In the world of entertainment, where the table is a canvas for memories, Plate & Peonie emerges as a revelation with its groundbreaking tableware rental model. Founded by Anandita Kothari, this distinctive brand has reimagined luxury entertaining by making exquisite tableware accessible through an innovative rental service, currently available exclusively in Mumbai. The concept brilliantly addresses the modern entertainer’s dilemma: how to create stunning tablescapes without investing in permanent collections or compromising on quality. Anandita’s personal passion for design and global travel breathes life into every piece in this rental collection, creating a curated selection that tells stories from around the world. “The heart of my home has always been my dining table,” Anandita shares, infusing her personal philosophy into a rental service that celebrates connection and beauty.

What sets Plate & Peonies rental model apart is how it makes luxury accessible without compromise. Whether hosting an intimate dinner party or orchestrating an elaborate celebration like a wedding, clients can now access exquisite tableware that might otherwise remain beyond reach. The service caters not only to individuals hosting at home but also to event decorators, wedding decor companies, brand launches, corporate events, and various other occasions.

The brand’s rental collection reads like a curated gallery of functional art. From the playful Panda Salad Sets to the sophisticated Dahlia Army Placemats, each piece has been selected with an eye for both aesthetics and practicality. The Stripey Bee collection, featuring beaded placemats and cocktail picks, adds whimsical charm to any gathering, while the Nature Light Wood Laminated Salad Sets bring organic warmth to the table.

Sustainability and exclusivity intertwine in Plate & Peonie’s signature in-house collection, which celebrates Anandita’s love for the wilderness through safari-themed designs. These pieces—crafted by Indian artisans using materials like raffia, rattan, and bamboo—represent a commitment to traditional craftsmanship that meets global quality standards. This emphasis on artisan-made pieces not only ensures uniqueness but also reflects a thoughtful approach to consumption and creation.

The rental model democratizes luxury entertaining in unprecedented ways. Hosts can now experiment with different styles and themes without commitment, allowing for seasonal refreshes and occasion-specific tableware. The exhaustive collection spans everything from elegant charger plates to statement barware accessories, ensuring that every detail is accounted for. This approach has resonated particularly well with those hosting milestone celebrations, who can now create magazine-worthy tablescapes without the post-event storage concerns.

To experience Plate & Peonie is to reimagine what gathering around a table can mean. It’s an invitation to elevate everyday moments and mark special occasions with intentionality and style. As the brand continues to expand its rental offerings, it stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful design in creating connection. After all, in a world increasingly defined by digital interactions, there remains something irreplaceable about breaking bread together at a beautifully set table—a philosophy that Plate & Peonie not only understands but has masterfully transformed into a business model that resonates.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Workplace safety and public health have become critical concerns for industries worldwide. Businesses must implement effective strategies to mitigate risks, safeguard employees, and ensure regulatory compliance. RSK Business Solutions plays a vital role in addressing these challenges through its innovative technology-driven solutions. By combining expertise in software development, agile consultation, and data-driven insights, RSK Business Solutions empowers businesses to create safer work environments while enhancing operational efficiency.

Delivering the Right Solution

At RSK Business Solutions, reducing workplace risks starts with understanding the unique challenges that industries face. With a team of over 100 skilled professionals, the company specializes in developing tailored IT solutions that help organizations identify hazards, manage risks, and maintain compliance with health and safety regulations.

RSK Business Solutions’s approach is built on a foundation of collaboration and innovation. By working closely with clients, the company ensures that its solutions align with industry-specific needs, offering real-time data monitoring, predictive analytics, and automated reporting features. These capabilities not only enhance workplace safety but also contribute to improved decision-making and streamlined operations.

A Mission to Unify Business Processes

RSK Business Solutions is driven by a mission to enhance business growth through advanced technological solutions. The company believes that technology should simplify and unify business processes rather than complicate them. By integrating cutting-edge tools into workplace safety management, RSK Business Solutions helps businesses transition from reactive to proactive risk management strategies.

With a non-hierarchical and transparent organizational culture, RSK Business Solutions builds an environment of innovation and excellence. The company’s customer-centric approach ensures that every solution is designed with the end-user in mind, making it easier for businesses to implement and adapt workplace safety protocols effectively.

