India’s RFID Pioneer i-TEK Marks Silver Jubilee, Launches Panchajanya Experience Centre in Pune

• i-TEK Celebrates 25 Years of Excellence in RFID & IoT; Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari Launches ‘Panchajanya Experience Centre’ at i-TEK Headquarters
• From powering 1 in every 2 vehicles in India with FASTag to securing exports at 105 ports and from tagging and tracing library books to 300 core apparel in retail, i-TEK marks 25 years of innovation
• Launches GarudaVigil, an AI-powered IoT Cloud Platform harnessing the power of IoT for supply chain traceability and inventory count, exemplifying reliability, agility, and unwavering attention.
• i-TEK announces IPO roadmap and global expansion plans at Silver Jubilee event. 
• Shri Nitin Gadkari praises i-TEK’s innovations in RFID container tracking and anti-counterfeiting, calling technology-driven transparency vital for nation-building  

Infotek Software & Systems Pvt. Ltd. (i-TEK), India’s pioneering RFID and IoT solutions company, celebrated its Silver Jubilee with a landmark event at its headquarters in Pune. The occasion was graced by Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, as the Chief Guest and General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Former Chief of Army Staff, as the Guest of Honour. The event was graced by dignitaries from across industry, academia, government and media, joined by i-TEK’s valued customers and partners, all uniting to mark the company’s 25-year journey of innovation and contribution to the nation.

Over the past 25 years, i-TEK has grown from a modest Pune-based startup into one of India’s most trusted names in RFID Systems and Solutions. The company has been central to several national technology transformations, from pioneering the rollout of FASTag, which today powers every second vehicle in India that carries a FASTag manufactured by i-TEK, to introducing RFID-enabled container eSeals that secure exports across 105 ports and Inland Container Depots. Its solutions have also revolutionized retail and warehousing by reducing inventory cycles from months to just days, while enabling the tracking and tracing of over 300 crore objects annually across industries such as logistics, oil & gas, mining, utilities and manufacturing. With its consistent focus on innovation and nation-building, i-TEK has established itself as a true homegrown leader in India’s digital infrastructure journey.

Addressing the gathering, Hon. Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, commended i-TEK’s role in India’s technology-led transformation. In his address, he said, “The introduction of RFID and FASTag has been truly transformative. What was once a frustrating experience of long queues and inefficiency at toll plazas has now become seamless, saving citizens time, money and fuel while also boosting government revenue through transparency. i-TEK and its founder, Ashim Patil, have played a pioneering role in making this possible and their innovations in RFID container tracking and anti-counterfeiting solutions are strengthening India’s logistics, exports and markets. Technology like this is nation-building, it brings transparency, efficiency and fairness, while reducing delays and leakages. I was delighted to inaugurate the Panchajanya Experience Centre today, which showcases world-class solutions developed by Indian engineers and entrepreneurs. With such innovation and talent, I am confident that India will not only lead in digital infrastructure but also become the world’s number one automobile and technology hub in the years ahead. I extend my congratulations to Ashim Patil, Avantika Patil and the entire i-TEK team on their Silver Jubilee and wish them continued success in taking India’s innovations to the world.”

Reflecting on the importance of indigenous innovation, General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Former Chief of Army Staff, said, “It is an honour to be part of i-TEK’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, marking 25 years of innovation and resilience. RFID, which had its origins in military applications during World War II, has today become integral to our daily lives and businesses, revolutionising logistics, supply chains and operational efficiency. The Panchajanya Experience Centre beautifully captures the richness of our country’s scientific legacy while showcasing the transformative power of this technology. With the integration of AI, IoT, cloud and blockchain, RFID is poised to play an even more promising role in the coming decade. The remarkable progress made by i-TEK under the leadership of Ashim and Avantika Patil is a shining example of how vision, perseverance and commitment can create a homegrown technology leader aligned with national priorities. I extend my best wishes to Team i-TEK for continued success in their journey ahead.”

The newly launched Panchajanya Experience Centre embodies i-TEK’s vision for the future. Designed as a first-of-its-kind globally, the Centre allows visitors to experience live applications of RFID and IoT, including FASTag-enabled tolling, inventory and supply chain traceability in Retail, smart fitting rooms, faster checkouts, secure container movements in trade logistics and AI-enabled monitoring of smart warehouses and retail supply chains. It highlights how i-TEK’s innovations are shaping industries across different verticals while contributing to India’s broader digital economy. 

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ashim Patil, Managing Director & CEO of i-TEK, expressed his gratitude to employees, partners and customers. He said, “Marking 25 years is a proud milestone for i-TEK and for every individual who has been part of this journey. From pioneering RFID-based tolling and contributing to the FASTag ecosystem, to securing India’s exports and transforming supply chains, our focus has always been on building solutions that deliver real impact. At i-TEK, we are deeply committed to supporting the Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat and achieving a $5 trillion economy. As India advances towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, I am confident that i-TEK will continue to play a steady and significant role in strengthening the nation’s digital infrastructure and showcasing Indian innovation on the global stage. With the launch of Panchajanya and the expansion of our GarudaVigil™ platform, we are entering a new era of growth where Indian innovation will not only strengthen our nation’s digital infrastructure but also shape global supply chains. I would especially like to thank Hon. Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji for his vision and constant encouragement, which have created the right policy environment for companies like ours to innovate and scale. Last year, over 54 billion objects were tagged using RFID, representing $1.7 trillion in value and contributing $17 billion in EBITDA for enterprises”. 

