India, 21st February 2025: Satin Creditcare Network Limited (SCNL), one of India’s leading microfinance institutions, has been assigned an SQS2 Sustainability Quality Score (Very Good) for its Social Financing Framework dated January 2025. Moody’s Ratings, as a party Opinion, has evaluated and assigned this rating, recognizing SCNL’s strong alignment with international sustainability standards.

SCNL has undertaken this assessment for the first time and received a Very Good (SQS2) rating, which is among the highest ratings awarded within the BFSI sector, reflecting the company’s robust sustainability framework and responsible financing approach.

SCNL’s Social Financing Framework adheres to the highest international standards, including the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) Social Bond Principles (SBP) 2023, and the Loan Market Association, Asia-Pacific Loan Market Association and Loan Syndications & Trading Association’s (LMA/ APLMA/LSTA) Social Loan Principles (SLP) 2023. In addition to full compliance with these principles, SCNL has incorporated all best practices identified by Moody’s Ratings across its framework components, reinforcing its dedication to transparency, impact measurement and sustainability in social financing.

21 February 2025, Bengaluru: The Centre for Management Communication (CenComm), a Centre of Excellence at IIM Bangalore, in collaboration with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), organized a roundtable discussion on the role of sub-national policies in tackling climate change on 19th February 2025, at the IIMB campus. Following a recent publication from CEE titled, ‘Role of Sub-National Policies in Addressing the Climate Change Challenge – Learnings from Karnataka’s SAPCC’, the discussion sought to bridge the gap between global commitments and local execution.

Amid the evolving geopolitical landscape, effectively communicating climate policies and ensuring their grassroots implementation remain key challenges. To address these complexities, the centers convened an elite panel of climate justice stakeholders to shed light on the power of localized policymaking in driving meaningful global climate reparations.

Dr. Deepti Ganapathy, Chairperson, Centre for Management Communication, IIM Bangalore, and Rejini Simpson, Programme Director, CEE South, set the stage for the discussions. As moderators, they guided the discourse on ‘Bridging Global Commitments to Local Impact: Collaborative Pathways for Climate Resilience’, emphasizing the need for multistakeholder cooperation.

One of the panelists, Judith Weinberger-Singh, Resident Representative, Hanns Seidel Foundation India, highlighted the role of multilateral and bilateral collaborations in advancing climate action, drawing key insights from the European Union’s initiatives. She emphasized the significance of joint efforts in addressing pressing environmental challenges, referencing policy frameworks such as the European Green Deal and the role of climate finance in the global system. Citing the strategic EU-India partnership for environmental protection as an example, she underscored the need for inclusive collaboration. She further stressed the importance of engaging a diverse range of stakeholders including academics, private sector leaders, government officials, and local communities to leverage their unique strengths and develop tailored solutions for the challenges ahead.

Dr. Ram Prasath Manohar, IAS, Chairman of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), underscored the pivotal role of subnational governments in strengthening climate resilience, with a specific focus on water management and urban sustainability. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on the urban poor, emphasizing its adverse effects on their livelihoods. Drawing from his on-ground observations during Bengaluru’s water crisis last year, he urged various associations to collaborate in implementing policies aimed at curbing groundwater over-extraction. His perspective on viewing challenges and crises as opportunities for resource innovation offered the audience an optimistic and strategic approach to navigating climate-related challenges.

Bringing a corporate perspective, Srinivasa C. K., General Manager – Sustainability (ESG), Promotion Division at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., discussed Sustainable Mobility & Industry Leadership in Climate Action, emphasizing the automotive sector’s role in driving a greener future. He broadened the conversation to address the wider industrial impact on climate change, highlighting that the energy sector contributes approximately 73% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation’s share steadily increasing. He emphasized Toyota’s commitment to sustainable innovation through the development of electrified and hybrid vehicles, the adoption of circular economy practices, and a strong focus on water sustainability—achieving over 90% reliance on recycled and rainwater. Stressing the critical role of private enterprises in mitigating climate impact, he called for enhanced subsidies, collaborative research and development, and open dialogue between government, industry, and local communities, reinforcing the need for a unified, cross-sectoral approach to tackling climate challenges.