Core Values: The Pillars of RSK Business Solutions’s Success

RSK Business Solutions’s commitment to workplace safety and public health is reinforced by its core values:

• Enabling Perfection: Every solution is tailored to meet the highest industry standards, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
• Focused Leadership: With deep functional knowledge and a results-driven approach, RSK Business Solutions delivers solutions that have a lasting impact.
• Customer Centricity: The company prioritizes prompt and proactive communication, ensuring that client needs are always at the forefront.
• Business Ethics and Transparency: Honesty, fairness, and openness define RSK Business Solutions’s interactions with clients and stakeholders.
• Innovation: Continuous technological advancements enable businesses to stay ahead of workplace risks and regulatory changes.
• Respect: The company values its customers, partners, and employees, fostering a culture of mutual growth and integrity.

Industry-Specific Solutions for Workplace Safety

RSK Business Solutions has developed specialized solutions for industries such as oil and gas, mining, energy, utilities, logistics, fintech, and healthcare. One of the standout solutions is the Carbon Management Tool, which helps businesses track and reduce their carbon footprint. By incorporating real-time data and analytics, this tool assists organizations in aligning their operations with global sustainability goals, contributing to a healthier work environment.

Additionally, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Tool allows businesses to monitor their progress toward meeting the UN’s sustainability targets. This solution provides actionable insights that enable companies to maintain compliance and implement more effective workplace safety measures.

Proven Impact and Customer Trust

With over 50 active projects, 100+ clients, and a team of 150+ professionals, RSK Business Solutions has a proven track record of delivering high-impact solutions. The company’s success is evident in the positive testimonials from businesses that have significantly improved their risk management strategies through RSK Business Solutions’s technology-driven services.

As workplace safety regulations continue to evolve, businesses need to have adaptable and innovative solutions to protect employees and ensure operational continuity. RSK Business Solutions remains at the forefront of this transformation by developing cutting-edge IT solutions that address emerging workplace risks.

By bridging the gap between technology and public health, RSK Business Solutions is not only helping businesses stay compliant but also fostering a culture of safety and sustainability. As industries embrace digital transformation, the company’s commitment to reducing workplace risks will continue to play a crucial role in shaping safer work environments globally.

Mumbai, 14-Apr-2025 – India’s ethanol industry has emerged as a standout success story in the global clean energy landscape, having achieved near 20% ethanol blending in petrol ahead of the 2025 target. In a significant step towards shaping the future of the sector, a high-level roundtable convened today brought together senior government officials, ethanol producers, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on the next phase of India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.

The roundtable marked the launch of the Thought Leadership Report, a strategic roadmap highlighting the critical role of ethanol in advancing India’s triple mandate of energy security, rural development, and climate action. The report reinforces the need for targeted policy support, stakeholder collaboration, and investment in technology to unlock the next level of growth in ethanol blending, especially from grain-based sources such as maize and surplus rice.

India’s Ethanol Milestones: A Platform for Progress

From achieving 10% ethanol blending ahead of schedule in 2022 to reaching a remarkable 19.6% blending in January 2025, India has demonstrated its capability to scale clean energy solutions rapidly. The ethanol blending initiative has already saved over Rs. 1.08 lakh crore in foreign exchange, substituted nearly 185 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, and reduced 557 lakh metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

The report also addressed myths around India’s food security, showing it is a grain surplus country which can cater to the needs of food and ethanol production without causing scarcity. Every year, India has a surplus of around 165 lakh metric tonnes of grain that could be used for ethanol.

Opportunities and Challenges: Charting a Sustainable Path Forward

The Thought Leadership Report identifies grain-based ethanol, particularly from maize and surplus grains like broken rice, as a key lever for sustainable expansion. It emphasizes the environmental and economic advantages of maize—India’s least water-intensive feedstock with strong ethanol conversion efficiency. The report projects that 165 Lakh Metric Tons of surplus grain could be utilized annually to generate over Rs. 35,000 crores in direct payments to farmers, reinforcing rural prosperity and arresting urban migration.

