The Best Telecommunications Service Provider In 2022

Mohan Kumar Sundaram, Chairman & Co-founder, Plintron

SUBSCR IBE SUBSCRIBE

From Editor’s Desk

Informationistransmittedelectronicallyoverdistancesthroughtelecommunications.Thedatacouldtakethe shapeofvoicecalls,data,text,photos,orvideo.Thesedays,telecommunicationsareutilizedtoconnect relativelyfar-flungcomputersystemsintonetworks.Thecomputersthatrunthesenetworksdoso.

Acommunicationsnetworkisaconfigurationofcomputingandcommunicationtoolsusedtotransmitinformation betweenremotesites.

Featuringfor thisissueof are TheEnterpriseWorld's TheBestTelecommunicationsServiceProviderIn2022 thestoriesofsuchsuccessfulbusinessesthathavemadeitthrougheveryoddstormandmadeittothetop.

FortheCoverStoryreadabout-

Plintron-Adigitalcommunicationscompany,Plintronenablesbrandstoacquireandengagecustomersacrossall sixcontinents.Operatingforover14years,Plintronistheworld'slargestmulti-countryMVNA/MVNEanda leadingIoTSolutionsandCPaaSprovider Thecompanyhasintegrated143+MVNOsto40+MNOsenablingthem withinnovativemobileservicesandactivatingover165millionsubscribersaroundtheworldinmorethan31 countries.

Withavastglobalexperience,Plintronhassuccessfullybuiltacomprehensivedigitalexperienceplatformandan innovativemodelservingvariousMobileNetworkOperators,MobileVirtualNetworkOperators,theInternetof Things(IoT),andEnterprises/Brands,includingOvertheTopinnovators(OTTs).Buildingonthisexperience, Plintronhasevolvedits'MVNE'capabilitiestoacomprehensivedigitalexperienceplatformandaninnovative MVNAmodelservingMobileNetworkOperators(MNOs),MobileVirtualNetworkOperators(MVNOs),Internet ofThingsplayers(IoT/M2M),andEnterprises/Brands,includingOvertheTopinnovators(OTTs).

Plintronisnotjustthelargestmulti-countryMVNE/MVNA,butisalsothefastestgrowingcompanyasevidenced bythesubstantialincreaseintheMVNOslaunched,subscribersactivatedandcountriesserved.Plintronoffersa cloud-basedMobileVirtualNetworkEnabler(MVNE)-TelecomSaaSplatformwhichisaworld-classhighperformance,affordable,scalable,andresponsiveend-to-endsolutionwithcomprehensivefeatureslikepostpaid/prepaid&convergentbilling,5Gsupport,eSIM,andRemoteSIMprovisioningsupport,proprietarylibraryof 400+APIs,GGSNandPGWsupport,IMSandVoLTEsupport,integratedOSS/BSS/NSSsuite,AnalyticsandBI reportsupport,Campaignmanagementsupport,Loyaltyengine,multi-languagesupport,andwhite-labeledportal andappsupport.

SystematixInfotech-SystematixInfotechisaCMMILevel3appraised,globalITServicesandsolutionscompany knownforitsinnovation-drivenapproachinthefieldofinformationtechnology.With16+yearsofbusiness experienceserving900+clientsworldwide,thecompanymarksastrongpresenceintransformingandinspiring businessesandtrendsglobally Thecompanystandasareliablenamefordeliveringremarkableexperiencestoboth theircustomersgloballyaswellastotheirteammembers

SystematixInfotechencapsulatestop-notcheddigitaltransformationservicessuchasRPAConsulting,DataScience, andIoTSolutionsasidefrombusinesstechnologyservicesforenterpriseautomationandmobility.Thecompanyhas haddouble-digitgrowthsinceitsinceptionin2005.Inthelasttwoyears,theyhavebeenmaintaininggrowthof51% YoY Today,SystematixInfotechisateamof368peoplewhichhadjust6professionalsatthestart.Fromjustone smallofficeinIndia,todaytheyhaveapresencein6locations.Fromsoftwareservicesonly,todaythecompanyhas acomprehensiveportfolioofsolutionsandproductsfortheglobalmarket.

Shalmali W.

Leaders in Spotlight

FortheCoverStoryreadabout-

Plintron-Adigitalcommunicationscompany, Plintronenablesbrandstoacquireandengage customersacrossallsixcontinents.Operating forover14years,Plintronistheworld'slargest multi-countryMVNA/MVNEandaleadingIoT SolutionsandCPaaSprovider Thecompanyhas integrated143+MVNOsto40+MNOsenabling themwithinnovativemobileservicesand activatingover165millionsubscribersaround theworldinmorethan31countries.

Withavastglobalexperience,Plintronhas successfullybuiltacomprehensivedigital experienceplatformandaninnovativemodel servingvariousMobileNetworkOperators, MobileVirtualNetworkOperators,theInternet ofThings(IoT),andEnterprises/Brands, includingOvertheTopinnovators(OTTs). Buildingonthisexperience,Plintronhas evolvedits'MVNE'capabilitiestoa comprehensivedigitalexperienceplatformand aninnovativeMVNAmodelservingMobile NetworkOperators(MNOs),MobileVirtual NetworkOperators(MVNOs),Internetof Thingsplayers(IoT/M2M),andEnterprises/ Brands,includingOvertheTopinnovators (OTTs).

Plintronisnotjustthelargestmulti-country MVNE/MVNA,butisalsothefastestgrowing companyasevidencedbythesubstantial increaseintheMVNOslaunched,subscribers activatedandcountriesserved.Plintronoffersa cloud-basedMobileVirtualNetworkEnabler (MVNE)-TelecomSaaSplatformwhichisa world-classhigh-performance,affordable, scalable,andresponsiveend-to-endsolution withcomprehensivefeatureslikepostpaid/prepaid&convergentbilling,5Gsupport, eSIM,andRemoteSIMprovisioningsupport, proprietarylibraryof400+APIs,GGSNand PGWsupport,IMSandVoLTEsupport, integratedOSS/BSS/NSSsuite,AnalyticsandBI reportsupport,Campaignmanagementsupport,

Loyaltyengine,multi-languagesupport,and white-labeledportalandappsupport.

