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Business Standard
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Bisleri International Signs Letter of Agreement with St Joseph University for its Flagship Plastic Recycling Initiative, 'Bottles for Change'
NewsVoir Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 14: Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., signs Letter of Agreement with St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru to introduce its flagship initiative, 'Bottles for Change' at the university campus. The focus of the LOA will be to promote plastic waste recycling, segregation, and responsible disposal within the campus. Signed ahead of the university's annual Hackathon, the initiative is designed to foster long-term behavioral change among students and staff while contributing to broader environmental goals. As part of the collaboration, students will take an active role in sustainability campaigns and outreach activities, with certification awarded for their participation. The university's housekeeping staff will also undergo training on effective waste segregation and safe handling of plastic to support on-ground implementation. In addition to hands-on training, Bisleri will facilitate interactive sessions with students and faculty to deepen awareness and reinforce a culture of environmental responsibility across departments. To ensure transparency and measurable impact, the program will include regular monitoring, with monthly and annual progress reports tracking key milestones and outcomes. Commenting on the signing of Letter of Association, Mr. K Ganesh, Director - Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. said, "Youth are at the heart of shaping a more sustainable future. Through Bottles for Change, we aim to equip them with the knowledge, tools, and platforms to take ownership of responsible plastic management and disposal. Our collaboration with St. Joseph's University ensures that environmentally responsible behaviors and practices become routine in institutions as well as in the lives of individuals." During the signing of the Letter of Association, Dr. Christo Selvan - Dean, School of Business, St. Joseph's University said that, "This collaboration with Bisleri International's Plastic Waste Management team marks a significant step towards promoting sustainability among youth. The initiative focuses on reducing plastic waste through effective recycling, segregation, and responsible disposal practices. While the long-term vision is to create a plastic-free campus, the immediate goal is to support broader environmental objectives by actively engaging the university community in meaningful, eco-conscious activities." The initiative is well-aligned with the university's sustainability roadmap. In recognition of these efforts, St. Joseph's University will receive a certificate from Bisleri on the collaboration, which will support university w.r.t sustainable actions taken during NAAC accreditation process. The Bottles for Change initiative, a part of Bisleri Greener Promise, continues to drive sustainable transformation through impactful partnerships with organizations, institutions, and the government. The collaboration with St. Joseph's University is a crucial step in Bisleri's commitment to nurturing an eco-conscious movement for a better future. The company remains steadfast in its commitment to embedding sustainability in all its operations, driving growth through responsible business practices. With a legacy of over 50 years, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. has grown to become one of the largest premium beverage businesses in India. Being the makers of the country's largest-selling packaged drinking water, Bisleri follows a stringent process of 114 quality tests and a 10-stage purification. It remains true to its core value of providing consumers with pure, safe and healthy water. Bisleri International has a strong presence with 128 operational plants and a robust distribution network of over 6,000 Distributors and 7,500 Distribution Trucks across India and UAE market. It offers a range of beverages that are produced for all occasions. Whether it is the promise of goodness, trust, and purity with Bisleri packaged drinking water, or a daily dose of health offered through Vedica Himalayan Spring Water. Besides, Bisleri International has ventured into fun-filled refreshments with a diverse range of carbonated drinks available in multiple flavours, such as Bisleri Limonata, Bisleri Rev, Bisleri Spyci Jeera, Bisleri Pop and Bisleri Soda. These Bisleri products are also available on the e-commerce platform - Bisleri@Doorstep. This D2C platform reassures customers that they will receive a safe and uninterrupted supply of their most trusted brand at their doorstep. The core values of Bisleri International lie in yielding growth and embedding sustainability by being responsible in all aspects of the business. The organization has unveiled Sustainability 2.0 with Bisleri Greener Promise that focuses on creating greener future for all through implementing initiatives under the program of recycling, water conservation and sustainability. For more information on Bisleri International, our people, brands, and OSR initiatives, visit
Business Standard
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Sattva Consulting and Two Point O Capital Drive C & I Decarbonization Through Tech-Finance Push
NewsVoir Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 11: Sattva Consulting, a leading global impact consulting firm, has announced a strategic partnership with Two Point O Capital, India's first full-stack clean energy financing and technology solutions company. Together, the two firms aim to support Indian businesses in the Commercial and Industrial (C & I) segments to accelerate their decarbonization journeys, with a sharp focus on impact, scalability, and execution. This collaboration comes at a critical time. With energy demand projected to double by 2040 and India ranking as the world's third-largest carbon emitter, the urgency to decarbonize the C & I sector has never been greater. The C & I sector accounts for over 50% of India's total energy consumption and is growing at more than 10% annually. This rapid growth, combined with rising emissions, reinforces the pressing need to dramatically improve the sector's energy intensity through