He further added, “With the market expected to grow from $4 billion to $10 billion by 2030, i-TEK is poised to ride this wave, delivering world-class traceability solutions through our new RFID platform, Garuda Vigil. As we look ahead to our next phase, including global expansion and an upcoming IPO, our commitment to nation-building through technology remains stronger than ever.”

Mrs. Avantika Patil, Chairperson, i-TEK said, “As i-TEK celebrates its Silver Jubilee, I see this milestone as both a reflection of our journey and a promise of what lies ahead. What began as a small dream 25 years ago has grown into a strong, resilient enterprise that continues to innovate, adapt and serve the nation. Panchajanya is more than an experience centre, it is a symbol of our growth, a space that captures how a homegrown company from Pune has built solutions that touch millions of lives across India. For us, this moment is not only about celebrating the past but also about setting our sights on the future. We aspire to scale i-TEK into a billion-dollar enterprise, expand globally and continue contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, while staying rooted in the values of trust, innovation and service.”

Looking forward, i-TEK is entering a new growth phase. Its GarudaVigil™ cloud-native platform, which integrates RFID, IoT and AI, is poised to become a cornerstone of its future strategy by offering real-time monitoring, predictive analytics and anomaly detection across global supply chains. This shift from project-driven revenues to subscription-based models will create sustainable, recurring growth while also strengthening the company’s international presence. With a strategic investment from Tech Mahindra in 2019 and plans for an IPO within the next three years, i-TEK is preparing to scale globally while consolidating its leadership in India.

Beyond its technological achievements, i-TEK continues to embrace its role as a socially responsible enterprise. Through the Ashim-Avantika Foundation, it actively supports initiatives in child healthcare and the promotion of traditional Indian sports, reflecting its belief that true nation-building extends beyond business and innovation.

As i-TEK marks its Silver Jubilee, the company reflects with pride on 25 years of innovation and impact while looking ahead to an ambitious new chapter of growth. With pioneering solutions, global expansion plans and a deep alignment with India’s national priorities, i-TEK is poised to play an even greater role in strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure and advancing the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

About i-TEK

Infotek Software & Systems Pvt. Ltd. (i-TEK) is a Pune-based technology company and one of India’s pioneers in RFID and IoT solutions. Since its founding in 2000, i-TEK has been at the forefront of digital infrastructure innovation, enabling smarter supply chains, secure trade, and seamless mobility across the nation. The company has played a central role in the rollout of FASTag, deployed RFID-enabled eSeals that safeguard India’s exports across 105 ports, and delivered large-scale solutions across industries such as retail, logistics, oil & gas, mining, and utilities.

Website: https://www.infoteksoftware.com/ 

New Satellite-based Toll System on Highways Soon - Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that India will soon introduce a satellite-based toll collection system on highways. This system will use GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and GPS technology to charge vehicles based on the distance traveled, eliminating the need for toll plazas.

The toll amount will be deducted directly from the user's bank account, making the process more efficient and reducing travel time. This innovation aims to modernize toll collection and improve the commuter experience on Indian highways.

The satellite-based system is being tested on the Bengaluru-Mysuru National Highway (NH-275) in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar National Highway (NH-709) in Haryana.

Once approved, the GNSS toll collection system will be rolled out in phases, initially covering major highways that connect key cities.

NHAI's subsidiary Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) recently organised an international workshop to discuss the rolling out the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Electronic Toll Collection in India.

The new satellite-based toll system will work by leveraging GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and GPS technology to track the distance traveled by vehicles on highways.

This system will utilize the country’s own satellite navigation systems, namely ISRO-developed GAGAN (GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) and NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation). These systems enhance the precision of satellite signals within India and extend coverage beyond its borders.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is overseeing the implementation, and they have invited global companies to develop and implement the GNSS-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system. This collaborative approach ensures that the technology and infrastructure are robust and efficient.

Below is a breakdown of how the upcoming satellite-based toll collection will function:

1. Vehicle Tracking: Each vehicle will be equipped with a GPS device that communictes with satellites to track its location and movement in real-time.

2. Distance Calculation: The system will calculate the distance traveled by the vehicle on toll roads.

3. Automatic Toll Deduction: Based on the distance traveled, the toll amount will be automatically calculated and deducted from the user's linked bank account or digital wallet.

4. No Toll Plazas: This system eliminates the need for traditional toll plazas, reducing congestion and travel time.

5. Real-Time Monitoring: Authorities will have access to real-time data for monitoring and managing traffic flow more efficiently.

This system aims to streamline toll collection, reduce manual intervention, and enhance the overall efficiency of highway travel.

The introduction of the satellite-based toll system aims to eventually phase out traditional toll plazas. However, this transition will likely happen gradually. Initially, both systems might operate in parallel to ensure a smooth transition and address any potential issues with the new technology.

Phasing out toll plazas completely will depend on the successful implementation and widespread adoption of the satellite-based system. Authorities will need to ensure that all vehicles are equipped with the necessary GPS devices and that the system is reliable and efficient.

Rosmerta to Set-Up 10 New Vehicle Scrappage Units in 3 Years, Investing ₹200 Crores

Rosmerta Technologies, India's leading automobile technology and automation firm is expanding its vehicle scrappage business to 200 million tons per annuum, from 20 mtpa.

The company operates a state-of-the-art vehicle scrapping facility in Manesar, with a capacity of processing 30,000 vehicles annually. After the capacity addition, they will be able to process up to 3 lakh vehicles annually.

This will entail an investment of INR 200 crores spread over the next three years for the plant and working capital (excluding land). 

Few states have begun to adopt these measures and released notifications regarding such Automotive Recycling Facilities. Rosmerta is ready to set up these facilities when regulatory push as well as subsidization policy by automotive OEMs come into play. A lead time of 6 months is required to set up any new plant.

