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Airtel to acquire 20% stake in Bharti Telemedia from Warburg Pincus

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Bharti Airtel today said that it will acquire a Warburg Pincus affiliate’s 20% equity stake in its DTH arm Bharti Telemedia for a total consideration of Rs 31,260 million which will be discharged primarily via issuance of 36.47 million equity shares of Airtel at a price of Rs 600 per share, and up to Rs 10,378 million in cash.

The proposed transaction is part of Airtel’s strategy to align the shareholding of its customer-facing products, services, and businesses under the same holding group. Full control and ownership over Bharti Telemedia allow Airtel to offer differentiated and converged solutions to customers so as to promote the “One Home” strategy.

Harjeet Kohli, Group Director, Bharti Enterprises said, “DTH is an integral part of our Homes strategy and this transaction is another step towards simplifying the shareholding of our customer-facing businesses providing structural flexibility and ease of implementation. Airtel has always enjoyed a close and strategic partnership with Warburg Pincus, across its business verticals and geographies and we are delighted to have them back as part of Airtel’s exciting journey ahead, including in digital businesses.”

Airtel will issue its shares to the Warburg Pincus affiliate at a premium of 0.50% to the floor price determined as per ICDR regulations. The remaining consideration of Rs 9,378 million shall be paid in cash on the closing date of the proposed transaction. There may also be minor customary closing adjustments not exceeding Rs 1,000 million.

Vishal Mahadevia, Managing Director and Head of Warburg Pincus India said, “Airtel was one of the earliest and most profitable investments for Warburg Pincus in India. We are delighted to be back as partners in Bharti Airtel through this transaction. We look forward to capitalizing on the broad-based growth that the company is witnessing across its entire portfolio of businesses, including the digital build-outs.”

In December 2017, a Warburg Pincus affiliate agreed to acquire a 20% equity stake in Bharti Telemedia Limited, the DTH arm of Airtel.

Citigroup Global Markets India Private Limited (“Citi”) acted as the financial advisor to Airtel and Credit Suisse Securities (India) Private Limited acted as advisors to Warburg Pincus in connection with this transaction.

Infinix Smart 5 goes on sale with additional Jio offer on Flipkart tomorrow

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For those who are looking for an uninterrupted and immersive screen time along with a high-end smartphone experience, gear up to get your hands on the latest entrant from the Smart series by Infinix, the premium smartphone brand from Transsion Group. The all-new bigger, better and faster Infinix Smart 5 comes with a massive performance upgrade and several FIST (First in segment technology) features like Slow Motion video recording and a powerful Helio G25 octa core processor.

Backed by an enormous 6,000mAh battery, and a large 6.82-inch display, the smartphone goes on sale exclusively on Flipkart at just Rs 7199 on February 18, 12 noon onwards. The new entrant in the Smart series will also come with an additional Jio offer: prepaid recharge of Rs 349 on every device along with benefits worth Rs 4,000, including 40 cashback vouchers worth Rs 50 and partner brand coupons worth Rs 2,000.

For those who are planning to upgrade their basic smartphones, Infinix Smart 5 comes as the best possible switch. Its 6000mAh battery gives a standby time of more than 50 days, delivering up to 23 hours of nonstop video playback, 53 hours of 4G talktime, 155 hours of music playback, 23 hours of web surfing and 14 hours of gaming. The Power Marathon Technology optimises all the apps inside the smartphone and shows the extended battery life once the power-boost mode is switched on.

Operating on Android 10 with the latest XOS 7 skin, the Smart 5 is powered by Helio G25 octa core processor which is backed by the Mediatek HyperEngine technology for intelligent dynamic management of CPU, GPU and memory; smooth gaming performance, enhanced power efficiency and network connectivity. Available in 2GB RAM/32 GB storage, the device also has 3 card slots (Dual nano SIM + Micro SD) with expandable memory up to 256 GB.