scalable, clean energy solutions that are both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. The partnership brings together Sattva Consulting's expertise in impact-driven business strategies with Two Point O Capital's outcome-linked financing and AI-powered platforms to unlock decarbonization that is both scalable and measurable. Addressing a $10 billion+ annual gap in financing for distributed clean energy, Two Point O Capital delivers flexible capital and turnkey solutions, especially for MSMEs, a segment often underserved by traditional lenders. Their interventions consistently drive 30-50% reductions in operating costs and cut CO₂ emissions by over 30%, while being EBITDA-accretive, enabling businesses to advance sustainability and profitability in tandem. "This partnership represents the next chapter in sustainability-focused business transformations," said Srikrishna Sridhar Murthy, CEO of Sattva Consulting. "At Sattva, we've always believed that meaningful change happens on the ground. Through our partnership with Two Point O Capital, we're doubling down on our efforts to move sustainability from strategy to execution, helping businesses translate intent into measurable and scalable outcomes like improved EBITDA margins and long-term resilience." The platform integrates technology, operational underwriting, and outcome-based business models, ensuring it only makes returns when the deployed assets deliver results for customers. The partnership will eliminate the need for businesses to coordinate across multiple stakeholders, offering end-to-end accountability across designing, solution development, project delivery, and commissioning. The partnership will also focus on targeted C & I verticals like hospitals, malls, textile manufacturing, automotive, chemicals, and more. "Partnerships like these are critical to drive systemic decarbonization at scale in the Indian C & I segment," said Manya Ranjan, Co-founder of Two Point O Capital. "The combined strength of Two Point O Capital's financial innovation and solutioning capabilities with Sattva Consulting's understanding of sector-specific sustainability opportunities will help deliver a measurable impact that is both economically and environmentally transformative." As India Inc. navigates an era of ESG mandates, rising energy costs, and global investor scrutiny, this partnership offers a timely and powerful platform to turn sustainability ambition into action, with a strong return on both capital and the environment. Sattva Consulting is a global impact consulting firm founded in 2009, dedicated to enabling scalable societal impact. We work closely with communities, businesses, and governments to design and implement solutions that drive inclusive and sustainable growth. Our Sustainability & Business Advisory vertical supports corporates, investors, development finance institutions, and start-ups in meeting their ESG and sustainability goals. We help organizations minimize risk and maximize impact through services such as ESG reporting and benchmarking, ESDDs, value chain and portfolio assessments, climate risk analysis, decarbonization roadmaps, ESG systems design, and capacity building. Headquartered in India, Sattva's work spans 25 countries across five continents. To learn more, visit or reach us at esg@ Two Point O Capital is India's first full-stack, clean energy financing platform dedicated to the Commercial & Industrial (C & I) segment. It offers outcome-based financing for distributed clean energy projects across solar rooftops, energy efficiency, and wastewater treatment. Powered by an AI-ML-enabled platform, it ensures seamless deal lifecycle management and robust risk mitigation. With a strong focus on customer-centricity, the company delivers innovative, tech-led decarbonisation solutions that drive energy cost savings and operational efficiency. Its versatile solution suite serves diverse industries, including pharma, auto, hospitality, and specialty chemicals, enabling sustainable transformation at scale.
Business Standard
08-07-2025
- Business Standard
Experience Design Is the New Cultural Currency for Affluent Indians
NewsVoir Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 8: In a world oversaturated with designer bags, private villas, and couture from Milan, a new form of cultural expression is gaining prominence among India's affluent. It is less tangible, more textured and far more telling. Experience design is emerging as the new cultural currency: where storytelling, culture, and curation come together to create something deeply personal and fulfilling. These experiences move through customs, geographies, and emotions--woven with precision, purpose, and poetry. A rising class of Indian explorers--culturally attuned and globally fluent--are quietly shifting how they signal status, identity, and taste. Less ostentation. More orchestration. No longer satisfied with the conventional script, they seek new fascinations, new rituals, and above all, new ways of being. "We treat an experience the way a director approaches film, or a composer, a score," says Yaruque Sadique, Co-founder and partner at Raskuan, a pioneering experience design house or shala, as he prefers to call it. Raskuan doesn't do one-off commissions or luxury planning. Instead, it creates small, complementary cohorts--never more than a few--brought together for experiences that unfold like theatre: in acts, arcs, and mood. Each is anchored in a global event, artistic movement, or regional tradition. From spirit trail through Hokkaido to solstice rites in Tasmania, no experience is ever repeated, and no detail is left unconsidered. "It's not escapism," says a Raskuan participant, a Mumbai-based investor. "It's deep presence--within yourself, your group, and the moment. It reorients you." Another guest described it this way: "It's like being handed a chapter from a book you didn't know you needed and reading it with people who get it." This emerging mode of immaterial possession -- connective, immersive, and reflective by nature--is especially resonant among second-generation wealth holders and global professionals, who increasingly value time, originality, and authorship over acquisition. "They're not interested in possessions," says a Delhi-based cultural critic. "They're interested in self-expression--through time well spent and stories well lived." What's unfolding is more than a passing trend. It's a cultural reorientation, where wealth is measured not by what one owns, but by how one engages. These experiences are crafted to provoke thought, awaken curiosity, and foster emotional resonance. Because experience, it seems, is no longer the backdrop to a good life. It is the art form itself. And as India's cultural vocabulary expands, experience design is becoming its most refined expression of taste. Raskuan is India's first experience design shala. Their upcoming experience -- A Summer Poured in Hokkaido -- traces the island's spirits, terroir, and seasonal pairings. To be invited into this experience--or to speak with the team directly--call (080) 4749 4967