The Minister for Road, Transport & Highways laid out the benefits of the vehicle scrappage policy during the 63rd SIAM convention held on 12 September in the capital. Nitin Gadkari mentioned that the output from scrapped vehicle materials saves about 33% on raw material costs and will bring down reliance on imported metals such as Aluminium and copper, as well as rubber. This in turn will complement the drive for circular economy.

It is pertinent to note that India is ranked fourth and sixth largest manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles respectively, and imports US$ 34.7 billion in metals each year.

Highlighting the financial benefits of the policy, the minister further said that the vehicle scrappage programme will generate an additional Rs 40,000 crore in GST revenue for the government. Furthering the initiative, the Central Government has provided a Rs 2,000 crore incentive to state governments via the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2022-23. The Minister also urged the auto OEM association and OEMs to make use of the policy and contribute through providing subsidies in exchange of old vehicles for new ones.

Mr. Kartick Nagpal, President at Rosmerta Technologies said, "We take pride in sharing our significant participation to the government's goal through this stride toward India's green ambitious Vehicle Scrappage Policy. With this move, we will be able to contribute in the circular economy by helping recycle 300,000 vehicles each year, across the country. At Rosmerta we believe in leading through impactful change through technology and increase the magnitude of safety, security and environmental consciousness. With this regard, we plan on investing INR 200 crores across India to leverage this situation and contribute to circular economy".

The National Vehicle Scrappage Policy was launched by the Prime Minister during August 2021.

While the Government has financially incentivised scrapping old vehicles and replacing them with new ones, over five million LMVs aged over 50 years, plying unchecked, highlighting the dire need for stringent policy push.

FY23 projected Group revenues – INR 900 CR

About Rosmerta:

Rosmerta Technologies Limited stands as a beacon of innovation in India's mobility solutions landscape. With a steadfast commitment to excellence and a rich history of groundbreaking advancements, Rosmerta has become a driving force in automotive technology. Rooted in a vision to create safer, smarter, and more connected Indian roads, the company is at the forefront of the Surakshit Safar initiative, dedicated to reducing road accidents and fatalities by 50 percent by 2024.

Rosmerta's offerings is its dominant position in the Indian High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP) Industry, boasting a remarkable 50% market share and leading in sustainable margins. Notably, it is the world's second-largest and India's foremost HSRP manufacturer, consistently excelling in government tenders.

Beyond HSRPs, Rosmerta excels in various other verticals, including Intelligent Transport Management Systems, Automated Testing Stations, Vehicle Scrapping Facilities, IOT/M2M Connectivity Solutions, Automated Driving Testing Tracks, and Smart Card-based RC & DL Solutions. These comprehensive solutions underline Rosmerta's dedication to transforming India's roads through cutting-edge technology.

India Launches World's 1st Prototype of the BS 6 Stage II Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV)

Today, India unveiled the world's first prototype of the BS 6 Stage II ‘Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle’, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

A Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on Petrol/Gasoline and any blend of petrol and ethanol (up to 83%). An Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle has both a Flexi Fuel engine and an electric powertrain. This gives it ability to provide dual benefit of higher ethanol use and much higher fuel efficiency as is in case of a Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SHEV), which can provide 30-50% higher Fuel Efficiency as it can run 40-60% in EV mode with engine shut off.

This initiative by Toyota is particularly important as it introduces the world’s first BS 6 (Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle prototype, which has both the flex fuel engine as well as an electric powertrain, thereby offering higher use of ethanol combined with better fuel efficiencies.

Live https://t.co/eyom4jI6O9

— Toyota India (@Toyota_India) August 29, 2023

This innovative vehicle is based on the Innova Hycross and is engineered to adhere to India’s stricter emission standards, marking it as the first-ever BS 6 ( Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle prototype globally. The forthcoming stages for this prototype encompasses meticulous refinement, homologation, and certification processes.

The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, speaking at the unveiling of the Prototype said that India has huge Ethanol potential, much beyond E20 mix. This excess potential can be utilised by the country by promoting Flex Fuel vehicle (FFVs) and Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FFV-SHEV) / Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle.

“With Industry and Government collaboration, we see India becoming a global hub for cleaner technologies and achieving self-reliance in energy soon”, Mr Puri added further.

The Minister informed that with the huge efforts made by the Government and the industry, in a short span of 8 years, the Ethanol blending in India has increased by over 8 times. It has increased from 1.53 % in 2014 to around 11.5 % (Mar ’23) leading to savings in the import bills and also lowering of carbon emissions.

𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲!

Launched the 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐒 𝟔 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐈 ‘𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞’,… pic.twitter.com/eRR1kM03Pb

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 29, 2023

Speaking on this launch, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Mr Nitin Gadkari, who launched the vehicle, said, "Ethanol being an indigenous, eco-friendly, and renewable fuel holds promising prospects for India."

Mr Gadkari said that the emphasis of the Modi Government on ethanol aligns with objectives of attaining energy self-sufficiency, doubling farmers' income, transitioning them to Urjadata while continuing to support them as Annadata, and positively impacting the environment. He said the day ethanol economy becomes of 2 lakh crores agricultural growth rate will reach 20% from the current 12%. Talking about innovations in biofuels Shri Gadkari spoke of refinery in Numaligarh in Asssam of Indian Oil Corporation where bamboo is being used for manufacturing bio ethanol.

Germany’s Bioenergy Ties with Noida-based Gruner Renewables To Introduce India's 1st Napier Grass Bio CNG Plant

Bio Energy, a German company that provides technology and engineering design for biomass-based gas plants, has partnered with Noida-based Gruner Renewable Energy (GRE), to Enter India market.