SystematixInfotech-SystematixInfotechisa CMMILevel3appraised,globalITServices andsolutionscompanyknownforits innovation-drivenapproachinthefieldof informationtechnology With16+yearsof businessexperienceserving900+clients worldwide,thecompanymarksastrong presenceintransformingandinspiring businessesandtrendsglobally.Thecompany standasareliablenamefordelivering remarkableexperiencestoboththeircustomers globallyaswellastotheirteammembers

SystematixInfotechencapsulatestop-notched digitaltransformationservicessuchasRPA Consulting,DataScience,andIoTSolutions asidefrombusinesstechnologyservicesfor enterpriseautomationandmobility The companyhashaddouble-digitgrowthsinceits inceptionin2005.Inthelasttwoyears,they havebeenmaintaininggrowthof51%YoY. Today,SystematixInfotechisateamof368 peoplewhichhadjust6professionalsatthe start.FromjustonesmallofficeinIndia,today theyhaveapresencein6locations.From softwareservicesonly,todaythecompanyhasa comprehensiveportfolioofsolutionsand productsfortheglobalmarket.

Spotless,on-timedelivery,andInformation securityistheirpriority Therefore,afterISO 9001:2015andCMMILevel3appraisal,Team SystematixInfotechisnowworkingtowards achievingISO27000.Thecompanyaimstobea 1000headcountcompanyby2022.The companyspecializesindigitaltransformation servicesandsolutions.Theirsolutionsfocuson twothings–bringingSpeedandAccuracyin businessprocesseswiththeuseofanyor combinationofnew-agetechnologies–Robotic ProcessAutomation(RPA),AI/ML,Internetof Things(IoT),WhatsAppChatbots,andBI.

Mohan Kumar Sundaram, Chairman and Co-founder, Plintron

st

Beingapredominant21 centuryphenomenon, MobileVirtualNetworkOperators(MVNOs)have alreadybeenthroughwavesofevolution.Thefirst everwavewasintheearly2000swhenthepenetrationof mobiletechnologywaslow,andvoicewastheprimary offering.

Thesecondwavewasduringthe2010s.Thiswasthetime whenValueaddedservicesproliferatedandwiththeadvent of3Gand4Gtherewasagrowthinmobiledataandits applications.

MVNOstriedtoservesmallersegmentsandnichesand offereddifferentiatedservicesand avarietyofcustomized Value-Added-servicesandtariffofferingswhichwere distinctfromthoseprovidedbyMobileNetworkOperators orMNOs.

Thesenewdevelopmentshavedrawnadiversesetof playersinthemobilemarketwithmanyretail,utility, banking,finance,sports,andotherconsumerbrands extendingtomobileservices.Butirrespectiveofthe numberofplayers,thesuccessdependsonintricately addressingkeyproblemsandtakingappropriatedecisive

actionstowardstheirresolutionbytheformofnewor modified offerings.

FeaturingforTheEnterpriseWorld'sthisissueofTheBest TelecommunicationsServiceProviderIn2022isPlintron,a companyprovidinginnovativemobileservicesacrossthe globe.

TheCompany

Adigitalcommunicationscompany,Plintronenablesbrands toacquireandengagecustomersacrossallsixcontinents. Operatingforover14years,Plintronistheworld'slargest multi-countryMVNA/MVNEandaleadingIoTSolutions andCPaaSprovider Thecompanyhasintegrated143+ MVNOsto40+MNOsenablingthemwithinnovative mobileservicesandactivatingover165millionsubscribers aroundtheworldinmorethan31countries.

Withavastglobalexperience,Plintronhassuccessfully builtacomprehensivedigitalexperienceplatformandan innovativemodelservingvariousMobileNetwork Operators,MobileVirtualNetworkOperators,theInternet ofThings(IoT),andEnterprises/Brands,includingOverthe Topinnovators(OTTs).

HeadquarteredinSingaporewithofficesspanningacross London,Dubai,NewDelhi,SãoPaulo,andSeattle,the companyhasestablishedstrongpartnerrelationshipsin31+ countries,withmanymoreinthepipeline.TheirGlobal Technology&SupportcenterinIndiahasallowedthemto provide24*7supporttotheclients,furtherenhancingthe clientexperience.

Buildingonthisexperience,Plintronhasevolvedits 'MVNE'capabilitiestoacomprehensivedigitalexperience platformandaninnovativeMVNAmodelservingMobile NetworkOperators(MNOs),MobileVirtualNetwork Operators(MVNOs),InternetofThingsplayers(IoT /M2M),andEnterprises/Brands,includingOvertheTop innovators(OTTs).

ChallengingtheChallenges

ThetechnologiesPlintrondealtwithwerestate-of-the-art innovativesolutionsbasedonemergingCloud-based technologies.Beinganindustrypioneer,therealchallenge wastofirstcreateawarenessabouttheproductand solutions.Commercializingandmonetizingthetechnology wasthelaterpartofthis.

we are on the verge of transforming the landscape of businesses by using current changing technology trends as we advance

Andthus,thejourneystarted,fromfirstbuildingawareness toevangelizingthetechnologyandproducts,creatingthe marketfortheservices,andmostimportantofitall, continuouslyinnovatingtomeetallcustomerrequirements.

Adedicatedteam,ahungertoemergeasthebest,and everythinginbetweenhelpedPlintrontoovercomethese challengessuccessfully

Stable,StrongGrowth

Everysteptowardssuccessteachesnewthings,andthose arewhatshapethecompany.ForPlintron,beingoneofthe pioneersintheindustry,itwasn'taneasyjourney.But certainstrategieshelpedthemgainmomentum.Thefirst wasadaptingaproduct-focusedapproach.Thenshiftthe focustoensuringtheadoptionofthelateststate-of-the-art technologiesthusensuringproductlinesremain competitiveinthemarket,hiringthebesttalentthereby bringingdedication,out-of-the-boxthinking,andcreatinga conduciveworkenvironmentthatempowersemployees.

Stepping up, challenging the challenges and consistent innovations have made us the world leaders in the MvNA/E-Business of empowering the mobile virtual network operators worldwide.

PlintronGroup'shands-onexperience,industryknowledge, andstrategicbusinessapproachhavealsoledtorapid growthastheteamexcelledinunderstandingthenittygrittyofeachprojectalongwiththerightmarketresearch.

Beingagileinthechangingdigitalworldisakey differentiatorbetweenPlintronandtherestoftheMVNA solutionproviderswhichhascontributedtothePlintron growthstory.

HowHavetheGraphsChanged?