Business Standard
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Astrikos.ai Launches AI-Powered Data Center Intelligence Platform - S!aP Cognus
NewsVoir Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 4: a leader in AI-driven infrastructure intelligence, is excited to announce the launch of its cutting-edge AI-Powered Data Center Intelligence Platform. This advanced solution is designed to transform data center operations by enabling predictive maintenance, real-time analytics, and enhanced operational efficiency. Leveraging AI and machine learning, the platform ensures higher uptime, reduced costs, and proactive issue resolution, making it a critical tool for modern data centers. The platform, named S!aP Cognus, brings together machine learning (ML), 3D modeling, and advanced analytics to optimize data center performance. With its scalable architecture, S!aP Cognus is capable of monitoring thousands of devices while providing predictive insights and real-time visibility into the most critical aspects of data center management. Key Features of the Platform: - AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance: Utilizes machine learning models to predict failures in vital systems such as UPS, HVAC, and battery banks, significantly reducing unplanned outages. -KPI Engine Compliant with ISO/IEC Standards: Tracks energy efficiency and operational performance according to recognized benchmarks like Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), and Energy Reuse Effectiveness (ERE), aligning with global sustainability and compliance mandates. - Real-Time 3D Visualizations: Offers a dynamic digital twin of data centers, helping operators identify issues, simulate potential failures, and monitor live conditions. - Modular & OEM-Agnostic Architecture: Supports a wide range of protocols (e.g., Modbus, SNMP, BACnet) and integrates with popular hardware from Schneider, Siemens, APC, and others, reducing deployment friction. - Role-Based Dashboards: Delivers tailored dashboards for various stakeholders including Data Center Managers, Sustainability Officers, and Finance Teams to support informed decision-making. - Low-Code ML Model Builder: Provides an intuitive interface to design and deploy custom Machine Learning models for specific data center needs without requiring advanced coding expertise. "With the exponential growth of data and cloud infrastructure, enterprises need intelligent, AI-driven platforms that go beyond traditional monitoring," said Chinmay Hegde, CEO & Managing Director of "Our new Data Center Intelligence Platform empowers operators with real-time insights, predictive analytics, and automation to significantly improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance overall sustainability." Chandrashekar SK, CTO of added, "Traditional data center management is reactive, leading to inefficiencies and unexpected failures. S!aP brings a proactive approach, enabling AI-powered predictive maintenance, interactive 3D modeling, and seamless third-party integrations to transform how data centers operate in the digital age." S!aP Cognus platform is designed to deliver energy efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in data center operations. By leveraging AI and machine learning, the platform enables trend analysis, scenario planning, and infrastructure optimization, facilitating strategic decisions that enhance operational agility and resilience. The S!aP platform has already been implemented successfully across several high-profile projects, including Uttar Pradesh's UP 112, the world's largest Next-Gen Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). The platform also played a pivotal role in the 2025 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, supporting critical emergency response efforts. And also, 29+ pilot projects which includes 10+ smart cities, 3 data centers across 4 geographies. "With the increasing demands on data centers to deliver continuous uptime and meet sustainability goals, S!aP Cognus is a game-changer," said Suresh Bulusu, Director of Sales of "This platform not only provides predictive insights and operational intelligence but also empowers our clients with actionable data that drives smarter decisions, lower costs, and enhanced performance across their data center ecosystems." The platform represents a significant advancement in intelligent infrastructure management, contributing to energy savings and sustainability goals while ensuring operational resilience through AI-driven analytics. To know more about the product, visit Astrikos S!aP Cognus or contact us at: connect@ Founded in 2017 by a team of seasoned professionals, led by Dr. Chinmay Hegde, an innovator, technologist, and thought leader in space, is a pioneer in building advanced AI and ML platforms that are revolutionizing key infrastructure sectors with a key focus on leveraging Urban Analytics. As a centralized intelligence platform, heralds a new era of sophisticated solutions designed to propel sustainable and forward-thinking operational strategies. By leveraging the platform, organizations can experience up to a 30% increase in revenue growth, a 10%-30% increase in planning efficiency, and a 10%-30% reduction in expenses. Intelligence Platform is implemented in the ambitious Uttar Pradesh's UP 112, the world's largest Next-Gen Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). The Platform also played a crucial role in supporting emergency response efforts during the 2025 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela or the Maha Kumbh. Being a "Make in India platform for the Globe", Astrikos AI has spread their wings across Pan-India, Middle East and North Africa, ASEAN and North Americas.
