CEO's of the Year

SAGAS OF DARING GO-GETTERS…

Well, we are back. Indeed, it has been a while since we interacted due to my busy schedule. Hence, I decided to pen down the editor’s note for this special issue that is stuffed with stories of grit, creativity and perseverance. Though new-age business philosophies have changed, many of them still greatly value hard work which is good by the way. What I believe is the best thing about this edition is that the modern-day business leaders didn’t forget the old values and culture that paved the way for their massive success. While making this issue, we discovered that they still value the legacies left behind by the most inspiring businessman across the world.

Being an expansive issue that talks about the success stories of some inspiring CEOs who are known for their phenomenal leadership, this special issue asserts how values and ethics can help a leader scale new highs. We are here to acknowledge and reward the legendary CEOs shortlisted by our adept team of jury members, editors, data analysts and others active across their respective industrial spaces. The vision and direction of our magazine found the profiles of the luminaries featured here to be a perfect match for this ‘extraordinary addition’ to our series of publications.

The exhilarating sagas of different prospering leaders featured here have a motivational capsule to offer you all. The ‘read’ has come with some insights into the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of a few business leaders of some companies. A booster to your leadership skills accompanied by some extraordinary business management acumen- how we would like to address this publication. And above all, our cover starManuel Schiappa Pietra- is here to share his vision for the future of FreeBalance as he asserts his position as one of the most inspirational CEOs across the business fraternity globally. Do read out his spectacular success story and mission that he wishes to share with the global masses relating to his thriving organization.

At last, as we always say, we are in constant stride to be resourceful to you, kindly share your feedback on this issue. This is valuable for us as we get an idea of what you are expecting from us and let us deliver it in a much better way. We believe that it is doing justice to its vision to seek and publish triumph tales of discerning leaders, energetic doers, pioneers, etc while providing motivational insights on a variety of subjects.

Kajal Dobhal Kajal@businessconnectindia.in

Vol - 5 | Special Edition | December 2022

Publisher & Editor : Abhishek Kumar Dubey

Editorial Team

Indranil Roy | Kajal Dobhal | Sugandh Bahl | Gulshan Parveen | Dr. Amit Mishra Avishek Singh | Kriti Anand | Sanjay Kumar

Business Head ASHISH KUMAR

Senior Marketing Manager Sonia Tiwari

Senior Relationship Manager Reshmi Mishra

Corporate Team

Satyam Singh | Sunny Pathak | Asha Dudeja | Pradeep Pandey | Reetu Chauhan | Komal Verma Sudha Gupta | Javed Khan | Vikash Kumar | Archna Pawar | Mohit Rathee | Abhishek Mishra | Kazim Barati Mohit Rathee | Abhishek Mishra | Navdeep Sharma| Vijender Saroj Co-ordinator (Business Connect-Clients) Anita Kumari | Priyanka Gupta

Data Research & Analysis

Satyam Tiwari | Amit Kumar | Anita | Ravinder Singh | Rahul Kumar | Sweta | Shweta Kumari Prince | Virat Tiwari | Ritika | Rekha | Simran | Khusboo | Hitesh | Raja Finance Team Monika Aggarwal | Gaurav Singhal | Jyoti

Creative Director

ASHUTOSH

OJHA

Creative Team

Rajat Pathak | Sakshi Negi | Vishant Saroj | Pawan Yadav Legal Affairs Mukesh Kumar Human Resources Nivedita Basu

Digital Marketing Manager Anurag Tiwari

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Schiappa Pietra Leading With Purpose

Manuel

MOHSIN HAIDER DARWISH LLC

Manuel Schiappa Pietra President & CEO

STORY COVER Manuel Schiappa Pietra FreeBalance LEADING WITH PURPOSE

Driven by his unwavering commitment to combatting corruption, Manuel Schiappa Pietra, President and CEO of FreeBalance, is passionate about improving livelihoods worldwide. He is a globally acknowledged executive and seasoned entrepreneur with more than two decades of management experience across the United States, Canada, Europe, Southern Africa and Latin America. What we admire most is his steadfast consistency and ability to build and lead such powerful teams. We couldn’t find a better profile to be highlighted on the cover page.

His track record of building and running companies ranging from start-ups to well-established private and public organizations, saw Schiappa Pietra named as the Next Generation Executive of the Year by the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI). Under his leadership, FreeBalance has also received numerous awards including the prestigious Canada Export Achievement Award and the Excellence in Public Finance Award from the Asian Digital Finance Forum.

Schiappa Pietra has held executive positions on the boards of several international companies and actively participated in the venture capital space. He was involved in several successful IPOs in North America, Europe and South Africa and served as President of the International Consortium on Government Financial Management (ICGFM) in Washington, D.C. where he helped to elevate the ICGFM to the world’s foremost community of PFM practitioners. A regular speaker at high-profile corporate conferences, investment seminars and technology conferences, he is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.

Gulshan Parveen | Business Connect

Schiappa Pietra President & CEO

Manuel

First and foremost, he is an intuitive leader who is committed to making a difference in the world. He is at the helm of FreeBalance’s sustainability journey and commitment to the United Nations Global Compact. Emphasizing the importance of Sustainable Development Goals, he believes that such initiatives are critical to address the challenges the world currently faces. “Effective and transparent governance of public funds would go a long way towards fixing some of the problems that the world faces,” says Manuel Schiappa Pietra.

As a professional who has worked in multiple industries and cultures, Schiappa Pietra has rich and diverse experience. He also holds the position of Executive Director at The Happier Way Foundation, an international non-profit educational organization that works collaboratively with the global happiness, wellbeing, and mental health community to bring about positive change in our world. Acknowledging the need for better mental health services, the Foundation is committed to fulfilling a shared vision for a sustainable, healthy, balanced and happy future for generations to come.

The FreeBalance Journey

It was in 2006 that Schiappa Pietra joined FreeBalance as President and CEO and commenced his journey to enable Public Financial Management (PFM) reform that improves citizen wellbeing worldwide. His mission is to deliver what the company calls ‘smart prosperity’ through smart governance, innovation and technology. Under his leadership FreeBalance has grown its offering of PFM solutions, advisory services and capacity building programs. He was instrumental in expanding the international footprint of the business which today proudly works with 25+ governments across the world, managing public finances of more than $410 billion.

FreeBalance’s resounding success began in 1984 when it developed a system for the Government of Canada to calculate the free balance available in the budget to fund expenditures. The software has since been built out into an Integrated Financial Management Information System that covers the entire budget cycle and manages all critical government fiscal systems. The FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ is a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Government Resource Planning (GRP) solution that supports PFM reform and modernization. It is the only global GRP system that is designed specifically to meet the needs of government.

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY

For Schiappa Pietra customer centricity is not just a buzzword but the core of everything he and the company does. Company activities are driven by the customer innovation journey that began by participating in various government implementations to better understand public sector needs. Schiappa Pietra values the benefits of customer engagements that lead to a better understanding of the future of the government, putting governance and digital transformation into perspective. This alignment between the company and its customers was formalized under his stewardship with the launch of FreeBalance International Steering Committee (FISC), an annual interactive forum that has become a huge success. FISC attendees consider public finance, government performance, and policy and public sector implications of adopting agile processes and new technologies. FISC insights inform the FreeBalance vision for the ‘future of government’ and attendees provide input into the FreeBalance product and services roadmap. The FreeBalance Minister’s Roundtable which is a biannual event provides Ministers of Finance from customer governments with an opportunity to share effective practices to support PFM reform and economic development. Ministers and global thought leaders discuss digital transformation, citizen wellbeing and good governance at this important gathering.

Inclination to OKRs

Schiappa Pietra is an advocate of the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) framework that he believes focuses effort, fosters coordination and enhances workplace satisfaction. The OKR model, developed by John Doerr and used by Google, Uber and Amazon, defines what the company seeks to achieve and how those top priority goals will be attained. The team works collaboratively on achieving the specific targets set and progress is communicated regularly to employees.

With a flat management structure, the organization is unencumbered by hierarchy. Direct lines of communication between employees and executives facilitate knowledge sharing and decision making. In addition, a monthly global newsletter, periodic news flashes, and blogs are shared internally. In particular, employees are regularly updated on customer implementations and support projects, product development, new employees, and employee milestones.

Facilitating Fiscal Transparency And Good Governance

With deep experience in developed and emerging countries, FreeBalance has unparalleled experience in public finance reform. Having been at the forefront of implementing solutions

in some of the world’s most fragile states, the company understands what it takes to get PFM reform right and has designed its value offering to provide the right help at the right time.

FreeBalance’s advisory services are customized for government and include the identification of PFM reform sequencing as well as policy and budget alignment to citizen wellbeing and sustainable development.

FreeBalance’s GRP software is budget-driven through the use of commitment accounting, where the budget is the legal embodiment of government objectives. The FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ is available in six base configurations that can be progressively activated as a country’s legal reforms unfold. This highly adaptable software uses open standards and open approaches to deployment, and offers customers value for money by providing the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Given the company’s commitment to enabling PFM reform that matters, over and above the services and solutions they supply, they are also fully invested in building government capacity in the countries where they operate. To this end, The FreeBalance Academy provides practical government-bespoke training online and onsite.

FreeBalance is also committed to developing and maintaining global partnerships and alliances that strengthen government accountability, fiscal transparency and good governance. They believe that these relationships enhance their practice leadership in public financial management with local knowledge and global expertise. Alliances help extend the FreeBalance product footprint and service capabilities to better support government reform and modernization efforts.

PEFA - The Impact

Today, FreeBalance customers have achieved an average 27% improvement in key PFM performance indicators as measured by the independent Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability Secretariat (PEFA). The PEFA program was initiated in 2001 by seven international development partners: The European Commission, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and the governments of France, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. PEFA began as a means to harmonize assessment of PFM across the partner organizations. It subsequently established a standard methodology for PFM diagnostic assessments, the PEFA framework. Since then PEFA has become the acknowledged standard for PFM assessments.

PEFA assessments provide scorecards for PFM achievements. Even though these assessments and frameworks have become more stringent over time, the progressive improvement of FreeBalance’s customers bears testimony to the effectiveness of the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ and the company’s PFM reform advisory services.

FreeBalance’s customer governments achieved leapfrog results for:

• Budget reliability

• Budget transparency

• Public investment management

• Public asset management

• Budget preparation

• Expenditure controls

• Liquidity predictability

• Accounting and reporting

Expanding Footprint in the Pacific

FreeBalance was recently selected by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED) of the Government of Kiribati to implement an Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).

The functional scope of the IFMIS covers budget preparation, budget execution, accounting, treasury, management, cash management, debt and grant monitoring, asset management, and purchase order monitoring. The IFMIS solution from FreeBalance will enable the Government of Kiribati to improve governance and accelerate public financial management reform by leveraging proven, web-native technology to improve transparency, accountability and development outcomes.

“The core priorities of the Kiribati Development Plan are to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality and injustice through inclusive economic growth, building human capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and strengthening the institutions of good governance and democracy”, said Hon. Dr. Teuea Toatu, Vice President and Minister for Finance and Economic Development. “Governance is one of our key priority areas and we look forward to strengthening accountability and improving service delivery through the implementation of the IFMIS.”

The IFMIS will be deployed government-wide and will leverage the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ to support decision making, improve fiscal discipline, and enhance expenditure control in the country. “This is a transformational project in the Pacific Islands. It supports the implementation of the Kiribati Development Plan to create a sustainable, healthier, wealthier and peaceful nation”, said Schiappa Pietra. “FreeBalance provides a proven technology platform to support continued country growth, development and digital transformation initiatives in support of the government and the citizens of Kiribati.”

Blockchain for Government

Governments are faced with numerous “governance gaps” which limits their ability to deliver on their mandate. Some countries have fewer gaps than others, but as Schiappa Pietra’s analysis shows the gaps integrate and this network effect means that any gap ultimately leads to a trust gap. He adds: “The question everyone is asking: can blockchain solve this trust problem?” He explains that for governments, blockchain promises to reduce fraud and corruption, while improving controls and data reliability. He believes that government decision makers should be less concerned about the state of blockchain adoption, or how to pick a platform. They need hands-on experience. Blockchain

is a promising technology enabler, however, like any digital transformation, governments can only achieve blockchain success through modern, agile techniques.

Why GRP is Not The Same as ERP

While some people may think that GRP systems are the same as Enterprise Resource Planning systems, this is not the case as Schiappa Pietra explains. GRP is COTS software designed exclusively for governments and differs from traditional ERP software by having no unnecessary private sector functionality that impinges on government success rates. It also has budget awareness built in for all modules with integrated commitment accounting while ERP has commitment accounting added and most modules outside financials are not budget aware.

Being government specific, GRP leverages configuration as the primary mechanism of meeting government needs while ERP leverages code customization which dramatically increases the TCO of the system. Unlike ERP vendors that tend to leverage legacy technology and proprietary systems to lock governments into their software, GRP software vendors such as FreeBalance design open systems for financial sustainability. Governments carry complex mandates and improving results requires mechanisms in GRP software for planning and analysis throughout the budget cycle with an emphasis on improving government services. In addition, GRP software vendors optimize implementation processes for the context of governments while ERP vendors rely on 3rd parties for implementations.

Resource planning is essential in any government and is a fundamental tool for the delivery of services to citizens and the achievement of national development goals. Having an effective GRP solution is a vital part of a country’s PFM reform journey. The benefits of resource planning in government include:

• Fast implementation thanks to the configuration approach

• High adaptability to government reform and modernization over time thanks the progressive activation configuration nature of GRP, that includes multiple year Charts of Accounts

• Low middleware and equipment costs thanks to open systems that support a wide range of open source and proprietary underlying software

• Future government-specific feature sets because of the 100% focus on the public sector market

• Willingness to adapt software to meet emerging market customer requirements

• Ease of use and reduced training costs

Evolving Technology in the GovTech Space FreeBalance’s exclusive focus on PFM has enabled the company to fully understand the transformational promise of a government IFMIS. As a result of Schiappa Pietra’s insistence on this PFM focus, the company’s GRP software and implementation methodology have been designed to optimize the transformational benefits while minimizing risks for customers. Under his watch, the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ has evolved from a PC-based system to client servers, to web-native and now to cloud deployment. Governments have tight information security legislation and some countries would never allow confidential accounting or human resource data to be deployed on a public cloud. Nevertheless, many governments do not want to pay the up-front costs for on-premises software. They’d rather use Operational Expenditure (OpEx) funds to spread costs out over time, while enabling the flexibility of increasing or reducing users as required. FreeBalance provides an onsite SaaS pricing option where governments can deploy software on-premises while

paying what amounts to rent, similar to public cloud options. And, unlike most alternatives, modules of FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ can be easily migrated to public clouds should legislation change in the future.

Schiappa Pietra believes that the implementation of digital solutions in government can be truly transformational for a country. Part of the work that FreeBalance does with small, emerging countries is to help them design and implement their digital transformation journeys. Many observers see governments as digital transformation laggards, organizations burdened by old technology and high operating costs, and with high levels of change resistance. Yet, as he explains many governments have been at the forefront of technology innovation. Governments have the strength of policy and regulation, and they have huge amounts of data. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated digital government effectiveness in many countries as well as the clear need for digital transformation in many others.

Distinctive Leadership and Culture

Schiappa Pietra believes that there are three key attributes required for successful leadership:

• The ability to leverage information and staff insights to make decisions quickly, particularly leveraging diverse views from diverse backgrounds.

• The ability to communicate empathetically with customers, staff members, and partners including and being able to adapt one’s communication approach to the audience’s based on the background and culture of those who you communicate with.

• The ability to empower staff to make important decisions so that oversight becomes “management by exception”.

He has built a culturally rich company that leaves a positive footprint in the emerging countries that the company works in. They work across language barriers, cultures and time zones with ease and embrace the diversity in the team by learning from each about local holidays and family life in these disparate markets. This has created a tight knit team, many of whom have been with the company for many years.

Successes

When asked about his greatest successes, Schiappa Pietra shared a few highlights which include:

• Bringing critical PFM solutions to the world by engaging with new customers in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Helping some of the newest countries on earth (Kosovo, Timor-Leste, South Sudan) achieve statehood by providing the technological foundation for public financial management.

• Customer success achieved in PFM reform as evidenced through the PEFA Secretariat’s assessments.

• Building a wonderfully diverse team with 40+ nationalities in 25+ countries.

And on the personal front, he said that participating in the 2022 European Ironman Championships in Cascais, Portugal was a dream come true.

Closing Thoughts

“All businesses have an opportunity and an obligation to make a difference in the world. Our actions matter and our success should be measured by the impact we have in the countries or communities where we do business”

- Manuel Schiappa Pietra, President and CEO, FreeBalance

Craig Federighi Engineer

A key driving force behind Apple’s whopping growth Craig Federighi

Craig Federighi, also known as “Mr. Hair Force One himself”, oversees all major development, such as Mac, IOS, and IPadOS. He is positioned as Apple’s senior VP of software engineering. Craig carries an enthusiastic and funny nature, as we have seen his popular presentations at WWDC and other Apple Events. He has more stage time than others, including Tim Cook. In 2016, he reported, owning over 500,000 shares of Apple stock worth about US$180 million in 2020.

Away from the public functions, he is reportedly a great communicator in private. In 2013, the wall street journal said that Apple employees must consider him a responsive executive, someone who replies and reacts to internal emails. His profile has an impressive “rising star” reporting that he tries to build consensus within teams all across the company.