Plintronisnotjustthelargestmulti-country MVNE/MVNA,butisalsothefastestgrowingcompanyas evidencedbythesubstantialincreaseintheMVNOs launched,subscribersactivatedandcountriesserved. Plintronhadactivated50millionsubscribersin2015,75

millionsubscribersin2016,andby2021hadcrossedthe 150millionsubscriberstallyandiscurrentlyat165 millionplussubscribers.Thecompanyalsolaunched morethan143MVNObrandsin31+countries.

Thesheercommitmenttoexcellence,innovation, customercentricity,qualityfocus,flexibility,and ownershipisthereasonwhyPlintronhasbeenA1inthe gamefromthestart.Havingbuiltawell-experienced teamacrosstheglobe,Plintronendeavorsinenhancing existingvalueanddevelopnewandinnovative solutions.

FourteenyearsofrapidgrowthgivesPlintronleadership inthetelecomindustry.Commandingthelargestglobal presenceinitsareaofbusiness,thecompanyleverages itsmulti-countrynetworktostayaheadofthecurve.

Thisfocusoncreatingthebest-fit&innovativesolutions forclients,providingthemaccesstoadvanced technology,acomprehensivescalableandflexible cloud-basedplatform,andhavingastrategicapproach hashelpedPlintronreachnewheightseachyear

TheProductsandServices

Plintronoffersacloud-basedMobileVirtualNetwork Enabler(MVNE)-TelecomSaaSplatformwhichisa world-classhigh-performance,affordable,scalable,and responsiveend-to-endsolutionwithcomprehensive featureslikepost-paid/prepaid&convergentbilling,5G support,eSIM,andRemoteSIMprovisioningsupport, proprietarylibraryof400+APIs,GGSNandPGW support,IMSandVoLTEsupport,integrated OSS/BSS/NSSsuite,AnalyticsandBIreportsupport, Campaignmanagementsupport,Loyaltyengine,multilanguagesupport,andwhite-labeledportalandapp support.

MVNE

our platform is elastic, scalable and all its products are scalable with attention to detail. Ensuring scalability for a business leads to sustainability and helps it perform efficiently even under intense pressure.

MVNA

Plintron'sinnovativeMVNAmodelincludestheMVNE platforminadditiontowholesaleairtimecontract, readymaderoamingarrangements,SIMsupport,anda franchisingmodelwhichincludesGo-to-Marketsupport andcustomercaresupportforthebrandedmobileservice providers(MVNOs)supported.

BeingaCustomisableMobileNetwork,Plintron'sMVNA modelofferedasTelecomasaServiceenablesenterprises andbrandstolaunchtheirownbrandedmobiletelecom servicesfortheirconsumerbasewhichisattractivetoany brandhavingfootfallsofmorethan5000attheirstores.

CPaaS

PlintronCPaaSisaplatformforcompaniestosimplify communicationandenablemeaningfulconversationswith theircustomersusingpersonalisedmessages,voice

services,andAI-poweredchatbots.Theaward-winning platformoffersflexibleAPIsandalowcodeplatform experiencethroughaneasy-to-usedrag-and-dropflow buildertoautomatecustomerjourneysacrossindustriesand usecases.TheOmnichannelplatformenablescustomersto engageusingtheirpreferredchannels-SMS,Voice, Chatbot,Email,Whatsapp,and14+otherOTTchannels, andisbuiltonglobalinfrastructuretosupportmulti-country requirementsofcompanies,atscale.

IoT

PlintronoffersIoTconnectivityservices,IoTSIMcardsin avarietyofformfactorsandIoTConnectivityManagement Suitewhichallowsbusinessestoeasilyview,monitor, manageandcontroltheirIoTSIMcards.Usingasingle login–managementofallSIMcardsispossible.

CustomerCommunication,Scalability,and Sustainability

Efficientcustomercommunicationalwayshelpstodeepen

We have expanded to 6 new geographies in the last 12 months.

engagement,increasetheshareofwallet,boostyour reputation,andcanalsoinvitenew,excitingideasfromthe mosthonestsourceoffeedbackatyourdisposal–your customers.

Allinall,aconstructivelylaidoutcustomer communicationsplanplaysavitalroleinboostingloyalty andretentionofbusiness.Ongoingcommunicationwith existingcustomersisafantasticwaytokeepthemengaged withyourbrand.

Bykeepingintouchwiththemviasocialmedia,e-mail campaignsetc.youcancultivatealoyal,engagedfollowing –whichmeansyou'reinanoptimalpositionwhenit'stime forthemtore-purchaseyourproductorrenewtheir subscription.

Plintronhasadedicatedqualitymanagementteamanda strongfocusonqualityandformeetingSLAs.Ithasa24*7 deliverycentertosupportallitsglobalpartnersandhas constantcommunicationwithitscustomersforfeedback andtotakecorrectiveactionifrequired.

Thecompanyensuresthattheservicesarehighlyreliable

byitsfocusonquality,riskmanagement,resource management,rigidcompliance,andproblem-solving nature.

TheNextBigThing

Plintronkeepsonaugmentingitsexistingsolutionlike theMVNEplatformwiththelaunchofnewfeatureslike eSIMsupport,remoteSIMprovisioningandwhite labeledappsupport.

PlintronisalsolaunchingnewservicesundertheCPaaS umbrella.

Thecompanyintendstolaunchseveralnewproductsand servicesbymakinguseofthelatesttechnological innovationsandalsohiringtheappropriatetalent.

MohanKumarSundaram-LeadingtheWay

Chairman&Co-Founder,Plintron

MohanKumarSundaram,Chairman,andco-founder,of Plintron,isanentrepreneurwithmorethan30yearsof experience,andanIndustrythoughtleaderinCloud CommunicationPlatformsforWirelessMobileand connecteddevices.InhisroleasChairmanofPlintron,he isresponsibleforbuildingthe1000+strongtechnology teamwhichdevelopedandisalsolookingafter internationalbusinessdevelopment.

InhisLeadershiprole,heisresponsibleforenabling businesseswithproducts/servicesforadditionalrevenues andoptimizingcostsbynetworksharingandoffshoring.

Hisexpertiseistobringthebusinessfocusontechnology andservicedelivery.Hehaswidespreadinternational businessexposurewithexperienceworkingwithvarious countries'regulatorsandnetworkserviceprovidersin formulatingthefullmobilevirtualnetworkoperator [MVNO]modelandnetworksharingcommercialization.

Inhispreviousroles,hehasworkedinmanagement positionsforlargeinternationalgroupsandpubliclimited companiesintheareasofNon-BankingFinance, Construction,Investments,Telecom&IT.Hisotherarea ofspecializationincludesSecurity,M2M,andSmart Devices.