Dhenuka Srinivasan, Environment & Sustainability Manager at ABB India, provided insights into Corporate Sustainability & Climate Action – Driving Innovation & Responsibility in a Changing World, emphasizing the imperative for businesses to embed sustainability within their core strategies. She underlined the significance of public-private partnerships, behavioral change, and early climate education at the school level as key drivers of a positive shift in climate impact—an idea that resonated strongly with the audience. She further stressed that individual actions play a crucial role in addressing climate change, with students, as future leaders, holding the responsibility to champion and implement effective mitigation measures.

The event was attended by a diverse audience, including members of the IIM Bangalore community, industry professionals from top consulting firms, sustainability-driven entrepreneurs, and students from institutions such as Christ University and S P Jain, amongst others. Additionally, the discussion was live-streamed on YouTube, enabling a broader audience to engage with the discourse on sustainable policymaking and climate resilience.

Through this roundtable, CenComm and CEE reinforced the urgency of translating policy frameworks into actionable solutions and fostering multi-sectoral partnerships for long-term climate commitment along with action.

Global, February 20th, 2025 – Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, and Web3 company, has collaborated with CryptoRank to conduct an in-depth comparative analysis of liquidity depth among the top five global centralized cryptocurrency exchanges (CEXs): Binance, Bitget, Bybit, MEXC, and OKX. The research offers valuable insights into each platform’s ability to handle large market orders with minimal price impact, a critical factor for traders seeking efficient trade execution.

The top key findings of the report highlight Spot and Futures market liquidity. Bitget secured second position among the top five global exchanges, showing substantial liquidity depth on Spot for major trading pairs such as BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT. This positions Bitget as a competitive choice for traders seeking efficient trade execution in high-volume markets.

The analysis evaluated liquidity depth around 2% price range from the mid-market price, a critical metric for assessing an exchange’s ability to handle large market orders with minimal slippage. Bitget’s performance in this area highlights its dedication to maintaining a liquid and stable trading environment for its users.

The study reveals significant variations in liquidity depth across major centralized crypto exchanges in both spot and futures markets. Binance’s dominance in the spot market and MEXC’s leadership in the futures market highlight the diverse strengths of these platforms.

Bitget’s strong performance in both markets aligns with the exchange’s market performance, which has made it the fastest-growing CEX in the top 10. These insights assist investors in selecting the most suitable exchange for their trading activities, considering factors such as liquidity depth and market focus.

Recently Forbes listed Bitget as one of the top most trusted crypto exchanges worldwide. In 2024, Bitget expanded its user base by 400%, from 20M in January to 100M in December. Spot trading surged from $160B in Q1 to $600B in Q4; daily volumes doubled to $20B. The high-paced updates, and top performance amongst CEXs, have pushed Bitget amongst the top #3 exchanges in derivates trading while strengthening its positioning amongst the top #5 on Spot. Keeping the momentum going, Bitget continues to expand its offerings and improve platform features, maintaining high liquidity to support seamless trading for its vast user base.

Shemaroo Umang’s popular show Main Dil Tum Dhadkan is set to take an exciting turn with the entry of a new character, Anurag. The talented actor Puneet Kumar Channa, known for his impressive performances in films, television, short films, and advertisements, has been roped in to play this intriguing role. With his strong screen presence and acting prowess, Puneet is sure to bring a fresh twist to the storyline, keeping the audience engaged.

Sharing his excitement about joining the show, Puneet said, “I’m thrilled to take on this role, it’s a refreshing challenge for me. Anurag is a cunning, charismatic, and confident businessman with a long-standing ambition to acquire the Agarwal group. I can’t wait for the audience to see the intriguing twists my character brings to the story!” His character will add new drama and intensity to the narrative, making things even more interesting for viewers.