EARLY LIFE

Craig was born in 1969 in San Leandro, California. After holding an undergraduate degree from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, Craig attended the University, Of California, Berkeley, where he earned a bachelor’s degree from the electrical engineering and computer science branch. Also, he did his master in science stream from the same university. Craig got married in 2014. Now he has 4 children.

CAREER

Craig Federighi was working with Steve Jobs at NeXT, where he led the development of the Enterprise Objects Framework (EOF) – it

was a software tool for large companies by letting their regular computers connect to the enterprise database. In 1996, Craig started working with Apple when it acquired NeXT. Omni Group Co-founder Will Shipley was working with Steve Jobs at NeXT at the time, and later he wrote that he had not anticipated to like Craig Federighi.

in 2011, Will Shipley mentioned in the blog, “In-comes Federighi -the new guy- and he is like seven feet tall and gameshow-host handsome and he’s smiling like a used car salesman,” further, Shipley added, “I will admit it; I was prepared not to like him.”

“You naturally expect a tall, handsome guy to be, well, kind of a jerk,” He said “Like his ideas are more important than yours. But what struck me so hard in that first meeting, so much so that it’s still in my head 17 years later, is that he was there to listen. And not just to passively listen – he wanted to make sure he understood what we were saying, yes, but also to get to the heart of it.”

In 1999, Craig quit Apple for corporate software company Ariba, where he was appointed as CTO (Chief Technology Offer).

By the time in 2009, he left Ariba and returned to Apple to work on macOS. His first physical appearance was at the WWDC event to give, what Craig called a sneak peek of MacOS X Snow Leopard.

In 2011, Craig Federighi succeeded Bertrand Serlet (Previous Vice President) as VP of Mac Software Engineering. In 2012, he was promoted as VP Of Mac software engineering at Apple.

As Craig’s responsibility increased within Apple, his stage time at events improved more quickly. He now looks more confident, enthusiastic, and calm while being on stage.

However, not all presentations went well. In 2017, when Craig was introducing Apple’s new face ID feature, it embarrassingly failed to work on the first attempt. Before the event, several people had used the new iPhone. This is why during the demonstration, the face ID asked for a passcode because of several failed attempts, later Craig explained. It’s really embarrassing even it was not a failure. However, Craig headed straight onto a backup phone without being worried.

Craig Federighi is one the very few famous faces of Apple, who has been delivering such great products along with his teams. Apple has really great products, and when Craig introduces upcoming Apple products with his cheerful nature and explanation skill, it becomes more interesting to see.

CRAIG FEDERIGHI ONCE MENTIONED, We are showing the way to the industry, to the customers, that they can demand more – they should expect more- about the protection of their privacy, and that we can move the industry into building things that better protect privacy.

Ken Ehrhart Founder and CEO

WHERE SCIENCE, EXPERIENCE AND ART MAKES A BETTER REALITY…

Today, VR has become a coherent way to experience Realities that are pretty hard to witness- fleeting or remote, impractical- dangerous or expensive, impossible- past or future. To sum it up in one line- VR enables us to experience things from a varied perspective that is different in terms of identity or scale. In this space, Paracosma has been succeeding with flying colours setting new industry norms. With a solid vision to allow Virtual Realities to be better than reality and make reality better through VR, the company has attained the reputation of one of the most efficient and credible AR/VR platforms. To dive more into its upcoming offerings, Business Connect sat down for a virtual meet with the Founder and CEO of Paracosma-Ken Ehrhart, where we offered special coverage to different aspects of this business venture.

BUSINESS CONNECT- WHAT DRIVES PARACOSMA TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICE OFFERINGS AND OFFER A BEST-IN-CLASS SERVICE PORTFOLIO TO ITS CLIENTELE?

Ken Ehrhart- As a services business, the customer experience is critical. Paracosma must deliver both the quality and value the customer expects and the service they deserve. In the US, where Paracosma is headquartered, we have a saying that, “the customer is king”. In Japan, where Paracosma has a sales and technology office, the saying would be “the customer is god”. The expectations and requirements for customer service are far higher in Japan than in most places in the world. We take that to heart throughout our global business, because customer satisfaction is the surest path to sustainable growth for a services company. While in 2018, 37% of our revenue came from repeat clients, that percentage climbed to 88% in 2021. That repeat revenue results from customer satisfaction with the quality and value of our services. Now, in 2022, we are increasingly moving to long-term client contracts for ongoing developer and artist services, rather than recurring projects. We are extremely honoured to be recognized by Business Connect Magazine as one of the Most Trusted AR/VR Companies for four years in a row, because that trust is earned through reliably and repeatedly delivering high-quality, high-value, solutions to our clients.

Business Connect- How would you justify your statement- ‘Making VirtualReality as good as reality is not enough? How are you making a asignificant change in this direction?

Ken Ehrhart- “Making augmented and virtual reality as good as reality” refers to the ideal conditions in which end users cannot tell the difference between a virtual object inserted in the real world through AR, or the difference between a virtual world and the real world. This requires significant processing and graphics capability, but also truly world-class, even best-inclass artists. One area where we have achieved this is with photorealistic 3D models that are rendered as an image to replace traditional studio photography. We have already generated over 7,500 3D models that are indistinguishable from photographs of the real items. The “is not enough” refers to the fact that we want to achieve more with AR and VR than merely replicating real life, we want to experience things virtually that are difficult, rare, expensive or dangerous and thus cannot be done in real life.

Business Connect- Please throw some light on your content creation strategies.

Ken Ehrhart- To create photorealistic virtual content, we have cultivated and trained some of the best art teams in the business. This is to a large degree through specialization rather than trying to rely on 3D generalists. We have modelling artists, texture artists, shading artists, lighting artists, riggers, animators. And, even within these specializations, we have hard-surface modellers, organic modellers, sculptures, fur experts, etc. We are also using our art talent to move into virtual production for videos and movies. We are creating virtual scenes and environments that live, real-world actors can be inserted into. These capabilities extend our work on 360-degree and traditional video by blending it with 3D virtual environments.

Business Connect- How will you describe your insights on Technology innovation?

Ken Ehrhart - In all areas of AR/VR innovation is occurring at a very rapid pace. This is necessary because clients’ visions of what they want to do in AR/VR has often never before been done. First, we need to be realistic about whether something is possible. When we determine it is possible, then we have to work hard to implement the solution, whether or not it is already in commercial production or something we are doing for the first time. We have a large team so that we can study and implement innovations as they become available.

Business Connect- If you will have to define your brand in five words, whatwould be those?

Ken Ehrhart- Highest quality and value AR/VR.

Business Connect - How do you ensure to make the best system integration experience in favour of your customerbase?

Ken Ehrhart- Here, too, the size of our team is important. We do not have to concentrate on a single platform but have the scope to learn a the breadth of platforms. Thus, we are able to recommend and implement the right solution for the client, whereas smaller firms might be restricted to fewer, possibly lesser choices. For example, we have worked with the HoloLens and HoloLens 2, Magic Leap One, Nreal, Jio, and other AR glasses. Because we care most about the longterm success of our clients and their repeat business, we focus first and foremost on the success of their project, not which solution offers us the most immediate benefit, or which one provides a commission.

Business Connect- Define your differentiating factor.

Ken Ehrhart- Because we have a large experienced team, we not only offer a one-stop-shop for all aspects of AR/VR and 360, but we are able to develop deep expertise in specialized areas, allowing us to outperform what a smaller team of generalists might deliver.

Business Connect- How did you build your team?

Ken Ehrhart- With developers, we are hiring the top-ranked graduates of the leading Computer Science universities, then

training them in the specific technologies needed in our sector. With artists, we are seeking truly talented artists, who can be trained in the specific software applications used for our work. Skilled developers andtalented artists, can learn fast and over time gain the experience needed to excel.

Business Connect- How do you ensure to involve the touch of innovation in your offerings?

Ken Ehrhart- With AR/VR advancing so quickly as a sector, we would be falling behind if we did not continually adopt the latest innovations and also innovate ourselves. Initially, we had to innovate because clients imagined AR/ VR to be more advanced than it was.

So, we had to invent new methods of achieving their visions. Then we transitioned from PC-based to standalone VR systems, which required a lot more optimization to reach the same results. Now, as use cases continue to expand, especially with interactive virtual worlds, we need to scale the numbers of simultaneous users in experiences. These are just some examples of natural evolutions of the industry, but as developers, we need to manage and ideally accelerate these developments for the benefit of our clients.

Business Connect- What are the exclusive features that make your Interactive VR stand out from the market?

Ken Ehrhart- In many ways, Paracosma tries to avoid standing out. We usually operate behind the scenes and are invisible to the market. Our goal is to help our clients stand out. In many ways, this makes our job easier. The client brings their domain expertise, supplies their competitive advantage, leverages their marketing and sales. We provide the teams to execute their development roadmap. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality, on time, at the best value.

Compared to other developers, we have an exclusive focus on AR/VR and 3D; we have deep expertise across broad segments; and a flexible delivery model from project-based to providing entire teams of developers integrated into the clients’ organizations.

Business Connect- What are the 360-degree media services you have proposed your clientele with?

Ken Ehrhart- The market segment of 360-degree media, has been incrediblyfrustrating, because it remains immature and underutilized. For many categories, from travel to nature to family events, no media is better at capturing the full experience of being present in a place or at an event than 360 photos and videos. But, after you capture the video clips, they

typically go unused, unedited, unshared. We have tried to elevate 360 media by offering full post-production services, to raise quality; offering a white-label 360 distribution platform to enable curation and sharing of content; and offering 8K VR180 broadcast-quality real-time preview systems for directors to produce professional-quality live streaming.

Business Connect- How has your brand’s work culture impacted your growth?

Ken Ehrhart- From our founding, Paracosma has had a preference for more realistic, rather than cartoony, virtual content. In the area of 3D modeling we began producing photorealistic 3D models, that are used to replace studio photography through rending of images from scenes of arranged models. We also started producing synthetic images to supplement real images used in training AI machine learning systems. Thus, we have increasingly focused on high-end, high-quality content. As we produce more and more of this content, we hone our skills further. So that, now, we are often supplementing clients’ existing vendors with premium services.

Business Connect- Please highlight the achievements and accolades attained by your brand so far?

Ken Ehrhart- In addition to repeated recognition as a Most Trusted AR/VRcompany, each year we have been recognized as among the Most Innovative AR/VR Companies. Also, Fastest Growing, Most Reliable, Revolutionary, Best Company to Work for, etc. In 2018, Paracosma was recognized as among “20 Most Promising AR/VR Tech Solution Providers”. In 2019, we were one of “10 Best AR VR Solution Providers to Watch”. By 2020, the ‘most promising’ and ‘to watch’ qualifiers were dropped and we were recognized as one of the “World’s 10 Best AR VR Solution Providers. “Last year, and again this year, Paracosma has been recognized in the “World’s top 5 AR/VR Solution Providers” and “World’s 5 Best AR/VR Solution Providers”. That progression and elevation of recognition over time is certainly something we are proud of as we strive to improve our services.

Business Connect- Where do you envision your brand in the next 10 years?

Ken Ehrhart- Over the next 10 years, we expect to see the maturing of AR/VR technology and platforms. What is difficult and specialized now, should increasingly become easier and routine. This will happen simply through the increase in the processing and graphics capability of the hardware. This defines the challenge for our own business. Right now, we specialize in providing the experience and expertise of highly skilled developers and extremely talented artists. We are focused on recruiting, training and deploying those experts at scale. What will increasingly be important is giving those engineers and artists superpowers through the adoption of technology that improves their efficiency, improves the quality of their work and lowers costs for our clients. From there, we need to disrupt our own human experts with AI systems that learn from and are supplemented with our experts. With these transitions, we intend to continually drive up quality and drive down costs.

Business Connect- Share some words of wisdom that you would like to convey to the aspiring entrepreneurs and the readers of our Magazine.

Ken Ehrhart- Focus on the future. Don’t look at the opportunities of today. Chances are there are already a lot of engineers and businesses focused on today’s problems. Image those are already solved, what will be the next challenge, the next opportunity, the next market, after current needs are filled. For example, Netflix began by challenging Blockbuster videos with DVDs sent through the mail. Their main competitive advantage was no late fees. Today, they are the dominant video movie streaming platform, even though, when they started, you could not stream a movie without huge buffering issues.

MOHSIN HAIDER DARWISH LLC

Revamping The Automotive Arena With Tech-Driven Legacy

Business Connect once again welcomes the global readership with a marvelous and top-notch tale of a leading brand in the business arena of the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf region - Mohsin Haider Darwish (MHD) LLC.

Our editorial panel had an inspiring conversation with Mr. Mohsin Hani Al-Bahrani, the CEO of Mohsin Haider Darwish’s Automotive, Construction Equipment and Renewable Energy vertical, popularly known as MHD ACERE. A young entrepreneur, Mr. Mohsin has worked extremely hard and achieved remarkable success for himself and the company in a very short span of time. So, without further ado, let’s take you with us to the inspirational entrepreneurial journey of Mr. Mohsin Hani Al-Bahrani.

In 1987, the family business of Darwish family led by late visionary Mr. Mohsin Haider Darwish was transformed into a corporate entity as MHD LLC. Keeping automotive services as a focal point, the company has relentlessly grown at a brisk pace and witnessed numerous growth tides using a strategic management system throughout the organization. Mr. Mohsin Hani Al-Bahrani is leading the organization with his tremendous motto/ firm belief, ‘If the tide of the time is against you keep marching on’. The young and ambitious leader is motivating the whole team and has made MHD ACERE one of the most successful business organizations within MHD Group.

Mr. Mohsin became the CEO of MHD ACERE in 2020 when the whole world and especially the business market was adversely impacted by the COVID-19. The pandemic had thrown numerous challenges on the business and economic health of Oman, but MHD ACERE was successful overcoming them under the stewardship of its CEO. The Business Management graduate has brought the company to great heights of success by implementing his business acumen and resilient leadership throughout the organization. He has been successful in bringing the top automotive brands of the world, including McLaren Automotive, ABB EV Charges, Varta Batteries, XCMG and Weir Trio to Oman.

MOHSIN HANI AI-BAHRANI Chief Executive Officer

ABOUT THE CEO

Mr. Mohsin Hani Al-Bahrani is the eldest grandson of late Mr. Darwish and leader of one of the major automotive conglomerates of Oman. He has completed his graduation from Brunel University, London, and his Master’s in Middle Eastern Studies from Kings College, London. After he joined the company, the sales and overall operations witnessed a steep rise in terms of turnover as his innovative and up-tothe-mark techniques assisted in providing the best-qualified products to the clients.

The pandemic didn’t deter his spirit and in the wake of repeated lockdowns, he launched e-Commerce platforms for the automotive divisions. This helped the company to stay connected with the buyers and its clientele who now had easy access to the products and services offered by the organization.

Mr. Mohsin set up the Renewable energy division in Oman, as he believes the specific sector has a market gap and also the potential to be the future of the automotive industry. Within this division, he also initiated the sale of solar panels in Oman, a country abundant in solar energy. The young visionary explains his efforts

and the importance of maintaining the brand value of the company,

“I aim to keep MHD Automotive among the top automotive distributors in the country our vision is to contribute to the Sultanate’s efforts in overcoming challenges by keeping pace with regional and global changes. Our way forward is to build sustainable solutions, and I intend to fully utilize the resources in hand to help in making clients’ access to our vehicles even easier and more convenient”.

One thing that inspired our team the most is the humanitarian nature of Mr. Mohsin as he acted as a ray of hope for the people of Oman in the most difficult times. . He didn’t think twice before converting Ashok Leyland buses (another integral brand with MHD ACERE) into mobile Covid Testing Units, so that people in the interior regions of Oman could get tested and the spread of the pandemic could be curbed. He emerged as a role model for especially the

youth as and inspired them to strive and attain their goals with zeal,courage and ethics.

COMMITMENT TOWARDS THE COUNTRY

In addition to being an outstanding business leader, Mr. Mohsin is undoubtedly a perfect citizen of the country as well. Following the initiatives of the Government of Oman, he has kept his prime focus on the process of Omanization by introducing a great number of citizens as employees in his organization and proved himself a committed citizen and a champion of the initiative. To accelerate his efforts, he ensured that the Omanization ratio as set by the Labor Ministry of the country is successfully adhered to in MHD ACERE. He has also created a streamlined and transparent hiring process within the management panel to recruit more Omani employees year after year.

Moreover, Mr. Mohsin, is an active member of the Oman-Turkey Friendship Association to improve and enhance the relationship between the two countries.

A PERSONA FILLED WITH ETHOS

Mr. Mohsin has also been instrumental inbringing forward a brand like MG Motor in the Sultanate. The brand has risen to 3rd place as per MEAC Report in terms of local sales volume that is a massive jump from the 15th position for passenger cars in 2019. He was awarded a certificate of appreciation for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ by SAIC Motor Middle East for outstanding sales performance.

Mr. Mohsin has also diversified the business operations into new verticals by setting up MHD Leasing LLC as he has a robust perception that economic diversification with tourism promotion is extremely crucial to the growth of

the nation.