Founded by Uttkarsh Gupta, GRE is sustainable energy company that creates renewable fuel from biomass and bio wastes. The partnership with BioEnergy Germany will introduce India's first Napier Grass Bio CNG Plant.

On Sunday, GRE and BioEnergy Germany signed the partnership agreement to develop 100 BioCNG plants using multiple feedstocks like Napier grass, in India.

Napier grass, elephant grass or Uganda grass, is a species of perennial tropical grass native to the African grasslands. It is specifically stored for the production of biofuels and bio-based products, primarily due to its high cellulose content (34.2-40%), high yields per unit area and drought tolerance.

The Napier grass based bio CNG plant is scheduled to be completed in November and is coming up in Lasanpur Village, Wardha district of Maharashtra. With completion of this state-of-the-art plant, a significant milestone will achieved for India's quest for cleaner and greener energy solutions.

The plant is said to be inspired by the Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s speeches, and is claimed to be the country’s first bio-CNG plant using Napier grass as feedstock.

Till date, Napier grass is mainly used in India as a fodder crop, used as feed to the cattle directly or made as hay or even silage to feed farm animals.

The upcoming plant in Maharashtra will not only provide a clean and reliable energy source but will also promote agricultural sustainability and provide new avenues for rural development.

The 20-year-old BioEnergy has built over 300 plants in 12 countries and is currently building the world’s biggest one, in Malawi in southern Africa (where the gas will fuel a 56 MW power plant). BioEnergy has experience in handling 580 types of feedstock.

In India, the reported annual production yield of Napier grass ranges from 150-200 tonnes per acre per year, which is significantly higher (25-35 tonnes per hectare) compared to other energy grasses like miscanthus and switchgrass.

This fast-growing Napier grass can reach a height of 10-15 feet and can be harvested 5-6 times annually.

In February this year, Delhi based CEF Group announced of setting up multiple waste processing plants in various locations in Uttar Pradesh to address the problem of waste mismanagement and augment bio-fuel production, utilising Napier grass as one of the sources for bioenergy. The group is investing ₹650 crore for the same.

Late last month, the GOBARdhan initiative of the Union Government, has said that in a short span of just 60 days, over 1200 plants including 320 CBG plants and 892 Biogas plants, spread across the length and breadth of the country, covering as many as 450 districts have been registered on the GOBARdhan portal.

EV Charging Stations Susceptible to Cyber-Attacks and Cyber Security Incidents

Online security and safety of electric vehicles charging stations are as vulnerable as any other thing put online or connected to the Internet, this warning is recently given by India's Transport minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the union minister explained that the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which is mandated to track and monitor cyber security incidents in India, received reports of vulnerabilities in products and applications related to Electric Vehicle Charging stations and issued alerts and vulnerability notes suggesting remedial measures.

Electric Vehicle charging stations are also susceptible to cyber-attacks and cyber security incidents. In January this year, a white hat attack on German Tesla charging stations was made by a 19-year-old teen. The white-hat hack was made to warn that Tesla's third party software consists security flaws which could lead to Tesla vehicles getting hacked and get control of the vehicle such as unlocking doors, honk horns and start the cars.

In Russia, attacks disabled many charging stations while the stations’ video displays showed messages that put Russian prez Vladimir Putin in bad light.

India's CERT-In issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect computers and networks on an ongoing basis. "Government is fully cognizant and aware of various cyber security threats and is actively taking steps to combat the issue of hacking", said Mr Gadkari.

In the recently notified cyber security direction, CERT-In has now made it mandatory for all incidents to be mandatorily reported to CERT-In. CERT-In has formulated a Cyber Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber-attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation by all Ministries and Departments of the Central Government, State Governments and their organisations and critical sectors. CERT-In has empanelled 150 security auditing organisations to support and audit implementation of Information Security Best Practices.

As per the information reported to and tracked by CERT-In, the number of cyber security incidents during the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 are 2,08,456, 3,94,499, 11,58,208, 14,02,809 and 13,91,457 respectively.

Last year in January, a study of EV charging stations by Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security, Carlos Alvarez College of Business, also found vulnerabilities in charging stations and the concerns raised include missing authentication and cross-site scripting, which puts malicious code into scripts and can launch cybersecurity attacks.

Shri Nitin Gadkari Launches Acuvisor App - Insurance Brokers App To Create Tech-Enabled Sales Force Of PoSP To Increase Penetration Of Insurance Products

Acuvisor’s app aims to bridge the need gap for insurance in rural India, Tier-II and III towns/cities

In a bid to increase penetration of insurance across India’s Tier-II and III towns and cities and in rural areas and create a tech-enabled salesforce, Pune-based Acuvisor Insurance Brokers, has launched its Point-of-Sale Person (PoSP) App that will enable aspiring insurance professionals to get trained and also sell specifically designed insurance products. The App was launched over a virtual event today by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.

“It is my great pleasure to launch this app. Young people in colleges are not taught how to organise themselves as new members of the workforce, especially in sales and marketing. This app besides teaching them insurance as per IRDAI will also teach them business, basic, and etiquettes that will help them throughout their lives”, said, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.

The Acuvisor app will aim to create an army of well-trained Point of Sale Persons (PoSPs) in insurance, who would be allowed to sell only specifically designed insurance products. This could result in an increase in insurance penetration into the middle and lower middle class – a sector largely unaware or sceptical about the benefits of insurance and different insurance products.

