Wednesday, October 31, 2018

One of the smallest baby born at 25weeks survives in Jupiter hospital after 100 days of battle

The condition of the baby boy born at 25 weeks of pregnancy weighing 550gms was extremely critical because of the extreme prematurity and low birth weight. The 46-year-old mother had given birth to twins through IVF in a private hospital in the city. While unfortunately, one baby did not survive, the second baby was put onto life support for severe breathing difficulty due to the condition called ‘Respiratory distress syndrome’.
The baby was immediately transferred to Jupiter Hospital in an incubator. The baby was kept on life support for the first 11 days and subsequently shifted to different respiratory support called CPAP for 1 month. Special catheters were introduced through the baby’s umbilical cord to give nutrition and monitor baby’s blood pressure. Feeding started with mother’s milk through a 0.5 ml tube and then gradually increased to the desired amount over a period of first eight days. Due to the advanced equipments, trained medical and nursing staff, the baby did not have ventilator related complications.
During the treatment, the baby had an episode of severe infection which was immediately picked up by the full-time doctors at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and was treated aggressively to prevent complications. Baby also required blood transfusions for anemia.
“It is challenging for medical and nursing staff to look after babies born at 25 weeks. Babies born at this gestation have very immature organs like lungs, intestine, brain, skin etc. Most of the complications arise due to immaturity of organs and infection. Because of specialised medical and nursing staff, advanced equipments and parental support we managed to discharge baby without major complications” said Dr. Shrinivas Tambe, Consultant Neonatalogist and Paediatric Intensivist Jupiter Hospital, Pune.
“Another challenge in babies born at this gestation is ‘bleeding in the brain, chronic lung disease and retinopathy of prematurity’. Because of ventilation strategy, amount of oxygen supplied to the baby we were able to prevent these complications. Survival without these complications is extremely rare in babies born at 25 weeks of pregnancy” said Dr. Sachin Admuthe, Paediatrician at Jupiter Hospital.
After the 99 days of battle, the baby has been successfully discharged on the 100th day and weighs 1.670kg now. Baby will be closely monitored for his growth and development. This is third extremely premature baby weighing less than 700gms who has been successfully discharged from Jupiter hospital within last three months “We are very thankful to the doctors and the entire staff of Jupiter Hospital for showing their promptness and care to save my baby” said an extremely emotional (Mother Name). This was probably their last chance to become parents.

deAsra Foundation encourages entrepreneurship, and promotes job creation in India

deAsra Foundation inspires entrepreneurship by conducting Entrepreneur Excellence Awards



deAsra Foundation, a not for profit organisation from Pune, held  their annual Entrepreneur Excellence Awards function at Dewang Mehta Auditorium, Persistent Systems Ltd., Pune.

The Entrepreneur Excellence Awards is deAsra’s way of celebrating entrepreneurship and providing a forum for the successful stories of established entrepreneurs to be shared with a wider community. This award also aims to provide aspiring and existing entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn from their journeys.

The awardees of the evening were Milind Shalgar, owner Shalgar Hosiery; Neha Sarang Lagu, Director Lagu Bandhu Jewellers; Dr Vinay Koparkar, Founder & Director, Papillon Hair & Face Clinic; Mandar Desai, owner Desai Bandhu Ambewale, and Mr. Hanmant Gaikwad, Founder and owner of BVG. These awardees were honoured by Dr. Anand Deshpande, Founder of deAsra Foundation and Founder, CEO of Persistent Systems.

The dignitaries shared their experiences, especially challenges, and how they overcame them.

They also discussed what inspired them during their entrepreneurial journey.

The honourable dignitaries felicitated champion entrepreneurs from deAsra’s entrepreneur community, who are setting an example by living their dreams of becoming successful entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs are a part of deAsra’s 8000+ strong entrepreneur community which has benefited from various deAsra services, in various sectors such as food, fashion, beauty and more.

On this occasion, Dr. Anand Deshpande said, “deAsra is now focusing on a highly growing segment of urban service jobs for scaling. For this, most of the tools and resources, including checklists required for any small business entrepreneur is now made available online. Any assistance required by the entrepreneur is provided through a telephonic call or on Google hangouts. Packaging the service solutions is something we are hoping would be of great help to all entrepreneurs.”

During the discussion, Mr. Hanmant Rao Gaikwad encouraged entrepreneurs by mentioning that he had a vision at a very young age, to do something on his own, and with that he wanted to contribute to the progress of the country. If an entrepreneur persistently continues to work towards his/her vision, soon dreams will become a reality. He encouraged entrepreneurs to believe in themselves even in the toughest of times.”