The Smart 5 features an advanced 13MP AI dual Rear camera along with an f/1.8 large aperture and a category-first mode like Slow Motion video recording feature that allows users to enjoy capture and edit super slow motion videos through the camera interface. Additionally, the rear camera also comes with a cutting-edge AI framework that boosts its capturing capabilities by enabling Auto Scene detection from 15+ different modes to adjust the image accordingly. Meanwhile, its 8MP selfie camera with LED flash, AI-driven beauty mode and multiple camera modes such as portrait and wide selfie, allow capturing the ‘perfect’ selfies.

The smartphone is also packed with advanced features such as multifunctional fingerprint sensor / Face unlock for enhanced security along with Dual 4G VoLTE, VoWiFi and the latest Bluetooth v5.0 for a seamless, glitch-free, and connected usage experience, be it while streaming videos online or playing multiplayer games.

Nothing opens up for its community to invest in the company

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Nothing, a new forward-thinking London-based consumer technology company, announced today that they will open up for its community to invest in the company through a community equity funding round. Nothing will allow its community to invest a total of $1.5 million at the same valuation as their Series A funding with GV (formerly Google Ventures).

Carl Pei, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing said, “We want our community to be part of our journey from the very start and play an active role in it. As part of this process, we’ll also be electing a community member to our board of directors, so that we’re always kept in check, and reminded of what users want.”

Following this community funding round, investors will have access to Nothing’s private community through which they will get exclusive benefits and insights into the company. From there, the company also plans to elect a community board member to represent and to be the voice of the community in board meetings. More details will be shared once the campaign goes live.

Pre-registrations to the financing will open on February 16th at 10AM GMT, and the campaign will go live on March 2nd at 10AM GMT.

Ant Esports launches ‘GAMEi’ gaming glasses and ‘H1000’ gaming headset in India

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Indian computer peripherals and gaming device manufacturer Ant Esports officially launches two new accessories for gamers – GAMEi Gaming Glasses and H1000 Gaming Headset. The two new devices can help you as a gamer to always be one step ahead of your competition in terms of sound and vision.

The Ant Esports GAMEi is a pair of professional and stylish glasses that gives gamers clearer and sharper vision when using a computer for extended hours. It makes use of high-quality lenses which block up to 85% harmful blue light, helping reduce the effects of digital eye strain, including dry eyes, headaches blurred visions and eye fatigue. Featuring a stylish design with a universal size to fit all, the GAMEi is built with an ultra-light matte-finished frame for increased comfort and durability. Gamers will now have the advantage of an extra edge over their competitors with better vision and minimal eye strain by using very comfortable eyewear.

Add the power and ambience of high-quality audio to your gaming sessions with Ant Esports’ H1000 Gaming Headset. The H1000 is an extremely lightweight and very comfortable pair of gaming cans with a stub microphone and RGB lights. Featuring 50mm drivers, the H1000 offers a crystal clear and an immersive audio experience for gamers. With rounded 3D draping earcups, the headset provides excellent sound insulation so that you are not disturbed by ambient noises.

Incorporating a lightweight design with self-adjusting head beams, the Ant Esports H1000 helps you get the best game experience. The stub microphone on the left earcup features a high sensitivity diaphragm that delivers accurate and clear voice communication without causing any hindrance to the gamer. The headset features a strong 2-meter tangle-free braided cable with inline volume control and a microphone on/off switch. The cable has a USB A connector and 3.5mm audio jack and is compatible with all desktops, gaming consoles, laptops, smartphones and tablets. The RGB lights draw power using a USB port and help in creating an exciting gaming environment.

The Ant Esports GAMEi Gaming Glasses and Ant Esports H1000 Wired Gaming Headset are available for an MRP of Rs 1,999 and Rs 3,999 respectively, with a 1-year industry standard warranty period.

Barco India focuses on software and R&D to enable digital transformation

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Barco, a professional visualization and collaboration technology, is moving to a state of the art, hybrid work environment – its largest global Centre of Excellence for Software innovation and R&D in India.

With the new facility, Barco has reiterated its commitment to enabling bright outcomes by combining hardware with software and services to deliver exceptional customer solutions. As part of its digital transformation initiatives, Barco is continuing to invest heavily and is targeting to expand the GEAX team in India, internally known as Globally Empowered to Accelerate Xperiences or GEAX.