MohanwasrecentlyhonoredwiththeGlobalIndianof theYear2020-21Award,byAsiaOne.Heisalso conferredmembershipoftheprestigiousForbesCouncil in2019andisanactivethoughtleaderintheindustry

We aim to ensure the scalability and adaptability of its people, processes, and technology globally.

TheManyAccoladesofHisJourney

Mohan'skeyachievementsincludedestablishingPlintron astheWorld'slargestMVNA/MVNEwithapresence across31countriesinall6continentsandthelaunchof IoTserviceswhichwaspossiblewithstrategicplanning, hardwork,anddeftexecutionalongwithpossessing significantdomainknowledgeofbothbusinessand technology.

HeisnowspearheadingthelaunchofaCommunications PlatformasaService(CPaaS)

Mohanhaswidespreadinternationalbusinessexposureand hasworkedwithvariouscountries'regulatorsandnetwork serviceprovidersinformulatingandevangelisingthefull mobilevirtualnetworkoperatormodelandachieving networksharingcommercialization.Hemanagedtoenable Plintron'sMVNAbasedontheradiocoveragesharingin multiplecountriesfromtheleadingmobilenetworkservice providersworldwideandalsodeployedtherequiredlocal MNPtechnologiesforeachmarket.

Someofhiskeyachievementsare:

GlobalIndianoftheyear2020-2021awardedbyAsia Ÿ One

AdmittedtoForbesBusinessCouncilandMember Ÿ since2019

LeadingPlintrontowintheAsianTelecomAwards Ÿ 2022andMVNEoftheYear2022awardbythe MVNOsWorldCongress.

IntheWordsofMohanKumarSundaram

HisAdvicetobuddingentrepreneurs-

“Developanidea,researchitbeforeventuringinto commercialization,andbuildasoundbusinessplanaround it. Aboveall,beopentofeedback.Also,planandutilize yourtimewiselyandprioritizetasksaccordingto relevanceandimportance.Planningshouldbeshortand longtermsandalsohavealternativeplansready.

Aboveall,alwaysbelieveinyourteamandthevaluethey addtoyourcompanyandtherevenuewillfollow EntrepreneurialLeadersneedtomotivatetheirteamand therightleadershipdeterminesthesuccessofany business.”

The key to success is recognising successful ideas and then backing it to the fullest yet being flexible to make corrective changes to plans on the journey to success.

Mumbai,theheartofMaharashtra,the economicalcapitalofIndia,andacity thatmakesyourheartsskipabeat,that makesyoudreamofthingsyounever dreamtof,thatmakesyouheadfast intotheworldandtakeonitwith utmostpassionandresilience!Of course,howcanacitymakeyoufeel allthosethings?ButMumbaican! Withthetoweringbuildings,fast railwaysandunnervinginfrastructure thatmovesyouateverystep,Mumbai isonecitywhereyoudon'tjustlive, butyouexperienceliving.Thecityhas earneditsnameforvariousreasonsin theworld,andprobablyoneofthe mostinterestingoneofthemallisthat Mumbaihasthegreatestnumberof millionairesandbillionairesamongall theothercitiesinIndia.Mumbaiis alsoahometothreeoftheUNESCO WorldHeritagesights,theElephanta Caves,ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj TerminusandanensembleofVictorian andArtDecoBuildingsthroughoutthe city.Designedinthe19thand20th centuries,thesebuildingsstillstand strongtodaywiththeirbeautiful architecturalstyles.

Mumbaicomprisesofsevenislands thatwereoncehometoseveral communitiesofMarathispeakingKoli people.Forcenturies,thesegroupof islandshavebeenunderthesuccessive rulershipofthevariousleadersthat ruledoverIndiaandMumbai.Itwas firstruledbytheindigenousrulers, afterwhichitcameunderthe possessionofthePortugueseEmpire, beforefinallylandinginthehandsof theEastIndiaCompanyin1661.

MDuringthemid-18thcentury,thecity wasreshaped,underwhichtheretook placetheconstructionofmajorroads, railwaysandmanymore.Thisproject cametoanendintheyear1845after whichMumbai,orBombaywas successfullytransformedintoaseaport ontheArabianSea.Laterinthe19th century,Bombaywascharacterisedby developmentsinallofitssectors, especiallytheeducationaland economicdevelopments.Mumbaicity isconsideredasthefinancial, commercialandtheentertainment capitalofIndia.Ithasalso,been rankedamongthetop10centersof commerceintermsoftheglobal financialflow,withthegenerationof 6.16%ofIndia'sGDPandcontributing toabout25%oftheindustrialoutput, 70%ofthemaritimetradeinIndiaand 70%ofcapitaltransactionstothe country'seconomy Thecityisalso knowntohousetheheadquartersof variousimportantfinancialinstitutions andcorporateandmultinational institutions.Apartfromthese,Mumbai isalsoahometoIndia'spremier scientificandnuclearinstitutes.

Nowknownasoneofthemostmodern citiesinMaharashtra,Mumbaiisvery wellknownfortheculturalinfluences ithasontheworld.Thecityhousesa numberofmonumentsandcultural hubsthatmakeittheperfect amalgamationofthemodernandthe old.

GeographicalImportanceof Mumbai

Mumbaiislocatedonataperedcape onthesouthwestofSalsetteIsland, whichisbetweentheArabianSeato thewestThaneGulftotheeastand VasaiGulftothenorth.Mostofthe islandsareoccupiedbytheMumbai residentialdistrict. Mumbai incorporatesoftworecognizable terrain:MumbaiCitydistrictand MumbaiSuburbandistrict,whichform twoseparateyielddistrictsof Maharashtra. Island City orSouth Mumbaiiscommonlyreferredtoasthe citydistrict.ThetotalareaofMumbai is603.4km.Ofthis,theislandcity incorporatesaround67.79km,while thesuburbandistrictspans370kmper sq.,togethercountingfor437.71km persq.underthegovernanceof MunicipalCorporationofGreater Mumbai(MCGM).Restoftheareas belongtodifferentDefence establishments,theMumbaiPortTrust, theAtomicEnergyCommissionand theBorivaliNationalPark,whichare outoftheauthorityoftheMCGM.The Thane,PalgharandRaigaddistrictsin additiontoGreaterMumbai,comes undertheprovinceofMumbai Metropolitanregionandcoversanarea of4,355km.Mumbaiislocatedatthe mouthoftheUlhasRiveronthe westerncoastofIndia,inthecoastal regionknownastheKonkan.Itis situatedonSalsetteIsland(Shashti Island),whichitpartlyshareswiththe Thanedistrict.Mumbaiisenclosedby theArabianSeatowardsthewest. Manypartsofthecityisjustabovesea level,withaltituderangingfrom10m to15m.Thecityhasanaverage altitudeof14m.