Mr. Shalgar mentioned how product innovation can be an USP of any small business. Over a period, Shalgar Hosiery has been creating new products as per customers’ demands and has created a brand which offers clothing for the entire family under one roof.”

While talking about breaking the stereotype work profile/ profession, Dr. Vinay Koparkar said, “He was the first doctor from his generation who started a men’s salon with skin treatment service for men. Critics & negative comments never stopped him from learning different techniques and implementing them. He believes hair cutting is also a science. His efforts in research and his belief in his products and service has lead him to be where he is today.”

Mr. Mandar Desai of Desai Ambewale, said, “For over 87 years we have successfully maintained the trust of our customers. This is important in every business. This trust helps your business grow successfully.”

Gemologist and jewellery designer Ms. Neha Lagu said, “Today’s customers are very selective in their requirements, and we have to be sensitive to their needs. Understanding their requirements and customizing designs to their likings is the key to our success.”

In an endeavour to provide a platform of recognition, the dignitaries also felicitated deAsra champion entrepreneurs from similar sectors.

deAsra Foundation has been a strong support to existing and aspiring small business entrepreneurs, providing knowledge, tools, templates and services through the portal, www.deasra.in, to overcome the challenges they face while running or starting a business.

This event encouraged entrepreneurs to take the next step in their business journey, and be the job creators that India needs today.


Media Contact: Aspire PR & Strategies Pvt. Ltd., Aspire has been the leading agency in the PR industry of India since 2004, its 14 years small journey with wisdom and extensive experience of organizing more than 1800 press conferences and 5000 plus press releases with best PR results to some of the most renowned clients in various sector. We are also one of the top Social Media Agency in Pune.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

QNET Entrepreneurs kick off Festive Season by Raising Funds for Underprivileged Community in 21 Cities including Pune


  • Money raised to fund essential goods for orphanages, old-age homes, and others in need
  • 39 events planned across 21 cities in the country
  • Pledged sums ranging from INR 50,000 to INR 1 Lakh in each city


Pune, October 16, 2018: Independent representatives of Direct Selling company QNET have once again come together to brighten up the festive season for the underprivileged. In a series of events spread across 21 cities throughout India, various groups of Independent Representatives have come forward to raise money to help the underprivileged communities.

Around 100 young entrepreneurs, who run a successful direct selling business with QNET, have pledged between INR 50,000 to INR 1 lakh per city towards important causes benefiting a local community in need. This is the fourth year that these entrepreneurs have initiated such an exercise during the festival season to reinforce their commitment to helping communities and their own belief in the spirit of giving.

Funds raised by the group this year will be used to help orphanages, homes for the disabled and the elderly, and for the education as well as provision of life-saving medical treatment to children in need.

In Pune more than 20 such entrepreneurs came together and distributed groceries, toiletries and blankets at the Madhurbhav Bliss (AJ Foundation) Old Age Home.

Entrepreneurs have also planned 38 other such charitable initiatives in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata, Bhubneshwar, Hubli, Mangalore, Mysore, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Jammu and Meerut, between 14 October and 7 November 2018.

“We have been fortunate to find our path and purpose with QNET which has helped us transform, not only our lives, but the lives of those around us. Giving back to our community during this auspicious festival season is our way of paying it forward.” said Mahesh who leads the effort of the group in Pune.

Commenting on the effort, QNET Global CEO Trevor Kuna said “The initiative undertaken by our Independent Representatives in their individual capacity is truly encouraging. QNET’s underlying philosophy of RYTHM – Raise Yourself To Help Mankind is the force that drives a lot of what we do. It is a reflection of our business, which is about empowering people to take control of their lives, so that they can, in turn, help empower their communities. After all, there is no better feeling than doing well while you are doing good”.

QNET had in the past partnered with the Cancer Patients Aid Association in Mumbai to support the treatment of children with cancer from low-income families. QNET had also contributed significantly towards the Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya campaign by partnering with the Lions Club in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad on a number of projects including clean drinking water, nutrition education and health camps for children.

The second such event will be held on 31st October at the Sanmati Bal Niketan Sanstha, Manjari Budruk.