Business Standard
02-07-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Shikshagraha Awards 2026: Call for Nominations to Honour Education Leaders
NewsVoir Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 2: The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI) has announced the launch of the second edition of the Shikshagraha Awards, with nominations officially opening today. Instituted to spotlight leadership in education, the Shikshagraha Awards will honour individuals across India who are building an equitable and inclusive education ecosystem, especially for underserved communities. These prestigious awards are part of the Shikshagraha movement, a nationwide initiative dedicated to improving one million public schools by 2030. Anchored in the belief that leadership lies beyond formal titles, the awards recognise those who tirelessly champion the cause of equitable access to education from within and beyond the classroom. Last year's winners embody this spirit. In Tamil Nadu, Xavier Chandra Kumar, a government school headmaster, revitalised a neglected school by introducing counselling, medical camps, and inclusive practices that bridged caste divides. In Bihar, Ranjan Kumar raised school enrolment by 169% through community partnerships and bold learning initiatives. Rajitha N, a supervisor from Karnataka, improved early childhood education across tribal belts, building trust in areas where public systems struggled. And in Bhopal, 17-year-old Muskan Ahirwar earned a special mention for running a public library that now serves 100+ children daily, an initiative she began at the age of nine. The Shikshagraha Awards are more than recognition; they amplify stories, inspire action, and build a collective movement for education equity. They aim to reflect the diverse leadership driving the education equity movement by encompassing two broad domains: - Leaders within the Formal Education System: Educators, school leaders, government officials, or institutional actors working within established structures, such as schools, education departments, or academic support bodies, who are creating systemic change from within. - Leaders outside the Formal Education System (Community): Grassroots changemakers, including community organisers, parents, volunteers, or local champions, who are working directly in underserved contexts to expand access, inclusion, and quality in education. Awardees will receive a financial prize of INR 10 lakh (disbursed over two years), a trophy, a certificate of excellence, and visibility on platforms like InvokED, a global dialogue on education leadership where the awards will be presented on February 6, 2026. "If last year's nominations were anything to go by, the Shikshagraha Awards are inspirational in more ways than one. They spotlight the quiet courage, relentless commitment, and everyday innovation that fuel our nation's classrooms. With this second edition, we aim to reach deeper into the corners of India. Our goal is to discover and celebrate those unsung champions who dedicate themselves to education equity, often without recognition. Their stories deserve to be seen, heard, and honoured," said Mr. SD Shibulal, Co-Founder, The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI) and Co-Founder and Former CEO, Infosys. The nomination process is rigorous, evaluating candidates on continuous improvement, collaboration, innovation, equity-driven actions, and real-world impact. Anyone--students, colleagues, or community members--can nominate a changemaker. Self-nominations are not accepted. "Evaluating nominations for the Shikshagraha Awards is hugely humbling and inspiring. We look for individuals who are not only deeply committed to making education inclusive but are also innovating, collaborating, and improving constantly, even in tough circumstances. It's not grand gestures, but small, significant steps that create meaningful change. Each story we read reflects ownership and caring on the ground, and teaches us that individuals and communities investing energy and imagination is a key to a better future for children in India," Dr. Subramanian Rangan, Professor of Strategy & Management, INSEAD; Member, Board of Advisors, ShikshaLokam, and Jury Chair, Shikshagraha Awards. Forms are available in English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam at Nominations close on August 15, 2025. Shikshagraha is a people's movement aiming to improve 1 million public schools in India by 2030, ensuring every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to dream and succeed. The movement brings together diverse stakeholders--government, civil society, markets and media, to collaboratively address the challenges in the public education system through a micro-improvement approach. By working alongside local actors, fostering collective action, and employing data-driven strategies, Shikshagraha aims to create an inclusive learning environment where every student, regardless of background, gender, or abilities, can thrive in the 21st century. Shikshagraha is being co-built by Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiative with Mantra4Change as an anchoring implementation partner.