ExcludingtheBhatsaDam,Mumbai ownssixmajorlakesthatprovides watertothecity:Vihar,Lower Vaitarna,UpperVaitarna,Tulsi,Tansa andPowai.ThesupplyfromPowai

lake,iswithinthecitylimits,isused onlyforagriculturalandindustrial purposes.Thecoastlineofthecityis indentedwithnumerousgulfsand bays,stretchingfromtheThanecreek ontheeasterntoMadhMarveonthe westernfront.Theeasterncoastof SalsetteIslandiscoveredwithlarge mangroveswamps,richinbiodiversity, whilethewesterncoastismostlysandy androcky

Mumbaihasequatorialweather, particularlyatropicalwetanddry climateundertheKöppenclimate classification.ItvariesbetweenasunbakedperiodextendingfromOctober toMayandawetperiodpeakingin June.Thecoolerseasonfrom DecembertoFebruaryisfollowedby thehotterseasonfromMarchtoMay TheperiodfromJunetoabouttheend ofSeptemberconstitutesthesouth westmonsoonseason,andOctoberand

Novemberformthepost-monsoon season.

HistoryofBombay

Mumba or Maha-Amba thenameofthe patrongoddessofMumbaifromwhere nameofMumbaiisderived.Mumba DevieternalgoddessofMumbaialso knownasGramDevi(goddessof specificregion).Thegoddessis worshipedbyKolitribemainlyhaving Marathiastheirmothertongue.The KolipeopleoriginatedinKathiawar andCentralGujarat,andaccordingto somesourcestheybroughttheir goddessMumbawiththemfrom Kathiawar,wheresheisstill worshipped.However,othersources disagreethatMumbai'snamewas derivedfromthegoddessMumba.

th Before20 centuryMumbaiwas th knownasBombay Till20 century MumbaiwasundertheBritish

surveillance.Afterindependence Mumbaigotitsownidentitywas replacedbythenameBombayto Mumbai.AresidentofMumbaiis called Mumbaikar inMarathi,inwhich thesuffix -kar meansa resident of.The termhadbeeninuseforquitesome timebutitgainedpopularityafterthe officialnamechangetoMumbai.Older termssuchas Bombayite arealsoin use.

Glacialepochresiduesfoundalongthe coastalareasaroundKandivaliin northernMumbaisuggestthatthe islandswereinhabitedsincetheSouth AsianStoneAge.Perhapsatthe beginningoftheCommonEra,or possiblyearlier,theycametobe occupiedbytheKolifishing community

Betweenthe2ndcenturyBCEand9th centuryCE,theislandscameunderthe controlofmanysuccessiveaboriginal

dynastieslikeSatavahanas,Western Satraps,Abhira,Vakataka,Kalachuris, KonkanMauryas,Chalukyasand Rashtrakutas,etc.Someoftheoldest evidencesfoundinthecitybuiltduring thisperiodaretheJogeshwariCaves builtbetween520and525,Elephanta Cavesbuiltbetweenthesixthto seventhcentury,WalkeshwarTemple built10thcentury,andBangangaTank.

InspiritwiththeRoyalCharterof27 March1668,Englandrentedthese islandstotheEnglishEastIndia Companyin1668.Laterin1687The EastIndiaCompanyshiftedits headquarterstoBombayfromSurat. Themetropolisgraduallybecamethe headquartersoftheBombay Presidency AfterIndia'sindependence in1947,theprotectorateofthe BombayPresidencymaintainedby IndiawasrenovatedintoBombay State.TheareaofBombayState enlarged,aftervariousformerprincely statesthatboundedwiththeIndian unionwereincorporatedintothestate. Eventually,thecitybecamethecapital ofBombayState.InApril1950, MunicipallimitsofBombaywere expandedbymergingtheBombay SuburbanDistrictandBombayCityto formtheGreaterBombayMunicipal Corporation.

ACulturalHeritage

TheculturalheritageofMumbai representsthevariousculturesand generationsthatliveinthecity,and howethnicallydiversethecityis. Mumbaihousesseverallibraries, literaryinstitutionsandmuseumsthat arethehotspottoknowaboutthe gloriousdaysofMumbai.

TheChhatrapatiShivajiMaharajVastu Sanghralaya

TheChhatrapatiShivajiMaharajVastu Sanghralayaisamuseumthatis housedinabuildingwhichisaBritish

versionofthearchitecturalstylesof HinduandMuslim.TheMuseumwas formerlycalledasthePrinceofWales MuseumofWesternIndia.Itcontains threemainsections-thatofart, archaeologyandnaturalhistory

Themuseumwasfoundedinthe20th century,anddocumentsthehistoryof Indiafrompre-historictomodern times.Ithousesasmuchas50,00exhibitsfromtheancientIndianhistory aswellassomeoftheobjectsfrom foreignlands.FromtheIndusValley Civilizationartefactstootherrelicsof IndiandynastieslikethatofMaurya, Gupta,ChalukyasandtheRashtrakuta.

TheGatewayofIndia

TheimageofMumbai,thecelebrityof Mumbai,theGatewayofIndiaisone ofthemostlovedandthegreatest monumentsinMumbai.ThisGateway wasbuilttocommemoratethearrival ofGeorgeV,theEmperorofIndia. Oftenknownasthejewelinthecrown, theGatewayofIndiapayshomageto thelegacyofBritishcolonialrulein India.Themonumentissospecialto theMumbaikarsbecauseitisthefirst thingatravellerseeswhenhe/she entersMumbaibysearoute.Onecan't helpbutgaspoverthesheerbeautyand strengththeGatewayofIndia!

AsiaticLibrary

TheAsiaticSocietyofMumbaiisa learnedsocietyofMumbaiinthefield ofAsianStudies.Itsoriginscanbe tracedtotheLiterarySocietyof Bombay,whichwasfirstmetin Mumbaion26thNovember1804and wasfoundedbySirJamesMackintosh. Formedwiththeintentionof promotingusefulknowledge,the societythenbecameaffiliatedwiththe RoyalAsiaticSocietyofGreatBritain andIrelandandcametobeknownas BombayBranchoftheRoyalAsiatic Society.