Payoneer Features in CB Insights List of Top 250 Fastest-Growing Fintech Companies Globally

  • Payoneer recognized for its contribution in the cross-border payments and global e-commerce
  • Payoneer is the only fintech company present in India that provides cross-border payment services exclusively for the B2B trading/segment to have been featured in the list
Pune, India, October 23, 2018 – Payoneer, an innovative cross-border payments company that drives global eCommerce, has been featured in the CB Insights 2ndannual top 250 companies in Fintech sector, the only fintech company that provides cross-border payment services exclusively for B2B trading sellers and freelancers to have made it to the list.
Commenting on this achievement, Payoneer’s Country Head, Rohit Kulkarni said, “Payoneer does not just limit itself to transfer of payments, but our bigger goal is to enable Indian sellers to take global strides and sell more in international markets. India is a key strategic market for us, and with sellers and services on the rise who do cross-border trading, our mission is to empower every single Indian seller and freelancer through our platform experience. We are excited that CB Insights recognized our efforts and felicitated us as one of fastest growing fintech companies globally.”
The CB Insights research team selected the top 250 Fintech companies based on several factors including data submitted by each company and their Mosaic Score. The Mosaic Score, based on CB Insights’ algorithm, measures the overall health and growth potential of private companies. Through this evidence-based, statistically-driven approach, the Mosaic Score can help predict a company’s momentum, market health and financial viability.
The Payoneer Advantage:
  • Cost Effective: SMEs can receive funds from their international clients for ZERO transfer fees and at competitive rates as compared to other payment providers.
  • Convenient: Access to international receiving accounts and funds auto transferred to the local bank account in INR or in USD.
  • Compliant:  Payoneer partners with India’s leading banks and helps its Indian customers with tax compliance
  • Global Marketplace Expansion: Payoneer partners with over 2000 enterprise clients including world-leading marketplaces like Amazon, Wish, Tophatter, Cdiscount, Lazada and Rakuten. We help our customers grow their businesses by expanding into new geographies and markets.
About Payoneer:
Payoneer empowers global commerce by connecting businesses, professionals, countries and currencies with its innovative cross-border payments platform. In today’s borderless digital world, Payoneer enables millions of businesses and professionals from more than 200 countries to reach new audiences by facilitating seamless, cross-border payments. Additionally, thousands of leading corporations including Airbnb, Amazon, Getty Images, Google and UpWork rely on Payoneer’s mass payout services.


With Payoneer’s fast, flexible, secure and low-cost solutions, businesses and professionals in both developed and emerging markets can now pay and get paid globally as easily as they do locally. Founded in 2005 and based in New York, Payoneer is venture-backed, profitable and ranked in the top 100 of Inc. 5000’s Financial Services companies and was awarded a spot on the 2018 CNBC Disruptor 50 list.

KPIT Second Quarter Results FY 2019

Q2FY19 reported EBITDA at 13.6%, growth of 62.5% Y-o-Y, 19.3% Q-o-Q
Q2FY19 Constant Currency Revenue growth of 2.9% Q-o-Q,
Constant Currency Revenue growth of 9.8% in H1FY19 over H1FY18
Investor Release BSE: 532400 | NSE: KPIT 
India, October 24, 2018: KPIT (BSE: 532400; NSE: KPIT), a global technology company specializing in providing IT Consulting and Product Engineering solutions and services to Automotive, Manufacturing, Energy and Utilities companies, today reported its consolidated financial results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2018.
Highlights for the quarter ended September 30, 2018
  • ₹ Revenues grow 6.4% Q-o-Q and 17.8% Y-o-Y
  • Net Profit for the quarter registers a Y-o-Y growth of 37.4%
  • Operational EBITDA for the quarter at 15.2%
  • Reassuring increase in Pipeline, led by large deals in Engineering
  • BMW today announced KPIT as a technology partner for Autonomous Driving
Management comments
Commenting on the performance of Q2 FY19, Kishor Patil, Co-founder, CEO & MD, KPIT said, “The quarter gone by witnessed solid improvement in operating margins despite wage hikes, driven by operating efficiencies and better quality of revenues. We are on track to achieve our annual revenue guidance and exceed the annual operating margins guidance. The Merger Demerger process is progressing well, as per planned timelines.”
Sachin Tikekar, President and Board Member, KPIT said, “Engineering and Digital revenues continue to grow at a much faster rate for us. We expect the trend to continue during the remainder of the year. We are progressing well on the business familiarization process with Birlasoft and are happy with the cultural and value similarities between the two organizations.”
About KPIT Technologies
KPIT (BSE:532400, NSE: KPIT) is a global technology company specializing in providing IT Consulting and Product Engineering solutions and services to Automotive, Manufacturing, Energy & Utilities and Life Sciences companies. Together with its customers and partners, it creates and delivers technologies to enable creating a cleaner, greener and more intelligent world that is sustainable and efficient.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

deAsra Foundation’s second Entrepreneurs Excellence Awards 2018 to be held on 26th October

In a bid to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurship, deAsra foundation is all set to organise its second Entrepreneurs Excellence Awards 2018 that is going to be held on Friday, 26th October 2018 6:00 PM onwards at the Dewang Mehta Auditorium, Persistent Systems, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune. Before the award ceremony, people will get an excellent networking opportunity to interact and connect with deAsra’s entrepreneurs and mentor community 5:15 pm onwards.