PoSPs are like insurance agents, but the educational requirement and training of the PoSp is minimum Class-X pass and 15 hours of training. In comparison, an insurance agent requires a minimum educational qualification of Class XII pass and 50 hours of training.

With the launch of the app, Acuvisor aims to expand its geographical footprint across most Tier II and Tier III cities with tech savvy youth living in them, and the rural areas across India with a targeted PoSP salesforce of 100,000. The firm has also tied up with 34 (insurance companies) for insurance products.

While announcing the launch of the app, Vasant Pandit, Chief Mentor, Acuvisor, said, “We hope to provide an opportunity for many youths looking for a career in sales and marketing to learn basic marketing skills for free, and provide a bridge to take them over the knowledge gap that so many of them face.”

Link to the launch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtSOFgd87n8

Acuvisor APP is designed to help PoSPs get training, earn certification to then sell general, health, and different insurance products. As prescribed by the regulatory authority, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the app has a mandatory training course of 15 hours that is divided into multiple modules.

Candidates must pass each module of training and if they fail, they repeat each module. After successfully completing the training session, candidates would be certified by Acuvisor as a PoSP and would be permitted to sell a range of life, non-life, and health Insurance Products. The app would also help successful candidates prepare for sales and marketing and will help them identify potential clients, contact them, conduct meetings, and finally sell.

The app will also have a presentation for prospective clients and help them identify their insurance needs. This would enable PoSPs to calculate the Human Life Value and recommend suitable insurance policies for free.

Acuvisor Insurance Brokers is one of India's fastest growing insurance brokerage firm. The Pune-based firm has tied up with 34 insurance companies to sell insurance products and aims to bridge the need gap for insurance in rural India, Tier-II and III towns/cities. At Acuvisor, earning is an integral part of learning. The brand has recently launched its Point-of-Sale Person (PoSP) App that will enable aspiring insurance professionals to get trained and sell specifically designed insurance products. With an extensive 15-hour professional insurance training program, Acuvisor ensures that every individual gets a smooth learning experience along with an assured opportunity to earn via this collaboration.

NHAI Launches Mobile App to Monitor Trees along National Highways

NHAI launches ‘Harit Path’ a mobile app to monitor plantation along national highways; starts creating user IDs for ROs/PDs/Experts and around 7800 plants geo-tagged so far using App

NHAI Planted 25 Lakh Plants in 25 Days to Mark its Silver Jubilee Year

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has developed a mobile App called ‘Harit Path' to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and achievements of each of its field units  for each and every plant under all plantation projects.  The app was inaugurated by the Union Minister for RTH Shri Nitin Gadkari today.

According to an NHAI release, to commemorate 25 years of its service to the nation, it has also recently undertaken ‘Harit Bharat Sankalp’, a nation-wide plantation drive which is in line with its commitment to promote environment protection and sustainability. Under this initiative, NHAI planted over 25 lakh plants in 25 days along the stretches of the National Highways between 21st July to 15th August 2020. The drive takes the total cumulative number of plantations done during the current year to 35.22 lakh.

The nation-wide plantation drive has been actively taken up by NHAI’s regional offices to achieve the collective target of making greener national highways. Maximum number of over 5.0 lakh plants have been planted in Uttar Pradesh, followed by over 3.0 lakh in Rajasthan and 2.67 Lakh in Madhya Pradesh along the national highways. In order to ensure 100% survival of the plants, avenue plantation of minimum height of 1.5-meter have been emphasized along the national highway am

The Release says that in order to track the growth and health of the plants, photographs along with data of the plants captured using Harit Path shall be uploaded every 3 months on NHAI’s AI powered Big Data Analytics platform – Data Lake.  Highway contractors shall be accountable for proper upkeep and maintenance of the plantation and liable to replace the missing/dead plants.  Performance and growth of the plants shall be linked to the payment to the contractors for this work.

After launch of the app, NHAI has immediately started work to create user ids of over 150 ROs/ PDs/ Horticulture experts.  Apart from this, around 7800 plants have also been geo-tagged using the toda

NHAI has been undertaking plantation drives from time to time to develop eco-friendly National Highways and has constantly addressed ecological concerns by adopting environment-friendly methods.  In the year 2020, NHAI plans to undertake a sustained plantation drive. The vision is to plant 72 Lakh plants along NH stretches collectively with concessionaire, State Government agencies and private plantation agencies. In addition, NHAI is engaging experts from the plantation, forestry, agriculture, horticulture with vast field experience. Two professionals with suitable background and experience are being engaged for each of its regional offices. For proper supervision of plantation in each project, horticulture experts are also being engaged. Apart from plantation, NHAI is also emphasizing on transplantation of trees which are required to be axed for development of highway projects.

NHAI has identified the NH stretches and is creating a data base of all the plantations already done and to be done on these stretches. The launch of ‘Harit Path’, mobile app will further facilitate creation of Green Highways across the country.

Maser Technology launches DRDO Tech-based ATULYA Sterilizer for retail in India to combat COVID 19

ATULYA - a DRDO technology, enables for the first time in the world, sterilization of surface and aerosol up to a depth of 5 meters within 30 seconds

Unveiled by Union Cabinet Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari

Disintegrates COVID-19 or similar viruses and bacteria

Maser- the only Indian medical MSME working on microwave technology for disinfection solution has announced the launch of a new product – ATULYA, to enable sterilization of surfaces, surroundings and aerosols during COVID 19 spread. The product was launched by Union Cabinet Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for MSME and Road Transport & Highways, in the presence of Dr. Vikas Mahatme, Member of Parliament and Padma Shri Awarded Indian ophthalmologist , Ms. Shivani Dani Wakhre, President - BJYM Nagpur and others at an event in Nagpur with an aim to introduce the technology to masses while people together fight the battle against Coronavirus. ATULYA works on microwave technology to disintegrate virus and bacteria.  