With Puneet’s entry, Main Dil Tum Dhadkan promises to be more thrilling than ever. Fans can expect unexpected twists, high-stakes drama, and gripping storytelling as Anurag shakes things up. Stay tuned to witness this exciting new chapter unfold in the show!

Mumbai, India – February 20, 2025 – Cohesity, the leader in AI-powered data security, announced the appointment of Mayank Mishra as the new Regional Director of Sales for India and SAARC. In his new role, Mayank will lead Cohesity’s overall business strategy, sales operations, and growth strategy across India and the SAARC region.

Before this appointment, Mayank was the regional director of West and North India for Veritas. In his 17-year tenure with Veritas, Mayank held numerous leadership positions in enterprise sales across the financial, telecom, and pharmaceutical sectors. With his extensive industry experience, Mayank has led the successful delivery of several large and highly complex data protection deals in the South Asia region. Under his leadership, the enterprise sales team consistently exceeded their business revenue targets. Before Veritas, Mayank had successful roles in multi-national firms, including Oracle, Acision, and Tata Teleservices.

“By combining Cohesity’s scale-out architecture and strong AI-powered data security capabilities with Veritas’ broad workload support and partner ecosystem, our customers will gain more from the new combined portfolio offerings. We are committed to prioritizing our customers’ needs to providepeace of mind for their investments in our solutions,” said Mayank Mishra, Regional Director of Sales – India and SAARC, Cohesity.

“Mayank’s appointment comes at a defining moment as we continue to drive innovation and leadership in AI-powered data security and cyber resilience. With his strong track record in delivering business results and proven ability in leading high-performance teams to address pertinent cyber resiliency issues facing customers, I am confident that we will continue to be the preferred choice for data security with differentiated AI capabilities in India and SAARC region,” said Johnny Karam, Managing Director and Vice President of International Emerging Markets, Cohesity.

Under the Uttam Gram Initiative (UGI) program, the S M Sehgal Foundation organized an awareness program on “Behavioral Changes in Sanitation” in Behripur and GujjarpurKhurd villages in Ramgarh block, Alwar, Rajasthan February 18 and 19, 2025. The initiative aimed to enhance community awareness of sanitation and hygiene through an engaging and interactive medium: NukkadNatak (street play). The play was performed by students from the National School of Drama (NSD), the street play powerfully conveyed essential WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) messages, covering safe drinking water, toilet management (solid& liquid waste), handwashing, and menstrual hygiene. Over 900 community members participated in the two-day event, with two shows held in each village including Sarpanch Ahmed Jubair, School Principal Ashok Goyal, Village Development Committee, and School Management Committee members.

Dr.VikasJha, Principal Lead, Local Participation and Sustainability, S M Sehgal Foundation shared that “NukkadNatak is a powerful medium of communication that uses live performance in public spaces to spread awareness, and engage communities on social issues . We highlighted real community challenges and practical solutions. Such behavior-change communication efforts encourage people to adopt best practices for a healthier and more sustainable future. At the end of the play, participants took a pledge to incorporate these practices into their daily lives.”

To ensure wider participation, local community radio Connect FM 107.8 actively supported the initiative by making announcements and spreading information about the entertaining and educating street play shows for maximum outreach.

February 20, 2024 – London – NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and IT services, and Roularta Media Group (RMG), a Belgian leading multimedia group, announced a strategic engagement to digitally transform RMG’s printing facilities, with the deployment of an advanced Private 5G network and NTT DATA’s expertise in managed services. RMG’s decision to invest in a new Private 5G network is part of its corporate plan to greatly increase productivity through advanced technologies.