Rajiv Bhalla, Managing Director, Barco India said, “Barco is committed to driving innovative solutions and experiences for customers. The launch of the new facility will enable us to successfully transform to a more resilient and healthier platform while continuing to build capabilities to become a successful solutions company leveraging hardware, software and services. We are investing heavily in ramping up the software and R&D segments to enable Barco’s pivot towards Hybrid workplace solutions and offer employment opportunities in niche skillsets. To further expand our talent base, Barco is also beginning campus hiring for engineers from India’s premier technology institutions.”

Barco India has a strong team of talented software engineers who develop software products and solutions across the Enterprise, Education and Healthcare verticals using diverse technology stack from embedded software on hardware devices to SaaS solutions deployed in multi cloud environment (Azure, AWS).

Ashish Gupta, Vice President, GEAX, Barco India said, “We intend to develop our India R&D Centre into Barco’s Global hub for software development and innovation.  India has a strong pool of technology talent and we are keen and excited to offer this segment the opportunities required to drive innovation on a global platform for Barco. The new facility at Noida is developed keeping hybrid collaboration and agile mindset as the guiding principle to promote innovation and faster value delivery to our customers.”

Barco recently introduced the concept of Hybrid Workplaces, offering an entire gamut of technology geared up to enhance workplace agility and efficiency, ensuring that enterprises are primed for the new normal. Barco’s premium visualization and collaboration solutions such as ClickShare Conference, SecureStream, weConnect etc. transform enterprises by enhancing productivity and continuity for businesses, while facilitating a hybrid and resilient model that can withstand future challenges.

In keeping with the Hybrid Workplace model, the new two-floor Barco facility is designed to enhance productivity and features a common lab area offering flexibility for expansion or addition of new labs. One of the floors is divided into silent work areas, lab zone and collaboration zone, with each team having a personal space near to their sitting area, equipped with whiteboard, display and Barco ClickShare Conferencing Solution.

Aimed at creating a relaxing and enjoyable work environment, the new facility has been designed keeping the needs of a hybrid workspace and a young team in mind. It also features full-fledged experience and demo centres for meeting room, healthcare, control room and education solutions, offering customers the actual feel of the experiences enabled by Barco.

Soundcore strengthens its Rave Speaker series, launches 160W waterproof speaker

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Soundcore by Anker, a US based audio brand, adds another product to its party speaker series in India with ‘Rave’ Speaker – incredibly loud, water proof, and designed for the outdoor parties. Priced for Rs. 13999 the speaker is available on Flipkart and leading retail stores in India. The product comes with an 18 Months warranty.

Designed to add powerful sound to any setting, the speaker offers something for everyone. Turn up the outdoor parties, with incredibly loud & monstrous sound, as 160W Rave speaker comes with two 5.25 woofers and dual two-inch tweeters. Its Bass up Technology, further intensifies the delivery of bass notes accompanied by rich mids and clear treble. To create a more intensifying experience, build Rave speaker – chain, linked to the same playback device and let the music PLAY LOUD!

Rave’s beat-driven light show, brings custom LEDs pulsing and flowing with the beat to create a fully synced light show with the music playing. Its unique Rave party lighting algorithm and independent DSP, of the speaker syncs the LED light patterns with the rhythm of the music to create an immersive listening experience. One could also create an oversized strobe light through the speaker, building the ultimate party mood.

Keeping the control handy, Download the Soundcore app (Available on Android and IOS) and take control of the LED Lights, by swiping on the light wheel on the smartphone screen. The app also supports layer sound effects, along with EQ settings, enriching the listening experience. The app comes with 3 party games, keeping the entertainment quotient high.

Supporting the 24 hour playtime is the massive 20000Mah battery that keeps the party alive until the sunrise. Equipped with Anker’s signature Power IQ technology, the USB port on the Rave speaker delivers the fastest charge on the identified device. Rave’s water-resistant, IPX4-rated protective casing defends the speaker against any damage from spilt drinks or unexpected rain showers.

