestos-roofed sheds was converted into the ‘clean room’ required for satellite activity.

In those sheds, between 1972 and 1975, a young and inexperienced but passionate team of scientists and engineers – average age: 26 – put together, under Rao’s dynamic, inspiring. impatient leadership, India’s very first satellite, Aryabhata. It was a magnificent feat – no other country had built a satellite in under three years. The famous picture of Aryabhata being transported on a bullock cart was scoffed at in the American press, which questioned a poor country’s need for a space program. Rao explained it years later as another brilliant example of jugaad. The spacecraft had to be tested for electromagnetic capability and interference in an open area, but metal trucks threw off reflections that interfered with the satellite’s antenna. Someone came up with the brilliant idea of using a wooden bullock cart to transport it instead – et voila!

In 2017, at the age of 85, after overseeing the design of 18 more satellites, accelerating the development of satellite launch vehicles like the ASLVs and PSLVs during his decade-long tenure as Chairman of ISRO, and becoming the first Indian to be inducted into the International Astronautical Federation’s ‘Hall of Fame’, the much-decorated UR Rao died with his boots on. Since then, the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, which he so capably raised on the wings of a dream and a prayer, and where all the Chandrayaan satellites were built, has carried his name, and now goes by UR Rao Satellite Centre.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: SCEINC & TECHNOLOGY: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Develops Autopilot System for Drones

The reason for India’s slow progress in this sector is due to the non-availability of essential indigenous electronics components like microcontrollers and sensors at a reasonable cost.

With the exponential rise in drone usage across sectors like industrial applications, agriculture, logistics and defence, the need for indigenous avionics systems has become crucial. In order to reduce dependence on foreign drone technology, the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) has made a significant achievement in the field of unmanned aerial systems. 

The Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory (AIRL) at IISC announced that the team has successfully developed an indigenous industrial-grade autopilot system for drones. The team said this achievement is the initial step towards the indigenization of avionics systems for drones in India. This feat was possible through the utilization of Indian-made Vega Microcontrollers, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), as part of the Digital India RISC-V Program (DIR-V). 

The indigenously developed technology will help reduce the reliance on microcontrollers in future drone avionics projects. Professor Suresh Sundaram, Associate Professor at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, who headed the project said, “Our autopilot system, powered by Vega Microcontrollers, showcases the immense potential of homegrown solutions in the unmanned aerial systems domain. We are confident that this breakthrough will pave the way for further advancements in this field and contribute to the growth of the drone ecosystem in India.” 

India’s most used drone technologies which include an unmanned aerial system (UAV) that can help run a basic operation system and forward data to a navigation control unit, are imported from China, US, Israel, and several European countries.

The reason for India’s slow progress in this sector is due to the non-availability of essential indigenous electronics components like microcontrollers and sensors at a reasonable cost. The country also lacks a skilled workforce working on the UAV systems. Using imported tech comes with major security concerns such as hacking and data manipulation.

The country has been on a steady growth towards chip manufacturing and CDAC is a ray of hope in developing world-class microcontrollers. “This move will cut millions of dollars worth of electronics import over the years and make India self-reliant in terms of UAV technology,” said the laboratory. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: MANUFACTURING / DEFENCE & NAVAL AIR FORCE / : Maiden flight of LCA Naval Trainer NP5 from HAL Airport Successful in Karnataka

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Naval Trainer Prototype NP5 successfully completed its maiden flight.

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Naval Trainer Prototype NP5 successfully completed its maiden flight on Friday. The aircraft, which took off from HAL airport, was airborne 57 minutes with all parameters normal, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)..

The aircraft, which incorporates the production standard airframe and rainwater compliance, maintainability improvements as well as futuristic system advancement, was captained by Capt Amit Kawade (Indian Navy) with Wg Cdr Siddarth Singh (Retd) in the rear cockpit.

Capt Kawade said the handling qualities were extremely satisfactory and all test points envisaged have been successfully completed. LCA Navy is designed and developed jointly by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore.

The first trainer prototype NP1 was flown on April 27, 2012, and the fighter prototype NP2 on February 7, 2015. Both Naval Prototypes (NP1 and NP2) have achieved major milestones such as ski-jump take-off and arrested landing demonstrations on Shore Based Test Facility at Dabolim Airport, Goa, and operations from indigenous aircraft carriers. 

LCA Navy can operate day and night

“The aircraft demonstrated 18 arrested landings and ski-jump takeoffs from INS Vikramaditya in January 2020, including hot refuelling capability. Recently, LCA Navy participated in the carrier trials from INS Vikrant and performed 10 ski-jump take-offs and arrested landings on February 6.

LCA Navy has completed the landmark achievement of being the first indigenous fighter aircraft landing on the indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant,” DRDO said in a statement. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies such as a fly-by-wire flight control system, glass cockpit and advanced mechanical systems, LCA Navy can be operated seamlessly day and night.

It features advanced hands-free ski-jump take-off and landing flight control modes. LCA Navy Prototypes are carrier compatible and can operate with Air-to-Air weapons for combat missions. “The new prototype NP5 will soon undertake field and carrier operations from INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. LCA Navy NP5 incorporates all improvements identified during the testing of NP1 and NP2 is a production-ready aircraft,” the statement added.

The addition of NP5 aircraft to the LCA Navy prototype fleet will help accelerate flight testing activities which will provide designers vital inputs towards the design and development of the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), the country’s prestigious futuristic carrier aircraft programme. LCA Navy can also serve as an effective training platform for Indian Navy pilots for operations from the aircraft carriers, the release said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)