Other than being a top-notch business leader, Mr. Mohsin has a clear goal towards improving the environmental condition as well. As the situation of global warming is worsening day by day, he has established numerous sustainable business practices throughout the company to overcome the risk. He has planned to install high-power EVC’s across the country and has collaborated with ABB, the business leaders in the respective realm.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES WITH A ROBUST MINDSET

John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader”. One can say this quote aptly defines Mr. Mohsin as he is relentlessly inspiring and cheering up the young and future generations with his marvelous ingeniousness. He has handled the situation of a worse pandemic crisis with his smart implementation techniques and solid determination. In addition, he has deployed numerous innovative ideas through which MHD ACERE has overcome the obstacles and emerged victorious. Due to his exceptional career growth and unmatched skill set, he has achieved numerous accolades and appreciation throughout his journey. Although we can’t go through the list of his awards and recognitions, we tried to highlight a few of them here:

• He was listed among the 100 Most Influential CEOs in Oman by the prestigious magazine-Oman Economic Review

• Emerging Business Leader of the Year at AIWA

• Leaders of Tomorrow by CHRO Asia and the World HRD Congress

• GCC Young Achievers of 2020 by the Arabian Business.

He is also the recipient of the TAS Icon of Oman and has been recognized as one of the top 50 prominent personalities in Oman. Indeed, the list of his achievements at his young age is commendable. As we enter 2022, Mr. Mohsin is optimistic and all set to scale the success ladder even higher. The inspiring visionary is marching on with dignity and ideas, carrying forward the rich legacy of the MHD and his ancestors to contribute to the growth of Oman and the prosperity of its people.

Supreme Fashion Accessory

Sunglasses are the ultimate fashion accessory, almost worn by everyone, and without them most wouldn’t leave home. When the sun is glaring off the town and you pick your sunglasses out of your back, once you lip them on, you instantly change your appearance.

Reasons Why Sunglasses Acts More Than Just

An

Accessory

It’s no longer a medical necessity, just a style need. The dreary vision-correcting computer machine revamped surprisingly into a cool and swanky faddish accessory. The rage is so strong that, just for the sake of fashion even people with perfect vision wear lenses.

PROTECT EYES FROM GLARE

Sunglasses not only let you see better when it’s light outside, but they also decrease the amount you need to squint by the cutting back on the sun. Squinting will lead to headaches, exhaustion and eye pressure, as well as the formation over time of fine lines in the skin around the eyes. When you squint, it’s also difficult to see clearly, which can lead to injuries, particularly when driving. Maximum glare safety is offered by polarized sunglasses.

DARK ADAPTATION

After you are exposed to intense sunshine, sunglasses allow you to refocus your vision. If you will not adapt for long stretches after being exposed to the sun, your night vision may be impaired. You’ll find it hard to see the road while you are riding at night. Riding becomes risky when you haven’t been wearing shades.

Some Top Sunglasses Brands

PROTECT EYES FROM UV RAYS

One of the most significant advantages of wearing sunglasses is that they shield the eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation and the fragile skin around them. Exposure to UV can lead to cataracts and cause glaucoma symptoms worse. Moreover, about to 10 per cent of skin cancers are found near the eyes. Choose glasses that cover the eyes entirely and make sure that they have 100 per cent UVA and UVB protection.

MAUI JIM

In the early 1980s, Maui Jim sunglasses made their debut at a hotel pool in Maui, Hawaii. By 1988, the mainland was just starting to see them. This sunglasses are built for males and females alike. Many of the models have polarised lenses of varying colours that shield against the sunshine glare.

VERSACE

In 1978 Versace was started, this Italian fashion house made its debut in Milan, Italy. Versace sunglasses are known for their ornate, female-centred logo, and their wrap around and aviator styles are common. Much of the lenses are polarised to shield the eyes. Some women’s styles involve ornate and lavish details.

RAY-BAN

A debut back in the 1930s, the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses made their airline flights more popular, and the legends of the era were pilots. The Italian-based company offer polarised lenses to shield the eyes from sunlight. In the 1980s, with the release of films such as “Top Gun” and “Risky Business,” these glasses gained attention.

Here are some reasons why, before you head out the door, you’ll want to catch those shades:

TECH INNOVATION GLOBAL INC.

HELPING COUNTRIES, COMMUNITIES & BUSINESS THRIVE IN TODAY’S MARKET

Technology is transforming the way we live, work, and interact with others. While tremendous strides have been made in the last decade, COVID-19 pushed it to the next level. Automation has been a gamechanger, reinventing tedious tasks, boosting accessibility to services, and enhancing efficiency, all while raising total work-value and performance. Online services have been a boon across the landscape, especially in rural settings, for procurement, reducing mobility, learning, and accessing capabilities through the Confederation of International Commission.

Technology is also causing the business world to become more ecologically sound. Sustainability has evolved from a phrase to a driving force for the environment, economy, and society. As a result, committing to sustainable practices has grown critical as the negative effects of climate change become more visible and foreboding, with the potential to disrupt everything from supply chains to profitability. To summarize, technology is enhancing people’s lives, exposing them to the rest of the world and making them more ecologically conscious.

ALICIA CARROLL President & CEO

The notion is indelible, and because not everyone can uphold these obligations on their own, they must turn to a socially conscious firm. Enter Tech Innovation Global Inc. The company is a small/minority business for community service, improvements, charity, and overall well-being. It provides technology and tools that have the potential to change people’s lives and businesses. It’s one of the first black woman WOSB-owned businesses located in the USA in task development to utilize data analysis including corrections to improve performance. Its customized services to broaden the horizons of business and livelihood are the highlights of the following cover story.

A CRITICAL RECOURSE FOR TODAY’S ERA

Tech Innovation Global Inc. combines a potent mix of skills and consulting with day-to-day management services. The resultant offerings ensure environmental sustainability with the essence of nature and technology. The company has a global network of 40 companies that are linked by an integrated marketplace/community that serves the International Commission and the BBB in the US. It primarily works in the areas of science, technology, agriculture, HR, health & nutrition (obesity), mental health and subcontracting. It has a gamut of offerings, including pre-order app subscriptions, data assessments, products, recruitment, online training resources, tech information, charities and connecting consumers.

Tech Innovation Global Inc. is a WOSB with a lot to offer in the modern age. Its supply management and investment services aid clients in achieving peak performance. The business is a reputable technical and commercial supplier with noteworthy HR technology resources. It offers the skills required to accomplish tasks in the business world, foster creativity, and link businesses with communities. In 2020, Tech Innovation Global Inc. corrected guidance and implemented COVID-19 data analysis for nations in partnership with international health ministries, including New Delhi, and the International Commission approved the results in July. Alicia Sheree Carroll (President), who has been in charge of the activities, has received accolades and distinguished service medals, such as Federal Woman Program award, contracting and tech coordinator small business advocacy awards from 2004 to 2017. From the start in 2019, its focus was to become a paradigm of “Global Managing Business,” offering services, contracting and developing skills. Today, with its strong global presence, it collaborates with many businesses with more than 25 years of expertise.

Defined By An Undiluted Purpose

Tech Global Innovation Inc. has a history of over 2 decades in the industry. In 2001, the business launched, largely concentrating on the SBA’s streamlined purchases. Over the years, it has outweighed several tides and storms while expanding its global presence and network. The company was reopened in 2020 with three concrete missions: to work with communities and developmental workforce activities, providing Post-COVID assistance and working with socio-economic verticals to upgrade skills required for data analysis, science and environmental research to help individuals, families, establishments, and businesses. This underlying purpose eventually paved the way for its unique niche.

The company’s USP is its great service alliances with nations and companies that have a stellar track record in business, which allows companies to operate at their peak efficiency while reducing costs. Tech Innovation Global Inc. is supported by international foundations like SAM, USFCR, MBE, and SBA and has the backing of chambers of commerce from many nations. It has teamed up with startup leader CS Solutions Canada to create a platform for technology projects, anecdotes from business leaders, profiles of entrepreneurs, and services and goods from the US to the rest of the world. Tech Innovation Global Inc. is introduced to India by Mr. Vishal Kalra’s Designistic launch platforms for companies to Bring Investors and Entrepreneurs to the Market in association with ViewNow and co-powered by the Web3. Tech Innovation Global Inc. also collaborates with former police officer/magistrate W. Culver and several other legal boards on crime reduction and reform.

CRITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Tech Innovation Global Inc. proposed a fund series “A” to raise $200 million in 2022 to support ongoing economic reforms in rural areas of Europe, the UK, India and the US. It is supported by angel investors, and people can contribute by investing or by buying goods or services for analysis, product development, mental health, financial planning, nutrition services, translations, training for workforce development, and vendor items for their businesses via the website to support the initiative. These purchases can be made using equity-stock, BPA, purchase requests, sales quotes, credit cards, or other payment methods. The fund was intended to encourage skill development, foster employment opportunities, and foster innovation through its proprietary app. The app assists with a variety of tasks, including getting workforce assessments and uploading webinars, products, items, videos, and other content for training and/or translations at https://www. techinnovationglobalinc.com.

The app was developed in association with CS Solutions in collaboration with Global Foundation and Chambers. The flagship was commemorated by Business Connect in the “2021 Corporate Excellence Awards.”

Tech Innovation Global Incorporated

FUNDRAISER

THE LEADING LADY BEHIND THE EFFORTS

There is a saying, “Technology is best when it brings people together.” The fundamental goal of reopening Tech Innovation Global Inc. was to use technology to advance community projects. Alicia’s diligent leadership has guided and advanced the goal. She is an engineer and technologist well-known for breaking barriers through strategic implementations. Her motivation for pursuing this journey came from working closely with consultants in performing initiatives. Working together with consultants on initiatives provided her with the drive to carry out this mission. She has contributed to planning initiatives for training and enhancing communities and businesses, all of which are critical factors. The experience played a crucial role in helping Tech Innovation Global Inc. establish engineering management, viz., to enhance daily life through app tool services, products and technology. She has been named the “Entrepreneur of the Year 2021” because of the success of this endeavour. Her significant efforts

Companies

Confederation of the International Commission CS Solutions

Venture Capital BPA, Equity, & Contracting

to charitable work and enhancing general wellbeing over the past 21 years have helped her make a difference.

As of now, Alicia is treasured in the most influential and inspiring league of ‘shepreneur.’ She is an award-winning technologist of the “2021 Corporate Excellence Awards” with an Honorary Doctoral from the University of New Mexico and Florida Institute of Technology. She also holds a Mechanical Engineering degree and a Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA). She has also worked on projects worth millions of dollars while performing reviews, approvals, and planning for technological advancements, business administration, project management, and scientific endeavors. The initiatives have aided companies in utilizing specialists to enhance community resources for success and wellness.

REWORKING ON PREVAILING HURDLES

Although Tech Innovation Global Inc. was founded with a glorious purpose, it hasn’t been a smooth quest. One challenge, in particular,

Tech Innovation Global

App

All the resources you need, in one place. The Tech Innovation Global App aims to provide the community with holistic, integrative, and complementary solutions to health and wellness needs. We provide a growing marketplace for producers and distributors to showcase their health and wellness products directly to the consumer market.

Scan to donate

Learn more at www.techinnovationglobalinc.com

was the declining ratio of women entrepreneurs in 2020. According to statistics, women-led enterprises make more revenue overall — more than twice as much for every dollar invested. Also, women-led startups have made contributions to society and research while creating healthy workplace cultures. Even though women entrepreneurs have created waves, it’s often challenging to enter established networks and how many investors stick to pattern-matching behaviors and tech companies run by men. Venture capital firms have approximately 12% of decisionmakers as women, and many don’t even have female partners. Eventually, the inequality affects the overall employment scenario for women.

Tech Innovation Global Inc. aims to set a paradigm of change. It is a WOSB and has made extraordinary contributions to business and society. For instance, it has performed extraordinary work and data analysis in tackling inequality with a focus on the scope of responsibility, esteem, involvement, share and support other goals.

Tech Innovation Global Inc.

Advisory Board, WOSB Alicia Carroll Asian, Indian and African Chamber in collaboration.

Nutrition & Obesity

Worldwide Resource for Consumers

Webinars

Producers & Distributors

DATA ANALYSIS AND EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE COVID

The world as we knew it has been shattered by COVID-19 and its effects, but it has also brought us closer than ever to helping others grow. Similar to this, Tech Innovation Global Inc. carried out an independent analysis of the COVID-19 screening evaluations and symptoms. Alicia is an advisor to the African Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Africa in India documenting her data analysis in April 28, 2020 to lift and reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus transmissions during America’s reopening in the COVID-19 National Response Team where she shifted Easter to May/June 2020 followed by an honorary doctoral degree in Engineering Management from International Programs University of Azteca in May 2022.

To slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, it further spread safety awareness (Wear a mask, maintain a safe distance, wash hands every 20 sec., test symptoms, inoculate and consult health departments to keep communities safe, workplaces safe, businesses healthy, and perform skill gap analysis to workflow assessments). Following these strategies, the business also set up specialized training programs, such as evaluations of data analysis, 25 live webinars for the general public and businesses to use resources with experts, legal benefits for success, healthy habits, and various others.

THE FRUITS OF LABOUR AND COMMITMENT

Born with a mission and committed to seeing others grow, it’s safe to say Tech Innovation Global Inc. has made great strides. Alicia is a member of the advisory board African and Indian Chamber. Last year, in Mar 2021, she was conferred with the title “Influential Women in Tech, 2021.” Her leadership helped her company achieve many notable milestones for being active in helping businesses and communities progress. Few of them are:

• Advisory Board, Africa and India

• British Chamber of Commerce “2021 Corporate Excellence Awards” December 23, 2021

• The 10 Most Inspiring Business Women Making a Difference, 2021″ March 2021

• Influential Women in Tech, 2021” March 2021

• World’s Who’s Who: Tech Innovation Global Incorporated

• “2021 Corporate Excellence Awards” December 2021

Its efforts in curtailing COVID-19 were covered by Science to Earth and Wellness with Treva Garcia, RDN, and other media establishments. In the end, these efforts were made possible by Alicia’s unbridled efforts and commitment to economic development. She aims to assist nations in achieving high GDP, equitable housing, manufacturing, trade, and travel freedom because these things support economic growth in a nation.

GOALS TO ACHIEVE

Tech Innovation Global Inc. is actively engaged in its $200 million fund target for 2021-2032 to promote tech initiatives such as services in business, engineering, collaborate in agriculture in Enviro Culture™ and new technology products in several socio-economic sectors, portals to local to global to bring businesses to the community. Additionally, it is working on new products and services in conjunction with the Confederation of International Commission, the Department of Telecom (DoT), the Ministry of Health and Wellness, CS Solutions and other entities. With small investments, Tech Innovation Global Inc. has accomplished tasks that companies invest billions to perform.

Accion Labs

Gulshan Parveen | Business Connect

ASHUTOSH BIJOOR CTO

PREFACE

Recognized by Smart 50 Magazine for its efforts in innovation for multiple years, Accion Labs is a global innovation engineering company that uses emerging technologies, a range of accelerators, and a field-tested gated innovation delivery process to build transformational software. As Accion simply puts it, “We are thinkers, we are designers, and we are builders.”

Post earning a good name for itself, Accion is now being honored by our esteemed magazine ‘Business Connect’ as ‘Company of the year 2021.’

ACCION OVERVIEW

Accion strongly believes that today’s innovation is rooted in a deep understanding of technology levers. This is evidenced by the fact that disruptions in most industries were caused by innovations that were created by outsiders rather than incumbents from the industry and by leveraging technology as the primary disruptive factor. A phenomenon referred to as “Inversion of Innovation’’where technology Innovation steers business Innovation.

With a belief in this, Accion has strategically organized its many capabilities into distinct Centers of Excellence (COE). Each COE plays an important role during various phases of the product engineering journey and collaborates to solve business and technology challenges to maximize value for clients. The ability to admix various COE capabilities in fresh and inventive ways solves unique challenges, uncovers new opportunities, and unlocks hidden value.

Accion’s cornerstones of expertise include Architecture and Technology Platforms, Cloud Infrastructure, Data Analytics and Insights, DevOps and Automation, Human-Computer Interface, IT and Operations Management, and Product and Innovation Design. Employing these cornerstones, Accion builds new and leading-edge software or re-engineers and modernizes existing software. Sometimes, this existing software is simply maintained and enhanced, to prepare for future-forward developments.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Traditionally, during the first wave of e-innovation technology firms practiced a “waterfall” type model. Firms would raise a large amount of capital and then proceed to complete a number of long sequential tasks; such as hiring an R&D team, defining product requirements, defining the development and production architectures, and then finally engineering and deploying the product. Such a process was slow, cumbersome, and fraught with many risks.

As a result of these challenges, many failed to deliver value back to their investors. A trio of experienced technologists started reimagining the supply chain of software innovation, and on the heels of the early 2000’s, soon after the internet bubble burst, Accion was born.

“We are thinkers”, “We are designers” and “We are builders”

Founded in 2011 in the beautiful city of Pittsburgh, Accion Labs envisioned a better way of building commercial/scalable products in which the “innovators” used the “building blocks” of software and focused on assembling solutions versus building from scratch. Similarly, many hardware centric companies were already operating in this manner. Accion knew to assemble quality solutions (using software building blocks), a unique skill set was required.

Giving this vision life, a model was created which through engagement with Accion, software companies could rapidly build their products free of all logistics; hiring, facility set up, product testing, etc. Such a model enabled companies to deliver products early and avoid making early-stage fixed-cost commitments.

HOW ITS GOING

Since its original founding Accion has expanded its innovation engineering capabilities. Through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, 22 locations (and counting) are serviced worldwide and 4500+ engineers work to bring visions to life.