The Rave series of speakers features incredibly loud speakers that are designed exclusively for the outdoor festivities. The line-up of Party Speakers under Rave includes – Rave priced for Rs.13999, Rave Mini priced for Rs. 9999 & Rave Neo priced for Rs. 7999.

Paytm Money opens F&O trading for all at Rs 10

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India’s homegrown digital financial services platform Paytm today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Paytm Money has opened Futures & Options trading for all. It aims to empower the masses with F&O trading as an important wealth management product.

The company said that it received an overwhelming response for F&O trading on its platform with over 1 lakh requests for its Early Access Program. Trading is now live on the Paytm Money app & website for all.

The company said that it has enabled users with the lowest and most competitive brokerage at Rs 10 for F&O, which is in line with its intraday charges of Rs 10, and zero for delivery. The pricing disruption will benefit experienced as well as first-time traders to seamlessly trade in futures & options with a best-in-class product, on their mobile and in a secure environment. The F&O platform has seamless UI and easy onboarding that makes F&O trading accessible and feasible for every Indian.

Paytm Money said that during the Early Access Program the company witnessed massive interest coming from tier-III, tier-IV, and the rest of India towns in F&O trade. It has also seen a rise in interest in wealth products in the user base below the age of 30 and women investors. Paytm Money aims at simplifying stock trading for all Indians, be it seasoned traders or new to a market investors by offering them the flexibility to invest and trade via both the app and its website.

Varun Sridhar, CEO – Paytm Money said, “We are delighted to share that more than 1 lakh users were granted access during the first few weeks of the F&O early access phase in January after its early access launch. The platform witnessed greater adoption by users from Tier 1 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Amongst the smaller cities that showed maximum interest were Patna, Kota, and Guntur.  Additionally, more than 50% of users belonged to the age group of 20-30 years. Our pricing of Rs 10 flat per order without any contracts or commitments brings the overall cost of trading significantly lower and makes it super transparent. With this, Paytm Money is taking one step further to become India’s most comprehensive & top digital wealth management platform.”

F&O Trading in India is a highly competitive arena that hosts a number of old and young players. This widespread adoption of F&O Trading on Paytm Money in such a short span holds considerable significance for us and indicates recognition towards our efforts to democratize digital trading for every Indian. Along with simplified trading in the futures and options segment, the platform offers ample opportunities to the user to research the markets, explore market movers, create customizable watchlists, and set price alerts for as many as 50 stocks.

Also, with the built-in Brokerage Calculator, the investor can discover the transaction charges & know the exact breakeven price to sell stocks profitably. Besides, the Advanced Charts and other options like Cover Order & Bracket Order have been added to make the stock trading experience more rewarding. All this and a lot more would be available with absolute data privacy to keep investors’ personal data safe with bank-level security. Apart from this, the company is planning to come up with more value-adding features and intends to launch a few more exciting products on its platform very soon.

HyLyt ties up with MSME Business Forum for enabling ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’

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HyLyt, the technology-based unified information management, and collaboration platform has tied up with MSME Business Forum to empower the medium, small, and micro-businesses through tech empowerment and help them maintain data security and full privacy in their small businesses.

Ravi Nandan Sinha, Director – MSME Business Forum India said, “In most organizations today, data and other information are managed in isolated silos by independent teams using various data management tools. Tools like Hylyt brings all under one umbrella and paves the way to managing data as an organizational asset.”

Rajat Singhania, Founder of HyLyt by SocioRAC said, “I strongly believe that Indian MSMEs need more technology intervention to make them efficient and sustain against the competition. HyLyt is an endeavor to support these businesses through their entire lifecycle and adapt to the changing style of the business environment. In this era of the gig economy, sometimes projects require the creation of teams consisting of freelancers or people not working in the same organization or even the same country. Digital collaboration tools become vital for these applications thus enabling remote working and cost-cutting.”

Access to technology and transforming the business into efficient units of operation is the only way to succeed in the coming time. HyLyt is a unique technology that works on top of multiple apps and data silos to converse and collaborate which will help small businesses to control the teams and enhance productivity. The app helps to prevent data leakages and get a 360 view of all information that matters in one place.