KalaGhoda

Ifyouareanartlover,thenthereisno waythatyouhaven'theardofKala Ghoda.TheKalaGhodaisacrescentshapedartdistrictinMumbai.The city'svariousheritagebuildingslike theartgalleries,andeducational institutesliketheJehangirArtgallery, theNationalGalleryofModernArt, TheArtsTrust-Instituteof ContemporaryIndianArtandmany suchmore.EachyearinFebruary,the cityhoststhefamousKalaGhodaArts Festival.Thisannualfestivalrunsfor9 daysandincludesvariousart performancesfromvisualarts,music, drama,cinema,literatureandmany more.TheKalaGhodaArtsFestival everyyearencouragesnewtalentinthe entertainmentandartsindustry.

ChhatrapatiShivajiTerminus

TheChhatrapatiShivajiTerminuswas firstplannedtobetheofficeofGreat IndianPeninsulaRailwaysandnow servesastheCentralRailways Headquarters.ChhatrapatiShivaji Terminus,orCSTorformerlyknown astheVictoriaTerminusisoneofthe busiestspotsintheentirecity.Itisalso namedastheUNESCOWorld Heritagesiteforitsfinestandoldest Victorian-Italianate-Gothicstyle architecturalstyle.CSTisahistoric railwaystation,withmarble ornamentalironwork,multi-coloured stonesandtiles.Thebuildingstands eversoelegantlyinMumbaiwith wingsandacolossaldomewiththe structureofawomancalledasthe StatueofProgresswithaflamedtorch inherrighthandandawheelinherleft hand,signifyingprogress.

RajabaiClockTower

TheRajabaiClockTowerislocatedin SouthMumbaiandresidesinthefort campusofUniversityofMumbai. DesignedbySirGeorgeGilbertScott

inthe1860sandwasfundedby PremchandRoychand,abusinessman andastockbroker.Roychand'smother wasblindandhewantedhertohaveher mealsontime,whichwasthemain reasonwhyhebuiltthistower The clocktowerhasabelltokeeptrackof time.ItwasnamedRajabaiafter Roychand'smother.Thetoweris visuallysimilartoLondon'sBigBen. WithGothicandVenetianarchitectural styles,theRajabaiClocktowerisan85meter-tallbuildingandhasbeen standingtallinMumbaifordecades.

TheTajMahalPalaceHotel

TheTajMahalPalaceHotelisaluxury hotellocatedintheColabaareaof Mumbai.TheTajMahalisoften regardedasoneofthebestluxuryhotels oftheEast,itisalsooneofcity'smost iconiclandmarks.Evenafter113years ofthehotel'sexistence,thehotelstill standsstrongandhasbeenabletoretain itsprestigeandprominence.Thehotel hasalongandglamoroushistoryof havingservedtosomeofthemost notableguestsincludingpresidents,film stars,musiclegendsandmanymore.

MarineDrive

MarineDriveisa3kilometre-long boulevardalongtheNetajiSubhash ChandraBoseRoadinMumbai,India. Theroadandwalkwaywereconstructed byPallonjiMistry.Itisa'C'-shapedsixlaneconcreteroadalongthecoastofa naturalbay.ThenorthernendofMarine DriveisGirgaonChowpattyandthe adjoiningroadalonglinksNariman PointatsoutherntiptoBabulnathand MalabarHillatnortherntip.Marine Driveislocatedonretrievedlandfacing west-south-west.MarineDriveisalso knownasthe Queen's Necklace because,whenviewedatnightfroma highaltitudepointanywherealongthe drive,thestreetlightsresembleastring ofpearlsinanecklace.

NNikemosttrustedAmericabased brand,rulesoverthesportsworldall overtheglobe.Asoflater2020the organizationhadcountof76,700 employeesworldwide.Aroundin early2020thebrandwasat89th positioninbrandfortune500list counting32billionmakingitshine asmostvaluedbrandinsportsworld.Nikeisshininginthe sportsmarketsince1964whenstartedasaSports equipment'scompany

ThisblogisacomprehensiveexaminationofNike marketingtechniques,includingtheirtargetmarket,social mediastrategy,marketingmix,digitalmarketingpresence, campaigns,andmarketingactivitiesthroughouttheongoing pandemic.

AboutNike:

In1964,PhillKnighttrackathleteandhiscoachBill BowermanfoundedNikeoriginallyknownasBlueRibbon Sports(BRS)inEugene.WithpartnershipwithJapanese shoemakerOnitsukaTigerformedBRS.Tillendof1964 theBRSsoldaround1300pairsofsportsshoesandearned 8,000.InearlytheannualnetgrossofBRSreachedupto 20,000.Laterin1966BRSopeneditsretailstoreatSanta Monica,California.Laterin1971relationshipbetween BRSandOnitsukaTigercametoanend.ThenBRSwas

newlybornwithexpansionandanewname“Nike”.Itsfirst productdesignedbyCarolynDavidsonnamedasSwooshwas usedbyNikeon18thJune1971.Inmiddleof1980Nikegot 50%shareinU.S.sportsshoesmarket.InDecemberofthe sameyearNikegonepublicandanewstorybeganinthe growthofNike.

NikehadWieden+Kennedyastheirprimaryadvertising partner.Co-founderoftheadvertisingcompanyLateDan WiedencoinedthemostfamoussloganforNike“JustDoIt” in1988Nikeadcampaign.ThroughoutthewholeyearNike expandedwitharapidspeed.ThegrowthofNikewentona rapidrate.Aroundin2013NikereplacedAlcoaandwasmade amemberoftheDowJonesIndustrialAverage.InDecember 2013Nike'sprofitroseto13%inglobalorders.Forthe budgetaryyear2018,NikereportedearningsofUS$1.933 billion,withannualrevenueofUS$36.397billion,anincrease of6.0%overthepreviousbudgetarycycle.Nike'sshares tradedatover$72pershare,anditsmarketcapitalizationwas valuedatoverUS$114.5billioninOctober2018.

MarketingStrategies:

Nikebeingaglobalbrandgainedmorepopularityjustbecause ofthequalityproducts.Beingasportsbrandaddedmore optionsforpromotionsandmouthpublicity.In1982first advertiseofNikewasaired,createdbyadvertisingagency Wieden+KennedyduringtheNewYorkMarathon.Withthis theCannesAdvertisingFestivalhonoredNikeasthefirst companytoreceivethehonortwiceofAdvertiseroftheYear in1994and2003.