Presently, with this global infrastructure, Accion is helping 100+ clients reimagine their business ecosystem while making social impacts and increasing stakeholder engagement, happiness, and value. Such clients include enterprise organizations, tech startups, SaaS, and platform firms. Industry experience ranges across e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, non-profit, retail /supply chain, telecom, to utilities and many more.

Accion attributes its decade growth to word-of-mouth referrals; a direct outcome of consistently exceeding delivery expectations for its clients. To ensure and uphold excellent service, Accion’s approach focuses on quality engineering, inherently assuring that the best practices are implemented and adhered to.

THE DNA OF ACCION

Accion’s motto is “Driving Outcomes Through Actions.” Through a collaborative environment, solutions are sought for tomorrow and built today. An expansive and global network of various career backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, assimilate to produce world class outcomes.

Accion treats its employees as its clients. Known among the Accion family as the “Employee=Customer” philosophy. It is only through the creativity, intelligence, and strong work ethics of its employees that Accion is fortunate to call some of the world’s leading technology companies their clients.

Beyond the office, Accion encourages a strong work / life harmony. Enjoying family and personal time, celebrating cultural holidays, household milestones, and Friday team luncheons are essential to connect and elevate employees and in turn induce quality productivity.

Standing with Ashutosh, and two founders, CEO, Kinesh Doshi and VP of Sales , Tony Kernan, a dynamic leadership team drives the success of the company.

COVID -19

As most can relate, the coronavirus pandemic greatly impacted how Accion operated and continues to operate business. For Accion, collaboration is an essential pillar for driving innovation and the company had to adapt to drive opportunities virtually following the sudden shift to remove work. The company continues to overcome this challenge by implementing safe and creative engagement opportunities through personal enrichment and education sessions, virtual celebrations, and volunteer opportunities. As always, the company endeavors to keep its employees involved and motivated.

Currently and with proper safety protocols, Accion is slowly opening its office doors and encouraging employees to come together in person once again.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Stratus Award for Cloud Computing - IoT (2021)

• Smart Business Magazine - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Smart 50 Honoree Kinesh Doshi (Top 50 CEO’s in Pittsburgh)

• Smart Business Magazine - 2018, 2019 Innovation category award winner

• Pittsburgh Business Times Fastest Growing Companies in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

• 2019 Pittsburgh Business Choice Awards “Software Development”

• Kinesh Doshi was named Entrepreneur of the Year for Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia Region in 2015 by EY

• 2019 Pittsburgh Business Choice Awards “Software Development

PLANNING TO…

“Accion plans to continue to expand operations in Mexico and Romania, and strengthen its existing global locations.”

KINESH DOSHI CEO

STEWART F. LANE

The Man Who Made Theatre a Digital Experience

Has streaming become the new face of theatre? During the pandemic, the answer is definitely “yes.” Although the authentic experience of live theatre can only be enjoyed physically, digital platforms have ushered live entertainment to a whole new era and will remain a part of the industry post lockdown. Streaming visionary and six-time Tony Award winner, Stewart F. Lane speaks on this, “I have been involved with filming stage to screen productions for many years because I believe it expands the audience for Broadway”.

Lane is an eminent theatre producer with a decades long career of critically acclaimed live shows and he is co-owner of the legendary Palace Theater. In 2015, Lane founded BroadwayHD and it is transforming the Broadway industry by streaming full length shows on the Internet. BroadwayHD has often been referred to as the “Netflix for Broadway”. In it’s short history, BroadwayHD has made the Guinness World Record for the first live stream of a Broadway show, won eight Telly Awards, been nominated for a Webby, and amassed subscribers in 124 countries. Meanwhile, the average age for a Broadway ticket buyer dropped for the first time in over 20 years. This change in demographics is evidence that by making Broadway accessible to a younger and more diverse audience on the Internet, it is motivating them to buy tickets to the live stage shows. BroadwayHD is proving to be a win-win for everyone who loves Broadway by serving the current Broadway fan and ensuring a strong audience for the future.

ONE-OF-A-KIND STREAMING PLATFORM

BroadwayHD is a niche subscription streaming platform having full-length stage plays and musicals captured specifically for multiplatform viewing to theatre fans across the globe. BroadwayHD offers unlimited on-demand access to a library of 300+ theatre productions from Broadway to every subscriber. Every piece of content on the platform is a treasure as it had to cross several barriers before hitting the spotlight. The platform is engineered by a team of theatre enthusiasts, tech-experts and digital marketing specialists, whose combined focus resides on making theatre available to everyone. “The ticket-buying audience for the live stage shows is easy to reach and affluent. And theatre fans that could not afford tickets or get to the theater are thrilled to have access to a brand previously unavailable to them”, asserts Lane.

BroadwayHD’s Motto - “If You Can’t Get to Broadway, Get to BroadwayHD”.

BroadwayHD’s positive reviews, an enormous fan base and international recognition fuel its popularity for their digital filmed shows. The platform is barrelled with emerging innovations so that subscribers get access to a robust and dynamic library of continuously streaming content. Incorporating subscriber feedback and staying ahead of technology trends creates opportunity for new shows and builds a constant pipeline for streamed contents.

STEWART F. LANE Co-Founder / CFO

LIVE THEATER BACKGROUND

Lane’s motivation in establishing BroadwayHD is driven by an exceptional career in the theatre arena. His passion and love for theatre started in childhood after seeing Neil Simon’s “Little Me” on Broadway. Making up his mind to pursue a career in theatre, he attended Boston University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Acting. After five years starring in regional theater and touring productions, Lane wanted to return to New York so he set his sights on producing. Lane worked on Broadway as an Assistant House Manager and eventually secured a position working for his mentor James M. Nederlander.

Lane’s experience and love of live theater has led him to his place as a theater historian. Lane has authored the books - Black Broadway: African Americans on the Great White Way, Jews on Broadway: An Historical Survey of Performers, Playwrights, Composers, Lyricists and Producers, 2d Ed. and Let’s Put on a Show! Theatre Production for Novices. These books are a holisticguide to anyone aspiring to a career in theatre production and those interested in the rich history of theater.

Lane not only re-defined the theatre experience but has also given back to the theatre community. Lane serves on the Board of Trustees at Boston University, The Actors Fund and The American Theatre Wing. He has formed scholarship funds at Columbia University Business Graduate School, Boston University College of Fine Arts Undergraduate School and UMass among others. He has actively supported LaGuardia High School and many other performing arts schools across the US. In honour of his efforts, Five Towns College has renamed their business school the Stewart F. Lane School of Business for his contributions to the World of Entertainment.

A COURTEOUS AMBIENCE

‘Safety’, ‘Respect’ and ‘Community’, these are the three core values that uphold BroadwayHD. Lane envisioned this platform not only to propagate the splendour of Broadway but to empower theatre enthusiasts as well. At BroadwayHD, whether it’s employees, the subscriber’s data or content – everyone and everything exult a wholesome environment. The cohesiveness amongst these propels the brand to a broader community and helps it thrive. Every team member puts forth an equilateral love and appreciation for the theatrical productions and responsibly protects and promotes that content. A lot of Lane’s and his team’s efforts go to live stage shows but still, they manage a work-life balance by spending time with their families on weekends and vacations.

BESTOWED WITH REVERENCE AND ACCOLADES

Lane’s eminence and experience make him a connoisseur of his segment and constantly powers his goal to re-define Broadway shows. Through his media technology platform, he has sculpted the long-standing art from an elitist form to an art form accessible to everyone. “Our shows are priceless, and we treat them that way and our content partners appreciate that and the subscribers adore it”, Lane exclaims wholeheartedly. He has produced the Olivier winning Top Hat, and Olivier Nominated musicals ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ and ‘Ragtime’, and the world premiere of JFK: A musical Drama as well. His longlasting stretch has fostered many more timeless shows and shaped him to the pioneer he is.

Lane was bestowed with the Guinness World Record in 2016 for premiering the first Broadway Show (She Loves Me) as a live stream. He has received - 4 Drama Desk Awards, a Drama Critics Circle Award, an Outer Circle Critics Award and a Drama League Award. His productions and talent are further conferred with the prestigious Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, The Actors Fund Medal of Honor, The Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award, and many other prestigious awards.

“

Lane launched a Trailblazer’s Rail of Content on BroadwayHD to impart support to the marginalized voices – Women, LGBTQ and other under represented communities. BroadwayHD shines a spotlight on the under represented so that they are encouraged to pursue similar opportunities as the established artists. In his journey to revamp theatre culture, Lane aims to infuse his platform with engaging content and cement his ultimate goal of creating accessibility for all. He further comments, “I look forward to more vibrant content and my place as a mentor and advisor to inspire the next generation of theatre-makers and audiences.”

WORDS OF WISDOM BY STEWART F. LANE

Believe in yourself – it is the best investment for your career and life. Be sure of what you are doing and the audience you are attracting. And always be ready for a roller coaster ride of winning and losing! ”

CORRELATION BETWEEN HEALTH & ECONOMY

There is a well-understood relationship that when you are healthy, automatically the country’s economy improves as well, your health performance is fully reflected in both the economy and health systems. As a healthy population, one can make an important contribution towards economic progress because the population that is healthy, lives more and are considered more productive. Investment in health is not only a desirable priority for most communities but also an important one, as it reflects on the economy. However, our health systems also face challenges that are daunting as well as complex, arising in part from new stresses such as ageing populations, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and the intensive use of costly but critical health technologies.

A HEALTHIER INDIVIDUAL AFFECTS THE ECONOMY IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

• At work, a healthier individual can be more productive and earn higher incomes.

• A healthy person may spend more time in the labour force as compared to a less healthy individual who often takes sick leave or retires early.

• They will invest more in the process of learning new things in order to improve their efficiency.

• In anticipation of a longer life, a healthy individual may save more by raising the funds available to invest in the economy.

In order to briefly explain the relationship between health and economic development, the concept of health needs to be understood in a broad sense. When we speak about health, it is not just the absence of diseases, but also people’s capacity to grow during their lives to their potential. In combination with that welfare, an asset possessed by individuals has a significant source of well-being as well as instrumental importance. In terms of health, economic development is affected by health in a variety of ways. For example, it decreases production losses due to sickness of a worker, often increases adult productivity as a result of improved nutrition and lower absenteeism rates, and improves school children’s learning. Health also agrees with the use of natural resources that may usually be intended for ill health care.

Health has its consequences directly through worker productivity and the economic burden of diseases on economic development. Health also indirectly influences economic development as factors such as child health influence people’s potential incomes through the effect that health has on education.

If we take up a household example that is observed on a family basis, this sort of indirect effect is much easier to understand. When a family is safe, the father and mother will both have a job and earn money that helps them to eat, protect, and send their children to school. Children would do well in school if they are safe and well-nourished and this will have a positive effect on their future income. The lack of health often affects the poor to a great degree, as their body is often the only commodity they have.

The correlation between Health and Economy goes hand in hand as the importance of investment in health refers to the betterment of economic development because a healthier individual can help to increase both the number of hours worked as well as the probability that they will be employed.

AN UNORTHODOX INCEPTION

BRUCE T DUGAN: A Daredevil Technopreneur

Digitization and its explosive opportunities have inspired entrepreneurs and business leaders to step beyond the fence. They have actuated digital interaction with business and people, automation, and much more;

In 2012, Bruce visited Bangalore to hire a friend’s firm to complete a project he was involved in. His sole intent was to stay for a month to design the project, then fly to Thailand while that team completed coding, before returning to Bangalore for the final phase of the project. But fate had something else in store for him. He found a group of young people and decided to launch an offshore digital service company built around them. Two years later it was selected ‘Startup of the Year’ and quickly went from 3 people to 20.

Incognito Worldwide has evolved from a web development company to a full-fledged digital services firm, offering branding & design, website development, online marketing, and automated platform solutions. Another Inicia subsidiary, I2MEDIALAB, provides high-level custom software, and platform development, while the parent company, Inicia Incorporated, manages operations of these and other brands. while also offering additional services to startups, SBEs, and large corporations alike, including accounting, investment materials development. and specific industry consulting. The group of companies forms an end-to-end provider with a single point of contact.

An Unbridled Passion For Entrepreneurship

Bruce is a serial entrepreneur who has conceived, launched, and operated several innovative startups over the years, beginning with Worldway Freight Systems in 1982. He was a thought-leader in that industry with innovative accounting and bookkeeping systems, and a service leader of point-to-point LTL long haul delivery. He exec-produced and secured distribution for two films, and launched two nationally distributed record labels. before finding his way into technology and media in 2005. But it was during his logistics years working closely with Fortune-100 manufacturers and branded consumer product companies that he gained eclectic insights -across a broad range of industry sectors -- from his client’s operations that he would later use in his career to recognize operational pain points and choke points, and then develop strategies to increase productivity and/or reducing redundancy.

While Bruce learned how the big corporations were structured and operated, as an SME he had to be able to adapt to changing conditions much faster and combine the two, or in his words “be nimble enough to dance between the elephant’s legs.”

Recognizing the need to share and channel values, visions, plans, and strategies with his team and team leaders, his operating philosophy had been to identify the company and team goals, and then allow the team leaders the freedom to (A) pursue their own strategies, (B) learn from those successes, and (C) rinse and repeat. With the overall company and subsidiaries integrated but sprawled out over three continents, the company has been a remote-based operation long before anyone knew the word COVID-19.

Bruce and the executives invested extensive time and energy into building the company processes and infrastructure on technology that could transcend time and distance barriers. They hold regular virtual meetings, oversee and manage projects, layout long/shortterm goals, and action plans, utilizing that technology with each department communicating in real-time to fulfill client needs.

in short, our way of life. Based on these innovative inputs, it’s safe to say that they’re continually demonstrating their ingenuity. Being innovative is the need of this era. We are living at the edge of transformations, and it is important for leaders to adaptto grow. Bruce T. Dugan, the founder of Incognito Worldwide and several other tech-enabled enterprises, is a native New Yorker with imaginative and experienced leadership. It’s unusual for an entrepreneur to go to a country on a short-term project, then meet a few locals and form a business around them. He did, and the result was Incognito Worldwide. Let’s dive into this dignitary’s entrepreneurial journey to know more about him and him and his company.

Bruce T. Dugan CEO, Incognito Worldwide

Indranil Roy | Business Connect

As an American, Bruce, also focused on teaching his India-based team how to adapt to a U.S. client mindset, during his 6-year residency in India. Those efforts have seen stellar client reviews, affording them the luxury to pick and choose which customers they work with, with nearly 100% client satisfaction. To date. most new customers are acquired via referrals.

He had his share of failures but used each to learn and adapt. His team endured setbacks and challenges but emerged stronger and more resilient from each, Today they operate several brands, including i2Medialab, Incognito, I2Webservices, First Drum Films, Intech Creative LLC, Dinevite, and several online magazines and resource directories.

UNABASHED BY TECHNOLOGY IMPEDIMENTS

Incognito Worldwide avoids tech-speak and maintains clear communications with clients to meet expectations. Whether it’s as simple as making an appealing logo, developing websites, web or mobile apps and/or marketing them, or helping clients streamline their operations. the team’s track-record has been impressive.

AN ADRENALINE PUNCHED PERSONA

While Bruce had deep knowledge and experience in startups. logistics, production, marketing, and distribution, he approaches projects with an abstract vision combined with a linear process and excels at industry trend recognition, strategic and planning & development. The result is his ability in deep market research and to convert client’s vision into practical reality. In 2020 he and his co-founder & CTO, Mario Delfino, along with the Incognito directors. Kiran K, Nihanth K, and creative directors Shalini V and Ruby Gonsalez, , successfully designed, built, and published Dinevite.me, both now available in the Apple and Google app stores, and oversee the marketing roll-out.

Bruce has been a maverick throughout his career, often proving naysayers wrong to foresee coming trends, but also embodies the concept of being a digital nomad and adventurer. At the age of 60, along with Nihanth, they took motorcycles and set out on a 30-day motorcycle adventure from Bangalore to Kardung La (https:// rideofyourlife.in/), the highest road in the world located in the Indian Himalayas. He and team would often spend weeks each year in huts on the beach of South Goa where they’d decompress, working a few hours each day. He is well-traveled and lived in Buenos Aires, Cannes France, and San Pedro, Mexico. currently running the company from Cancun, Mexico.

According to Mr. Dugan, “the goal of the company isn’t making money; that is merely the result of a job well done, and my co-founding partner Mario and Incognito directors have contributed to make that a reality: I could not have achieved it without their passionate commitment and efforts. We’ve been blessed to have been able to help so many SMEs achieve their own success, to developing complex custom projects for the city of Buenos Aires, banks, and industry leading brands.”

JOURNEY OF AN ACHIEVER

Bruce’s efforts in business and leadership is quite significant and has attracted major attention. Some of the recent accolades include:

• 25 most valuable CEO’s in India ( profiled Bruce T. Dugan )

• Entrepreneurs to Watch, 2018 ( profiled Kiran Kumar R )

• Technology 50 Emerging Company, 2020 ( profiled Mario Delfino )

However, Bruce says his greatest achievements have been the ability to work with creative people and interesting projects of choice. amassing a multi-dimensional multi-cultural client base, and robust team of friends. who have become more like family.

Amble | CEO & Founder

The Healthcare industry is assisting society with its standardized products and services by rescuing people from adversities put forth by the global pandemic. Creating harmony in the processes with the latest trends of the market, many players have pioneered in the relevant field providing exemplary services to their clients. Aiming to revolutionize the healthcare industry with its uniquely ubiquitous offerings, Suquino, Inc. is transforming telehealth with ‘Saffron’, which is a Machine Learning/ AI driven PaaS platform. The Company offers this exclusive platform, that integrates with the third-party medical devices, systems and software, to enable holistic and remote care in real-time within a connected care ecosystem.