As part of a multi-year agreement, NTT DATA and RMG will bring to life Private 5G use cases to support RMG’s global operations, transforming Belgium’s largest offset printing company into a state-of-the-art digital printing powerhouse. The partnership will focus on creating new use cases, including intelligent asset tracking and push-to-talk communications, to streamline operations and enhance productivity. NTT DATA’s secure, low-latency Private 5G network will help Roularta Printing move to a fully digital future, both locally and internationally.

“NTT DATA Private 5G empowers organizations, providing the network that underpins digital transformation and edge computing implementations,” said Robin Joncheere, Managing Director, NTT DATA Belgium. “We are thrilled to support Roularta Media Group’s digital transformation journey as they unlock the potential of private 5G, applications at the edge, and data-driven insights for revolutionizing their operations as a digital-first multimedia company.”

NTT DATA conducted an in-depth consultancy assessment of RMG’s network and security, ensuring that the infrastructure is optimized for peak performance. NTT DATA’s Private 5G network is already supporting Roularta Printing across its 40,000-square-meter manufacturing facility in Belgium.

As RMG modernizes its manufacturing operations, the Private 5G network will underpin the optimization of devices used throughout the facility and prepare for future edge computing implementations. Looking ahead, RMG plans to extend the NTT DATA Private 5G capabilities across additional locations throughout Europe in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.

“Our industry demands uninterrupted operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any downtime is a significant risk because news needs to be printed within hours,” said Luc Neysens, CIO, of Roularta Media Group. “As we transform our printing operations and execute our vision for a fully digitized future-proof multimedia company, we’re excited to work with NTT DATA and their team to unlock what is possible with a dependable, secure, and low latency network environment.”

NTT DATA’s Private 5G network currently deployed at RMG’s Belgian facility makes sure the reliability and efficiency of these operations can be ensured at any location within the plant. Additionally, smart, ruggedized devices support push-to-talk communications, a feature that was previously difficult to incorporate on RMG’s legacy network due to moving machinery and signal reflections within the facility.

National, 20 February 2025: Veer Pahariya graces the February cover issue of Filmfare, emerging as a fresh talent in the entertainment industry. With a deep-rooted passion for acting, music, and storytelling, he embodies a new generation of artists who refuse to be boxed in. As he continues to grow and push boundaries, Veer is undoubtedly a talent to watch out for in Hindi Cinema. Veer Pahariya made his Bollywood debut earlier this year, starring alongside Akshay Kumar in the film Sky Force. Filmfare, one of the country’s most prestigious entertainment magazines renowned for celebrating cinema, fashion, and emerging talents in the industry, serves as the perfect platform for Veer’s story, marked by dedication, perseverance, and a drive to redefine the norms.

In an exclusive chat with Filmfare, Veer reflected on his dream. He shared, “I think it was my lifelong dream to become an actor. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want this. When I was about five years old, I used to collect Filmfare magazines. I still have them in my collection.”

Highlighting his early hustle before stepping into the world of films, Veer recalled, “I had a YouTube channel where I built a small audience and would get paid for performing at college festivals and schools. I also worked on a few ad jingles.”

Discussing Sky Force, Veer revealed how he approached the pressures of a high-profile debut with a sense of gratitude, highlighting, “I didn’t have any fear at all before Sky Force released. I was just grateful for the opportunity to live my dream. Every day on earth is a good day.” He recounted his experience sharing the screen space with Akshay Kumar, noting, “Working with Akshay sir was overwhelming at first because he’s someone we’ve all grown up watching. But when I went on the set, he was so welcoming and comforting that he immediately broke the ice with me.”

Veer’s transformation for the role of Squadron Leader T Krishna Vijaya in the film was drastic – both physically and mentally. Recalling his transformation for the character, he shared, “On the day of the look test for Sky Force, I had long hair and a beard, and they transformed me completely. I had no idea what the film was about at that point. They cut my hair short, gave me a military-style moustache and put me in overalls. Months later, I heard the narration, and it was an easy decision.”

Cementing his stance as a disruptor in the industry, Veer said, “I know I don’t look like a typical hero. But I’m aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I’m here to bring something new to the table. I’m aiming to break barriers and change the game.”