However, to maintain this momentum, the sector faces critical challenges:

• Feedstock availability and price pressures, especially with rising maize costs and inter-sector competition.
• Ethanol procurement pricing, which has not kept pace with feedstock cost increases.
• Falling by-product margins, such as Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), impacting distillery viability.

Strategic Policy Recommendations

The roundtable and report call for urgent, actionable reforms, including:

• Scaling up maize cultivation across the country.
• Introducing dynamic pricing for grain ethanol to address feedstock cost increase.
• Ensuring uninterrupted supply of damaged, broken, and surplus FCI rice until maize production ramps up.
• Promoting strong domestic market linkages for ethanol by-products like DDGS.

The report release was followed by a roundtable conference organised by Primus Partners, in partnership with Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA) and IFGE (Indian Federation of Green Energy). Herein various industry experts and policy leaders—including His Excellency Ambassador Kenneth H. da Nobrega, Brazilian Ambassador to India,  Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Vivek Shukla, Deputy Director General, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Vaibhav Dange, Green Fuel Expert and Abhinav Singhal, Committee Head and Treasurer of Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association—shared their perspectives on the path forward for grain ethanol. The panel discussed important issues, prospects, and workable solutions in order to support the industry and guarantee long-term success.

“We understand the current challenges of India’s grain ethanol story industry. There is a roadmap being planned; it will address multiple issues – feedstock availability and supply of broken and surplus rice from FCI, scope for E100/E93/E85, possibility of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), etc. We need to work together on this” Said Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution.

PM Modiji initiative – “Ethanol Blending program (EBP)”  is a great step forward by the GOI to ensure India’s future energy security, rural development, increasing farmer’s income manifold and reducing carbon footprint in the environment. In the last two years, Grain Ethanol Industry has grown & become the largest contributor to the EBP of India. Still, India being a Grain surplus country- the Grain Ethanol Industry requires timely support from Government of India with right policy initiatives & direction to grow and thrive in the future” said, Abhinav Singal, Treasurer, Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA).

“India’s ethanol success is a result of bold policy decisions and collaborative industry efforts.  The grain-based ethanol industry, in particular, holds immense potential to drive rural economic development, enhance farmer incomes, and ensure year-round ethanol production. It must be actively promoted through supportive policies, assured feedstock supply, and fair pricing mechanisms. This roundtable is a step toward building consensus among stakeholders and crafting actionable strategies that will ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the ethanol sector. IFGE remains committed to enabling a robust and future-ready ethanol ecosystem that supports India’s clean energy transition and national energy security.” Said Sanjay Ganjoo, Director General, IFGE (Indian Federation of Green Energy).

The Way Forward

This roundtable and the release of the Thought Leadership Report underscore the government’s commitment to a structured, strategic, and inclusive ethanol roadmap—one that harmonizes the interests of energy, environment, and rural India. Going forth, we eye E100, flex-fuel-vehicles, sustainable aviation fuel, etc. Given such ambitious goals, it is important the government and industry come together and shape a cleaner and prosperous future.

JAIPUR, India – 10 April, 2025 – Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a global leader in digitizing and automating frontline workflows, today reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing its channel partner network across India, with a strategic emphasis on expanding its influence in emerging business hubs. Recognizing these areas as pivotal for growth, Zebra aims to extend its reach and impact nationwide.

At the India Partner Summit in Jaipur, Zebra unveiled strategic initiatives to fortify its presence and foster partner innovation. Key announcements included insights into product advancements and initiatives tailored to the Indian market. Industry experts and Zebra’s leadership team participated, underscoring the company’s dedication to driving growth through collaboration and innovation.

“India’s vast potential drives Zebra’s expansion into emerging business hubs,” said Subramaniam Thiruppathi, Director of Sales for India and Sub-Continent, Zebra Technologies. “By empowering frontline workers with AI-driven solutions, we enhance capabilities, allowing partners to explore new sectors like government and healthcare alongside manufacturing, transport & logistics, and retail, allowing them to thrive in the evolving digital landscape.”

Zebra’s vision for India includes equipping frontline workers with advanced, AI-driven tools that are essential for success in today’s competitive environment. This initiative supports partners in delivering solutions that meet the evolving demands of businesses in burgeoning markets through enhanced asset visibility. Additionally, Zebra integrates the concept of connected frontline workers into its strategy, ensuring individuals are equipped with the necessary technology to optimize performance.