EXCLUSIVE OFFERINGS-

PROBLEMS THEY ARE SOLVING

There are many disparate systems of patient care-provider, caretaker, specialist, payor and many more, that can slow down the process of diagnosis and caretaking, impacting the understanding and treatment of patients. Alongside this, a fragmented ecosystem emerged from the outdated legacy systems and silos of data from multiple devices, failing to offer a solution for the holistic needs of people, including access to physicians and caretakers and more personalized medical care. The rising healthcare costs have impacted the health and productivity of the workforce and population adversely. Saffron helps to enhance patient’s health, diagnosis speed and

A REKNOWNED NAME OFFERING STERLING SERVICES

IN THE IOT HEALTHCARE DOMAIN

Avishek Singh | Business Connect

accuracy, and recovery. This unique platform is vendor-neutral, HIPAA compliant, and secure as well. Providing a suite of biometric measurements(basic vitals, waveform, and imaging measurements) with real-time consultation, it is assisting the physicians to employ the right support to patients.

ABOUT THE KEY OFFICIALS AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS VENTURE

Being an accomplished business technologist and entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO, Ravi Amble acquired more than 15 years of experience in building telehealth networks in the IT industry. He has been well-recognized as a pioneer-entrepreneur in Telehealth domain springboarded by NASA, by building one of the the largest telemedicine networks in the world with the opportunity provided by the Indian government and ISRO. The success of this led to building the Pan-African telemedicine network as well. The ubiquitous, diagnostic-level PaaS platform constructed by him- Saffron, represents a next-generation telehealth system that brings interoperability among legacy systems and third-party medical devices to global healthcare networks.

Global VP of Business Development, Meredith Sossman has more than 20 years of experience in health care device legal defence, FDA regulatory consulting for early-stage medical device and pharmaceutical companies, and international legal experience in health-related risk management. Meredith holds a telehealth facilitator certification from Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Her strategic planning in execution has been praised by client organizations as “authentic, results-driven, and insightful.”

After experiencing struggles in personal healthcare and family losses, the adept team of Suquino became focused on making a platform that is durable and can

Ravi

serve the chronic care to the ageing population. Their efforts were converged on to render care with dignity and offer a better quality of life. The unique architecture of this platform allows it to fit seamlessly into any healthcare ecosystem and bring together, not only the software and medical devices, but it also allows doctors and caretakers to connect with patients anywhere in real-time to deliver diagnostic level of care. This platform can utilize biometrics and its evolving AI/ML engine, Ginger, provides physicians and healthcare professionals with immediate data processing at the time of treatment to assist in diagnostic and care plan decision support for better.

ENSURING COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL FACILITIES

The whole world has been hit adversely by the COVID19 pandemic and amid this alarming situation, it is the need of the hour to come up with some exclusive healthcare solutions.

The ace Founder of the Organization says, “The COVID-19 crisis has forced the world to witness a global expansion of telemedicine, but Saffron is a unique solution that allows patients to remain safe at home and still receive a holistic and personalized diagnostic level medical examination from the relevant physicians. Patients, who otherwise would have been forced to go to hospitals and risk exposure to COVID-19, are prominently using the Saffron system to remain safe at home, and receive full medical examination and treatment without any risk involved. It is a ubiquitous, diagnostic-level platform that can interact and bring together the myriad of medical software, third party devices, mHealth wearables and put that data in one place for seamless, secure sharing and transfer of information about a patient. Doctors can now stop performing data entry in multiple areas and have one place to bring together the holistic view of their patients to drive better diagnosis and care options for their patients using Saffron.”

Ravi Amble, Founder & CEO

ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEED OF R&D

The Founder understands the significance of Research and Development that can efficiently help the organization in scaling the heights of success. AI/ML is an evolving arena and the Firm has recently learned a great deal about the ethical use of machine learning, especially in medicine. The team is committed to offering a worldclass diagnostic support engine, but knows that no computer will or should replace the judgement of a doctor. AI/ML could serve as the decision supporters but not as the decision-makers.

INTENDING TO SERVE MANKIND

With a team that has more than 150 years of experience in healthcare and technology, the Firm has professionally and personally invested in helping everyone to have access to on-demand, affordable healthcare.

The Founder says, “We believe that there is no better calling for us than to provide this service to the healthcare global community to serve humankind.”

The intelligent platform- Saffron can converge disparate medical data stored in systems that do not, or cannot easily communicate. Saffron’s ability to act as a medical data information system allows physicians, researchers, pharmaceutical trials and other healthcare professionals to bring collective learning together to serve patients and our community to improve outcomes and share important health insights.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO BOAST OF Suquino has efficiently expanded its dimensions by earning global co-creation partnerships with Microsoft Corporation and has also been featured at their ‘Inspire 2019 Conference’. The team of the Firm is privileged to see the Saffron system that is displayed at the headquarters of Microsoft in its Customer Experiences Center. Along with this, Suquino has also earned global partnership with Advantech and also provided an RRK ready solution for Intel. In March 2020, ‘Saffron’ won the ‘Peer-Reviewed Health Value Award’ from the Validation Institute.

WORDS TO CONVEY

“Nothing compares to the value of your team, their dedication and willingness to turn the impossible into possible. The dedicated team of Suquino knows that vision, hard work and perseverance will ensure our mission of providing affordable, on-demand, outstanding healthcare for everyone, everywhere comes to fruition.”

Meredith Sossman, Global VP of Business Development

Meredith Sossman | Global VP of Business Development

MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

A Sustainable Agribusiness In India

Agriculture is vital to the Indian economy. According to the Economic Survey 2021, the share of agriculture in India’s GDP has increased to almost 20 percent in 2021. Farming in the traditional way is no longer a guarantee of profit. Through innovations in farming, farmers can increase their income if they wish. Recently, the Indian Government’s industrial policy and innovative creativity have encouraged research and entrepreneurship in mushroom cultivation. It has a lot of potential as a money maker. It is light-independent, feeds on organic matter, and does not require fertile soil to grow.

India’s unemployment rate has risen to 6.8 % and the youth is no longer confident of jobs. In such a situation, the interest of the educated youth has shifted more towards sustainable agribusiness. Farmers are making good profits in small areas by doing mushroom cultivation in a modern way. The Mushroom Cultivation Market is projected to be worth USD 16.7 billion in 2021, rising at a CAGR of 4% from 2021 to 2026, to hit a value of USD 20.4 billion.

Rajkumari Binita Devi, a mushroom cultivator from Manipur, is a great example of someone who was influenced by experience and was able to make a fortune and receive awards despite being an unskilled mushroom cultivator.

WHAT IS A MUSHROOM?

A mushroom (Kukurmutta in Hindi) is a fungus’ umbrella-shaped fruit. It is a tasty food that is enjoyed by both children and elders all over the world. It’s also known as “the future vegetable,” as it’s a guarantee against food shortages, hunger, and medicinal value. With the increasing population across the globe, Mushroom demand has risen recently, because mushrooms meet the needs of health-conscious consumers and are a desirable alternative food, especially for vegetarians.

“One of the major agricultural industries on the earth is mushroom processing.”

Final Thoughts

Mushroom cultivation is now India’s most active and profitable sector. It is rapidly gaining popularity in India because it turns farmers’ hard work into benefits in a short period. Agri-entrepreneurship programs especially in mushroom cultivation that involve capacity building and access to funds for youth should flourish to solve India’s brain drain issue. What today’s youth lack is the inspiration and entrepreneurship to see agriculture’s promise and prospects?. Youths are a source of creativity and a strong source of inspiration for others.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms have a low-fat content and are high in simple carbohydrates. They’re also rich in digestible protein, high molecular weight polysaccharides, and a decent source of fibre, among other nutrients. Mushrooms also contain unsatu rated fatty acids, which account for more than 70% of total fatty acid content, as well as essential fatty acids, are low in calories, and high in vegetable proteins, minerals, and vitamins. They also contain a lot of secondary metabolites, which may be useful in nutraceuticals, pharmacology, and medicine. Some mushrooms have anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent diseases like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and cancer.

HISTORY

About 600 A.D., the first mushroom, “Auricularia auricula”, was cultivated. “Flammulina velutipes” is later cultivated in China around 800-900 A. D. Commercial mushroom farming has only recently begun in India, with Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka leading the way. Andhra Pradesh is a big producer of mushrooms.

non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in India provide mushroom cultivation instruction. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar and National Research Centre for Mushroom (NRCM), Solan, Himachal Pradesh are pioneer educational institutes. A “Mushroom Cultivation Technology” online training program is also available. Farmers, as well as entrepreneurs, would benefit from training programs.

It is possible to have mushroom production three times a year because the length of 45 to 60 days is adequate for mushroom production. Diabetes flour, pickles, cookies, papad, and protein diet powder are made from mushrooms.

TYPES OF MUSHROOM

Button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and paddy straw mushrooms are the three primary varieties of mushroom harvest. These mushrooms are important in their own right, and they develop in different ways using different techniques and methods. To grow mushrooms, a special bed known as a compost bed is prepared.

Training

of Mushroom cultivation in India Various government and

Cost of Mushroom Cultivation in India In India, the total cost of mushroom cultivation is around INR 1,50,00 0. Scrap Wooden Shelves (Rs. 20,000), Room Construction Costs (INR 1,25,000), and other Miscellaneous Costs are included (Rs. 5000).

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Eupraxia Telecom, incepted in January 2012, provides Cloud Telephony solutions that enhance the telephony experience of organizations, and enable them to improve efficiency in their area of work. They help derive cost efficiency in telecom expenses for corporations each month.

They offer both private and public cloud solutions that connect multiple offices/locations through a single telephone number, thereby increasing the Top of Mind recall for the Brand. Apart from Office IVR & Call Center Solutions, Eupraxia Telecom also offers Auto Dialer, IVR Blast, Missed Call Auto Call Back, and Audio Conferencing Solutions.

Eupraxia Telecom has helped MRF Vapour Cure Paints, TVS Motors, Redington, Medall, Apollo Hospitals and a number of share and commodity trading companies, SMEs with multiple branches, connect with single number.

They are reputed for selling not products but solutions that solve the pain points of their customers, resulting in increased efficiency, productivity and profitability of the organisation. Each implementation of theirs is different from the other but closely tied to the business process of the organization.

The core team at Eupraxia Telecom is headed by Dr. K P Ganeshraj, Founder and CEO,

Avishek Singh | Business Connect

who is in-charge of Strategic Technology Selection and Sales. He is a Doctorate in Telecommunication with about thirty-two years of experience in the technology industry.

Eupraxia Telecom is a pioneer in Cloud Telephony Application Interface and specializes in lowmaintenance rural BPOs and providing cost-effective toll-free solutions. They are also known for developing single-number solutions for organizations which have multiple offices or outlets within the city or across a state or across the country. This is to drive a strong customer memory hook with the organization with a single outfacing number to increase the business and also to reduce marketing and telecom expenses. Eupraxia products are based on GSM SIM Cards, PRI and SIP trunks.

Their cloud telephony solutions are aimed at providing enterprise grade telecom features to small and medium entrepreneurs connecting their telecom infrastructure. Eupraxia cloud solution, Receptionist In Air (RIA), puts a layer of intelligence over the existing telecom infrastructure. This results in a rich heuristics to analyse the existing telecom patterns and also to “Never to miss a business lead” with the call hopping functionality. The company has been involved in R&D of various TAPI Solution with a number of organizations interfacing their existing ERP and CRM.

The Eupraxia development team specializes in design, development and implementation of telecom solutions that are based on GSM, PRI and SIP based technologies. Eupraxia’s solutions are aimed at bringing an convergent communication platform which will enable multimode communications with seamless ease to enhance productivity and efficiency of the organization.

Eupraxia guarantees high ROI for its clients. Companies spend a lot of money on digital marketing and receive only 10 to 20% conversion. Eupraxia Telephony products help increase the ROI by increasing the prospect conversion by a minimum of 60% with their telephony productivity tools.

Eupraxia empowers enterprises to make their phone number as their brand identity.

DEALING WITH COVID-19

Eupraxia had ‘work from homeready’ products from day zero. The company continued with business as usual with an extra focus on product development during the nation-wide lockdown. They always had remote working options available for employees as they have clients who work round the clock and run mission-critical applications.

They helped all on-premise clients to migrate to work from home call centers. In places where there were issues with internet

connectivity, they provided dual-leg calling solutions which got them additional business. Keeping with the demands of the pandemic, no one was at the company working from the office. All were on work from home. Most of their employees were out of town, and those in town were not called to the office. They tied up with partnered IT support firms to give them onsite support in case of physical equipment failures. Occasionally, Mr. Ganeshraj had to personally visit some of their clients to provide uninterrupted support. Because of their carefulness and by God’s Grace, no one at Eupraxia tested positive.

Even though it had no effect on their business operations as their products are designed for work from home, it did have a marginal effect on new acquisitions, as a few industries are going through tough times due to Covid. They concentrated on digital marketing and stayed regularly in touch with existing customers. Most of the business they acquired during this time was repeat orders from existing clients or their referrals. Their business is predominantly based on a pay per use model, which enables them to manage the working capital. Their several friends and partners that are in the IT hardware industry helped them out by supplying the material directly to their client sites, as needed.

As their business operations were continuing more or less normally through work from home, they were

able to fulfill all their contractual obligations. They are continuing their service for the clients and accepting deferred and part payments to enable them to continue their business as usual. They distributed face masks to the needy, proving their mettle in these tough times.

“Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” For Mr. Ganeshraj, the day starts and ends with video conference calls with all employees. The task for the day / status updates are shared with all in the morning and reviewed in the evening. Every week one employee is made to present

their personal and official talents and accolades which have improved the bonding.

Due to the current pandemic, certain verticals of business have closed down. Having a contingency plan in place, Eupraxia is opening up new verticals like video conferencing to sustain the business revenue.

“This year just surviving is a great profit. We will make millions as soon as the sky becomes clear.”

Dr. K P Ganeshraj, Founder & CEO, Eupraxia Telecom

FIMER

Where Knowledge, Integrity, And Commitment Make a Difference

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”- Thomas A. Edison.

Without a doubt, renewable and solar energy, in particular, will play a crucial role in helping countries across the globe- to achieve ambitious carbon reduction targets. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecasted that exceptionally high-capacity additions will become the “New Normal” during 2021 and in 2022, with renewable accounting for 90% of new power capacity expansion globally. In addition, the agency also stated that solar PV development will continue to break records, with annual additions reaching 162 GW by 2022.

For this exclusive read, we sat down for a virtual coffee session with Filippo Carzaniga, the Executive Chairman (BOD) of FIMER that has been revamping the renewable energy sector with its extraordinary services. Striking up the conversation, Filippo shared numerous extraordinary facts and inspired the inception story of this venture. In a global scenario where the demand for renewable energy is constantly growing, FIMER is among the top leaders concerning the manufacturing of energy conversion solutions worldwide.

FIMER is the fourth-largest, tier one, renewable energy equipment supplier in the world with more than 25 years experience in the solar sector. Specializing in solar inverters and electric mobility systems, we have over 1100 employees, including 300 service personnel working worldwide.

Based in Italy, FIMER has a presence in over 20 countries together with local training centres and manufacturing hubs and is active in more than 100 markets. It has three R&D centres - two in Italy, one in India - staffed by 200 experts. Almost 90% of FIMER’s business is solar, with more than 12 GW of solar inverter capacity and a 55+ GW installed base. We also have an active and growing EVI line of business, which was established in 2017 and has now installed more than 54,000 charging stations.

In India and the Middle East, we are one of the most experienced solar inverter players in the market and have had a presence here since 2010-11 and also have an established presence in Dubai

and the UAE as well as countries including Jordan. We are amongst the leading top three suppliers for central inverters and have been making steady and upward inroads into the string inverter market as well. In India, our facility has been a global manufacturing centre for utility-scale application products as well as being one of FIMER’s R&D centres. We manufacture central inverters in our Bengaluru plant along with battery energy storage converters and microgrid energy storage products. Our factory in Bangalore is the largest supplier of locally-manufactured solar inverters in India, with an annual production of more than 5GW (gigawatt) with the latest infrastructure as well as testing facilities. FIMER supports local employment and the Indian factory operation is driven by a local team. This world-class facility has set a benchmark in India for other manufacturers to follow suit. The same factory is also delivering outdoor central inverters to markets around the globe, supporting India’s ambition for excellence in exports.

INCEPTION TALE

FIMER started as a welding business in 1942 before developing its first solar inverter technology forty years later in 1983. Over the next 35 years, it expanded its operations globally in countries, including Algeria and across central and south America. In 2018, it established its EVs infrastructure division and made the grand announcement of acquiring the solar inverter business of a global company (ABB) in 2019. The acquisition was completed in 2020 and made FIMER the fourth-largest renewable equipment manufacturer in the world.

The company has a great vision to shape a new and powerful energy model that uses the power of the sun to drive progress and prosperity for a cleaner and sustainable world. As a global leader in renewable technology, the FIMER team has the energy to make positive change happen. They are committed to leveraging the energy playing field to serve growing demands with clean, affordable energy that truly benefits people and places.

EDGE OVER OTHERS

“You can’t look at the competition and say you’re going to do it better. You have to look at it and say you’re going to do it differently.”