The app is a smart product that is designed to provide optimal performance on one hand and is versatile and organization-friendly on the other. The app can be customized for users, organizations,s and entire stakeholders of the businesses, thus making them self-sufficient and less dependent on manpower.

A few highlights of the app that is unique to the MSME sector are:

Keeping data on their own server: HyLyt offers the MSME businesses the option of hosting your data on your own server if you so desire.

Withdraw Data & Restrict Access: Protect the business IP by withdrawing access rights or pulling sensitive data back at any time, thus protecting business accessibility and credibility.

Customize Permissions: HyLyt helps businesses to control who is allowed to see, share and edit data on the app itself.

Now Vi users can binge on the net all night, at no extra cost, on Vi Unlimited

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Night binging on the Internet and OTT is on the rise, especially as people exercise flexible and remote working and spend more time-consuming content. To cater to this demand, Vi has announced Unlimited high-speed Night-time Data – without any restrictions, at no extra cost, for its prepaid customers from 12:00 am to 6:00 am on all Vi Unlimited Recharges of Rs 249 and above.

With mobile internet becoming the oxygen for people in the pandemic disrupted world, bonus unlimited high-speed night-time data will enable Vi customers to get a lot more out of life and their time. Vi prepaid customers can now unwind after a long day with unlimited infotainment, connect with loved ones over long video calls or schedule downloads without worrying about exhausting their daily data quota.

Vi customers also enjoy Weekend Data Rollover benefits on all existing Unlimited daily data quota packs of Rs 249 and above, allowing users to not only enjoy late night binging on the net, but also carry forward their un-utilized data from the daily quota during the week and use it during the weekend.

Consumption patterns of consumer segments such as the Youth, indicate higher data consumption during night. With this industry-first proposition, offering dual benefit of Unlimited high speed Night-time Data and Weekend Data Rollover, Vi aims to provide more value to its Unlimited users. The new initiative is also aimed at increasing stickiness to the network and attracting new users to our network.

The Unlimited high speed Night-time Data can be used by Vi customers to browse and download a variety of content from various OTT applications, as well as Vi Movies and TV App – a one-stop entertainment destination to enjoy live TV Shows, latest movies and original content. Downloaded by more than 10 Million+ Vi subscribers it gives access to over 9500+ movies, in 13 different languages, 400+ live TV channels along with a huge catalogue of original web series and International TV Shows across all genres.

As per a recent report by Ookla, Vi GIGAnet was the fastest 4G network pan-India in Oct to Dec ’20.

Fire-Boltt’s global first Boltt Play app crosses 1 million user mark

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Domestic wearable and audio technology brand Fire-Boltt has reached yet another milestone with the overwhelming success of its global first concept, Boltt Play app, which is a comprehensive entertainment, fitness and reward ecosystem in itself.

The app has crossed the 1 million user mark within a short period of time. “The most significant aspect of the swift and increased popularity of the app is that the traction has been achieved through organic routes, i.e. without spending even a single dollar on its marketing,” the company claimed.

Within a short span, major entertainment platforms like Jio Saavn and Zee5 were also brought on board Boltt Play app. According to co-founder of the company Arnav Kishore, the brand plans to add a few more OTT platforms and other entertainment players to offer a wide variety of content to the users.

Apart from the entertainment platforms, another unique key point of the app is its reward system. Whenever users perform activities such as walking, listening to music, watching movies, uploading videos or playing games on the app, they earn Boltt Coins as rewards, which could further be exchanged for a wide range of branded products from an in-built store. For added rewards, Fire-Boltt audio and wearable devices can be connected with the app.

Talking about the success of the app and the road ahead for homegrown Fire-Boltt, co-founders Aayushi and Arnav Kishore said, “The prime reason for the success of our global first concept is its unique entertainment, fitness and reward ecosystem. Our years, long DNA in audio and wearable technology further adds to our brand value and we feel proud to make a mark as a homegrown make-in-India brand.”

The reward partners for Boltt Play app include global giants in consumer goods, fitness, fashion and entertainment. Users stand a chance to win rewards worth huge amounts on a daily basis through the app. Fire-Boltt has a pan-India presence, catering to customers across more than 750 cities across the country.