As Zebra expands its footprint across India, the company remains dedicated to fostering a collaborative ecosystem that enhances the capabilities of its partners. By leveraging its global expertise and intelligent automation, Zebra is committed to supporting its partners in achieving sustained growth and success.

KEY TAKEAWAYS  

• Zebra expands its Indian partner network, targeting emerging business hubs for growth.
• The company is focused on empowering frontline workers with AI-driven solutions unveiled at its  India Partner Summit.
• Zebra equips partners with cutting-edge tools to enhance their success in India’s evolving digital landscape.

April 10 2025, Hyderabad – Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Prashant Chaudhary as the Front Office Manager. With over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, Prashant brings a wealth of expertise in front office operations, guest relations, and team leadership.

Prashant Chaudhary

Prior to joining Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC, Prashant served as Front Office Manager at Hyatt Centric Kathmandu and Hyatt Place Hyderabad, where he played a key role in enhancing guest experiences and streamlining operational tasks. He has previously worked with renowned hotel brands, including Accor’s Ibis Mumbai Vikhroli and Ibis Gurgaon, where he contributed significantly to customer service excellence and revenue growth.

In his new role, Prashant will oversee the front office team, ensuring seamless guest experiences, optimizing operational strategies, driving the ALL-loyalty program within the property, and upholding the highest standards of hospitality at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC. His leadership will be instrumental in driving guest satisfaction, service innovation, and operational success.

“We are thrilled to welcome Prashant to our team,” said Rubin Cherian, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC. “His proven track record in front office management, combined with his passion for guest service, will further elevate the hospitality experience we offer at our property.”

Expressing his excitement about joining the team, Prashant Chaudhary said, “I am delighted to be a part of Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC. Looking forward to leading the front office team in creating memorable guest experiences.”

Prashant holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Motel Management from Punjab Technical University and is proficient in multiple hospitality management systems, including PMS-Opera and Opera Cloud. In his leisure time, Prashant enjoys exploring different cuisines, staying active through sports especially cricket and badminton and is passionate about fitness as a gym enthusiast.

April 10, 2025 — Gartner, Inc. predicts that by 2027, organizations will implement small, task-specific AI models, with usage volume at least three times more than those of general-purpose large language models (LLMs).

While general-purpose LLMs provide robust language capabilities, their response accuracy declines for tasks requiring specific business domain context.

“The variety of tasks in business workflows and the need for greater accuracy are driving the shift towards specialized models fine-tuned on specific functions or domain data,” said Sumit Agarwal, VP Analyst at Gartner. “These smaller, task-specific models provide quicker responses and use less computational power, reducing operational and maintenance costs.”

Enterprises can customize LLMs for specific tasks by employing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) or fine-tuning techniques to create specialized models. In this process, enterprise data becomes a key differentiator, necessitating data preparation, quality checks, versioning and overall management to ensure relevant data is structured to meet the fine-tuning requirements.

“As enterprises increasingly recognize the value of their private data and insights derived from their specialized processes, they are likely to begin monetizing their models and offering access to these resources to a broader audience, including their customers and even competitors,” said Agarwal. “This marks a shift from a protective approach to a more open and collaborative use of data and knowledge.”

By commercializing their proprietary models, enterprises can create new revenue streams while simultaneously fostering a more interconnected ecosystem.

Implementing Small Task-Specific AI models

Enterprises looking to implement small task-specific AI models must consider the following recommendations:

• Pilot Contextualized Models: Implement small, contextualized models in areas where business context is crucial or where LLMs have not met response quality or speed expectations.
• Adopt Composite Approaches: Identify use cases where single model orchestration falls short, and instead, employ a composite approach involving multiple models and workflow steps.
• Strengthen Data and Skills: Prioritize data preparation efforts to collect, curate and organize the data necessary for fine-tuning language models. Simultaneously, invest in upskilling personnel across technical and functional groups such as AI and data architects, data scientists, AI and data engineers, risk and compliance teams, procurement teams and business SMEs, to effectively drive these initiatives.