FIMER is a global supplier of solar inverter and storage technologies across the residential, commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility-scale sectors. The company also has an extensive portfolio of e-mobility platforms, including chargers and wall-boxes. At a global level, FIMER prides itself on combining it’s ‘Made in Italy’ heritage with a global footprint. This exceptional professionalism is reflected in the raft of new platforms they have introduced across all four business lines that bring together the best of Italian design with the latest technological innovations.

Recently, FIMER has launched its flagship products such as PVS10/33 for the commercial and industrial market segment, the PVS-350-TL for the utility segment and PowerUNO and Power TRIO inverters and PowerX storage system for the residential market.

At present, the exclusive projects that FIMER is heading range from airports to breweries to floating solar parks, which are extended to a diverse array of various climates and topographies- be it from deserts to the Antarctic. Owing to the utmost flexibility and durability of their solutions, their installation is quite effortless and versatile. Moreover, FIMER also owns 54,000 EV charging stations that have been installed globally and in India, the leadership team has recently commissioned its very first pilot project with the installation of FIMER’s EV AC wall box at the prestigious IISC in Bengaluru. Additionally, they have been prominently active in energy storage products formulation that has several solutions for residential and utility segments. In this direction, they have already commissioned a 15 MW system with a 6 MWhr storage facilityone of the major ones in India.

The dedicated and industrialist team is optimistic about making a difference with the innovative products and leading the way for growth in the country.

FIMER’s approach is based on constant innovation has enabled it to build a significant market share with a focus on research centres specializing in solar and electric mobility.

NEW PRODUCT LINE

FIMER has been launching some phenomenal technologies across different market segments since last year. A few of the mentions are-

• In Residential – The Power Platform was launched in October 2021- FIMER PowerUNO and PowerTRIO inverters and PowerX storage solution – a perfect blend of the latest technological innovations with high-end design features. Backed by high-power and high-capacity with a small footprint, these unique solutions are the quickest and easiest-to-install platforms in the market. Both the products will be available from March 2022.

• In Utility – PVS-350 is the high-power MPPT inverter and the PVS-260/PVS-300 modular conversion platform that has been unveiled in June 2021. Its extensive flexibility and compact design can cater to both decentralized and centralized applications ensuring sheer coverage to 100% of utility customer needs.

• C&I – Introduction in early 2021, the PVS-10/33-TL three-phase string inverter solutions are designed to cater to all commercial and industrial applications. At present, it is available in outputs from 10 kW to 33 kW, as theyensure high power density and strong energy harvesting potential and can be easily installed in new or existing plants to provide lower installation and maintenance costs.

• EVI – An extraordinary portfolio of AC and DC charging stations and wall boxes, including the FIMER FLEXA Wallbox and AC station, that offers purpose-built solutions rendering high charging outputs and outstanding levels of efficiency and flexibility, at the end of 2020. Formulated for use in residential and commercial applications, the range builds on FIMER’s proven credentials in the EV sector.

UPCOMING PROJECTS AT A GLANCE

Being one of the most experienced inverter companies in India since 2010, FIMER has existing portfolio of over 12+ GW extended across 5000 locations in India. They are heavily active in

neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. The list follows-

• FIMER’s central inverter market share is close to 20-25 % in India. In the utility segment, its major projects include providing inverters to the 750 MW REWA park that is Asia’s biggest solar park located in REWA, Bhopal. The REWA solar park was inaugurated by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji in July 2020. In the same direction, yet another notable utility project include the 288MW Kamuthi Solar Park, Tamil Nadu and Fimer is proud to be one of the first companies to complete India’s longest Canal project of 40MW in Gujarat. Moreover, they also facilitated solarizing the first airport in India, Cochin International airport and have powered rural schools in West Bengal where basic electricity is inaccessible. And FIMER has majorly been instrumental in solarizing many microgrids in Bihar owing to their storage offerings.

• The company has been a key contributor to India’s “AatmaNirbhar Bharat” or “Self Reliant India” which is the long-term vision of the government. With a robust pipeline of many solar projects

We are committed to providing our contribution to achieving the global community’s world, as the creation of a sustainable future, states Filippo.

“

lined up in near future, they are working on some biggest storage projects of 15 MW with a 6 MWhr storage facility in India. It takes immense pride in its wide portfolio of projects under its umbrella where it has been able to power over 200 textile industries in South India and residences and enable storage in the high altitude regions of Leh-Ladakh. From harvesting the rooftop market in Sri Lanka, where over 200 MW is supplied, or powering the nation of Nepal to reduce its grid dependency, FIMER’s has been able to commence a new era of an outstanding set of credentials that makes it a highly bankable supplier and one of the most reliable solar solution player in the niche market.

• BACKBONE OF THE ORGANIZATION

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”

A team is a group of people with different abilities, talents, experiences, and backgrounds who have come together for a shared purpose. Despite their differences, that common goal provides the thread that defines them

as a team. FIMER has strengthened its global senior management team with a raft of appointments, including managing directors for each market segment and a new chief marketing officer. This exclusive team is supported by a strong and expert team of professionals across each global market they operate in, providing local expertise with the backing of a global company.

In addition, the culture FIMER has throughout the organization is the result of the blending of several distinct legacies. What the team has all in common is the passion to offer out the best possible solutions to clients to contribute to making the world a better place. The company is actively working to reinforce the best traits of different legacies combining the process-oriented mind.

“It’s a work in progress that will foster a culture of inclusion & responsibility together with agile flexibility and customer-centric passion,” asserts Filippo.

He further explains that communication is essential, especially when the company operates across so many global regions. At the beginning of the year, the FIMER team launched an internal communication platform, FIMER4YOU that is dedicatedly designed to keep all their associates informed, engaged, and inspired. On this platform, people cannot only retrieve all policies and forms- but also be informed about people involved with the organization. They can also be updated with organizational changes and about teams and leaders.

“However, this platform is just one piece of the puzzle. We all meet our associates at least twice a year in Town Hall meetingsin person at our two Italian sites and via communication platforms for the 25 sites where FIMER is present, and the dialogue with all stakeholders is constant and open. Last but not the least, my door and those of my management team are always open, and it is extremely easy to reach us through email or directly in the office.”- Filippo Carzaniga.

CULMINATING NOTE

2021 has been about the launch of the ‘New Era’ of FIMER that has made the organization appoint a new senior management

team and introduce innovative solutions for the C&I, utilityscale, and residential sectors as well as grow EVI customer base. FIMER is operating in a world of multiple stresses- be it climate change, political tensions, or managing the long-term impact of the pandemic. However, they are planning to change this particular scenario to a global company. they have decided to focus on the business’ sustainability & specifically and leave a better world for future generations through their solar and e-mobility innovations.

When our team asked Filippo to share a few words of wisdom, he replied by saying, “We must always remember that the world doesn’t belong to us- we are just managing it. We inherited it from previous generations, and we will leave it to upcoming generations. FIMER’s vision is to leave it in a better position than we receive it by investing significant resources in R&D and developing the latest technologies to enable us to achieve this goal.

Ground-breaking Business Trends for

FOOD & BEVERAGE Companies

There is always a change of preference, that’s a human nature where people often get bored with choosing the same kind of meal every day. Bold flavors and meal-replacing snacks are always at the lead when it comes to food preferences, health, and wellness, immunity-boosting food. Consumers are more often nowadays, looking forward to nutrition-packed foods. An increase in the demand for healthier, quality frozen food products to fit in with changing lifestyle, more importantly for the maturing millennial generation who are busy in making a balance between a healthy family and career. The millennial consumers are more “clean eaters” than any other generation and intend to have a strong interest in what they are eating, how is it made, and by whom. Today is a generation that lives in a world where they can instantly access to information and if the consumer is unable to understand or find out about how a product is made and what is it inside it, they simply choose to leave it behind and switches to alternative products made by companies that have a more convincing and genuine commitment to sustainability and improvement of the environment.

Safety, Sustainability, and Transparency is all that matters

Consumers are more into demanding information about the food they eat, food safety is the main thing food and beverage industries focus on and it is now costing billions each year. The industry finds it more important to pinpoint safety issues immediately; from the people who are growing to the manufacturer, distributor, and beyond. The food companies need to be more focused on waste reductions as the consumers are more into demanding sustainable, transparent production and packaging in the products they purchase. As per the customer’s demand, the quality control and safety of the food products must be at the top.

The Constant Rising Costs and Increased Ambiguity

Growing uncertainty in the marketplace is a matter that is faced by the food and beverages company. Some companies of food may look for smaller warehouses that can manage supplies, but the rising storage costs may be prohibitive. Another uncertainty that includes here is increased labor costs and tightening workforce challenges. The companies are also facing issues with on-time delivery due to the ongoing truck driver shortage.

Innovation and Variation

Purchasing has vast availability of products, with so many different products that are available for the purchase in a crowd of channels like starting from in-store, farmer’s markets, online, social media, and more.

The product innovation and differentiation are considered to be important in the food and beverage companies. Creating some solutions that would meet consumer preferences around sustainability such as edible packaging will be on the growth. The innovative way to automate repetitive processes that provide good opportunities for businesses in the matter of improving production, back-office processes, supply management, fulfillment, and delivery. Adding to that, using acquired consumers and business data for better business decision-making will be implementing a comprehensive digital strategy.

Merger and Acquisitions

Companies looking forward to spreading their investments across smaller brand acquisitions in accordance to round out product and geographic portfolios versus investing in their own research and development to help in saving time as well as money and reaching new customers. Private Equity (PE) companies that have operated in the consumer brand space will have a need to adjust their strategy along with looking for deals further down the market. The companies will even take on acquisitions in segments that have better prospects as a salty snack food, snack bars, cookies, and ready-to-eat meals, even if they are outside their traditional business.

Mark Rekveld

Software Engineer and Owner

The Future of Software Backed By Outperforming Technology Just Got Better

Business Connect is renowned for its remarkable monthly editions centric on some outperforming ventures in the business world. And here again, we are back with our exclusive edition of the month, which is a collection of the growth trajectory of remarkable organizations. For the exclusive cover, our team chose to share the impeccable tale of Marvelution B.V., the company which is setting some high standards in the Software Development arena.

Our editorial team had an interesting and joyful session with the leadership panel of the company where the Founder of the company, Mr. Mark Rekveld shared some lesser-known facts about the venture and also spilled the beans on his entrepreneurial journey so far. We truly hope and desire that this fascinating read will add some extra value to the lives of our global readership panel and will encourage them to chase their dreams.

COMPANY PREFACE

“The solution Marvelution provides to integrate Jira with Jenkins is built on the premise that Jira is the holder of the configuration on how to integrate the build results in Jenkins into the views of issues in Jira. Others tend to opt to configure the integration and behavior within the build configuration of each job in Jenkins. This results in having to configure numerous jobs to share results with Jira and how this sharing should be done. This also includes the credentials needed to push build results to Jira.”

Giving a detailed introduction of his company, the Founder quips, “Marvelution started out as an umbrella open source project in 2008, to host the different open source projects. I was developing to hone my development skills. Over time Marvelution has hosted multiple open source projects, but the one that stood the test of time was the Jira Hudson Integration project. This project implements a different take on integrating Hudson, now Jenkins, with Jira and has been completely rewritten a couple of times to overcome different scaling issues. Now it is available as the Jenkins Integration for Jira app. The consistent success of the Jenkins Integration for Jira app allowed me to formally establish Marvelution in 2015, to continue the development of the app and also up the game on customer support and support of Jira Cloud.”

Mark Rekveld

He says, “The single source of truth solution of the Jenkins Integration for Jira app allows administrators to configure the integration once, and after that Jenkins pushes data to Jira and Jira will in turn handle processing the results to make sure the necessary actions are taken.”

WHY MARVELUTION?

• PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH

“There are two ‘struggles’ in the day to operation of Marvelution. One is that customers are less forgiving now than 10 years ago. Nowadays solutions provided need to work straight out of the box even in the most specific cases of customers. Back in the day customers were willing to work with you to make sure the solution worked in their case as best as it could. This now is the exception where only some customers are willing to work with you, or even give valuable feedback when they try out your product but end up not using it. The other is the ever growing demand for cloud services. When the Jenkins Integration for Jira cloud app was launched in 2018 it was designed and built to scale, but now the next step needs to be taken. The app is under ever growing demand which

is likely going to see its current limits reached by the end of this year. So Marvelution is in full swing to make sure the app can scale to meet its demand.”

• BOND WITH R&D

“Marvelution doesn’t use traditional analytics or R&D. It tries to listen to customers that use the products and services and together with them define the roadmap on future features. From time to time there are bigger things on the wishlist of customers, like supporting automation rules, which will take a trial-and-error approach combined with a public beta period before going mainstream.”

THE LEADERSHIP APPROACH

How does your leadership create a compelling work culture? That was the question drooling in our minds to which Mark affirms, “Having fun so that work is no longer seen as work. It all started as a hobby to hone development skills but has since grown to be a place to have fun while working to the extent that since its formal inception Mark has not worked a day, but has still seen the company grow.

Marvelution is a bit of an oddball. It is still a one-man operation for the day-to-day operations. Only in some cases does it reach out to others

A TECH-ENABLED ORGANIZATION

“It is by no means a new trend, but the move to cloud computing is ever-growing. When Marvelution started all customers were using server or data center deployments to operate their business. Nowadays more and more customers are either moving to the cloud because they see it as a benefit, or are “forced” to move to the cloud because their software suppliers are moving in that direction.

With this trend of moving to the cloud, Mark also sees that features are mostly cloud-first, sometimes even cloud-only. Here is where Marvelution tries to differentiate so that features may be released to the cloud first because of a faster release cycle but will always follow up with a release that customers can use on their server and data center deployments. The Jenkins Jira Integration product is the oldest product Marvelution has. This one started in 2008 as a hobby project to integrate Hudson, the successor of Jenkins, with Jira. Over its lifespan, the product has seen 3-4 complete rewrites to overcome using the product at ever larger scales. This 13 years of development experience with Jenkins and Jira have made the product a robust solution that may not do it all, but what it does it does very well in even the largest scaled customers.”

outside the company to get specific tasks done. In those cases, it always looks for other people or companies that are like-minded. This has already led to having connections with people with specific testing skills or design experience. In those cases, it never seems that leadership was needed. Everyone in the focus group knew what needed to be done and got it done. The phrase “it just works” comes to mind, without having spent the time to figure out why this is.”

THE BALANCED EFFICIENCY

“Note that Marvelution is a one-man operation, so this is not that widely tested, but Mark feels that looking at your day-to-day to get your work-life balance in balance is a sure thing to get out of balance and into a burnout. The nature of balancing means that if you move out of the center you are out-of-balance. So when you work you are out of balance, and this is also the case when you live. There is no means to get to a point where you are in balance and just enjoy life unless you love to move from one out-of-balance to the next.

Mark looks at life as a blend of work and nonwork life. You wake up in the morning and go to bed in the evening and in between you live your day. During the day you may work or do other things that make you happy. The important thing is that by the time you go to bed you can ask yourself the question “Am I happy?” or “Did I do what needed to be done?” In the beginning, you may realize you didn’t work enough or didn’t live enough that day. But over time you will find that it becomes easier to get a blend of work and lifetime during the day that will result in you going to bed with a smile on your face. This will be a major thing to also allow the first real employee to experience and experiment with. Because a happy employee will do more at a higher quality than a non-happy one could ever do.”-Mark Rekveld.

PARTING WORDS

Before signing off, the visionary shared some words of wisdom with the budding leaders out there by saying, “Be honest, open, listen, and don’t be afraid to fail. People tend to be more understanding if you are open and honest, and will in turn also be more forgiving when you fail from time to time. Failure is just a means to measure success, but hiding failures from others will negatively impact how you measure success.”

7 TOP TIPS TO BOOST YOUR STARTUP BUSINESS

Here are 7 valuable tips to give your fledgling company a boost:

CASH FLOW FORECASTING

As Sir Richard Branson says “The cash flow of a company is the life and blood of a business, so never take your eyes off it.” Budgets that are long-term must provide reasonable estimates of potential revenue and expenditures. Start-up costs vary, but when they do, entrepreneurs should be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Since anything can happen over a business’s lifecycle, it’s best to build longterm budgets and financial estimates. Forecasting aids company owners in putting aside money for potential expenditures. These expenses can be both personal and business-related.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED

Plan to continue reinforcing your brand and strengthening your image by focusing on customer service and satisfaction. The brand of a business is simply how it is viewed. A happy customer is more than a recommendation; it’s a powerful branding statement.

ENHANCE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES

The advent of social media has altered how companies operate and how the general public interacts with them. While it used to be much more difficult for a customer to share their questions or experiences after a brand encounter, it is now easier than ever for the two to communicate and share details. The best websites are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, AngelList, and Pinterest accounts.

If you want to reach a larger audience, being more engaged with social media will help. It’s important to remember that social media is a two-way platform that allows people to communicate and share information. Rather than simply posting ads on your platform, try to engage with your potential and current customers by answering questions and providing opportunities for them to communicate with you further. Your customers will appreciate the effort, and you will appreciate the outcome.

PROVIDE THE AUDIENCE WITH USEFUL KNOWLEDGE

Marketing is one of the best means of successful business promotion, and it can be a powerful way to expose the company to a wider audience.