ATULYA runs on the technology developed by Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, deemed university of DRDO. The sterilizer is operated as a handheld device and depending on the shape and size it has the capability to sterilize objects, surfaces, surroundings and aerosols within 30 seconds to 1 minute with a patented smart technology which enables cold sterilization in the range of 56-60 Celsius temperature (MACS^R). The 4.5kg model of the product runs on connected power supply of 5 amp. The company is also working on developing a portable battery version of the same.

ATULYA 2

“At Maser we are always working on solutions that ensure safety of people through disinfection and sterilization. This ambition led us to associate with DIAT (DRDO) and introduce ATULYA sterilizer that would enable a safe surrounding for people. The microwave technology of the product can disintegrate viruses and safeguard users during this pandemic. A 30 second simple scan by ATULYA sterilizes any surface upto 5 metres depth, thus eliminating any trace of COVID or similar viruses and bacteria. Prof. K.P. Ray, Dean DIAT (DRDO), is the co-innovator of 'ATULYA' and is a world authority on microwave technology. We consider this our responsibility in the current unprecedented times to bring this solution to the masses,” said Monish Bhandari – Founder and Managing Director, Maser Technology.

“It is delightful to see our intelligent Indian minds working on technology backbone and come up with solutions like ATULYA, while we combat COVID 19. This highlights how our Indian MSME’s are taking the vision of ‘Vocal for Local’ a step ahead with every innovation,” said Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari.

ATULYA has capability to penetrate up to a depth of 5 meters across surfaces. Unlike UV and chemical based products it is proven to be safe against cancer, retina damage and skin diseases. ATULYA is tested for Covid / virus sterilization by DIAT using the revolutionary Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technique. The unit is compliant to NFX French Sterilization Compliance, STAATT II compliant (USA) and is CE and EN13485 certified for international quality standards.

https://youtu.be/zj7yUc_HIDA

Price & Availability

ATULYA will be available for government purchase on Government e-Market procurement portal (GeM - https://gem.gov.in/ ) and on e-commerce website Amazon (https://www.amazon.in/ ) at an introductory price of INR 12,700/- + taxes. 

Parameter	Atulya by Maser MD-1
Power Source	AC 220V, 50Hz, 15A
Magnetron	2.4GHz
Magnetron Wattage	800 W
Magnetron Anode Voltage	4.2 KV
Accessories	AC Cord
Device Weight (kgs)	7.7
Device Dimensions (LxWxH) (cms)	31.0 x 33.4 x 26.7
Packaging Weight (kgs)	10.75
Packaging Dimensions (LxWxH) (cms)	54.2 x 44.2 x 42.5
Introductory Price	Rs 12,700/- + taxes
Availability	Amazon - 7-10 days from order date

About Maser Technology

Maser Technology was established in 2018 with an aim to provide masses with safe environment to thrive in. Maser is the only company that works on Microwave based advance Technology for Disinfection and Sterilization and has 90% of the Indian medical microwave market share. It has been ranked #1 Medical MSME by SIDBI in 2019.

With over 400 years of collective microwave tech experience, the company has entirely focused on its mission to give its best to the society by continuously developing & manufacturing environment friendly products at reasonable rates. In the last 2 years the company has developed 4 disinfection and sterilization products and witnessed a whopping 200% Growth. MaserTech is working on a PAN India level with offices and representation across the world, including U.K, U.S.A, U.A.E, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It also has a strong PAN India network of distributors, channels partners and ecommerce.

India Emerging as Electrical Vehicle Manufacturing Hub in 5 Yrs, Hopes Gadkari

India will be a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles in five years, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said and urged players to grab opportunities amid changed circumstances in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

The road transport minister stated that global businesses are looking at possibilities outside China.

Addressing a webinar on 'India's Electric Vehicle Roadmap post-COVID-19', Gadkari assured the electric vehicles sector of all the support in view of disruptions caused by the coronavirus crisis.

According to a road ministry statement, Gadkari "expressed confidence that in the next five years, India will become a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles", and said the government is trying to extend "best possible concessions" to this sector.

The minister said the government has lowered the GST on electrical vehicles to 12 per cent.

Gadkari said he was aware of the issues facing the EV sector, but was also sure that things would change as sales volume rises.

On the present trend in the global market, he said, "The world is no more interested in doing business with China, which is a very good opportunity for Indian industry to pick up the shift in business."

Gadkari further said that with petroleum fuel being available in limited quantity, the world has to look for alternate and cheap sources of power, and added that electric and bio fuels stand a good chance for adoption.

He also said that ensuing vehicle scrapping policy will give a fillip to the auto manufacturing sector.

The minister cited the London model of public transport, where private and public investment is working well, the statement said. He said similar approach will be beneficial in India for both the poor commuters and the civic administration.

He also talked about plans like working on a pilot project for developing an electric highway on the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai Green Corridor.

Gadkari expressed full confidence in the capabilities of the auto sector, and said, with consistency and self confidence in this economic crisis, it can gather good market opportunities.

He also called upon the industry to go in for indigenisation and support Prime Minister's ‘AtmNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.' PTI NAM

Dr. Vint Cerf, Father of Internet Awarded Scholarships to 20 Students at Data Science Congress 2020

The 3rd edition of Data Science Congress (DSC) 2020 virtual, an initiative of Aegis School of Data Science and Cyber Security; with support of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Chamber partner Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI); powered by mUni Campus, with support of Cloud4C & Dunhummby for maximum women participation concluded with a bigger bang this year with participation from across industries, sectors and nationalities on 6th and 7th June.