Gartner clients can learn more in “Predicts 2025: AI-Powered Analytics Will Revolutionize Decision Making.”

Learn how to ensure that your data is ready for use in the specific AI initiatives you plan to pursue in the complimentary Gartner AI-Ready Data Essentials Roadmap.

Gartner Data & Analytics Summit

Gartner analysts will provide additional analysis on data and analytics trends at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summits, taking place April 28-29 in São Paulo, May 12-14 in London, May 20-22 in Tokyo, June 2-3 in Mumbai, and June 17-18 in Sydney. Follow news and updates from the conferences on X using #GartnerDA.

New Delhi, 10 April 2025: Birla Fertility & IVF, India’s third-largest IVF network and a part of the USD 3 billion CK Birla Group, reaffirmed its leadership in reproductive care with ‘Fertility Unscripted,’ a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme that hosted an incredible lineup of fertility specialists, thought leaders, and industry pioneers from around India and globally. The event, which was organised in New Delhi, was a unique confluence of medical brilliance, fostering an exchange of excellence, cutting-edge advancements in infertility treatment, high-risk pregnancy management, and the future of reproductive technologies.

The event was graced by some of the most renowned personalities in reproductive medicine, including Dr. Professor (Colonel) Pankaj Talwar, President of the Indian Fertility Society (IFS), Guest of Honour Dr. Neerja Bhatla, former Head of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at AIIMS, Dr. B.B. Dash, renowned Gynaecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Rejoice Hospital, and Dr. Jyotsana Pundir, leading global fertility specialist with over 25 years of experience. Discussions were led by expert doctors of Birla Fertility & IVF, including Dr. Prachi Benara, Dr Muskaan Chhabra, Dr. Shilpa Singhal, and Dr. Nidhi Tripathi. Their vast expertise, combined with international insights, elevated the discussion to make it a distinctive experience for everyone present.

Infertility affects nearly 15% of Indian couples, but only 1% seek treatment due to the lack of awareness and accessibility. To bridge this gap and shape the future of fertility care in India, Birla Fertility & IVF is spearheading efforts to bring advanced knowledge into the circuit. Through ‘Fertility Unscripted,’ Birla Fertility & IVF is encouraging knowledge sharing, collaborative learning and technological innovation, equipping medical professionals with evidence-based, best-practice approaches to modern fertility treatments.

The programme was a convergence of expertise and insight, with discussions covering some of the most pressing topics in reproductive medicine today. From the role of advanced laparoscopic techniques in fertility treatment to the evolving landscape of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) regulations, each session was meticulously designed to provide deep insights and understanding. Experts exchanged insights on topics such as varied regulations for recurrent pregnancy losses, the integration of advanced imaging and diagnostic technologies in fertility treatment, smart surgeries in infertility, the techniques of mastering an ultrasound, going beyond nuchal translucency in first-trimester screening, and male infertility. These discussions emphasised the increasing need for multidisciplinary collaboration to improve treatment success rates and enhance patient satisfaction.

Abhishek Aggrawal, CEO, Birla Fertility & IVF, highlighted the significance of such forums in driving the future of fertility care. “Gynaecologists are usually the primary point of contact for couples or individuals with fertility or reproductive health needs. Their role is pivotal in early identification of concerns, initiating the right interventions at the right time and guiding patients with advanced knowledge and utmost empathy. Through our initiative, ‘Fertility Unscripted,’ our aim is to foster the exchange of expertise, experiences, and evidence-based practices across the medical community. By bringing together the voices from across India and the world, we want the practitioners to be proficient in the latest advancements and protocols that can transform patient outcomes and make reproductive healthcare more accessible, standardised, and effective across the country.”

With its distinguished panel of experts and a firm focus on scientific advancements, ‘Fertility Unscripted’ asserted Birla Fertility & IVF’s commitment to leadership in thinking, international collaboration, and clinical quality. As the fertility chain continues its rapid expansion across India, its commitment remains to empower both patients and specialists with the best in fertility care.

By bringing together medical experts, encouraging innovative conversations, and propelling technological advancements, ‘Fertility Unscripted’ has created a new standard in reproductive healthcare discussion, solidifying Birla Fertility & IVF’s leadership in fertility care in India.