Many people, on the other hand, make the popular mistake of believing that marketing consists solely of commercials and promotional material. In reality, it’s a way of better communicating with your audience by getting a better understanding of their desires and needs, as well as demonstrating your importance to them.

Sharing valuable and insightful content with your audience is a perfect way to do this. This will demonstrate to them that your goods or services are important to their needs and that you have the expertise and knowledge necessary to provide accurate information. An e-book or guide, case studies, infographics, blog posts can be a powerful tool for disseminating material, it’s worth taking the time to learn how to write one.

TAKE EXPERT ASSISTANCE WHEN REQUIRED, DON’T HESITATE

TO CONTACT

It’s tempting for new business owners to try to do everything themselves because it’s a good way to save money. However, this can sometimes stifle a company’s growth, and in some cases, relying on the experts is more effective. Take new ideas from experts to improve your business.

Paying an expert will also save you time and allow you to concentrate more on the tasks you are better able to do if you are attempting something you are unfamiliar with, particularly if you are taking on a task that needs a highly specific skill set.

MAKE GOOD FRIENDS

Make an effort to form new friendships. Meet new people, strike up a conversation, and build meaningful relationships that will enhance your life and well-being.

BUILD AN ADVISORY BOARD

Business advisory boards can be extremely beneficial to a company’s growth. People with connections to top professionals with a variety of skills may be brought in as low-cost advisors to help the company expand.

Running a company necessitates a high level of organization and adherence to a strategic plan. It’s important to strike a balance between all of your focus areas, as this will help you better manage your resources and coordinate your finances. The best part for Indian businesses is that the country has been declared the world’s third-largest tech start-up hub.

Furthermore, India’s Ease of Doing Business index has risen significantly from 130 in 2016 to 63 in 2020. According to the most recent reports in India, start-ups come from 54 different sectors, with IT services and Healthcare & Lifesciences registering the most start-ups, followed by education. Thousands of young entrepreneurs have taken the plunge into starting their own businesses in the last few years as a way to gain leverage over their professional careers or raise their profits.

Entrepreneurship can be described as recognizing change, seeking opportunity, accepting risk and obligation, innovating, bettering resource use, generating new value that is meaningful to customers, and repeating the process. Budget 2021 has recognized the importance of start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) in India’s future, which includes growth in technology-driven and manufacturing businesses, which will help India achieve its goal of a $5 trillion economy.

www.yield4finance.co.uk

Yield 4 Finance Stimulates your business’s global reach

For flagging a name in global marketplace and get ahead of the international competitors, traders are turning towards trade finance solution providers who can assist them to navigate through the unbanked territories where tight regulations, sanctions, and limitations place several impediments in business operations. The trade finance instruments offered by such institutions can allow effortless access and complex knowledge to deal with a number of bottlenecks in business growth, across the international market. In this emulous landscape, Yield 4 Finance has emerge out to be an expert who is considerate of complex trade transactions to impart optimal solution for client’s business expansion. As this fascinating edition features some reliable financial consultants, we have earnestly depicted the success story of this phenomenal company on the cover page acknowledging it’s exclusiveness.

As we sat down for a virtual coffee session with the FounderChairman – Sanjeev Chadha, he enlightened us with some unique business insights and intuitive discernment in the cordial conversation.

CHADHA Chairman

SANJEEV

VIPUL CHADHA Managing Director

COMPANY OVERVIEW

As a unicorn enterprise with exceptional service portfolio, Yield 4 Finance has made a reputed name in financial consultancy domain. Basically, they are involved in issuance financial trade instruments such as Documentary Letter of Credit (DLC), Bank Guarantees (BG), Standby Letter of Credit(SBLC), and other swift messages to enable the clients in effortless dealing with their trade counterparts. Such exceptional instruments allow the end-users to grab cross-border opportunities alongside establishing a global presence. Yield 4 Finance facilitates ‘no-strain’ cash flow as it issues instruments from its niche space and banks without collateral and cash margin requirement.

With an exclusive mission to deliver customer-centric financial services to the targeted audience, they aim to carve a reputation of being a NO.1 trusted trade finance solution provider in the upcoming years. The clientele of the company comprises of businesses, primarily traders and contractors as they ceaselessly use bank instruments in their regular course of trade.

AN INTRIGUING INCEPTION STORY

Yield 4 Finance commenced its operations after Sanjeev established strategic alliance with several exemplary pioneers in the respective space. He is a seasoned entrepreneur who has ventured into a myriad

of industries, which majorly contributed in acquiring valuable experience and professional acumen to efficiently manage an international enterprise. The iconic dignitary possesses two decades of extensive experience in refined management, operations, and success track record that allowed him to set some robust linchpins for his brain child. His incredible discernment to approach the business operations has carved an eminent position for Yield group in the respective field.

Engineer by profession whereas entrepreneur by passion, Sanjeev began his career excursion as a technical assistant. But the flames of entrepreneurship kept kindling in his heart, prompting him to franchise and develop a management certification and audition company named International Certification Limited (ICL) from a Swiss company. This vary first business venture by him witnessed exponential growth and later, was acquired by Moody International. He also takes immense pride to have commenced a few group of colleges and software enterprises under the service parasol of ICL. But owing to some unforeseen circumstances, he has to call off everything and start an entrepreneurial excursion from scratch all over again. The Founder intervened the lands of Dubai where a myriad of opportunities thrives here and there. He launched an outstanding business of trade finance there.

“I learned everything about it and coupled with skilful salesmanship, I was soon meeting more than twenty clients in my small hotel apartment in Bur Dubai. Backed by strong principals and firm inclination to closing deals, I never looked back and soon progressed to buying my own office properties in Dubai and India, and even having locations in London and Spain,” reveals the magnate

Undeniably, the extraordinary inception story of Yield 4 Finance is the end result of sheer dedication and determination and above all, the Founder’s indomitable spirit to go back to the drawing board and paint the picture of his thumping success, which is quite exquisite.

WHERE SIMPLICITY IS THE UNIQUE FACTOR

Agile and simple are the terms frequently used by them to describe the company’s distinguished business model. From procedures to documentary requirements, the Yield 4 Finance ensures a seamless business workflow even amidst the strict regulation and compliance across the banking sector. This simple yet sophisticated business model was established keeping abreast of the market needs especially acknowledging the volatile trading circumstances.

“We effectively recognize the needs of our clients who can fuel their business aspirations and guide them into adherent practices alongside working with the relevant instruments. Our foremost priority is to perform with agility and customerfriendly manner as an alternative to bureaucratic and tedious conventional ways well-reckoned to many,”

elucidates the Founder

The company has envisioned to revamp the finance space by catering comprehensive solutions at reasonable cost to its adored clientele. Just like their unique business model, the core values proposed by them are also quite exemplary, that include integrity and dependability spurring their growth factor. The Founder claims that such unique values have been the guiding light to them in establishing a prolonged relationship with the client base, alongside fulfilling their commitment to deliver across the board resources.

ADDRESSING THE PAIN POINTS

The respective sector is a key contributor to GDP of most of the major economies, but still, there is a paucity of opportunities and aggressive competitiveness as businesses are unable to bear the expense of owning banking instruments. This is where the company pitches in. The foremost trouble spot that is being addressed by Yield 4 Finance for its targeted clients is the dearth of business opportunities for MSMEs and unbanked territories pertaining to access the financial tools that can facilitate their imports and projects accordingly. It extends a robust support with its strategic alliance with the banks and financial institutions to aid traders and contractors to effectively participate in their niche ecosystems. Beyond any doubt, Sanjeev’s insightful stewardship has been paving their path of success by being relevant to the market at its peak.

Talking about its Unique Selling Propositions, the Founder considers that their swift services, collateral and cash margin free offering, nonstringent documentations and firm guarantee of service delivery gives them a leading edge in the market. All these aspects have allowed them to build and nurture a prolonged relationship with their valued clients that can be testified by the rapid client retention and flourishing partnerships.

SECRET BEHIND THE THUMPING SUCCESS

When asked to shed some light on the entrepreneurial journey and its transformation into a roaring success, the Founder cites that his overall journey involved a fair share of ups and downs. At the age of Four, he lost his beloved father which was quite heart wrenching and then witnessing a major setback in the million dollar worth business, when he hit the crescendo of success. Getting over all these adversities was definitely not a cakewalk, but his adamant zeal to defy all the odds and make a name in the game propelled him to keep forging ahead with heightened spirits. His intuitiveness inspired him to be a disruptor in the industries like the present one. He just dipped his hands in a multitude of specialities while exhibiting exemplary leadership qualities where his core focus has always been on ensuring holistic development of the individuals associated to his company. Prompted by sheer passion and

MOHIT CHADHA Chief Executive Officer

arduous hard work, Sanjeev became a pioneer to have introduced state-of-theart solutions that are not known but imperative in the present scenario.

The obstacles dodged by him bestowed a righteous sense of perspective over him to sail through the adversities with a positive mind-set and unyielding attitude, which has been his ‘success mantra’ so far. Today, his determined efforts paid off pretty well, making him a well-reckoned name across the domain. But he doesn’t want to limit it to this extent, rather yearns for accomplishing exceptional aims for his valued brainchild.

R&D-

PIVOTAL FOR GROWTH

According to the Founder, R&D has played instrumental role in pick-pointing gaps while initiating regulatory adherent arrangement that can help the clients in numerous ways. For the company’s incessant undertaking of advancement and laying the groundwork for beneficial collaborations, this segment has proved to be crucial. Owing to their intense R&D programs, they have been able to offering businesses with offshore account with multiple currency options. And in the same direction, in an collaborative effort with Micro Capitals Bank, the company has been incessantly trying to formulate some outof- the - box products that can contribute to enhance customer experience by making international banking more inclusive.

SIGNIFICANCE OF TECHNOLOGY

With the world gradually driving towards a tech-dominated era, businesses also need to be in absolute harmony with tech trends to be relevant in their respective domains. For Yield 4 Finance, technology has been allowing it to establish better communication with its adored clients across crossborder territories. Owing to its international interactions, the company majorly relies upon digital platforms, social media, video conferencing tools, etc, that educate clients and business partners about this field.

“We have also partnered with Micro Capitals Bank who offers offshore accounts opening apart from trade finance services, and it is 100% digital. It allows businesses to have access to bank accounts and various currencies that may be deemed difficult to obtain with their local banks and hinders them from connecting with suppliers abroad,”

claims Sanjeev, about their reliance upon the technology.

Moreover, they are also about to heavily invest on infusing advanced technology in their business operations to facilitate seamless work flow.

CULTURE CONTRIBUTING TO THE GROWTH

At Yield 4 Finance, the employees have the liberty to voice out their ideas in terms of improving the business operations. In this process, there is a perfect involvement of the workforce with regular brainstorming sessions and adaptation of best industry

practices. Transparency and cohesiveness are their foremost priority to deal with the clients while marketing their services, and the administration ensures regular training sessions to the employees to convey their extraordinary services to their clients alongside being in sync with their core principles. In the finance sector, integrity and trust are the linchpins to succeed, and the management has always been dedicating its efforts towards this direction. For this, they give credence to more employee engagement that will eventually transform into exemplary customer satisfaction.

“FLAGGING THE NAME, CROSSING THE MILESTONES

In its phenomenal journey so far, Yield 4 Finance has been able to extend its reach to global locations such as London and Spain. While witnessing growth in leaps and bounds, the company has been able to significantly upgrade and add more manpower in its Dubai and India based offices. Crossing over the expected milestones, their office locations have been shifted to better and bigger localities that foretells their mushrooming growth. Above and beyond these, they have been able to foster alliance with a plethora of firms with international repute and signed multiple licensed agreements with their associates in emerging and lucrative markets.

As the company foresees a brighter and blazing future ahead, it is on the verge of constant improvement while expanding its service wings to newer geographies by inaugurating workstations at five different locations and establishing a steadfast presence in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

We are working on innovative products and creating more partnerships to continually assist in trade flows and development projects. Ultimately, we are looking into developing a full-fledged bank that adapts the latest transformational technologies that will address the market gaps and add value to our users,

concludes the Founder

“Never stop. Persistence is what brought us and what is continually driving our remarkable headway. The rules of the game in this business is always changing, but one must not hold back in striving to keep up and working on pioneering solutions. It is okay to experience downfall as our proponents have, taking inspiration from Richard Branson’s statement‘The best businesses come from people’s bad personal experiences’. Like how we help our clients, these businesses are often left unsupported but as they hope to go play on a bigger stage, we bring them a range of possibilities. Through our agile innovation and quest for integrated support, we hope to uplift even the newcomers who are starting small, and be with them as they work their way through a far-reaching platform. Apart from helping our clients, we also help our team and partners with their personal and professional growth. We invest time and resources in coaching our business partners, even those who does not have the technical knowledge and experience. I believe in anyone’s potential as I was once there. We believe in everyone’s latent talent, especially those who have the determination and eyes on making leaps in their careers. The first step is to aspire, but persistence is what will drive you to the finish line.”

Sanjeev Chadha, The Founder and Chairman

ORIGIN INTEGRATED STUDIOS

Delivering Cutting-Edge Software Solutions In The Healthcare Domain

Dr. Amit Mishra | Business Connect

In the past few years, Malaysian Healthcare has grasped the attention of masses across the globe due to the smooth best-in-class healthcare experience and affordable quality care offered to the travellers. Malaysia is one of the well-reckoned countries attaining the fame for medical tourism in Southeast Asia. This industry is said to be booming in the near future as the number of ageing population in the country is increasing significantly. The entrepreneurs in this domain can seek golden opportunities as the time passes by. Origin Integrated Studios is scaling the heights in the private healthcare by offering innovative software solutions for Malaysia and its regions. It is converged to render software development services in the healthcare industry and striving to form a long- term relationship with its consumer base. It has become one of the fastestgrowing Multimedia Super Corridor(MSC) software development and solutions company, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. Incepted in the year 2015, it managed to expand its verticals in the Asian countries especially in Indonesia within a year only. Presently, it has collaborated with its consumer base for the sake of their business expansion in the Philippines, Vietnam, and South Korea. The Firm is currently serving in over 20 hospitals and 15 clinics in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Offering exceptional services in the healthcare industry such as Hospital Information System (HIS) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR), the Company has become a leading EMR solution provider with the largest implemented market share for EMR in Malaysia. During the initial phase, it started with a handful team of software developers in a confined workstation at suburb Petaling Jaya. But today, their technical team has grown exponentially to over twenty; projecting an accelerated growth of approximately 100%.

KENNETH KEE CEO

EXCLUSIVE CLIENTELE

It is an onerous and challenging task to implement the HIS and EMR solutions offered by the Company at the old hospitals. But, Origin has now acquired tremendous experience in transforming old hospitals that are about 45 to 116 years old. Some of the hospitals belonging to the oldest group in the country are Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre, Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital, Assunta Hospital and Perak Community Specialist Hospital, etc. At the early stage, Origin offered its services to a single standalone hospital, but currently, it is serving several group hospitals and clinics in Malaysia. Their excelling success stirred the domain and they were offered subsequent opportunities to replicate to another within the group. At present, Origin is offering its exclusive services to Putra Group of Hospitals, Sunway Healthcare Group, and B Braun dialysis clinics.

ACKNOWLEDGING

THE

confined spheres such as development and support. They wholeheartedly embrace the vibrant diverse culture of coaching and on-the-job practical skills, upgrading and learning from each other rather than the usual internal trainings. The Management offers flexible working hours to the employees but also ensures proper performance measurement of the task assigned to them. They keep a check on the quality of work and rewards the talents that rose up by outperforming others. The team members are in great harmony with each other even while working with the new norm of ‘Working From Home’,owing to COVID-19 outbreak.

The Company ensures respect and protection to its employees and also conducts regular appraisal with them to maintain a balance. They acknowledge and appreciate the diverse talent that has been assembled in the Workforce; making strenuous efforts to retain them in the organization.

Amidst COVID-19 crisis most of the hospitals are forced to seek Telehealth solutions to serve the patients from home who are reluctant to visit the hospital. In this context, the Company integrated its solutions to an external mobile appointment system to facilitate the patients in direct online banking payment. Utilizing this exclusive offering from their end, patients can now make payment after teleconsultation for consultation services and medication to be delivered at their doorsteps.

STERLING ACHIEVEMENTS

SIGNIFICANCE

OF

R&D Research & Development serve as the most essential way to ensure progressive brand development by being in synergy with the market dynamics. This arena can assure incremental innovation in the services to be offered in any of the domain. The CEO asserts that innovation is more of an adaptation to the wavering demands of the relevant market. Origin has always considered R&D quite essential pertaining to its growth strategies to expand its verticals. It bolster them to remain competitive for sustainability and prolonged survival.

The perceptive CEO states, There is no escape for Origin than to incorporate technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to integrate with Internet of Things(IoT), m Health, telemedicine and patient monitoring devices such as vital signs monitor and wearables. We do not reinvent the wheel, but we work closely with our technology partners to provide a total comprehensive solution to fulfil our customer’s requirements in the respective domain.

A GLANCE AT THE WORKCULTURE

The technical division of the Company is segregated into different teams. And each team converges on specific modules and further divides into more

MEET THE CREATOR OF THE COMPANY

Intending to keep up with the high demands of the newly established hospitals of Malaysia, the CEO, Kenneth Kee set up Origin Integrated Studios to constitute innovative products with an adroit team of software developers. He attends conferences and seminars to stay in tune with the industry veterans, healthcare specialists, and healthcare solution vendors. Kenneth initially started his career as a Sales Executive, serving an ICT Consulting Company in Asia. He was associated with the same domain for around 18 years and offered his services in banking, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. He was determined to upgrade the conventional old technological system in the hospitals by rendering healthcare digitalization. Kenneth says that the commencement of this venture took place with a request from a local healthcare provider that required a state-of-theart comprehensive EMR with HIS solution. And now, it has emerged out as one of the fastest-growing MSC Status software development and solutions companies.