Nikenowpromotesitsproductsthroughsponsoring agreementswithcelebrityathletes.Nike'sfirstprofessional athletetopromoteNike'sproductwasRomaniantennisplayer IlieNăstase.Nikehasalsosponsoredmanyothersuccessful trackandfieldathletesovertheyears,suchasSebastianCoe, CarlLewis,JackieJoyner-Kersee,MichaelJohnsonand AllysonFelix.TheunderwritingofbasketballplayerMichael Jordanin1984,withhissubsequentpromotionofNikeover thecourseofhiscareer,withSpikeLeeasMarsBlackmon, provedtobeoneofthehugebooststoNike'sglareandsales.

DigitalMarketing:

Nike'sbestofthedigitalmarketingcampaignshassomebasic aspectsincludingsomeofthebestdigitalmarketing campaignsofNike.

Nikebelievesinmarketingstrategyisbrilliantlysupportedby effectiveads.Nikedoesn'tjustselltheirproductbuttheysell aspiration.

BuildingTaglinesandStories

Nikefocusoncreatingmeaningfulstoriestobuilda loyalfanbase.Nikepromptsemotioninthecustomer through“emotionalbranding”.Carefullycraftedadsaim giverisetoparticularfeelingsandmaketheNike productsmoremeaningfulthroughtheeyesofthe customers.

FinancialStatistics

Nike'sdigitalmarketingstrategyhasbroughtsuccess. Nikeisthemostvaluableglobalapparelbrandwitha brandvalueof28billiondollarsaspertherecordsof 2018.Theyheldthelargestmarketsharewith2.8 percentin2017.Thecompany'sfinancialrecordisalso strong.Inthelastconsecutive4years,Nikegenerated over30billiondollarsinrevenue.

TargetingTargetedAudience

Nikehasaspecialtargetingstrategywhotargetsthe audiencewhoactuallyneedstheproducts.E.g.Nike believesinsponsorships.Nikepromotestheirproduct throughcelebrityathletesgraduallyleadingin approachingatargetedaudiencecrowd.

Thebrandalwaysusescutting-edgetechnologieslike hyperadapt.Theirmissionis“Tobringinspirationand innovationtoeveryathleteintheworld”andasweall knowtheirtaglineis“JustDoIt”.Theyhaveastrong productportfolioinvariousinterrelatedbusiness segmentstoretaintheircustomersandprovidebundle productstothem.

Campaigns:

Nikeadvertisementshavealwaysdeliveredpowerful messagesthatstaywithviewersforalongtime.

Thelabel'swell-known"JustDoIt"missionstatement hasappearedinthelistoficonicadvertisementsoverthe years.Thecompanyhasearnedareputationforbeing oneofthemostcreativeadvertisersinthebusiness.

CharlesBarkley's"IAmNotaRoleModel"(1993)

TheleadingsportswearcastCharlesBarkleyinits1993 commercialwhoraisedavalidpoint“JustbecauseI dunkabasketballdoesn'tmeanIshouldraiseyourkids”. ThestatementcreatedcontroversiesinUnitesstates. Barkleywasnottheonlyonetomakethispointatthe time,buthismessagewasamplifiedthroughthisad.

TigerWoods“HelloWorld”(1996)

Withtheir"HelloWorld"promotionalvideo,theleading sportswearpresentedTigerWoodstotheworldwhenhe startedplayingprofessionallyin1996.Fewcouldhave foreseenthenhowinfluentialWoodswouldbeintheworld ofgolf,butNike'sadboldlypredictedhisaccomplishments thatwouldshortlyfollow.Theadgoneairandslowlygot morepopularityinthosedays.

Equality(2017)

Nikedeliberatelyharnessedthesport'ssupremacy,aswell asitsathletes',tofightimpairmentanddiscriminationinits February2017videoadvertisement.Thecampaignurged peopletoimplementthesportsmanshipandjusticethey witnessonthecourtorontheplayingfieldintheir everydaylives.Itwasn'tmadetoadvertiseaproduct. Instead,thelabelandtheathletesintendedtohighlighta majorsocialissueintheUnitedStates.

Thetaglineofthiscampaignwas, “The ball should bounce the same for everyone, on or off the field of play.”

COVID19Scenario:

LockdownandCovid19canbesaidtobetheworstyears inworldhistoryafterworldwarsandpandemics.Thevirus mademanyunrecoverabledamages.Manyofthepeople losttheirlovedones,somelosttheirjobandsomelosttheir bigset-upsraisedwithhardwork.Inthisscenariomany companiesandtheirownerscameforwardtohelppeople globally

Withthesamethoughsomecompaniesovercamethis phaseyetimpactofCovidcontinuedonmanyofthe companies.Currently,itbeenalmostthreeyearsforCovid outbreakyetcompaniesstrivinghardtocomeuptheloss baredinthoseyears.Althoughsafetywasmoreimportantat thesituationbutafterallithastobeenleftbackandstarting againiswhatneeded.ManyofcompanieslikeNike supportedcitizensandgovernmenttoovercomethephase. Nikeheldcampaignsandsessionforemployeesaddressing peopleandtheiremployeestobeawareaswellasassuring themsafetyandsecurity.Nikeaddressedtheircustomers andemployees,“Forthecontinuedsafetyandwellbeingof

ourteammatesandcustomers,ourNike-ownedandoperated storeswillremaintemporarilyclosedinmultiplecountries aroundtheworld.Storesinselectedlocationsareopenbased onguidancefromhealthandgovernmentauthorities.”

Insummary,Nikeisthemarketleaderbecauseofitsdominant worldwidepresenceandleadership.Becauseofitsinviting environment,andunrivaledservice,acustomer'sexperienceat aNikestoreisundoubtedlyunlikeanyothersports equipment'sshop.Theirwelcoming“perfectsportsassociated atmosphere”shouldbealong-termcompetitiveadvantage. Thecompany'sretailoutletsandon-sitecollaborationshave earnedhigherresponserates,puttingtheminfrontofthepack inthematurebusiness.Asaresultofitsall-encompassing marketingapproach,Nikeenjoysastrongmarketposition.