DSC 2020 was inaugurated by Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. This edition of DSC discussed topics around banning the production and usage of killer robots, insights about India's 1st Data protection bill; technical talks by various experts including co-creator of Tensorflow, a bioinformatician showcased how to store data in one's DNA; IBM Chief Scientist showcase how to create a scalable Artificial Intelligence, panel on challenges & opportunities for women in data; highlights of the both days was keynotes by Dr. Juergen Schmidhuber, Father of modern Artificial Intelligence and Father of Internet and Dr. Vint Cerf, Father of Internet.

Dr. Vint Cerf Father of Internet Aegis School of Data Science Cyber Security Scholarship Data Science Congress Artificial Intelligence Deep Learning Analytics India Conference

At the event, Dr. Vint Cerf, Father of Internet and Creator of TCP/IP facilitated and appreciated 20 talented students from India selected through Aegis Graham Bell Award National Talent Hunt for Data Science, AI and Cyber Security Phase II who were provided with a 100% scholarship to study Post Graduate Program (PGP) in Data Science; PGP in Applied AI, Machine Learning & Deep Learning and PGP in Cyber Security from Aegis School of Data Science & Cyber Security in association with IBM.

In Phase I, likewise 20 students were awarded the scholarship in the month of February 2020 by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon'ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India and Shipping Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Government of India. The candidates were selected from across the country who has the potential to grow as leaders in Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security.

Inaugurating the event and addressing the Indian Artificial Intelligence ecosystem, Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India commented, "Limited availability of sufficient skilled and updated manpower is one of the big challenges which the academia must look into. The skill set imparting knowledge is still mainly in English, whereas we have tremendously talented youth studying in regional languages as well. There is a huge void of content creation in local languages."

Dr. Vint Cerf, Father of Internet said "I am very impressed with this event and the program of honouring students with 100% scholarship. These students have worked very hard to reach here. This shows a great deal of creativity and energy in a tremendous way. Congratulations to all the students and have a bright future ahead."

Dr. Jrgen Schmidhuber, Father of modern Artificial Intelligence raised the concern about the pandemic Coronavirus, he mentioned in his key note, "Artificial Intelligence based on deep neural networks and deep learning can help to fight the COVID-19 virus in many ways. Neural networks can learn to detect patterns in data from viruses and patients, we can use those neural networks to predict the future consequences of possible actions and we will act to minimise the damage."

Adding to Hon'ble Minister points on AI role in academia Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE mentioned, "I believe India with 1.35 billion population which is 1/6th of the world population, If we are transforming we are transforming 1/6th of the world.

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI mentioned, "Indian data and technology service market is segmented by solutions and we are expecting India to become the largest data science market in the world with better use cases and significant opportunities for data scientist in the future therefore the emphasis should be on education."

"Learning in the last 2 days from these world leaders at the event will surely help in paving a path for the mission of making India as a world leader in research, education, and skill development in the fields of AI, Data Science and Cyber Security, Thank you to our partners AICTE, FICCI, AIQRATE, ASMA, Dunnhumby, Cloud4C, Safe N' happy Periods for making this event a grand success," said Bhupesh Daheria, Founder, mUni Campus, and CEO, Aegis School of Data Science & Cyber Security.

About Aegis School of Data Science and Cyber Security

Aegis School of Business, Data Science, Cyber Security is a leading school for exponential technologies started in 2002 with Bharti Airtel's support. In 2015 Aegis and IBM collaborated to launch, Asia's first Post Graduate Program (PGP) in Data Science, Business Analytics and Big Data and subsequently PGP in Cyber Security and PGP in Applied AI. These programs are jointly certified and delivered by Aegis School of Business in association with IBM. IBM has set up high-end Business Analytics and Cloud Computing Lab at Campus. Aegis takes up various industry projects, research and consulting assignments in the field of data science under its initiative 'Data Science Delivered' and 'Data Science for social good', and helping organizations for devolving skills on data science, ML, DL, Big Data, Analytics etc.

For more information on many more topics and speakers, please visit www.datasciencecongress.com.

For further information, please visit: www.aegis.edu.in.

About mUni Campus

mUni Campus provides a cloud-based end to end robust digital infrastructure for improving learning outcomes, improving efficiency, and effectiveness of the entire education system. mUni Campus system works well for brick mortar classroom-based environment and online world. It offers various solutions under one platform which eliminates the problem of dealing with several vendors and their silo systems. It has virtual class for delivering live video lectures integrated with Learning Management System (LMS) for course creation, content dissemination, and knowledge management; Academic admin; online examination system; admission suite; and online job placement all in one cloud platform.

For more information, please visit www.muniversity.mobi/ds/mUniIgnite.html.

Nitin Gadkari Unveiled the FLO Compendium of 100 Stories of Women in MSME

Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises e-unveiled FLO Compendium of 100 successful women Entrepreneurs in MSME organised by Ficci Ladies Organisation ( FLO ) today in the capital.

[caption id="attachment_144960" align="aligncenter" width="662"] FLO Compendium of 100 successful women Entrepreneurs in MSME[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_144961" align="alignleft" width="214"] Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways[/caption]

While unveiling the Compendium, Shri Gadkari said, "In these hard times, you all are striving hard to work and overcome the situation, my best wishes to all of you. Keep moving forward with this positive attitude and strong will, we will soon overcome Corona War as well economic crisis war and India will become super economic power. However, the priority is to wine over the Corona war."