On his self-made journey, Veer acknowledged the realities of navigating Bollywood without a legacy to lean on, saying, “I’m the first artiste in my family. So, my association with the industry is purely based on the work I’ve done. Anyone who comes to Mumbai gets associated with people from the film industry.” Talking about his early inspirations, he revealed, “Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan were my early inspirations. I also really admire Sushant Singh Rajput’s choice of roles; he had such an original voice.”

Filmfare’s February issue chronicles and celebrates all that’s hot and happening in the world of movies and OTT.

Pune, India – February 20, 2025: The Nisarg Srishti Welfare Foundation conducted an awareness session on noise pollution at the College of Engineering, Manjari, aiming to educate students and faculty about its adverse effects and the importance of collective action.

The session was led by Dr. Garima Kavathekar, Founder Director of Nisarg Srishti Welfare Foundation, alongside distinguished speakers Mrs. Neena Singh, Mrs. Shashikala Kumbhar, Mr. Manoj Channa, and Shri Rajendra Kulkarni. Volunteers from IIEBM also actively participated, engaging students in discussions and interactive awareness activities.

The program covered key aspects of noise pollution, including its health implications, environmental consequences, and relevant legal frameworks. Speakers emphasized practical solutions and community-driven initiatives, encouraging students to take an active role in promoting noise-free environments.

As part of its ongoing mission, the Nisarg Srishti Welfare Foundation continues to drive awareness, advocacy, and policy initiatives to combat noise pollution. Events like these play a crucial role in fostering environmental responsibility among the younger generation.

Special appreciation was extended to government-appointed corporator Shri Ajeet Ghule for facilitating connections with Dr. R.V. Patil, Principal of the College of Engineering, Manjari, to make this initiative possible.

February 20, 2025 | Lucknow, India: The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) is back and bigger than ever with its seventh edition in Lucknow. This special night will bring together India’s top sports stars under one roof to celebrate their achievements.

This year’s event will honor 175 outstanding athletes from 36 sports, ranging from cricket and hockey to kabaddi and kho kho. It shows how Indian sports have grown, and how our athletes are making the country proud in many ways.

Some of India’s greatest sports stars will choose the winners. The jury includes Anju Bobby George, who made history in the long jump, Olympic medal winners Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijendra Singh, hockey great Dilip Tirkey, and Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia. These sports icons know what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

The event will welcome two very special guests. Uttar Pradesh Honorable Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend as the chief guest, and cricket legend Kapil Dev will join the celebration. Their presence shows how important TOISA has become for Indian sports.

“TOISA has evolved into India’s most prestigious sports recognition platform, reflecting our nation’s growing sporting excellence. Having 175 athletes from 36 sports disciplines under one roof in Lucknow demonstrates the incredible depth and diversity of Indian sports talent. Our vision is to not just celebrate achievements, but to create a legacy that inspires future generations,” said Puneet Gupta, COO,of  Times Internet.

“TOISA 2024 represents more than an awards ceremony – it’s a celebration of India’s remarkable sports journey. By bringing together champions from cricket fields to kabaddi courts in Lucknow, we’re not just honoring medals and records, we’re showcasing how sports unite our nation. This seventh edition speaks to the incredible growth of Indian sports, from our villages to international arenas. As we gather the finest athletes, sports legends, and leaders under one roof, we’re creating a powerful platform that inspires the next generation of Indian sports talent,” explains Prasad Sanyal, Business Head at Times Internet.

TOISA is more than just an awards show. It tells young athletes across India that their hard work matters, and that they can achieve great things in sports. As we prepare for February 22, TOISA 2024 will not only honor today’s champions but also inspire tomorrow’s sports stars.

This special night in Lucknow will remind everyone how far Indian sports have come, and show the bright future ahead. TOISA continues to grow as India’s way of saying thank you to the athletes who make our country proud.