These awards will be given to five successful entrepreneurs from various sectors such as food, fashion, beauty and more. Prominent names include; Mr. Hanmant R. Gaikwad, Chairman & Managing Director, BVG India Ltd., Mr. Milind Shalgar, owner Shalgar Hosiery, Ms. Neha Sarang Lagu, Director Lagu Bandhu Jewellers, Dr. Vinay Koparkar, Founder & Director, Papillon Hair & Face Clinic, Mr Mandar Desai, Owner Desai Bandhu Ambewale, will be honored. These dignitaries will also felicitate five deAsra-empowered entrepreneurs.

Hon’ble Shri Vishwas Mahajan, Founder –Whizible LifeLine Systech (Ex-Trustee at TiE Global, Secretary MCCIA) will conduct a discussion session between these dignitaries at the award function. Dr. Anand Deshpande, Founder & CEO of Persistent Systems, Founder of deAsra Foundation, will felicitate these five successful entrepreneurs.

Ms. Pradnya Godbole, CEO deAsra Foundation said, “We bring these dignitaries together to share their journey and insights gained from years of experience, so as to inspire those who wish to start their own business journey and also those who are currently running a business.”

deAsra Foundation is committed to provide the right guidance and encouragement to those who wish to start and grow a small business. Established and aspiring entrepreneurs should attend the event to hear first-hand about the successful entrepreneurial journeys of these personalities.

Media contact: Aspire PR & Strategies Pvt. Ltd., Dipali Dhamal, 9689966141/9967348414 020 24488778

Monday, October 15, 2018

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand to play chess with Pune Students


The unique chess tournament to be held at Edify International School Pune

  • Around 1000 participants, top 12 will play with Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand 
  • Top seven from 12 will get prize money, trophy and certificate
  • For registration login at : www.edifypune.com


Edify International School Pune in association with Pune District Chess Association is all set to bring a unique Chess tournament for school students aged between 5 and 16. The preliminary rounds are scheduled between 17-18 November, which will witness around 1000 participants from Pune and the top 12 finalists will get an opportunity to play against Viswanathan Anand in a 1: 12 match on 8th December at Edify International School Hinjewadi, Pune.

This will be the most unique opportunity for Pune students as it involves our own Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, the tournament will be telecasted live on youtube.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Chand Budhrani, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Edify International School said, “Viswanathan Anand is the brand ambassador of Edify International School Pune and the management wanted to provide a unique opportunity to students to play a match against Grandmaster hence the chess championship is being organized to select the top finalists”.

While addressing media Ms. Priya Anand, Principal of Edify International School said, “On 8th December 2018, Viswanathan Anand will also inaugurate Edify international school offering IB curriculum and address the chess lovers. He will also be felicitating the top 3 toughest competitors from the final 10. The total prize money in the event is Rs 45,000/-, top 7 participants will be honoured with prize money, trophy and certificates.”

The prize money for top 7 participants will be 1) Rs.10,000/- 2) Rs.6000/- 3) Rs. 4000/- 4) Rs. 2500/-, 5)2500/- 6) Rs. 2000/- and 7) Rs 2000/-.

Mr. Joseph D’Souza, Chairman, Pune District Chess Association, said “It is a golden opportunity for the youngsters of Pune to participate in this event and qualify to play with ex-world champion, the legendary Viswanathan Anand, it will be a boost for the talented player of Pune they will be getting tips from him”.

The championship has a registration fee of Rs. 300 and the revenue generated through this fee will be utilized to sponsor a girl child education from the underprivileged background to study at Edify Hinjewadi Pune. BLiSS scholarship will be offered to a student in Grade 6 and will be identified through a unique talent identification program through Teach for India.

Edify International School is located in Pune’s premier IT hub. The school offers a broad, rich and challenging curriculum based on the world-renowned IB programmes. It promotes a strong foundation in the academic disciplines, a broad exposure to the liberal arts, and selective opportunities to pursue individual interests. As students’ progress, the programme becomes increasingly flexible and offers a wide array of electives beyond the core curriculum. This is the first academic year of the school which is a candidate school for IB PYP and MYP.

It also offers sports facilities including tennis basketball football skating badminton swimming and squash. Music, dance, drama, visual art and design are the important part of the school offering.