The situation is very bad and challenging but there is a blessing in disguise for India. Japan, US, Germany and all the European countries wants to withdraw from China and it is a golden opportunity for India to take up this position. This is a time for conversion of knowledge into wealth. Innovation, R&D, Technology, joint ventures and most importantly entrepreneurship is required to covert the knowledge into wealth. He also stressed on taking initiatives in converting waste to wealth, giving examples of how it's been done under his Ministry's initiatives and suggestions.

The government has announced various relief packages and support for the industry and is soon announcing few more to help the MSME industry overcome the situation. We should resume the operations slowly and gradually keeping in mind all the guidelines issued by the government.

During the International Womens Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation, IWEC Awards hosted by FLO in November 2019, Shri Nitin Gadkari, announced to launch a compendium of 100 successful women entrepreneurs in MSME. Being the only pan-India business chambers of women, FLO was entrusted with this responsibility by the MSME Ministry.

This compendium is a ready reckoner of 100 inspirational stories of women in MSME, who have ideated, innovated and worked tirelessly to create a niche and successfully contribute to the economy of the nation.

This book is another milestone in the illustrious journey of FLO as it is for the first time in the history of FLO that the Ministry of MSME has supported a publication with its logo, adding great significance to the Compendium.

[caption id="attachment_144962" align="alignleft" width="300"] Harjinder Kaur Talwar, FLO President[/caption]

FLO President, Harjinder Kaur Talwar said, "As the FLO President, I got an opportunity to passionately work on this dream project of highlighting success stories of women entrepreneurs. After 5 months of dedicated time frame and support from the MSME Ministry, my dream has been transformed to reality now and I have never been so happy!"

She added, "It is highly encouraging to see that we have a huge repertoire of women entrepreneurs in our country. No success is complete without documenting it. This is an attempt to collectively showcase the success stories of women in MSME, documented and recorded as inspirations for the next generation of women entrepreneurs."

"This compendium will encourage many more women entrepreneurs and I want FLO to work towards empowering rural women entrepreneurs. He also urged the members to invest in industrial clusters being developed along the National Highways in order to decongest the cities and decentralise the industry," added the MInister

During the Q&A session, he suggested to work on another book which could list the new ideas, and businesses, women can take up. He also welcomed FLO's idea of having this compendium translated in different regional languages for far reach and also creating a platform where the new business ideas can be propagated, formal training sessions can be conducted and adequate technical and financial help can be given to women entrepreneurs to start their ventures.

~ Newsvoir

Nitin Gadkari Unveiled the FLO Compendium of 100 Stories of Women in MSME

Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises e-unveiled FLO Compendium of 100 successful women Entrepreneurs in MSME organised by Ficci Ladies Organisation ( FLO ) today in the capital.

[caption id="attachment_144960" align="aligncenter" width="662"] FLO Compendium of 100 successful women Entrepreneurs in MSME[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_144961" align="alignleft" width="214"] Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways[/caption]

While unveiling the Compendium, Shri Gadkari said, "In these hard times, you all are striving hard to work and overcome the situation, my best wishes to all of you. Keep moving forward with this positive attitude and strong will, we will soon overcome Corona War as well economic crisis war and India will become super economic power. However, the priority is to wine over the Corona war."

The situation is very bad and challenging but there is a blessing in disguise for India. Japan, US, Germany and all the European countries wants to withdraw from China and it is a golden opportunity for India to take up this position. This is a time for conversion of knowledge into wealth. Innovation, R&D, Technology, joint ventures and most importantly entrepreneurship is required to covert the knowledge into wealth. He also stressed on taking initiatives in converting waste to wealth, giving examples of how it's been done under his Ministry's initiatives and suggestions.

The government has announced various relief packages and support for the industry and is soon announcing few more to help the MSME industry overcome the situation. We should resume the operations slowly and gradually keeping in mind all the guidelines issued by the government.

During the International Womens Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation, IWEC Awards hosted by FLO in November 2019, Shri Nitin Gadkari, announced to launch a compendium of 100 successful women entrepreneurs in MSME. Being the only pan-India business chambers of women, FLO was entrusted with this responsibility by the MSME Ministry.

This compendium is a ready reckoner of 100 inspirational stories of women in MSME, who have ideated, innovated and worked tirelessly to create a niche and successfully contribute to the economy of the nation.

This book is another milestone in the illustrious journey of FLO as it is for the first time in the history of FLO that the Ministry of MSME has supported a publication with its logo, adding great significance to the Compendium.

[caption id="attachment_144962" align="alignleft" width="300"] Harjinder Kaur Talwar, FLO President[/caption]

FLO President, Harjinder Kaur Talwar said, "As the FLO President, I got an opportunity to passionately work on this dream project of highlighting success stories of women entrepreneurs. After 5 months of dedicated time frame and support from the MSME Ministry, my dream has been transformed to reality now and I have never been so happy!"

She added, "It is highly encouraging to see that we have a huge repertoire of women entrepreneurs in our country. No success is complete without documenting it. This is an attempt to collectively showcase the success stories of women in MSME, documented and recorded as inspirations for the next generation of women entrepreneurs."

"This compendium will encourage many more women entrepreneurs and I want FLO to work towards empowering rural women entrepreneurs. He also urged the members to invest in industrial clusters being developed along the National Highways in order to decongest the cities and decentralise the industry," added the MInister

During the Q&A session, he suggested to work on another book which could list the new ideas, and businesses, women can take up. He also welcomed FLO's idea of having this compendium translated in different regional languages for far reach and also creating a platform where the new business ideas can be propagated, formal training sessions can be conducted and adequate technical and financial help can be given to women entrepreneurs to start their ventures.

~ Newsvoir