NASA's

V E H I C L E A S S E M B L Y

B U I L D I N G

ThemassiveVehicleAssemblyBuilding,alsoknown

astheVAB,islocatedatNASA'sKennedySpace Center(KSC).Itwasbuilttoassemblelargepremanufacturedspacevehiclecomponents,includingthose fortheenormousSaturnVandtheSpaceShuttle,andstack themverticallyontooneofthreemobilelauncherplatforms thatNASAuses.FortheArtemis1mission,whichlaunched onNovember16,2022,thefirstSpaceLaunchSystem (SLS)rocketwasputtogetherinsideasofMarch2022.The VABisthetallestsingle-storystructureintheworld,the talleststructureinFloridauntil1974,andthetallest structureintheUnitedStatesthatisnotlocatedina metropolitanarea.

Construction

In,1966theVABwasbuildandcompletedoriginallyfor theApollo-SaturnVspacevehiclealsowasdenotedasthe VerticalAssemblyBuilding.OnFebruary3,1965,itwas renamedtheVehicleAssemblyBuildinginpreparationof post-ApolloinitiativesliketheSpaceShuttleprogramme. TheSpaceShuttleorbiters'externalfueltanksandsolid rocketboostersweresubsequentlyattachedtothemusing thismethod.Acrawler-transportertransportedthefinished spacecrafttoLaunchComplex-39Aor39Bafteritwasput

togetheronamovablelauncher platform.

Thehighbayisthetallestpartofthe VAB.Therearetwohighbaysonthe eastandtwohighbaysonthewest sidesofthestructure.Rocketscanbe stackedverticallyandthencarriedout tothelaunchpadthrougheachofthe 456-foot-highdoors.Inordertoserve NASA's21stcenturylaunchcomplex, theworld'smostfamousspace explorationmonumentisbeing updated.Themaingoalistocombine establishedcapabilitieswith contemporaryneeds.

NASAconstructedasub-roofwithin theVABsometimebeforethecrashof SpaceShuttleColumbiain2003to dealwithfallingconcretedebris becauseofthebuilding'sage.In2020, theAmericanSocietyofCivil EngineerscertifiedtheVABasa NationalHistoricCivilEngineering Landmark.

Thefourlargestdoorsintheworldare thefourentrancestothebaysinside thestructure.Sevenverticalpanelsand fourhorizontalpanelsmakeupeach door,whichis456feeti.e.139.0m highandtakes45minutestofullyopen orclose.Thetransferaisle'snorth portalwasexpandedby40feeti.e. 12.2metrestoaccommodatethe shuttleorbiter'sentrance.Thevertical stabiliseroftheorbitermayfitviaa centralslotatthenorthentry TheVAB wasequippedwith136additional liftingdevicesinadditiontofive overheadbridgecranes,twoofwhich couldlift325tonneseach.

Thestructureisequippedwithair conditioning,including125ventilators ontheroofsupportedbyfourmassive airhandlerswhichhasfourcylinder constructionswestofthebuilding,with acombinedcoolingcapacityof10,000 tonnes.Everyhour,theairinthe buildingcanbeentirelyreplaced. Largedoorwaysmayallowfogtoenter thestructureandbecomestuckthere, spreadinguntrueideasthatthe

structurecancreatecloudsanditsown weather

FutureofVerticalAssembely Building

Intheearly2012,NASAtemporarily openedVABforpublictoursduetothe retiredSpaceShuttleof2011.Also,the tourswereclosedin2014duetothe renovationpklansoftheVAB.

Inordertosupportwhatisnowknown astheArtemisprogrammeand associatedvehicles,includingasthe SpaceLaunchSystemi.e.SLSand Orionspacecraft,NASAallocated US$143.7millioninitsFY2013 budgetforConstructionofFacilities i.e.CoFrequirements.Beginningwith significantrepairs,codeupdates,and safetyenhancementstotheLaunch ControlCenter,VehicleAssembly Buildingi.e.VAB,andtheVABUtility Annex,NASAstartedrenovating LaunchComplex39atKSCin2014to supportthenewSLS.Whilevehiclespecificneedsarebeingcreated,this initialworkwillbenecessaryto supportanylaunchrocketoperated fromLaunchComplex39andwill enableNASAtostartupdatingthe facilities.

TheVABisestimatedtobeusedfor vehicleslaunchcomplex39infuture foranyotherprocessingreason.NASA issuedarequestforproposals(AFP)on June16,2015,askingforinterestin usingtheVABHighBay2andother sophisticatedfacilitiesfor"assembling, integrating,andtestingoflaunch vehicles."Thisactionisconsistentwith theplantotransformKSCintoa spaceportopentobothgovernmentand privateinitiatives.

OnApril21,2016,NASAdeclaredthat negotiationsonHighBay2wouldstart withOrbitalATKwhichwillbe acquiredbyNorthropGrummanin 2019.The"possibledeal"containeda platformformobilelaunchersthatwas alreadyinplace.Thedealbetween NASAandNorthropGrummanto

leaseHighBay2andMobileLauncher Platform3forusewiththeirOmegA launchvehiclewasfinallyfinalisedin August2019.OmegA'sworkwas eventuallyabandonedinSeptember 2020,nevertheless.HighBay2was stillinitsoriginalstateandbeingused byNorthropGrummantostoreOmegA components.BytheendofSeptember 2020,thisequipmentwassupposedto beremovedfromtheVABand deliveredbacktoNorthropGrumman.

FunFactsAbouttheVertical AssembelyBuilding

TheVAB,whichspanseightacres Ÿ andis525feettalland518feet wide,isoneofthelargest structuresintheworldintermsof area.

Withaheightof456feet,theVAB Ÿ highbaydoorsarethebiggestin theworldandtake45minutesto fullyopenorclose.

TheVAB'ssidehasa209-foot-tall Ÿ by110-foot-widestar-spangled bannerpaintedonit,whichisthe largestAmericanflaginexistence. Itsframeisbuiltfrom98,590 Ÿ tonnesofsteeland65,000cubic yardsofconcrete,respectively 4,225steelpilingsdug164feet intobedrockserveasitsstructural base.

TheVABwaspaintedin2007 Ÿ afterthenecessaryrepairswere madefollowingthe2004 hurricanesFrancesandJeanne, whichdestroyed845ofthe building'spanels.

In1976,inpreparationforthe Ÿ BicentennialExpositiononSpace andTechnology,theflagwas initiallypaintedontotheVAB.

TheNASAmeatball,whichis110 Ÿ feettalland132feetwide,will alsoneedtobepainted,using morethan500gallonsofpaint.