Interested participants can log in to the website: www.edifypune.com for more information and registration. There are limited entries hence the registration will be done on first come first serve basis. Candidates also can contact on: 7741950000/ 7741850000; Email: events@bkfbliss.org

Candidates also can register at offline registration centres:
Edify International School, 38, Phase 1, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune- 411057
Joseph D’souza Chess Academy, 1138, Sadashiv Peth, Next to Indian Bank near perugate police Chowky, Pune- 411030
Budhrani Knowledge Foundation, D35, Vastusree Complex,, Near Hyde Park, Market Yard, Pune- 411037

Media contact: Aspire PR & Strategies Pvt. Ltd., a top PR Agency in Maharashtra, Dipali Dhamal, 9689966141/9967348414 020 24488778

Friday, October 12, 2018

Special gift for Mumbai this Diwali – the largest dining room on the sea!

This Diwali, Mumbai is all set to receive a very special gift – its largest ever dining room on the sea.

On November 10, India’s financial capital will witness the unveiling of its largest ever floating restaurants, giving diners the enviable experience of having a sumptuous meal in the middle of the Arabian Ocean while catching on the city’s iconic skyline.
The restaurants on board two large ships - Queensline Neverland and Queensline Sea YAH will be parked a few miles into the sea off Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India.
Each ship will be able to accommodate 450 diners at any given point of time.

The restaurants will be multi-cuisine and will have the best flavours from across the world. There is however, another bonus – the ships will also cruise across Mumbai’s shoreline, giving diners an unparalleled experience of seeing India’s majestic city at sun set over a sumptuous meal.

The restaurants are owned by Delhi-based entrepreneurs and husband-wife duo Mridul Thirani and Shripriya Dalmia Thirani. It was the idea of senior minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, Nitin Gadkari, to open up Mumbai’s Eastern Sea front and turn it into a Riviera similar to that in the Mediterranean or Western countries. Gadkari is expected to open the restaurants along with a host of other dignitaries included the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis on November 10.

Passengers will be picked up from designated points across Mumbai’s coastline and taken on board the ship for an unparalleled dining session coupled with a cruise that would allow people to see the city from the water.

“The wait is almost over. This is our gift to Mumbai. People in this city love to work hard and party hard. We wanted them to have a brand-new place to relax and what better than the middle of the sea, looking at the shoreline – the imposing sky scrapers creating a perfect silhouette against a setting sun. The food will be the best of global flavours. Indians don’t have to travel abroad for such flavours anymore,” Shripriya Dalmia Thirani said.  

The ships have been bought from Turkey. Interestingly, the duo hurled the Indian flag over the Bosporus in Istanbul along with two of the ship’s original owners before it set sail for India. History was made when the duo in their late 30s won the first ever bid to open restaurants on the Arabian Sea. Both of them who are rank outsiders in the food and restaurant business beat industry honchos and swung the tide towards them by a demonstration of their sheer love for Mumbai and its waterfront.

Shripriya also intends to open the ships for fairy tale destination weddings. “Water is a very auspicious space and perfect for Indian weddings. Many Indian families you will see now are travelling to sea-side destinations for their weddings. Now they don’t have to travel too far. I have brought that fairy tale to their doors now. The two ships can be a perfect host – maybe one for the bride’s side and the other for the groom’s,” she added.

According to Shripriya, food is central to the DNA of India. The psychographic profiling of India’s youth confirms that they are very liberal, enjoy experimentation and greater consumption. Eating out is a habit and not an occasion driven activity. The rise of eating out economy has propelled the restaurant industry to $48 billion, according to a report by the National Restaurant Association of India.Interestingly, Mumbai is the tourism hub of India which boasts of over 55 million domestic visitors and 5.10 million international visitors annually. Over 15 million people inhabit the city. Mumbai houses over 500 restaurants. But till now, not a single restaurant has been on the Arabian sea.

Thirani said, “Imagine a classic Turkish vessel standing majestically off the coast near Gateway of India. Adding to the historic view and a delectable feast, this vessel will have an international feel to it from the outside and have the warmth of an Indian embrace from the inside. A meal ceases to be just a meal then. What it ends up becoming is a feast for all our senses.”

There is already a rush to book space on the two vessels. Shripriya, a mother of three, is the alumni of The Indian Institute of Learning and Management which is affiliated to the University of Bradford and an MBA from Symbiosis Pune, says pre booking will begin mid-October.

Bright Future partners with Cognizant Foundation’sTech4All program to ensure sustainable livelihoods for young women of marginalized communities in Pune

  ·        215 female aspirants registered in the first batch. ·        This is the 15 th operational center of Bright Future I Pune with...