Being the leader of the Company, Kenneth always ensured synchrony with the wavering market trends.

In the past five years of its exclusive services, Origin has bagged numerous awards proudly. It has earned top industry honours and accolades for its performances and exceptional contribution to the healthcare community. Over the last two years, the Company has impressively bagged more than ten awards in its favour, from Small and Medium Enterprise(SME) association, mainstream media newspaper and magazine, consulting firm, the Government, and more essentially branding awards that included Superbrands and The Brand Laureate.

It was also offered appreciable rank by Financial Times and Statista in Asia Pacific High-Growth Companies 2020 and Malaysia’s Growth Champions 2020 respectively.

Origin has aimed to commence venture in Philippines and Vietnam, in the near future, primarily serving the Asia Pacific region. It is in close collaboration with the partners in delivering HIS and EMR solutions; willing to join hands with the right allies while pursuing their future outlooks. The Firm is striving to make its platform well-reckoned at the global level with offering comprehensive avant-garde solutions to its consumer base.

HOW TECHNOLOGY IS TRANSFORMING INFLUENCER MARKETING

As people started spending more time on social media, it has transformed business marketing and promotional approaches. This has been possible because of advanced technology and easier access. Influencer marketing is now a tool widely acknowledged by startups, SMEs, and top-notch companies, and is proving successful in terms of growth and even sales.

No matter where the individual is living, whether in an urban or remote area, they have smartphone and internet accessibility, which allows them to produce content without any supervision or investment. Best creativity gets recognition and followers. This is the reason there has been an increase in online content consumption and social media presence.

As we say that the internet is accessible to any individual, it indicates that viewers are available on the internet too, meaning when content gets uploaded on the internet, the viewers like, share, and follow, if they like their work.

According to datreportal.com, India has 624m internet users, which indicates how much influential marketing can be worth for their businesses. Businesses want to target those audiences. Additionally, the dedicated followers of an individual mean dedicated viewership. Basically, they help to grow the brand.

New technical features in social media apps or the newer social media have allowed anyone to show talent or create content that gains massive internet traffic and attraction.

Today, thousands of individuals post content on social media on a daily basis. Of these thousands, some have earned huge popularity and followers, basically, viewers call social media celebrities. In our terms, they are known as influencers. The created goes to:

AI INTEGRATED TOO

With the application of machine learning technology, businesses can easily access information regarding a particular influencer by extracting their analytical report, which involves geographical location, genuine followers, their reach, and more. The whole influencer campaign can be automatically led without any manual intervention.

Many digital marketing companies are focusing on the campaign response predictions platform, it will allow a great virtual content posting platform to work on its own. Although this is in its very early stage.

SOCIAL MEDIA UPGRADES

Social media users are continually evolving, while social media platform providers keep upgrading new features to enhance the reach and accessibility of the content that is uploaded on the platform.

User experience and design are the two major components repeatedly monitored and upgraded by the service provider. Additionally, with time, the primitive practice of managing influencer camping end to end manually is slowly giving way to a more automated and streamlined process.

DATA ANALYTICS TOOLS

Data analytic tools have taken over the influencer marketing industry and digs deeper into the loophole present in the industry. These tools have helped to provide instant information about consumer behaviours and perceptions that act as a brownie point in the value chain. Data analytic tools that are necessary to businesses have proven to be a key in every influencer collaboration. Analyzing data sets deeper gives leverage to succeed in the market has perhaps become more important than ever. One of the benefits of getting access to data through a tech-based platform is the realtime information that helps the influencer to secure content and optimize their value in the market. Now, businesses can identify their campaign success beyond social media impressions.

INFLUENCER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

There are highly developed systems that can help advertisers find the right and genuine influencers. These systems hold numerous pools of information about influencers and give outcomes based on a complex range of data points, which help advertisers get the best resources to lead their campaigns in a better way. These systems are AI-based, which perform content analysis on influencer’s posts.

The major innovation in the technical field, including AI/ML and data analytics, have enhanced the influencer marketing industry. In 2020, this trend saw massive success and is set to grow multifarious. Today, companies have started investing more in social media marketing than traditional ones.

GO GREEN WAREHOUSES

A REVOLUTION IN THE WAREHOUSING SEGMENT WITH A BLEND OF EXPERIENCE AND MODERNIZATION

Gulshan Parveen | Business Connect

They say, “To succeed, you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality,” and our today’s star of the show justifies this very well. When passion meets to plan, amazing things take place. All it takes is the right guidance from experienced and enthusiastic leaders.

Business Connect is a great platform renowned for its impeccable monthly editions centric towards some great business leaders and their brainchildren. And here again, we are back with our brand new October edition that comprises some untold stories of remarkable entrepreneurs and their journey in the business world. Our editorial team had an interesting and joyful session with the leadership panel of Go Green warehouses. The Founder and CEO of the company, Mr. Santosh Sahu shared numerous lesserknown facts about the company and also shined some light on his insights on the corporate world. We truly hope and desire that this fascinating read will add some extra value to the lives of our global readership panel and will encourage them to chase their dreams.

Sahu Director, CEO & Co-Founder

Santosh

COMPANY PREFACE

Mr. Santosh presents the company’s unique business model and says, “We solve our customers’ biggest problems from farm to fork. So basically you serve on the one hand the farmers who produce the grain and on the other hand also concerning the consumer side such as retailers, processors, exporters, importers, etc. who are the end users of the commodity. Go Green provides farm warehousing services, commodity-backed financial facilitation through and NBFC banks, quality testing and certification, warehouse inspection, and auditing services, any asset management required from farm to fork.

We try to offer all services for the agricultural value chain under one roof. Moreover, I have initially worked with Godrej Aadhaar, Reliance Retail, and Spencer’s Retail, which operates on the consumer side. I first spent about 10 years in this sector and then worked in the warehousing and logistics sector for the next 10 years before founding Go Green. Mr. Maulik Bhai Shah registered this company in 2012 and met with me in 2018 to discuss co-founding the company in Agri Warehousing the idea for this company was born at that time only.

We believe that you are a leader who has to suffer a lot to motivate employees to maintain the company’s success. We believe that trust and transparency are key areas that have been lacking in the industry, and we enable organizations around the issue by being a trusted and reliable service provider in this area. We started the process in 2018, originally planning to focus on the specific geography of the country, but customers have shown tremendous response to the new company, and now, we are present in 25 states. We are currently active in more than 400+ locations and with more than 3500 customers.

Furthermore, when we talk about the mission and vision behind this massive growth company, the company moves forward with the primary vision of being the biggest supporter of farmers and the number one in agricultural storage space in India. Through its creative solutions, the Go Green team works to increase the reach of growers and FPOs for the best quality products while attempting to increase the number of buyer connections with their warehouse to create market connections for farm products.”

R&D APPROACH

“If you have a closer look, you will observe that the entire industry only focusing on handling the bulk side because of the margin profit otherwise it will be very difficult for them to survive. Nobody was looking at the micro site. So, we have a separate team who is looking into micro sites. So, instead of asking farmers to bring the produce to 150 kilometers away to our warehouse, we go nearer to the farmer and set up a small sun center in the farm gate levels using the windows and link to the pilot so that the transition can happen if somebody wants to store for some time. Then we were required to some kind of warehousing facility so we have done a lot of research on that. We have a broad automatic storage technology which is a portable structure. It can be taken to the farmland itself and store the commodity for certain times. So, similarly, we are taking a lot of cold storage and a solar base for storage to the farm that level where the perishable commodities can be stored if the buyer is not going to buy on the same day they can buy on transit.” – Mr. Santosh Sahu.

He further adds, “As we are handling a lot of commodities, hence we are doing a lot of R&D to find how we can automate the entire management site because right now, it is oriented business where a lot of manpower is required. So, we are trying to have different kinds of technology like for example, earlier the samples were drawn in the warehouse and it was sent to the laboratory then it was tested and then the result was coming. At present, with IoT devices, we can give the resolution and the handling can be easy.”

MEET THE RESEARCH TEAM

•

Mr. Premchand Motta

Mr. Premchand Motta is well known not only in India but in more than 125 countries across the world for his spices annual reports, which contain his forecast of the market trends for the coming months. Through this, all leading sellers and buyers of spices benefitted very much. At the age of 23, Mr. Premchand Motta became famous in more than 150 countries of the world as one of the best spices analysts. His analysis report has given a profit of multi-million rupees to leading spices powder manufacturers, spices traders of the entire world, and especially in India.

• Mr. Biren Vakil

Mr. Biren Vakil is a veteran of trading and risk management in the Indian commodity markets. He is associated with key exchanges, intermediaries and large broking houses, and business media. He has worked as a consultant for The Multi Commodity Exchange of India, The National Multi Commodity Exchange - NMCE during their initial commissioning. He regularly appears in popular electronic media such as CNBC, Times Now, Zee Business, Zee Gujarati, E TV, and VTV. He has also appeared as a Gold Analyst at the international news channel Al-Jazeera. He is a columnist with the largest-selling Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar, Commodity World, Phool Chaab, and Gujarat Guardian.

BRAINS BEHIND THE BRAND

• Mr. Maulik K Shah (Promoter & Managing Director)

Mr. Maulik Shah is the founder and brains behind the Go Green Group. With over 25 years of experience in the International Agri Commodity Business, Real Estate, Foreign Exchange - Risk Management, IT-Infrastructure Development, and Modern Warehousing, he established Go Green to provide state-of-the-art services to businesses of all kinds. He is also the founder of more than 5 other startups in India. Mr. Maulik Shah is a Commerce Graduate with an M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from ITM, Mumbai.

• Mr. Santosh Sahu (Executive Director & Co-founder)

Mr. Santosh Sahu is an Agri-business professional with extensive experience in developing Agri Value Chains in sectors like Warehousing, Commodity Financing, Trade Facilitation Business, Rural Retail, Fresh Food, Agri Inputs, and Cold Chain. Before joining the Go Green Group, he was the Director & Head - Business Development at Kunvarji Group, AVP - Business Development at NBHC, and has also worked with organizations such as NCML, Krishdhan Seeds, Worlds Window, RPG Spencer Retail, Reliance Retail, and Godrej Agrovet. Mr. Sahu is an M.B.A. in Agri-Business from DAIICT, Gandhinagar, and an Agriculture graduate from OUAT, Bhubaneshwar.

WHY GO GREEN?

•

Edge Over Others

“The secret of the market is very basic, if you see the Indian market is very big. I don’t think competition is there, it’s time to see the opportunity to take and excel on our own. So, it is in the mind itself. In India, 300 million metric ton of production of food grain is there and we have only 130 metric metric ton of agri warehouse is there. So, I think if you focus on yourself and your team then there is a clear path to growth in the same way. As far as Warehouse receipt finance, the latent potential is more than Rs. 2 Lakh Cr. where as all WSPs put together are not able to reach to Rs. 50,000 Cr mark also in any of the previous years. So the potential is huge. I don’t think competition is there it is only how you manage your team as well as underlying assets well to grow smoothly that is very important.”- Mr. Santosh says.

• Bond With Tech

Mr. Santosh says, “Technology is very much essential because we are operating 1200+ warehouses and we do spread across 25 states with more than Rs. 8000 crore worth of value of commodities in our warehouses in India. Here comes the importance of technology to manage such big volume of business with real time information and transaction at every place of your supply chain network. So, there are three aspects in the businessnumber one, we are responsible for a quality and quantity of the goods, we are managing agri commodities , it is not just like non-agro or any FMCG good, which varies in quality and quantity bag to bag and grain to grain. The quality of the grains is very important as these are live entity where grains have an embryo which continuously respires and is live. So if you are not opening the warehouse on daily basis, then the grains quality will deteriorate to have huge losses in terms of value of the commodity. So, we try to follow through our automatic monitoring system. We are monitoring the opening and closing of warehouses on daily basis to ensure the grains are OK and also monitoring security system via central control room with CCTV surveillance. We have also got AI/ML based Quality assaying instrument for fast results which can give you results instantly within 30 seconds earlier.”

PARTING WORDS

Before signing off, the visionary shared some words of wisdom for our budding leaders out there by quoting, “Building a right team is the key for any business and to any event. Many people have ideas, but they fail sometimes, but the first and foremost thing is that you have to have a very good team to try your idea that is parking. Second thing is that there is 1000 days of struggle in the initial stage whenever we were entering into any entrepreneurship. So, we need to have a lot of presence and a good faith on self is required in order to build a big business.”

Emerging Microarray Technology: Driving Diagnostic Efficiency for Miscarriage Diagnosis

Introduction

The global molecular diagnostic market is 10 billion USD and is expected to reach 12 billion USD at a CAGR of 8.4% by 2023. India’s molecular diagnostic market is nearly 920 million USD and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% by 2026. In recent years, there has been an increase in a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and unhealthy diet in metropolitan cities which demands the entry of a new era of personalized health care. This has resulted in an unprecedented number of Start-up biotechnology (molecular diagnostics) companies in India (Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kerela), UK, Japan, USA (New York) providing medical genetic testing facilities for life-threatening diseases. The services include prenatal diagnosis (For Down syndrome and trisomy 18 syndromes), detection of chromosomal abnormalities leading to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), carrier testing (for sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis), newborn screening (for congenital hypothyroidism, sickle cell anemia, Phenylketonuria) and cancer diagnosis (breast cancer).

What is Miscarriage?

Miscarriage or pregnancy loss, the natural spontaneous loss of baby, is reported to be about 15%-20% of clinical pregnancies in the fertile population and varies according to age. About 1–2% of couples suffer from recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) (3 consecutive pregnancy losses before 20 weeks from the last menstrual period), the reason behind being solely genetic. Several different types of risk factors for miscarriage, which can involve the mother, the baby, or both, are parental chromosomal abnormalities, maternal age (≥ 35 years), lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol & use of illegal drugs), endocrine irregularities, congenital (birth defects) and acquired uterine anomalies, autoimmune factors, etc.

Traditionally standard cytogenetic analysis has been used for detecting most chromosomal abnormalities in pregnancy loss, which are mostly aneuploidies (abnormal number of chromosome 45 or 47). However, the classical method requires live dividing cells, which requires culture and the challenge for products of conception (POCs) remains as the possibility of culture failure is high, selective overgrowth of maternal cells in culture can give misleading results, contamination due to microbes and poor chromosome morphology, frequently hinder obtaining high‐quality results in pregnancy loss cases.

Types of Miscarriage

There are 12 types of miscarriage.

• Complete Miscarriage (Expulsion of a complete fetus out of the uterus, extreme abdominal pain, severe vaginal bleeding, and expulsion of POCs).

• Incomplete Miscarriage (Symptoms similar to Complete

• miscarriage, cervix remain open).

• Threatened Miscarriage (Vaginal bleeding in the 1st tri

• semester of pregnancy when cervix remains closed).

• Inevitable Miscarriage (Heavy bleeding and severe cramps).

• Recurrent Miscarriage (3 consecutive pregnancy loss).

• Missed Miscarriage (Fetus dies early and remain in mother’s uterus).

• Blighted Ovum (Attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterus wall but doesn’t develop into an embryo).

• Chemical Miscarriage (Early loss during 4th or 5th pregnancy week).

• First-Trimester Miscarriage (Takes place during 1st 12 weeks of gestation period).

• Second Trimester Miscarriage (Occurs rarely between 12th to 20th weeks of pregnancy).

• Ectopic Miscarriage (Implantation of an embryo outside the uterus).

• Molar Pregnancy (Development of pregnancy tissue into an abnormal growth).

RECURRENT PREGNANCY LOSS (RPL)

It refers to the consecutive occurrence of 3 or more pregnancy losses. According to reports, there are a low number of cases of recurrent miscarriages. In India, there have been reports of recurrent miscarriages of about 10%.

The concept of DNA microarray technology which evolved from Southern blotting was proposed by Augenlicht and colleagues in the late 1980s. The genetic material is efficiently analyzed by this technology which is used for the study of large-scale gene expression. Mark Schena is considered the “Father of Microarray technology”.

HISTORY OF MICROARRAY TECHNOLOGY

ROLE OF MICROARRAY

Recently developed Microarray technology is a powerful biotechnology technique that involves the analysis of thousands of DNA samples simultaneously. DNA extracted from direct fetal samples is used in these methods which do not require live cells. Furthermore, the detection ability of chromosomal abnormalities through chromosomal microarrays is quite significantly below the resolution of karyotyping. Therefore, DNA microarray for pregnancy loss is a promising tool of chromosome analysis than conventional karyotyping because of enhanced diagnostic yield.

Summary

DNA microarray testing is a preferable, robust method of analyzing cases of recurrent pregnancy loss to better delineate possible genetic etiologies, regardless of gestational age, because of its high diagnostic sensitivity. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based Chromosomal microarray testing can detect aneuploidy, polyploidy (more than two sets of the chromosome), segmental genomic imbalances, whole-genome homozygosity, and maternal cell contamination, thus showing a high degree of sensitivity and decrement in false-negative results. A better understanding of the etiology of fetal loss helps to know the reason for recurrence risk and helps in planning and management for future family planning by newly married couples.